# ACK!!! Hubby mowed down my blueberry bushes!



## rdhdstpchild (Jul 13, 2009)

:sob::bash:

The bushes finally gave us some berries this year. Is there any hope they will grow back? :help:


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## GrannyG (Mar 26, 2005)

Googled this....Pruning is the most important part of growing blueberries. Proper pruning helps give the blueberry plants new life, encourages more blueberry fruit production, and prevents the bushes from overproducing. Until the plants are about 8 years old, only remove the dead, short or weak or broken shoots. 

Using pruners, keep first-year plants from bearing by stripping off the flowers. This fools the plant into thinking it isn&#8217;t time to go into fruit production mode. Go ahead, and strip off those flowers so next time your plants bloom, you'll have larger and better tasting berries. 

On older or mature plants, cut back the ends of the twigs to the point where the fruit buds are widely spaced. You can also remove about one-third of the oldest branches each year. 

On blueberry plants that are more than 4 years old, you should still get rid of the weak and straggly branches first. Then, remove any stems from the dense bushes and prune them to the stature you want. Get rid of any extra long shoots or those that have more than 5 buds on them. This prevents the plant from becoming overloaded with berries. If your blueberry bushes are weak (overbearing due to poor soil drainage, injury from drought, not enough fertilizer, improper pruning, crowding, grubs or other causes), you may be able to bring the plant back to new life by pruning 1/3- to 1/2 of the old blueberry bush. Be sure to correct the underlying conditions first (improve soil drainage, thin out crowded plants, properly fertilize, etc.).

How high did he have the mower blades set ? My neighbor decided to do me a favor and came in the yard, mowed all my blackberry bushes down that were planted along the fence. They never came back, will have to replant, but I just tell myself he was trying to help me.....


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## katydidagain (Jun 11, 2004)

Bill accidentally mowed down a young one 4 years ago; it bore a few fruits this year.


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## ronbre (Apr 26, 2009)

oh I hope so..it really depens on HOW MUCH of the bush was taken..and if the roots are well protected as it regrows..i would put a little mulch on them to protect them well over the winter..and fertilize them with a good acid natural fertilizer in the spring when they will be growing their new tops..and MARK THEM WELL


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## motdaugrnds (Jul 3, 2002)

It depends on how much of the plant your husband left. Cut back the tops and the roots get smaller; so it is best to leave a nice height (depending on the age of the plant).


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## mothernature (Aug 22, 2010)

"MARK THEM WELL" doesn't work on our place. My husband thinks that if you have a little fence around a plant that he is SUPPOSED to mow it down. I've learned a lot of things can grow back after being masacred, blueberries included!!


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## rdhdstpchild (Jul 13, 2009)

Apparently he was determined to kill off everything he mowed. I can't even find where they were! :awh:


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