Best of Blueberries

Can you recommend the most flavorful for this hardiness zone please. I want to grow blueberries in shimla ,india in the northan region I am an apple farmer. I live in Ky Zone 6b I think?

Also would like to know how I should amend my soil and when? Highbush blueberries, such as Spartan, Bluecrop, or Elliott, grow well in Kentucky. Rabbiteyes in warm southern parts. Lowbush types would not do well. For more on growing blueberries in Kentucky, including soil requirements, here is information from the University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service: I'm a little confused about when to allow bushes to fruit.

I have a "new" plant as in- new to me but its a decent sized bush probably 2 or 3 years old.

For the first year, the same as when you planted the bush, pick off the flowers so that the plant can focus on becoming established. You can start harvesting fruit the second year after planting, as long as the plant is healthy. If it still seems to be struggling, give it another year before allowing it to fruit. I'd like to know how white vinegar sprinkled near blueberry bushes to control weeds will affect the bush Vinegar is an acid, so it would make the soil slightly more acidic.

Soil acidity is measured as pH; blueberries like a pH of between 4. Have you done a soil test? If you bring the soil too much below 4. If, as it happens, your soil is over 5. How much are you going to pour on?

Skip to main content. Planting, Growing, Pruning, and Harvesting Blueberries. Blueberries thrive in soil that is acidic. The soil pH should ideally be between 4 and 5. The blueberry is a shallow-rooted plant. See more about soil amendments and preparing soil for planting. Bushes should be planted as early in the spring as possible. If available, 1- to 3-year-old plants are a good choice.

Space bushes about 5 feet apart in a row, with at least 8 feet between rows.

Apply fertilizer one month after planting, not at the time of planting. Pink blueberries contain genetics from rabbiteye blueberries a standard in the hot South. Apply a 2- to 4-inch layer of woodchips, saw dust, or pine needles around the bush after planting. Read more about mulching. On highbush varieties, begin with large cuts, removing wood that is more than 6 years old, drooping to the ground, or crowding the center of the bush. Prune lowbush blueberries by cutting all stems to ground level. Wait a couple days. Get this blueberry hand pies recipe. Unexpectedly have company drop by? This crumb cake takes only 15 minutes of prep!

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These traits are listed in Tables 1 and 2, and Figure 2. Jersey and Rubel have long been the backbone of the Michigan industry, but planting of these varieties has declined over the past several decades. Bluecrop has been the most widely planted cultivar over the past 25 years. It is favored for its very high, dependable yields. Elliott and Duke have become very popular in the last decade, Elliott for its very late harvest and storability, and Duke for its large, firm fruit, late bloom and early harvest.

Bluejay has been a minor variety for years, being desired for its high-quality, machine-harvested fruit. At one time, Spartan and Patriot showed promise in Michigan, but Spartan has proven difficult to grow on all but the best blueberry sites, and Patriot is very early blooming and subject to spring frosts. Nelson is highly recommended for trial because it is an upright, high-yielding bush with flavorful, firm fruits that are retained on the bush without deteriorating hang well.

Toro is attractive because of its very high fruit quality, but it has the same fruiting season as Bluecrop and lower yields.

Little Giant is promising because it has very small fruit that hang well and are appropriate for the processed market, but it is low in stature and bushy and may need a pollinizer. Bluegold has the potential for very high yields and fruit appear to store well, but it is very bushy and not as late as was initially hoped. Sierra, Chandler and Legacy are not sufficiently winter hardy for the most northern production regions.

Other recent northern highbush releases include Bonus, Chanticleer and Friendship. Friendship is a wild clone from Wisconsin that was released because it is unusually cold hardy for a highbush type; however, it has very small, dark fruit and has not performed better than half-high types in very cold locations such as Minnesota. Bonus shows promise as a large-fruited late type but is little tested. Chanticleer is a very early type that may compete with Weymouth in New Jersey, though it appears highly susceptible to spring frosts and has been little tested.

A number of northern highbush types have also been released out of the breeding programs in Arkansas, Florida and North Carolina, but these are probably of insufficient hardiness for areas with very cold winters and frosty springs. Nui and Puru have exceptionally large fruit, though they have not proven winter hardy in very cold locations such as Minnesota. Brigitta shows high promise as a very firm, long-storage type, but it is relatively untested in North America and may be insufficiently hardy for colder areas of the state.