Growing the highbush blueberry - growing techniques - includes list of nurseries

Flower & Garden Magazine, June-July, 1994 by Jim Hancock, Ann Hancock

Blueberries Are One of the most challenging fruit crops to grow, but they are also one of the most rewarding. The dark blue, succulent berries are a delightful fresh dessert and a delectable addition to pies, pancakes and muffins. They are particularly easy to prepare as they contain no pits or hulls to remove. Blueberries last for up to a week in the refrigerator or several months in the freezer.

There are three basic types of blueberries: lowbush (Vaccinium angustifolium or V. myrtilloides), found growing wild in northeastern United States, Quebec and the maritime provinces of Canada; rabbiteye (V. ashei), native to the southern states; and highbush (V. corymbosum), found in the eastern United States from Maine to Florida. Although highbush blueberries grow best in their native area, they will also succeed in other parts of the country if their preferences for an acid soil with plenty of organic matter, constant moisture and moderate summers are met.

The characteristic that most easily distinguishes the three types of blueberries is their plant stature. Lowbush blueberries range in height from 1 to 2 feet tall, highbush blueberries are maintained between 4 and 7 feet, and rabbiteye blueberries can reach heights greater than 9 feet. The fruits of the lowbush are the smallest in size, varying from 1/8 to 1/4 inch wide: the highbush fruits are the largest at up to an inch in diameter. Lowbush blueberries are often considered the best tasting, but some of the highbush varieties are just as good if they are properly maintained. Recently, "half-high" varieties have been produced by hybridizing lowbush and highbush types.

Highbush blueberries are the most widely grown blueberry species, primarily because they have the broadest adaptability, but also due to their high yields and excellent fruit quality. There are some tricks to successful highbush culture, but there is no good reason why every gardener cannot grow this unique crop.

HIGHBUSH VARIETIES

There are dozens of blueberry varieties available, many of them regional in their adaptation. Southern highbush varieties, like |Georgiagem,' |Flordablue' and |O'Neil,' need less winter chilling to produce a crop and cannot tolerate temperatures much below zero degrees. Northern highbush varieties need a long, cold dormant season and can survive winter temperatures to minus 20 degrees. Half-high types can survive extreme cold (to minus 30 degrees) if protected by snow cover.

Most blueberry varieties are self-fertile, but the largest fruits and yields are produced by cross-pollination. For this reason, it is advisable to plant at least two different varieties whose blooming periods overlap.

Choose varieties suited to your region and intended use. Blueberries vary widely in growth habit, disease resistance, berry characteristics, hardiness, harvest season and yield potential. The most popular highbush cultivars for northern climates currently are |Bluecrop,' |Elliot,' |Spartan,' |Blueray,' |Patriot' and |Duke,' although many other choices are available.

|Bluecrop' is the most widely cultivated variety in the world. It produces numerous medium-size, firm berries, but its flavor is only fair when productivity is high. Heavily bearing canes also tend to flop. It is resistant to several virus diseases, however, and is very dependable.

|Blueray' produces very large, dark blue fruits that are firm and have a good flavor. It is very winter-hardy and consistently productive, but if |Blueray' is not pruned regularly its fruit quality suffers greatly.

|Duke' is a new variety that combines a very early ripening fruit with a very late bloom date. This allows it to escape most damaging frosts. The bush of |Duke' is very upright and open, which makes it easy to find the fruit. Its berries are medium-size and firm, but have a weak flavor.

|Elliot' is the latest-ripening cultivar and in most locations is the most productive. Its fruits are small to medium in size and somewhat tart, but they are very firm and store extremely well. The plant is upright and somewhat bushy.

|Patriot' fruits are very large and firm with an excellent flavor. Its bush is medium in height (4 to 5 feet). Patriot' is very winter-hardy, but blooms early and as a result is subject to frost damage. It is the only blueberry variety resistant to Phytophthora root rot.

Several other less popular varieties are also worthy of note. |Spartan' does not grow well on clayey, mineral soils, but is very early and produces large, tasty fruits. |Croatan' and |Murphy' have only fair fruit quality, but are resistant to the stem canker prevalent in the South. |Nelson' produces high yields of well-flavored, firm fruits, but has been largely untested outside of Michigan. |Darrow' has probably the best-tasting fruit of any cultivar, but is highly susceptible to winter damage from fluctuating temperatures. Half-high varieties |Northcountry,' |Northblue' and |St. Cloud' have extreme winter hardiness, but only modest fruit quality.

PLANTING BLUEBERRIES