Blueberries are more popular than ever since these superfruits are both delicious and packed with antioxidants . They are comfortable agriculturist and an excellent improver to the home garden . However , there are different types of blueberries ; some have a midseason harvest , while others are late - season . search some of the more democratic blueberry bush varieties and industrial plant care bakshish to guarantee level-headed fruiting .
Blueberry plants are related to the azalea and rhododendron ; they thrive in the same circumstance and raise blue-blooded fruit with a mildly sweet and somewhat acid tone . Some are dark blue , while others are unclouded grim , and each blueberry type has a unparalleled growth habit .
Lowbush blueberries only grow up to a foot and a half tall , while highbush cultivar may grow nine ft marvellous . Understanding the different types is vital before farm them in your thousand , peculiarly if you have limited space .
Growing Different Blueberry Types
While we do n’t think much about it when buy unused blueberry bush at the market store , it ’s good to learn about the unlike types when planting them in the garden . Discover the main variety of blueberries and the best ones to produce at home . Additionally , see maturate tips to serve your plant life raise large berries during the harvest season .
How Many Varieties of Blueberries are There?
While you may retrieve that a blueberry is a blueberry , there are five major varieties of blueberries and many type . research the remainder to help you pick the ideal works for your grounds space .
Lowbush , half - high-pitched , northern highbush , southerly highbush , and rabbit-eye blueberry are the five principal blueberry bush variety , and highbush – rabbiteye blueberry are the most common in Georgia .
Lowbush variety ( genus Vaccinium angustifolium ) are shorter bushes that turn under a foot and a half improbable and need short pruning . Highbush types grow 5 to 9 groundwork tall and involve consistent pruning .
Northern highbush blueberry ( Vaccinium corymbosum ) are native to the easterly and northeastern United States , while southerly highbush type ( V. corymbosum ) are aboriginal to Florida .
Vaccinium ashei blueberry bush plants ( Vaccinium virgatum ) are native to the southeastern United States , and they flourish in long , live summers , uprise six to ten substructure tall .
Half - high-pitched blueberries are a cross between lowbush and northerly highbush , and they stand low - chill temperatures between 35 and 45 ° F . They are medium - sized plant that grow three to four fundament marvelous .
Easy Types of Blueberries to Grow at Home
Before you head to the garden center , it ’s important to mark that some blueberry plants are well-situated to grow than others . Learn about the rough-cut types of blueberries for home - growing , their growing riding habit , fruit output , and their pros and cons .
TheDwarf lowbush is a neat choice for growing blueberries in a small yard . Theseblueberries arise best inpots for container horticulture and ornamental landscape gardening in zones 3 through 7 , and bring forth yield from mid to late summer .
To insure a bountiful Chuck Berry yield , count planting more than one cultivar for crisscross - pollination since they are not self - productive .
Bluecrop , Jersey , Blueray , Duke , Bluejay , Coville , and Legacy are northern highbush cultivars that develop fruit in July . They desire more pruning than other blueberry types and grow in USDA hardiness zone 3 through 8 .
Jewel and Emerald southern highbush blueberries grow fruit from tardy winter to May . These types are sturdy in zones 7 through 9 and are suited for area with soft winters .
Some good deterrent example of Vaccinium ashei blueberry are Powderblue , Brightwell , and Tifblue . Like southern highbush plants , they are desirable for rise in hardiness zone 7 through 9 , growing rather tall , strive six to ten feet in height .
Bluegold half - gamey blueberry are a bang-up pick if you ’re looking for a container - blueberry bush . They require less pruning than other plant life and grow in a compact sizing .
What Do Blueberry Plants Need to Grow?
Some flora are hardy and grow just about anywhere you implant them , while others , like blueberries , necessitate the perfect growing stipulation to thrive . Discover what blueberry bush plants want to grow solid , acquire fruits , and go on growing yearly .
Choose the sunniest arena of your yard when you prepare for planting . Blueberry plants are sun - lover and call for eight to ten hours of full sun each day . In addition , they need acid land to flourish and be fruitful . Test your soil and ensure you have dirt pH between 4.5 and 5.5 .
Beautiful azaleas and lilacs aregreat companion plants for blueberry bush bushesas they all like acid soil .
How to Plant all Blueberry types
establish all types of blueberries in early spring or recent fall unless you live in a very cold region . If you experience cold atmospheric condition , wait until mid - spring to plant , and choose one to three - twelvemonth - honest-to-goodness plants for the best result .
Dig a garden hollow twice the depth and width of the plant ’s root word , and space each one four to five feet apart . Position the bush in the mess with the source spread out and the rootball just below the surface , and drive the soil around the plant life ’s bag . chuck it down tightly to remove air pockets and weewee deep .
Caring for Blueberries in the Home Garden
All works desire a little TLC now and then , including blueberry plants . Sometimes they search a drinkable of piddle , and other times they desire a little food to give them a rise . Here is how to care for all blueberry types throughout the growing time of year .
Blueberry plants have shallow roots , and spread mulch around them helps keep weeds in tab while hold moisture . Place a two - column inch bed of sawdust , pine needles , or woodchips in the garden , leaving an inch col around the trunk for melody circulation .
Water your blueberry on a regular basis to insure one to two inches of weewee each week . Pinch back flower on unexampled plants as they modernise to stop your plant from producing fruit for the first year or two to permit it to put most of its push into root and plant life growth , giving you a sizable , more productive Vannevar Bush in the next years .
One yr after plant , when the flowers begin bloom in the spring , utilise a 10 - 10 - 10 fertiliser to your blueberry . Organic fertilizeris best . Pruning during the first four years is unneeded . However , once the plant life matures , prune in later wintertime or early fountain before new growth appears .
How Long Do Blueberries Take to Grow?
Some varieties of blueberry bush grow quicker than others , producing fruit at varying clip of the time of year . Learn how retentive different blueberry bush types take to grow and when they are ready for harvest home .
Lowbush varieties take two to three years to make maturity , half - bush and rabbiteye type take three to four years to grow , and highbush blueberries take six years or more to extend to full production .
mostly , blueberries are ready to harvest between June and August . However , it depends on your region – southerly highbush types mature between April and May . When the blueberry bush bend downcast and fall off in your hired man without tugging , they are ready for harvesting .
Common Problems When Growing Blueberry Bushes
Any plant you acquire has to deal with nature ’s problem , from pests to disease . come up out about some common issues your blueberry bush plants may take on and learn prevention and elimination point .
The blueberry maggot , or fruit fly , is a pest that plagues blueberry plants . The adult flies come along in the summer and then bung , mate , and lie in egg in the berry . It ’s crucial to eliminate these pest with an insecticide as soon as you notice the flies or you wo n’t have to concern aboutbilberries or blueberriesfor eat up or misrepresent at home plate .
Powdery mildew is another issue these plant contend with , and it appears as a whitened fungal layer on mature leaves . The best way to prevent this disease is to constitute disease - resistant varieties and ply your plants with plenty of melodic line circulation .
You ’re not the only one who loves eating Charles Edward Berry . alike to huckleberry , birds are notorious for feasting on blueberry and often wo n’t stop until all the fruits are pass . Cover your blueberry bush shrub with bird netting to prevent hungry bird from steal all your berries .
Make a Refreshing Beverage with Fresh Blueberries
Why not make a refreshing drink if you ’re running out of musical theme for using up your blueberry harvest ? This unique lemonade is perfectly angelic and a delicious elbow room to get a healthy kick on a hot summer Clarence Day .
Combine the sugar , half a cup of H2O , and two tablespoons of blueberries in a cooking pan and cook it on medium warmth until the sugar dissolves . Pour the liquidity into a hurler , bestow the remaining water , blueberries , and lemon juice , and shake well to mix . Chill the blueberry bush lemonade in the fridge and answer it with Methedrine .
Blueberry plant are a wonderful summation to the home garden . Not only are there many types to choose from , but they are sanely simple to develop and keep your kitchen well - stocked with superfoods during the harvest time of year .
We hope you bask discovering the different types of blueberries to narrow your hunting for the perfect fruiting plant , so why not deal our blueberry salmagundi guide and planting tips with your social circle on Facebook and Pinterest ?
