Blueberries for Contra Costa County
Bethallyn Black, UCCE Contra Costa
June 2007
www.gardenoasis.co.uk/.../Blueberry_Bush.jpg
Blueberries are Vaccinium species, and are native to
the woodlands of northern and eastern
Three species are grown
commercially: Highbush blueberry Vaccinium
corymbosum L.,; Lowbush blueberry V.
angustifolium Ait.; and Rabitteye Blueberry V. ashei Reade. The lowbush varieties do not produce well, if at
all, in Contra Costa due to the lack of necessary climatic conditions. The
Highbush and rabbiteye are productive in this area, as they have lower chill
requirements.
Soil
Like most of the members of the Ericaceae
family, Blueberries require moist, well-drained highly organic soils, with a pH of 4.5 to 5.5, and low nutrient
levels. Soil pH in
If the pH of your soil is higher than 6, it is easier and less time
consuming to plant blueberries in containers. Half wine barrels with multiple
drainage holes are ideal for several plants. Fill them with a mix of acid soil
potting mix and one of the following acidic amendments:
—pine bark, pine needles; Sphagnum peat; composted
oak leaves
Planting Purchase 2 year old
bare-root plants when dormant. Keep the roots moist, and plant as soon as
possible. Blueberries do not have root hairs, and must have available moisture
at all times. The crown of the plants should be about 1” under the soil when
planted. Do not fertilize. Newly planted plants are very susceptible to
fertilizer damage. Cut back the woody shoots to a 8-10” height. Mulch with 6”
of pine needles. Maintain regular moisture—water every day that it does not
rain. Maintenance Blueberries need daily water during the dry
months unless is it very cool and foggy, in which case you can water every
other day. Blueberries like high humidity, so misting or overhead watering the
plants on hot days is recommended. Fertilizer is not needed
until the second year, at which time you can apply 2 oz. of a complete
acid-forming fertilizer such as Azalea and Rhododendron food in the spring prior
to flower formation. Every spring add 2
more oz. (Year three= 4 oz.; Year four= 6 oz.; Year 5 = 8 oz.) After year five,
provide 8 oz. of fertilizer per year. Maintain the 6” pine needle mulch layer,
although you can use composted oak leaves as well. Grass clippings can be used
as mulch, but if used, decrease the fertilizer as grass-clippings are a source
of available Nitrogen. Remove all weeds. Do not plant other plants in the
containers as blueberries are very vulnerable to competition. Blueberries
require very little pruning, but with time you may need to occasionally remove
old wood and head back tall shoots. Prune right after harvest. The buds for the
next years crop form in wood produced in the late summer and fall. Blueberries lose their leaves in the winter
after several months of brilliant fall color. If you are in the hotter inland
areas of the county, you may need to provide shade in the hottest months. Plants reach maturity and full production at
6 years of age, and if treated correctly may live 20-50 years. Bloom and pollination Blueberries can produce 5-8
flower buds on healthy shoots, with each bud producing 5-10 flowers that open
in the spring, most frequently in March. Buds are produces on 1 year old wood. The flowers on thicker shoots open later than
the buds on thinner wood. Two varieties
of the same species are needed for pollination to be successful. Blueberry
blossoms are buzz pollinated by native and bumble bees. Blueberry plants should produce about ½ a
pound of fruit by the third year, and up to 8 pounds of fruit by the time they
are eight. The round fruit ripens 2-4
months following bloom. Varieties Rabbiteye Varieties EARLY SEASON VARIETIES Brightwell—Berries
are medium in size and blue in color, with small dry scars and good flavor.
Plant growth is vigorous, upright and produces enough new canes to renew the
plant. Climax —Upright
open plants. Berries are large in size, medium-dark blue in color, have a small
scar, and good flavor. Concentrated ripening period. Ripens May to early
June.--- RECOMMENDED Premier—Ripens
two to three weeks before Tifblue. Large fruit with good flavor. Plants are
vigorous, upright, disease resistant and productive. MID TO LATE SEASON VARIETIES Tifblue—Bush
is vigorous and widely adapted. Fruit is large, round, light blue, sweet, very
firm with a small dry scar. Berries appear to be ripe several days before full
flavor develops. Berries remain on the plant several days after fully ripe.
Most productive of all rabbiteye varieties and is the standard to which
rabbiteyes are compared. Ripens early June. Powderblue—Plant
is vigorous, disease resistant and productive. Ripens similar to Tifblue with
better fruit color and more foliage. RECCOMENDED Centurion—Ripens
later than Tifblue; adds one or more weeks to the rabbiteye ripening season.
Plant is vigorous and upright. Fruit has good flavor, not as firm but darker
than Tifblue. Baldwin—A
productive late ripening variety with good flavor and firm dark blue fruit; has
a lengthy ripening period; adapted to pick your own and backyard plantings. These varieties combine the late blooming date and
shorter ripening period of the northern highbush and the low chill hours and
adaptability to the southern environment of the rabbiteye. This combination
results in a blueberry plant that blooms late to escape the possibility of
frost damage to the flowers but matures its fruit by mid-May, at least 2 weeks
earlier than rabbiteye. Southern highbush varieties include the following: Bladen
- Similar to Reveille in berry size,
vigor and productivity. It is more resistant to cracking in wet weather. Color
development is more uniform during ripening. Firmness and flavor are good.
Bushes are upright and vigorous with a slightly wider canopy than Reveille. The
blossoms are not completely self fruitful, so interplanting with a variety such
as Reveille will insure adequate pollination. Ripening is 4 to 5 days earlier
than Reveille. Leafing is poor on bushes with excess flowers. Topping, or late
pruning, should increase fruit size and reduce bush damage. Bluecrisp—The
flesh of the ripe fruit is so firm it has been described as crunchy. Plant is
moderately vigorous, more spreading than upright. Fruit color is light blue,
deep dry scar, firm, sweet with a good shelf life. Ripens early May. Cooper
-
Moderately vigorous, upright, productive with medium size fruit. Flowers
later than Climax, but ripens two weeks earlier than Climax. Requires 400 to
500 chill hours. Jubilee
- Plants grow upright and are
vigorous and productive. Fruit of Jubilee is medium in size and has good color,
flavor, firmness and a small picking scar. Plants of Jubilee bloom later and
ripen their fruit about two weeks earlier than Climax. Fruit on Jubilee plants
retain good quality over an extended period and can be completely (95 percent)
commercially harvested in one or two pickings. Requires 550 to 650 chill hours.
Georgia
Gem - Moderately vigorous, upright,
productive, with medium size, firm, fruit that has good color and a small scar.
Requires 350 chill hours. Magnolia
- Plants of Magnolia have a
spreading growth habit and are medium in height, productive and vigorous after
field establishment. Small plants require good planting management to ensure
good survivability. Fruit of Magnolia is medium in size, has good flavor,
color, firmness and a small picking scar. Plants of bloom later and ripen their
fruit about two weeks before Climax. Requires 550 to 650 chill hours. Misty—Blooms
and ripens about the same time as O’Neal—Ripens early with large, high quality fruit of medium
blue color with good picking scar and flavor. Vigorous, semi-upright Ripens
late April to early May. 400 chill hours
RECOMMENDED. Ozarkblue —Exceptional
yields with good fruit size and quality. Requires a period of 800 to 1000 chill
hours. Ozarkblue has consistently fruited in variety trials when most other
southern highbush and rabbiteye cultivars have had partial to total crop losses to spring freezes and frost.
Pollinate with Reveille
-. Ripens in early May. Fruit is
medium in size, light blue, very firm, crisp textured with a pleasant flavor.
The bush is very upright with a narrow base. Rapid growth in early years allow
for high yields from young bushes, Older bushes are also very productive. Early
blooming makes late freezes a danger. Fruit cracking occurs during wet periods.
Some berries remain red or green at the stem end after the blossom end is blue.
Requires 500 to 600 chill hours. RECOMMENDED Southmoon—Fruit
is large, firm, good scar, medium color and good flavor. Bush is vigorous and
upright. Ripens late April to early May. Star is a good pollinator. RECOMMENDED Star—Fruit
is large and easy to harvest because of a concentrated ripening period. Fruit
has excellent scar, firmness, good color and good flavor. The plant leafs
strongly before the first flowers open. The recommended pollinator is
Southmoon. Ripens late April to early May. Plant sources: California Tropical Fruit Trees -
http://www.tropicalfruittrees.com/Bamboo.htm#berries
Dave Wilson Nursery -
http://davewilson.com/br40/br40_trees/br40vine_blueberry.html
Finch’s Blueberry Nursery, Fall Creek Nursery, Blueberry Hill Nursery, potted rabbiteye and highbush.
Call (352)685-2769 or (352)622-9190. Miller Blueberry Nursery. Rt. 3, Mixon Family Farm, Inc. Misty as well as all the newest releases from
the University of Florida including Sapphire, Jewel, Star and Sante Fe. Resources: For More Information Ericaceae family (Heath
family), which includes plants such as Rhododendrons and Cranberries. http://www.csdl.tamu.edu/FLORA/cgi/gateway_family?fam=Ericaceae Blueberry Culture. Edited by P. Eck and N. Childers, Commercial Dunn, J., J. Harper, and G. Greaser. Agricultural
Alternatives: Fruit and Vegetable Marketing for Small-scale and Part-time
Growers. Eck, P. Blueberry Science. University Press, 1988. Greaser, G. and J. Harper. Agricultural
Alternatives: Kindhart, J. and G. Holcomb.
Blueberries: A Small-scale Agricultural Alternative. Pritts, M. and J. Hancock, eds. Highbush
Blueberry Production Guide. NRAES-55. Small-scale Fruit Production. AGRS-60. Growing Blueberries in the Home garden http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/1000/1422.html http://pubs.caes.uga.edu/caespubs/pubcd/l106-w.html Blueberries: Clemson Extension http://hgic.clemson.edu/pdf/hgic1401.pdf Cornell University Fruit Resources
http://www.hort.cornell.edu/extension/commercial/fruit/index.html Features information for scientists, gardeners, and commercial growers,
including fact sheets and programs. Mark Rieger's Fruit Crop Home Page
http://http://www.uga.edu/fruit/index.html Small-Scale
Fruit Production - a Comprehensive Guide - http://ssfruit.cas.psu.edu/
Penn State Fruit
Research and Extension Center - http://frec.cas.psu.edu/
Pennsylvania Tree
Fruit Production Guide - http://tfpg.cas.psu.edu/
Virginia
Fruit Page - http://www.ento.vt.edu/Fruitfiles/VAFS.html
North American
Blueberry Council - http://blueberry.org/
Rutgers Blueberry and
Cranberry Research and Extension Center - http://cook.rutgers.edu/~bluecran/homepage.htm
Fruit
harvest
An online resource for people who wish to produce fruit on a small scale and
who are not legally licensed to use pesticides. From
Includes production guides and newsletters
Online information on diseases, pests, natural enemies, chemical management,
integrated pest management, harvest and postharvest handling, cider production
and farm management, establishing an orchard, choosing a tree fruit nursery,
caring for nonbearing trees, and maintaining bearing orchards.
Fact sheets on the cultivation of various fruit crops.
Promoting highbush blueberry growing. Information on the plant, growth, and the
product.
Includes information on the history of these crops, cultivation methods and
techniques.
