I planted two blue berry bushes or trees? I live in Zone 7 and it is not unusual to have temperatures exceeding 100+ for one or two months. Can the blue berries with stand this kind of heat? What kind of problems do they have in the way of insects or diseases? How much water do they require? I have ben watering them once each day as the soil dries out that quick right now.

Well, I don't know the textbook answer for this, but I can tell you my experience in zone 7. I've had two blueberry bushes, a Patriot and another variety whose name I've forgotten, in pots for several years. They have done fine.

They have not grown vigorously, but I think that may have to do with being confined to pots. They are now planted against a south-facing wall, along with several additional bushes of other varieties, and they have done fine despite the heat.

I *think* the key is buying varieties suited to your zone. I do know they have to be watered periodically, even though they're heavily mulched, but only when it has been hot and dry for over a week. And even when they don't get enough water, the worst that's happened here has been the fruits wilting up a bit.

Of course, you might be in a drier climate than mine, but that's been my experience.

Heather

What kind of blueberry bushes do you have? Here in zone 8, we plant rabbiteye blueberries. They love heat, humidity and an acidic environment, so they're perfect for the Southeast. I don't know if other types of blueberries have the same requirements, but here are a few things I've learned:

Blueberries can't stand boggy wet feet, but they do need a lot of water. Don't ever let them get completely dry! The best bet is to create the proverbial "moist but well-drained" environment. Since I live on sand, I have extraordinary drainage and the challenge is to keep moisture in the soil. If you live on clay, you might consider building a raised bed for drainage and amend the soil with moisture-holding organic material. Peat moss is generally suggested as a good soil amendment because it's on the acidic side and increases moisture-holding capability. I also run ordinary pine bark mulch through a chipper/shredder and include some of that in the soil mix. A pine needle mulch is good.

Many blueberry growers advise removing blossoms from newly-established bushes the first year. Evidently it takes a lot of energy to produce berries, and if the bush has no berries to feed, it will put energy into growth instead and be able to produce many more berries in succeding years. My bushes have been potted for two years; I'll plant them in lasagna beds this fall and prevent them from bearing next year in hopes that they'll grow big and full. But it's hard to wait a whole year before tasting those berries!