Blueberries

Something I have tried in the past with complete lack of success. The plants didn't survive even a single season. The secret seems to be planting them in a container full of acid compost, and to irrigate  them regularly. Another issue seems to be the variety - it never gets really cold here, so varieties that need freezing weather to do anything struggle.

I've had two "Sharp Blue" plants growing happily. They're now going into their third year, and are laden with flowers and fruit:

Less frisky is a Northern Highbush variety, going miserably into its second season:

I have another variety, Trojan, just as miserable but also surviving, and a brand new one "Powder Blue", which looks promising. But then they always do when newly purchased.

It looks so promising I might get another plant...

What I might try with the laggards is to buy a bag of ice and dump it into their pots to try and shock them into some sort of activity. I discovered this has an effect years ago when defrosting our fridge/freezer and dumping the ice around the trunk of a young mulberry tree, which started fruiting in surprise long after the season was over.

Update 2015/10/17:

Northern Highbush getting some leaves and flowering, easily a month or more behind Sharp Blue. The central stem hasn't grown an inch in two years.

One of the Sharp Blues, about 1.5 metres in height.

Sharp Blue berries ripening. There's a fair number, but not yet what you'd call a lot.

Update 2015/11/11:

After adding the two "Powder Blue" plants last month, I thought that was it. But on a recent trip to Cape Town, I spotted this wizened offering:

It's a "Misty", and why not try it in Grahamstown?

Update 2015/11/11:

Powder Blue putting out new growth. Doing just fine.

Northern highbush variety with leaves, but not much growth.

Sharp Blue flourishing.

Even the Trojan has a few leaves and flowers.

And the Misty has been put into a pot. Still need to add irrigation.

Update 2015/11/22:

The two powder blue plants showing nice growth.

Update 2015/11/27:

Even more growth.

Update 2015/12/06:

Misty, with big unripened berries.