No blueberry grows that little if pH is right and it has decent growing conditions. So I'd blame conditions.

What do you think the pH is? How much are you fertilizing? Any big trees around to compete with berry roots?

I have a couple bushes like that that hardly have grown in about six years. Altogether I have over 80 bushes of many different varieties planted over a span of about seven years. The only difference with those that haven't done much is that those particular bushes arrived from a grower farther south with leaves on them only a day or two before I was to leave on a trip. The instructions said to plant immediately. It dipped down to about 20 degrees that night, so it must have stunted them. Two of the five bushes didn't even survive. After about six years the other three have finally started to show a little growth. I have other plants of the same varieties bought elsewhere that are growing fine. Maybe next summer the stunted ones will finally bear a significant crop. Northwoodswis

I set out 15 blueberry plants about 5-6 years ago in the same bed. The bed is in full fun, from north to south, two rows of 7 and 8 plants. The bed has a gentle slop from south to north. The spacing is 4.5' between plants and 5' between rows.

When I planted them, I mixed with 50% peat moss and 50% existing soil. I did not put on any sulfur. I have not tested the PH for a long time. I mulched the bed with about 1"-2" of composted wood chips.

The 5 plants in the south size (the high ground) did really well and they are about 5' tall, putting out good berries for at least 3 years. But two plants died, one Rubel and one Elliot.

At first, I thought drainage is to blame since the plants in high ground did extremely well. But the Northland and Brigitta are in the middle of the rows. The Polaris is the 2nd plant from the south and it has not grown much at all. The bed is not water clogged.

So I decided to replant the slow growing ones to another location. When I replanted them today, I mixed with 50/50 peat moss/soil and add 1-2 cups of sulfur and a cup of bone meal in each hole. I hope this will somehow make the PH lower and make the plants happier.

Sorry, a double post....

This post was edited by fruitnut on Sun, Oct 26, 14 at 21:31

I have 3 berkeleys planted in the same bed from fall 2012, south to north , same media , same ph, same mulch , same fertalizer schedule same every thing yet one is almost doubled in size and it looks like a massive bush not much fruit though, one had more fruit than leaves this summer , and the other one very little fruit and average growth. Also now the bigger one is showing fall color only on 50% of the leaves, the middle one is mostly green and has a few flowers on it, and the third one is all red leafed.
My dear wife says it's because even plants are "individuals".
One last thing they were bought at the same nursery.
Go figure...

Interesting. But this would create huge problem in a blueberry farm or orchard.

I visited a local orchard this summer. Some of their mature blueberry bushed died due to cold and wet weather. Some of the newly planted plants died too. But the living ones are about similar sizes.

I purchased two container plants this spring. When I dug them, the new BlueRay I purchased from local nursery had not put out any new roots, but just stay alive. But the Darrow I purchased from Costco put out about 4" roots in all directions. And those two plants are next to each other.

Now they are in their new home. I put down sulfur and bone meal. Hope they will be happier and put out some growth.... They need to be more productive.