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michelelc_gw

selecting blueberry varieties to plant

michelelc
12 years ago

Hi,

I have always wanted to plant blueberry plants, and have finally been able to clear out a small 18' area along along my fence that gets good sun. I plan on planting 3 bushes. I know it's late, but I can water every day, so hopefully the plants will be OK. My question is, what are good varieties. I live a little bit north of Boston, along the coast in zone 6A. I have checked 2 local nurseries, and here are my options:

Chippewa

Bluecrop

Blueray

Duke

North Country

Coville

Jersey

I'd love to get some opinions on which are the best varieties?

Thanks,

Michele

Comments (46)

  • riverman1
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    In my garden I have chippewa, northcountry, northblue, chandler, bluecrop, jersey, duke and one other I can't remember right now. By far the most adaptive and productive of the group is Reka. I have four of them, they are the largest, most productive and least problematic of the group.......they just seem to grow no matter what. I would highly recommend Reka.

    RM

  • ericwi
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    We have bluecrop, Blueray, and Patriot. We also have a Friendship, which is very close to wild blueberry, and several lowbush, including a dwarf Northstar, and several St Cloud. There are two Jersey, but these are only 12 inches high, they are too small for bearing fruit. We had so much rabbit damage over the winter that there is very little fruit this year: one branch on the Patriot was buried in a snowbank, and is covered with berries. The Friendship is so dense with branches that many of them escaped the bunnies, so there is some fruit on that shrub as well. The lowbush shrubs were well covered with snow, which seems to protect them from browsing rabbits, so they all have some fruit, but they only yield a small amount, maybe one/half cup per shrub. All of the shrubs have good flavorful fruit, in a normal year. The fruit from different shrubs generally tastes more alike than different. The Friendship has lots of small berries, and is a pain to pick. The fruit is fine, but it does not have any extra flavor compared to the other shrubs that have more fruit on fewer branches, and are therefore more easily harvested. I am testing Plantskydd, to see if it will discourage the bunnies this winter. You might see me trying to raise bail money on this forum, after being arrested for shooting rabbits within the city limits. That would be frowned on here in Madison.

  • riverman1
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Eric,

    I am a fish habitat biologist and as part of my job we plant thousands of small native trees and shrubs along rivers in the northwest. Planskydd works really well for deer and mice, we don't have bunny problems here. If you applied it just before winter I'm confident the bunnies would leave you alone....it's spendy but it does work.

    Michele,

    You might try ordering a couple Rekas, most nurseries have them available. I believe the Reka is a cross between a bluecrop and a duke. Here is a short definition I found on them:

    Reka, an early season blueberry variety bred in New Zealand, is one of the fastest growing and most adaptable varieties we have seen. A very vigorous variety, it grows well in light sandy soils, peat and heavier clay loams and is more tolerant to wetter ground than many other varieties. Reka ripens the season as Duke, but the berries have better flavor. Fruit is an attractive dark-blue color and the plant produces large crops. Its winter hardiness is rated equivalent to Bluecrop. Source: http://www.noursefarms.com/catalog/Product/BB-RK18/Reka.aspx

  • northwoodswis4
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I would plant three different varieties that ripen at different times. My Chippewa is my earliest. The Blue Crop is a good producer. I think Jersey is a later berry, but mine aren't of producing size yet. I've never tried Reka. Maybe I'll have to give it a try. One that hasn't panned out for me is KaBluey; it must not be hardy enough for zone 4, as they have no berries. Northwoodswis

  • alan haigh
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Some varieties bear much longer than others- Bluecrop and I think Blueray fall in this category. However, none I grow bear nearly as late as Elliot, so to me it is inexpendable although on this forum I've read that it isn't so good grown south of my NY Z6. I believe that there's also been another more recent release that is similarly late.

    Of the ones listed I'd grow the 2nd, third and forth. I prefer largest fruiting varieties- blueberries have a high enough proportion of skin even on largest varieties which are juicier (skin lacks juice). For baking you don't want that juice though, which is why lowbush varieties are used more in cooking. Big berries also take less time to fill the picking bucket.

  • mudflapper
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I have several types of Blueberries and find Duke to have little flavor,quite bland in fact. It could just be my location, but all my others have real flavor.

  • brookw_gw
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Misty does very well for me, and it is a strikingly beautiful bush as well. One of my favorite late varieties is Liberty--nice, large, sweet berries--a little slow to begin bearing though. I'm glad to hear about Reka as I added a half dozen of them to my collection.

  • djofnelson
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Michele,

    Here's another vote for Reka. I also really like Blueray, Legacy, Bonus, Ozarkblue, and Brigetta based on very good to great taste, yield, and disease resistance. I'm not much of a fan of Bluecrop, Duke, or Jersey because there are much tastier options available. Aurora is a new release that ripens later than Elliot and supposedly tastes better. Another possibility, Tifblue, is very vigorous, has fairly good flavor, very heavy yield, and also extends the season into September (at least in central VA). Although the flavor and texture of Tifblue doesn't match the above earlier varieties (I like still it better than Elliot, though), it is greatly appreciated in the fall when all the others are done producing, especially if you let the berries hang on the plant until they almost fall off when touched.

    I wouldn't limit yourself to your local nurseries because they will only likely stock the standard commercial varieties (such as Bluecrop, Duke, and Jersey). Hartmanns should have all of these varieties for fall delivery (don't plant blueberries in the summer). Burnt Ridge also stocks most of these and ships in the spring. Edible Landscaping has most of these varieties as well and ships year round.

  • riverman1
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    One other I should have mentioned that has done well for me in containers is Chippewa.

    I took a picture this morning of one of my Reka and a Chippewa I have in pots. They are both loaded with berries that are just starting to ripen.

    Go to the below link and then click on "view slideshow" and you can see the pictures pretty well.

    Here is the link:

    http://s24.photobucket.com/albums/c48/RiverMan1/July42011/

    Here is a link that might be useful: reka and chippewa

  • fruitnut Z7 4500ft SW TX
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Michele:

    I'm betting you can grow Sweetcrisp in 6a. 90% of those who don't plant it now will be kicking themselves when they finally do. I've probably eaten fruit of 40 or more varieties. Most of them are good to OK, some poor but nothing really stands out, until now. Sweetcrisp was so much better than all those last place finishers this year that it's not close. Very firm and 18 brix, % sugar. In fact the fruit is so firm and crisp it's like another type fruit. I'm betting they'll be great for baking and are superb out of hand. This was my first crop this year and yield is likely to be only moderate.

    I did have one customer who said she preferred the mushy Santa Fe. When I reattached my jaw I had a new appreciation into how we all vary. Hey works for me. I'll sell her Santa Fe and there will be more Sweetcrisp left for me. Santa Fe is the sweetest of all I've grown long term.

    Another one I'll fruit next year that is supposed to be similar to Sweetcrisp is Bluecrisp.

    Trying either certainly isn't a proven deal in MA or anywhere for that matter. The variety is brand new and YMMV.

  • alan haigh
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I grow and eat so many kinds of fruit and I really don't find the difference between the taste of different blueberry varieties all that significant.

    Now some of those mentioned here I've never tried but for someone to dis bluecrop, which is the industry standard, and suggest blueray is much better is in another world from me. Maybe from having a more sensitive palate or maybe it's a regional performance thing.

    As far as brix, I have about 8 varieties here, and there just isn't much difference in sweetnes between them and all get plenty sweet when left on the plant long enough.

    As I said, there's new varieties I haven't tried, Reka being one of them, but sweetness has a lot to do with leaf to fruit ratio and if a variety isn't sweet and good maybe you should thin the fruit a bit.

    Fruitnut, our professor emritus of brix, has me interested in Sweetcrisp (I planted Reka this year) but I can find no info about how it performs out of the south.

    Fruitnut, I've never kicked myself in the butt for waiting to plant any variety. Do you find yourself becoming an ever happier creature as the quality of your fruit increases? My fruit brought me just as much happiness 10 years ago before I had a lot of the cool varieties I have now.

  • fruitnut Z7 4500ft SW TX
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Harvestman:

    Great fruit is way better than average. My customers say so. And I like my fruit now way better than in years past. Half the stuff I buy turns out to be a waste of money, but not the money spent on my greenhouse.

    Like you say most blueberries are about the same. I've found something I like a lot better. Maybe others won't feel the same and I've wasted their money. I won't like that but I think several people are going to say thanks somewhere down the road after eating Sweetcrisp. It's the best advancement I've seen in fruit in some time.

    A nectarine I've been touting for years is now on the best fruits list of Des Layne in South Carolina. It's also touted by Adam's County Nursery. That's pretty good confirmation.

  • alan haigh
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    FN, I completely respect what you're doing and your evaluations, although the evaluations are bound to be at least somewhat hit and miss for people not growing in your controlled environment. Didn't I say you've got me interested in Sweet Crisp? I'm just not in any hurry and will probably wait to hear how it does up here.

    I'm always saying that my standards aren't quite as high as yours and I don't want them to be. I like being outside when I'm tending fruit trees.

  • riverman1
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    So far as taste is concerned, I don't think Reka is better than most of the others but I sure find it much easier to grow........put it a pot with some peat and a bit of potting soil, water, and watch it grow.

    RM

  • blueboy1977
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Im planting sweetcrisp and bluecrisp this next fall in South Houston. Its showing a chill requirement of 400hrs. We get 350 to 450 annually here. Hope it turns out okay cause I dont want to waste my money. Ive read that chill hours are a approximation and that if its with in 100 hours either side you should be okay with fruiting or does it need to be closer to the suggested chill requirement? Any comments would be appreciated.

    I talked to a woman at Just Fruits and Exotics in FL and she said that sweetcrisp has created all the rage for the growers in FL. Im putting in my orders now before they are all spoken for. On a bad note, I just had to cut back a Gulf Coast all the way to the ground that I got from there due to stem blight. Its been stunned since I bought it and the good people at Just Fruits and Exotics are going to replace it free of charge! Good stuff!!!

  • fruitnut Z7 4500ft SW TX
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    blueboy:

    Send me a bill if you think you've wasted your money on Sweetcrisp...but only if you send the plants as well -;)

    Sweetcrisp is about 200 hrs so the only problem there might be earlier bloom than desired. Bluecrisp is I believe listed as 400 hrs. I suspect that will work as well. I'm hoping they don't both mature at the same time. Bluecrisp sounds earlier from my reading.

    I'm really glad to hear about the buzz in FL. I do think it has limitations commercially in the area of yield. I'm planting Emerald for yield and berry size. It's quality is about like everything else but the berries are very large, the plant is very vigorous, and yield very high. That's for my customers that just want blueberries. I can get $6/lb for them. I'm figuring $10/lb for Sweetcrisp if they are like they were this year. If I don't eat them all.

    I have to admit nothing sells like organic blueberries.

  • alan haigh
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Fruitnut, I didn't know you'd gone commercial. You should offer fruit shipped overnight so we can try your amazing stuff.

    When low yield goes with high quality, I believe leaf to fruit ratio is the key and I'm not so impressed. Darrow is an estrordinary high brix blue and bares very scantily. I took it out of my blueberry house and use it as a bird pleasing ornamental. I'm sure Sweetcrisp is more productive than it.

  • Molex 7a NYC
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    10$/lb for sweetcrisp? damn I have to get one or two of these up here for tasting.

  • n2xjk
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I'll put a plug in for Jersey blueberries. I have a 40+ year old bed of them still going strong. During the winter pruning I've had to regularly cut 2' off the tops otherwise they'd be too tall to reach all the way up without stepladders. The first berries are just starting to color up now. Harvest usually lasts 4-5 weeks. I recently started adding some Patriot bushes but they aren't producing yet.

  • djofnelson
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Ok, fruitnut, you've convinced me. I'm ordering a Bluecrisp today. Just what I need; another blueberry plant...

    Harvestman, rereading my comments, I think I should clarify that I don't think Bluecrop is a terrible choice, but rather if you were starting from scratch tomorrow and choosing 4 varieties to plant in your backyard, why not choose some of the best tasting varieties (assuming they also have good yield and disease resistance)? My impression is that Bluecrop was the industry standard for a lot of reasons other than taste and I've never seen anyone claim it was tops for flavor. Also, I've read other folks, including Don, state that Blueray was one of their favorites for taste, but I've never read of anyone who grew a number of varieties stating this about Bluecrop. I agree that blueberries normally don't vary in taste as much as other fruit and that we're talking about 20% better flavor as compared with a 20 fold difference, so I'm not advocating tearing out your plants to make space for new varieties. However, to my palate (and in my loamy red clay soil and my intense VA summer heat/humidity) the differences in flavor are still clear enough to me to not just default to planting the same variety I can get in the grocery store. Don't get me wrong, though. If you pick a bowl of Bluecrop berries for me, I'll certainly eat them (unlike, say, a bowl of Red Delicious apples) because I think they normally taste pretty good. However, if I've got limited time and I'm choosing which plants I'm going to pick thoroughly and which I'm going to leave for the birds, for me it is an easy choice that I'll pick Blueray, Legacy, Bonus, Ozarkblue, and Brigetta (not that they all fruit at the same time) and leave the Bluecrop (and I'll pick the Bluecrop before I pick the Patriot berries).
    Regarding Elliot, I was very dissatisfied with the taste the first year. I've since learned to let them hang much longer and that did improve the flavor last year. In fact, I read the other day that you're supposed to let 60% of berries ripen on Elliot before picking them. For people that can grow Southern varieties (like Tifblue and Powderblue), I think these are tastier and more productive choices than Elliot in warmer climates. Another choice I mentioned was Aurora. Here's what Fall Creek has to say about Aurora:

    Aurora is the latest ripening Highbush, offering northern growers an opportunity to extend the fresh fruit season. Our observations in the Pacific Northwest find Aurora to have extremely high yields. Berries ripen over three to four pickings and are on average about 25% larger than Elliott with a slightly darker color. Aurora can be tart if not harvested fully ripe. Aurora is often more resistant to cracking and shriveling than Elliott and as a result, it can be allowed to hang longer, developing much better flavor in many cases. We recommend Aurora for growers where a cold hardy, hand harvest berry is desired to extend the fresh market harvest season.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Fall Creek chart

  • fruitnut Z7 4500ft SW TX
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    dj:

    I hope I've been clear that I haven't fruited Bluecrisp. It's supposed to be something like Sweetcrisp which is all I can vouch for at this time.

    In fact I'm wondering why Bluecrisp isn't more popular. I'm not sure how long it's been released but it's longer than Sweetcrisp.

  • djofnelson
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Fruitnut, I miss-typed. I actually just ordered 4 Sweet Crisps from Florida Hill Nursery. Thanks for the clarification, though.

  • alan haigh
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    DJ, I don't find nearly a 20% difference between bluecrop and blueray and bluecrop has larger, firmer berries and larger crops for me. I think I actually prefer the fruit. Also, I have very little interest in blueberry evaluations as grown in the northwest (except to help my sister who lives in N. CA). None of what they wrote about the flaws of Elliot applies to how my plant performs in southeastern NY.

    We are advising someone here who is in the northeast and locations will have a huge bearing on how varieties will perform.

    Better to go by the recommendations of Nourse who would be right in the neighborhood.

  • djofnelson
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Hman, The described superiority of Aurora to Elliot is not limited to NW nurseries. Hartmanns describes the difference using similar language, as does Nourse Farms (see link).

    I certainly agree that location plays a large role and maybe Blueray needs more heat to fully develop its flavor which would account for the higher VA flavor opinions. Even apart from your far greater experience/knowledge, all things being equal, your NY observations should be given more weight than my 7A observations. However, having read (and learned a lot from) your many postings I know that berries are fairly low on your list of priorities. I gather that you're fine with the varieties you've had for awhile and you've said before that you'd normally rather devote your time to your trees than bother with new berry varieties when the ones you have are just fine (I'm obviously paraphrasing). Coming from this perspective, I think the observations of someone in 7A who is trying and tasting new berry varieties (about 30 blueberry varieties) are relevant to someone in 6A. In the unlikely event that I've convinced you at all, based solely on flavor Brigetta is probably my favorite, followed by Legacy (which is the variety I recommend to friends who just want one plant). Also, if you like huge berries that still have good flavor, you should try Bonus. Based on the Nourse description, Liberty would seem to also be up you alley. Mine haven't fruited yet, so I can't say anything about flavor.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Nourse descriptions

  • michelelc
    Original Author
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Wow, I am amazed at all the wonderful advice. I posted this at the end of last week, then went on vacation and just came home to all the responses. I am so greatful to everyone, I had no idea there was such differences. I think I have narrowed down my list to Reka, Sweetcrisp, Chippewa, Blueray and aurora and need to do some online shopping. At this point I only have room for 3, though. The closest distributer to me, Nourse is no longer shipping for the season. I called them and they also recommend I acidify my soil now, and plant next spring. I am curious how people have done, planting in the fall? If I worked on acidifying the soil now, how would I do, planting in the fall? Also, how small are the blueberry plants that are shipped? How long until I would get a decent crop? The ones in the nurseries are nice and big, and have fruit on them. And, one last question, Riverman posted the pics of plants in pots, what do you do with the pots in the winter? I do not have a garage, only a basement. Would they survive the winter in the basement?

  • franktank232
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    No love here for Chandler? It grows in my zone 4+ and the berries are gigantic. I like a blueberry that tastes like blueberry and isn't mushy.

  • ericwi
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I have planted potted blueberry shrubs successfully, in the fall. If this is done between September 15 and October 15, the root system will have a chance to develop before winter sets in. However, you will need to find out the pH of your soil, and the pH of your tap water, before you actually do this. If you are using water from a rain barrel it is not necessary to check pH, rainwater is slightly acidic.

  • riverman1
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Michele,

    Others obviously have their own idea of "what's best" so others may provide you with differenct recommendations. Nevertheless, I like growing blueberries in pots because they are so sensitive to pH. If you buys some large pots, 15" in diamter or more, and fill them with 80% peat and the rest a high quality potting soil you will provide the perfect pH and have good success. I know because this is what I've done with my plants for three years now they are all thriving.

    If you were planting an acre of plants, of course it would make sense to modify the soil but with three plants, my recommendation would be to buy pots and be done with it.

    As for the winter, I covered my pots with 6 inches of maple leaves in the fall and left them outside the entire winter. I live in eastern Washington and we had several weeks of weather where we got down to zero and months where it would freeze almost every night. The soil in the pots was frozen hard as a rock but I had zero winter damage. I have Reka, Chippewa, Northblue, and Northcountry. I have started others this year but can't comment on the winter hardiness of these varieties as of yet.

    You might also consider burying your pots which I am experimenting with right now. I put in several new plants this summer, planted them in pots and then buried them with just a few inches of the pot above the ground surface. If you do this, make sure you have good drainage below the pot, you could put in a layer of gravel for the pot to rest on for example. Having the pot in the ground provides several advantages, the biggest of course being you can control pH. Another is that the pot stays cooler in summer and warmer in winter. Finally, for me, my cats stay out of the pots but they like to do their business next to my plants I have in the ground!

    Peat moss mixed with some quality potting soil like black magic has worked fantastically for me and it's very simple.

    Hope this helps...

    RM

  • tc88
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I would suggest Duke, Chandler and Liberty. All three are very productive. Duke is very reliable for an early bearing variety. Liberty is a late variety and is tasty and pretty. Chandler has biggest berries and is tasty too and spans a long season. Duke and Chandler are pretty common and should be easy to come by. Liberty is a little bit new.

    My 2cents for whatever it's worth.

  • alan haigh
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    DJ, you're pretty much right on all counts. After I made my last post I realized it was just a pissy response and not actually based on any particular authority on my part, except that the problems mentioned about Elliot don't seem to occur here. I'm loyal to my old friends.

    I am not an expert on blueberries (my business is mostly about fruit trees), but I'm pretty knowledgeable about how people respond to the quality of various cultivars- especially if they are not completely obsessed like most of us here. People are going to love the fruit off their own plants and I think getting a nicely spread harvest from early to late is the most important thing.

    I was on vacation at Cape Cod and the Stop and Shop supermarket was selling the most beautiful blueberry plants for $18 apiece. About 2.5 ft tall, loaded with fruit and extremely healthy. Much, much better in some ways than paying about half that for the exact varieties you want on-line and getting tiny plugs that may require a 3 year wait for significant fruit.

    Michele if you can find some plants like this and your budget isn't real tight, maybe you should get some big ones for now and order the "perfect" ones to enjoy in a few years.

    More southern growers on this site have told impressive stories about getting tiny plants big in very short order, but for the part time gardener these experiences are not the norm. Blueberries not carefully tended are apt to be sluggish growers. That's why I no longer grow them in my nursery. You forget to water them for a couple of days and you lose almost a seasons growth.

  • riverman1
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Funny you say that harvestman.

    This spring I ordered 10 plants from Heartland Blueberries and when they came they were the scrawniest little pitiful things you have ever seen.............they looked much like Charlie Brown's xmas tree. I then found some very robust and healthy looking plants at the local hardware store so I bought a few more of them. All of them have been in the ground since March and the scrawny plants are thriving, while the larger robust plants are struggling.

    My advice to a person buying new plants would be to not worry so much about size but to look for good branching from the base and healthy stems. Multiple stems are better than just a couple. Make sure you buy from a reputable source because you can get plants that are diseased. A healthy well branched but small plant will grow much faster than an unhealthy large plant.

    RM

  • alan haigh
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Riverman, when potted plants suffer it's usually because potting soil dried out, which happens much more easily then when plants are planted bare root, but as a general rule healthy plants are going to establish without a hitch when container grown.

    We had a long thread here where Dave, a grower in Kentucky, started plugs in 3 gallon pots for a year before putting them into the soil in a small commercial venture (maybe 1,000 plants). He fertilized them generously with a timed released fertilizer and got the plants to a well branched 6' from plugs in a single season and then planted them. Got his first commercial crop the second season this way.

    He had the watering system on a timer so plants were watered every single day when in pots. I believe the extremely vigorous growth was from the combination of plenty of water and N and the somewhat oversized pots. His growing medium was ground bark and peat moss.

    If you cover potting soil with real soil when you transplant, the water often runs off without penetrating the potting soil, however. The coarser nature of potting soil does create problems until roots penetrate real soil and blueberries have particularly sluggish root growth.

  • riverman1
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I remember that thread harvestman and yes he did get some good growth. Although his plants are very impressive, I don't think the growth he had was all that unusual as I have had similar growth with potted plants with a completely different approach than he took.

    This plant (see link below) was potted up in March at maybe 10 inches tall with a few shoots and probably broke bud sometime in late April. This photo was taken July 31. As you can see, there is easily 2-3' of growth and many new shoots on this plant in just three months of time. This pot was mostly peat moss with some bark and potting soil and a half cup of organic fertilizer mixed in. I had many others that did just as well that year in the same mix.

    RM

    Here is a link that might be useful:

  • alan haigh
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Riverman, I don't think that growth comes close to what Dave's pictures showed. I took the numbers out of my head, but I still remember how those plants looked. Show me a picture in a couple of months and I'll get a better comparison. Or you can just pick up that thread again and compare for yourself.

    I've never seen such growth of blueberries in the Northeast, but I never pushed them or even provided adequate water through drought. They never really proved to be of commercial value for me to produce here. Big producers can grow them easily but not fruit trees so much.

  • pitcom
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Here are the varieties that i am growing in 6b-7.

    Hanna's Choice
    Aurora
    Bluegold
    Elizabeth
    Duke
    Jersey
    Chandler
    BlueJay
    Patriot

    I have been very impressed with the flavor of the Aurora', and the bushes are so laden with berries, i thought some of my branches were going to break. They need to be left on for a couple days after turning color or they will be tart. Picked properly they are very sweet. The Hanna's Choice and Bluejay have also produced some tasty berries. This is my first year with the Bluegold variety. it has an enormous amount of berries, but i have yet to taste them.

    I plan on adding some Spartan bushes this fall. I also read what most of what fruitnut posts, so if he says sweetcrisp are tasty, then i bet they are. He appears to really do his homework with growing and trying things out. IMO if you want a good late bloomer, go with some Aurora bushes.

  • riverman1
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I had three feet of growth in three months harvestman....is it possible to get more than a foot a month? I had to start trimming the limbs back because they were growing so fast they were starting to tip over. I don't see how it could have grown any faster. I looked at his photos and yes they grew very well but again, not anything all that unusual.

    RM

  • blueboy1977
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Dont know if my 2 cents helps here, but I dont even know what the hell Im doing and Ive got 2ft to 3ft growth on 2 of my southern high bushs and 4 rabbiteyes in the last 2 months. Thanks Fruitnut, Riverman1 and tc88!!! Ive only ordered 2 plants online from Just Fruit and Exoctics in FL and one had stem blight when they shipped it to me so yes, you never really know what your going to get from a online retailer. A good retailer will either refund your money, or ship you a new plant as they have agreed to do. I would think the amount of growth a plant gets depends on a lot of different factors and everybodys situation Im sure is a little bit different. You can only grow with the cards you are delt or how much $ you are willing to spend to get-er-done. Im new to the whole blueberry thing as of March this year and I cant think of a more rewarding plant to grow. None of us on here are experts by any means thats why we are on here! Sharing our victorys and our woes is what its all about.

  • alan haigh
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    BBoy, I think there's a wide range of levels of expertise of participants in this forum. Olpea is an expert at growing peaches in Kansas. Scott is expert at growing fruit organically in the mid-Atlantic climate. Fruitnut is expert at growing extremely high quality fruit in Texas in greenhouse conditions.

    I think of myself as an expert at home orcharding in my region of the country, as it's been my entire livelihood for over 20 years (managing other peoples orchards and my own). I've made my living from the soil for over 40. I am obsessive in always trying to find new and useful information and this forum helps me do this.

    There are others here who have similar long experience and the passion to blend that with hard earned outside knowledge to reach a level I consider expert.

    Of course, people with less experience often observe things that help even the most expert amongst us expand their understanding of best methods of growing fruit.

  • riverman1
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Blueboy your growth this year has been outstanding, your plants are doing really well. The soil mix you put together must be to their liking.

    Harvestman, I very much respect your opinion and have learned some things from you too. It's funny the growth I had with the plants in 2009 I have not been able to do again. Some of the new plants I got this year from a local nursery just wont' do much and I think there is probably something wrong with them. Others that I ordered through the mail are all thriving but not growing at the speed those did in 2009.

  • fruitnut Z7 4500ft SW TX
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    RM:

    I've seen faster growth than a foot a month but it is hard to sustain and won't give the shape and structure that I want in a bush. I've learned the value of pinching the tips to form a plant that won't need as much support when it sets the first big crop. To me your growth is as good as it gets.

  • riverman1
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Thx Fruitnut, my plants are way behind yours. About 20% of the berries on my plants right now are either blue or purple.

    RM

  • djofnelson
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Thanks for the response, Harvestman. I think you're right about recommending a few large local plants of just about any variety to a new grower. Fresh blueberries now definitely beats waiting 3 years for the best variety to bear a significant crop, especially, as you correctly point out, if you're not as obsessed (yet!) as many people here.

    Michele, if you want large plants of the better varieties you can order large plants from Edible Landscaping or Hartmann's (call and ask if you can order wholesale) in the early fall, although these will not be cheap after shipping. Half wine barrels are an easy way to fit in more varieties if you fill up your ground plots. Blueberry plants are quite ornamental and look great in planters on porches, etc.

    Pitcom, I really like the flavor of Spartan also. I've read that it can be really picky about soil, though.

  • michelelc
    Original Author
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Thanks again, everyone! I have decided to grow 3 plants in pots, which I will plant in the early fall, and 3 in the ground, which I will plant next spring. I purchased a Chippewa on sale at a local nursery, so I guess I should pot that now. I will wait till fall for 2 more in pots. I was thinking of a northcountry in a pot, any advice on a 3rd variety for a pot?
    I think I'm going to plant a Reka, Sweetcrisp and Aurora int he ground. Is it better to acidify the soil with sulfur or holly tone?

  • djofnelson
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Unless you're limited to small pots, I don't think I'd choose Northcountry as one of your 6 varieties because it only grows 2' tall, so you are limiting your production. As fruitnut's postings attest to, you don't need to limit yourself to the low or mid-high varieties just because you're planting in pots (assuming they are large). Pick the variety you want based on other criteria and then prune to control size. Maybe buy the largest black plastic ones you can find now and then upgrade to 1/2 wine barrels later.

    Sulfur is what most people use (Make sure you don't overdue it, though). I'm not sure what is in Holly tone.

  • ErikC
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    My two cents - Berries Unlimited is a very good source for blueberries. I'm fortunate enough to live in close driving distance, so I've been to their facility several times. Of course, when picking them out in person, they'll give you the best plants they have, but all of them look outstanding. The owners there are extremely knowledgable and are eager to answer any question. They're selection is good, but they definitely are a bit conservative, working mostly with older, well-known cultivars such as Toro, Spartan, Elliott, Bluecrop, Duke, etc.

    My favorites so far:
    Early - Spartan (a somewhat finicky, but delicious cultivar) and Reka (very vigorous and excellent flavor)
    Middle - Bluecrop, Blueray, Ozarkblue (this is a late-middle variety in my area)
    Late - Elliott

    My Earliblue is highly vigorous - growing in the southern-most zone recommended for northern high bush seems to create a niche where the early varieties do particularly well. I planted it to extend the season, but by reputation the taste is somewhat average (any homegrown berry is better than supermarket).

    My hedgerow in the front yard, so whenever possible I've planted varieties that have high landscape value (all blueberries are attractive, but some are better than others) and that look good together with similar growth habit. I fnd Elliot to be the most attractive of the bunch, although ornamental quality - like flavor - is highly subjective.