Blueberry's

[kribensis12]

Hey. I have a blueberry bush that has been growing magnificantly. Well, it is absolutely coverd in blueberry's. BUT, how do I know they are ready? I mean, most look like blueberry's, and are good sized, but how do I really know? Here are some pic's( which turned out really well, im surprised!):

Another thing. At the top of each branch, there is a dead part. Every single branch, has about a half inch of dead stem on it. Is that normal?

 

[Socks]

The blue berrys are ready when they turn fully blue,they will go from that green in the pics to a red/purple then to blue,usually some will be ready while others are still green.
Yes,the dead stick thing is common nothing to worry about.I'm like 90% sure the plant only produces berrys on new growth so I know pruning can be good for the berry production,pretty sure you do it in the fall or very early spring like most other stuff,but I don't really know where to cut for blue berrys,I'd goggle blue berry pruning,it's gota be out there.

 

[mixmaster jay]

also when the weather is cooler like nearer winter late autumn prune it back to around 6" from the ground nad put a cleay bag or cut off bottle over it till mid spring and it will double or triple in size next year and use some manure at the base too

 

[kribensis12]

Well, I forgot to post this, but my mom wanted me to clear the garden right? No problem there. So I told her to wait for me while I rest. I wake up to find that she and my little brother tore out my blueberry plant (the blueberries were delicious BTW), tore out my Red Milkweed Plant, cut down my Purple Coneflowers, and cut down my Yellow Coneflowers. Lets hope those come back. I don't know if they did any damage to the root systems. This was last fall, and needless to say, I was not happy.

 

[loraxchick]

coneflowers and milkweed are annuals-you need to replant every year. i usually wait until the seedheads are very dark and dry before i cut back my wildflowers for the winter. then i either keep the seedheads until the following spring (in a ziplock) or just rub the seedheads to release the seeds into their plot for next year in the fall and slightly cover them with soil and they grow back in the spring. so no harm there.
cheers

 

[kribensis12]

How is that so? The same stalk grows in the same place as last year, and there is usually another one the next year. The Yellow Coneflowers have this huge root base that grows back every year. I have not seen any flowers pop up anywhere else. But this past spring, I say shoots coming from the mass of roots that I planted the year before.

 

[loraxchick]

no, they are annual meaning you need to replant every year. they seed most likely fall in the ground and you perceive this as growing from the same stalk, but once it flowers and seeds, the plant is gone. just reseed in the fall (with very dry brown seedheads-kinda mush them around in your hand to release the seeds and then VERY shallowly plant them-less than a 1/4 inch deep)...you need to either allow the seedheads to drop some seeds in the fall or do it yourself in the late fall/early spring. frost is actually good for annual seeds, so sew them early!
Hope that helps.
cheers