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| I bought a tifblue blueberry plant in the spring. I've noticed about half the bush looks different than the other half. I'm wondering if it's rootstock and I should cut it back. The questionable part of the plant has lighter color leaves and have leaves parallel to each other at each node. The rest is darker leaves and are staggered. Also on the new growth branches are red while the other is green. It's growing about 6 inches from the actual plant. Now thinking back it's always been there I just haven't paid much attention. When I bought the plant it had some blueberries, and I don't think this part had any. I just assumed it was because it was a young cane. I didn't know blueberry plants were usually grafted to rootstock so I haven't been paying attention. So cut it or leave it? |
Follow-Up Postings:
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| To the best of my knowledge blueberries are never grafted. Since the odd shoot is 6 inches away I'd say it's another plant, not blueberry. I'd dig it out to try to kill entirely. If you just cut back it will likely grow back. |
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| New Tifblue growth has a light, almost white color at first but then darkens later in the season. I would wait on cutting anything back. |
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| This growth is much larger than the rest of my blueberry plant, so it's not new growth. |
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| That doesn't mean anything. You can have new blueberry growth spring up from several inches away...I have a couple of dozen blueberry plants, including tifblue. It is possible that you had a seed from a nearby tree germinate and now have a small sapling. Can't say that has happened to my blueberries but it happens all of the time in my landscaping, especially from maple and ash trees. If it is a tree sapling, cutting it down may not kill it the first time around. You may want to wait until early winter and dig it up. |
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| That's a shrub of some kind. Cut it off or better dig it out. Even if it's the blueberry it won't kill your plant to cut off one shoot. I've never had a shoot arise 6 inches from the crown. New shoots arise from the base of old shoots, not from the roots, and not that far away. I'd agree with the idea that you should dig it out this winter. That will cause the least damage to your plant while killing the weed. |
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| Looks like you got a bonus crape myrtle in the deal. |
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| This is a Northland bush that last year produced new growth 5'' away from the main trunk. I am not familiar with Tifblue but that shoot doesn't look like part of it , more like a different plant althogheter imo. Cheers, Sal |
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| Sal to me it looks like the plant is planted way too deep! |
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- Posted by Fascist_Nation USDA 9b, Sunset 13, (My Page) on Thu, Sep 18, 14 at 8:51
| In the fall it will be obvious as the blueberry leaves change color whether the usurper is a blueberry too. Nothing like the leaf color change in blueberries. Actually from the leafing pattern you can pretty much tell it is not a blueberry but an unwelcome volunteer. |
This post was edited by Fascist_Nation on Thu, Sep 18, 14 at 8:54
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| Drew51, thanks for the heads up I just went to check it out and I think is the angle that the pic was taken from and the fact that the main growth is inclined to the opposite direction that makes it look like is very deep. Thanks a bunch though. |
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| Sal: That shoot is 5 inches away because the plant is so deep. Dig down and you will see that the new shoot arises from the base of the old shoot. If the OP does the same he will see if the shoot in question arises from the base of the blueberry. |
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| Guys you're making me worrying...in this pic you can see the darker ring of soil around the plant from when I transplanted it from the pot it came with (4ish gallons) when I bought it and the lighter brown soil in the middle is its original one. Apart from a small amount of mulch I don't think I planted it too deep, I don't know if you can see that there is a tiny elevation difference and the base of the plant is slightly higher than the soil I added. Don't get me wrong your comments and expertise is very much appriciated. Thanks,Sal |
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| Sal: There's nothing to worry about. Your plant had one shoot originate from a lower bud and grow off at an angle when it was being rooted. If you trace the branch angles back you can see that they converge. No big deal. Your plant now has a wide base. But any new strong bull canes will originate from one or the other of those shoots, not from the roots. New bull canes usually arise from just above the soil surface but can originate up to a foot above ground especially on older plants with big canes. |
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