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Our website is printable. It is a commonly accepted idea that there are three native American commercial fruit crops: blueberries, cranberries and Concord grapes. Legend also has it that blueberries are the oldest plant now living in North America, having emerged just after the ice age. There are many legends about plants with blue berries which are called huckleberries, deer berries, blueberries, bilberries, more often blueberries. George Carlin asks "Where is the blue fruit? Blueberries are blue on the bush but they are purple on the plate!" The search for blue fruit continues. There are apparently 27 botanically distinct families of plants with green leaves and blue berries which people regard as blueberries. Virginia Berry Farm produces: “Northern Highbush” varieties, Vaccinium Corymbosum; “Rabbiteye” varieties, Vaccinium ashei reade; “Lowbush” varieties, Vaccinium angustifolium; “groundcover” variety, Vaccinium crassifiolium; and “Southern Highbush” varieties which are a cross between Northern Highbush varieties and v darrowi (a southeast coastal Rabbitteye variety) known as Tetrapolids.. Most of these have been chosen from commercial varieties since these are the most well known and extensively researched and developed plants available. The Northern Highbush varieties have undergone many generations of research and development and have laid the foundation for the outstanding Southern Highbush varieties which are now being developed. Current varieties were developed from plants selected from the wild and widely tested in the USDA program. They make possible the excellent Southern Highbush varieties which have been developed and hold much promise for the future of the commercial blueberry industry. Their story begins with a woman named Elizabeth White who lived in Whites Bog, New Jersey during the early years of the 20th century. Her family had hundreds of pickers harvesting wild Highbush varieties which grow throughout the eastern US. She gave pickers a small cardboard device which had a hole about the size of a penny in it. Their instructions were to dig up any plants which they found whose fruit would not fit thru the hole and which tasted good. She might be regarded as the mother of the blueberry industry. An inadvertent selection by season occurred here because of the time during which they harvested so all of these selections were what are now known as “late season.”
From these selections a number of varieties were categorized and released by the USDA breeding program, of which only Rubel is still in production. From these selections a second generation of plants was produced, some of which were excellent. Jersey, a 1928 release, is still in wide use and offered by us as an excellent late season variety. Elizabeth, unfortunately, has long ago faded from use. Most of the varieties in current use were two generations later when Bluecrop, Blueray, etc were released in the mid 1950’s but breeding continues. These are mostly mid-season varieties, constituting the largest producers and the most outstanding fruit and plant characteristics. The original selections were very large also and this posed problems with harvesting, with mature Jerseys reaching 8 feet, for instance. As breeding continued stress was placed on making the plants smaller, more disease resistant and hardy but also the search for an outstanding early season variety has continued. For many years an old variety, Weymouth provided dependable crops of bland berries which have given the perception that “store bought blueberries don’t taste good.” Many false starts, such as Bluetta, a variety which had enormous promise but proved difficult for even the best growers to grow in the best of conditions. Late release of Duke, named for Duke Galetta whose family is distinguished among US fruit growers, have finally produced a variety which has excellent fruit quality, taste, and performance in general. Duke has established a standard for other early season varieties to match and is very welcome addition to the large number of known varieties which are now available. Breeders also developed varieties which had very small fruit designed to match the Lowbush varieties, very late season fruit, which is useful in certain markets, and other specialties. Rabbiteye varieties have undergone a similar development, beginning with the release of Tifblue which was found in Tifton, Georgia. These are the largest plants which pose many problems for growers, sometimes reaching heights of more than 20 feet in heights. They are native southern plants whose chilling requirement of approximately 650 hours makes possible growth further south than Highbush varieties which have a requirement of 850 hours, precisely the same as peach trees. These varieties are very hardy and will endure poorer growing conditions than Highbush varieties but they fruit much later which also poses many problems in fruit production and marketing. Development of Rabbiteye varieties continues and poses much promise for the future. We also produce Lowbush varieties which one unique selection, the Putte. The fruit from these almost entirely wild plants is well known in New England but grows widely as far south as Tennessee. Development of this plant by selection, breeding and testing by growers which has occurred with Highbush and Rabbiteye varieties has not occurred. Some breeding has been done at the University of Maine and by individual growers but no resources or will to create a breeding program exist to date. Basically people who own bogs (areas where Lowbush blueberries and Cranberries grow naturally) cultivate and care for them, alternatively harvesting and burning the bogs. Burning destroys not only the plants themselves (providing a crude method of pruning) but also competition and many harmful pests. Blueberries produce fruit on young wood so pruning is necessary for all plants if they are to produce. We have blueberries growing in our woods here ancient wild Highbush, which have reached a height of have reached a height of about 14 feet. Their canes are now the size of the average woman’s wrist but they have long ago ceased to produce fruit. The will to put the resources in place to develop this fruit crop have not existed. A number of wild selections were sent to the University of Upsala in Sweden where they underwent testing, were categorized and released. One of these, Putte (Peter in Swedish) is unique among known Lowbush varieties. These are small, spreading plants, seldom reaching more than 16 inches in height and having very small, sweet berries which are widely used in bakery goods and desserts. Putte is uniformly 20-24 inches in height, beautiful in appearance but it’s fruit is extremely large, comparable with good Highbush berries, having a color so dark that it appears black rather than blue. Wells’ Delight, our Vaccinium crassifiolium variety, named for a distinguished plant professional at the University of North Carolina where many useful plants have been released, was selected from the wild in the southeastern US and has no edible fruit or commercial value but is a unique groundcover which will thrive in understory locations where there in inadequate sunlight to support normal plant life. Their appearance is stunning and they are often planted to attract birds, as is the case with all blueberries. One grower has made a life’s’ avocation of selling bluebird houses to accompany his plants. The appearance of blueberries varies enormously, from Well’s Delight, a groundcover which seldom reaches over 8 inches in height and does not climb’:
To compact varieties such as these outstanding ornamentals from North Carolina State University:
What we describe as Compact Hedge Varieties (Northern Highbush varieties which are low profile) and Southern Highbush Varieties commonly reach a mature height of 4-5 feet such as these;
Mature Northern Highbush varieties often reach 6-8 feet in height, making harvest a challenge;
Mature Rabbiteye plants commonly reach 8 feet’
But they can reach a much greater height when conditions are excellent for growing such as this photo of a Rabbiteye specimen from the wild near Tifton, Georgia.
After working with the fruit for more than a quarter century what come to mind when the word blueberry is mentioned is not any of this rich historical detail, interesting though it is. What comes to mind is the stories that people have told me about blueberries, picking them in their childhood, connecting them to people and places long gone, they almost regard the plants as living entities. One example comes immediately to mind, a distinguished Washington, DC nurseryman. During WWII this man was a nine years old, a junior member of Hitler’s Youth when Dresden was firebombed. Everyone in the world that he knew was killed and everything that he knew was destroyed. Somehow he survived. He was left wandering in the woods for more than five weeks, numbed by what had happened, afraid of everything, alone. Can you imagine? During this time one of the few things he found to eat was blueberries, on which he subsisted for most of this period. He told me this story, with tears in his eyes, more than fifty years later. His is only one story, there are so many stories. There are many reasons that blueberries are known as the All-American Fruit. Another story might be called "the blueberry bear." There is an Ozark Mountain farmer named Bob Coffee. Bob has a blueberry pick-your-own operation. His farm is in the remote area and very beautiful and interesting and lots of folks liked to visit and soon also came a large black bear. At first everyone was concerned, what do about the bear? Drive the bear off (or hope it will go away on it's own), trap the bear, shoot the bear, the usual range of remedies when men consider what to do about the fact that an animal actually decides to enter their world. After a short time several things occurred which were interesting. They noticed that the bear did not pick the berries from the bush, he only cleaned up the fallen berries from the aisles by sweeping them into one paw with the other. They also became fascinated with the bear and realized that he/she was not aggressive and seemed to pay little attention to the humans sharing his bounty. Then another thing happened, the people coming to pick the blueberries began to also come to see the bear. Articles appeared in a few local papers and the word spread. Then the wire service picked it up and articles appeared all over the world including one in the New York Times which actually featured a photo of Bob and the bear. Bob said it was all a bother in the end because people were coming from all over to see the bear and were upset when the bear did not appear. What's a farmer to do? There are so many stories. Although it is necessary to adapt most locations for acid-loving woody dicots such as blueberries, once planted care is minimal. Pruning, fertilizing, controlling competition and watering during dry periods is all that is necessary. Blueberries are very long-lived and will live more or less forever if properly cared for. It is possible to have fruit for more than two months each year in many locations by selecting the proper range of seasonal varieties. Fruiting in Virginia, for instance, typically begins for Southern Highbush varieties in late May, Highbush between 6 and 11 June, with Rabbiteye beginning in July with the last Northern Highbush varieties and fruiting into August. An enormous range of tastes have evolved with many opinions as to the optimum taste for the fruit. Like many things our idea of what fruit should taste like is dependent on our experience. People who have acquired a taste for Lowbush berries regard them as sweet. Growers of the excellent Highbush varieties describe the same, Lowbush fruit as bland. Modern varieties have a sweet/sour taste. They taste sweet when you are eating them but have an aftertaste which is excellent, like a cherry, for instance. Bland fruit is advocated because it is what it is, it would be possible to develop varieties which have any sort of flavor. Attention to fruit quality has not been limited to taste along, textural issues and keeping qualities have also been very important. Blueberries with a good stem scar, proper skin, harvested ripe, will keep well over a week in excellent condition. Machinery which harvests the crop in good condition have been developed and varieties suitable to machine harvest have also been developed. A number of issues are critical in selecting blueberry varieties for use in your garden or landscape which are distinctly different from those of commercial fruit growers. We have selected varieties which are hardy and require little maintenance but which are also attractive in their appearance. As the seasons change the appearance of the plant changes. Canes are normally reddish brown in appearance when dormant and all varieties except Wells’ Delight are deciduous, meaning that they drop their leaves during winter;
In spring light green foliage appears along with beautiful, small, delicate flowers which signal the fruit to come. If you look closely at the flower the base is in fact the berry which will emerge in a short time. This fruit was formed the precious fall and has lain dormant waiting for the season to come’
As the fruit develops the foliage of the plants turns a beautiful, deep green: insert photo In fall the foliage takes on a beautiful appearance, which varies according to variety as shown in this show of our nursery plants;
Who could ask for anything more? The most important thing to consider for most people is the mature size of the plant. How large do you want your blueberry plants or hedge to be. Plants placed in a row form an attractive and productive edible hedge. They also group well with other plants. Mature sizes are noted in our catalog. It is also very important to select plants which are hardy in your region. Highbush varieties normally are hardy to about –25 degrees Fahrenheit. Some, such as Patriot and Blueray are hardy to –45 degrees or more. Although Lowbush varieties are common in very cold regions (USDA zones 2-4) their ability to endure very cold conditions has more to do with their size than cold hardiness since there are normally covered with snow in these regions. Half-high varieties were developed with the same strategy in mind. These varieties will live but will not produce fruit unless they receive at least 850 hours of temperatures below 32 degrees Fahrenheit so USDA zone 6 is best in most cases. Rabbiteye varieties are very useful in zones 6-8 but will not endure temperatures below –5 degrees Fahrenheit. Southern Highbush varieties are much hardier with O’ Neal performing well in zone 4, far north of Rabbiteye growth. Their unique low chill requirement of 185 hours make it possible for them to grow as far south as zone 10 under some conditions. It is not clear what the range of Lowbush varieties is but we have observed Well’s Delight in –16 degrees and it appears to flourish, with it’s evergreen foliage beautiful and lustrous in this condition. Long term plantations of Lowbush varieties exist in western North Carolina so there range is much further south than normally assumed. Wild selections are prevalent in Tennessee mountains. Certain varieties are also self-pollinating. Blueberries, like most fruit, benefit much from the presence of a second variety. Since most blueberries set fruit at the same time and mature at different rates It is possible to pollinate a late season variety with an early season variety. It is also possible to pollinate a normal blueberry with a self-pollinating variety. But plants will not pollinate across family lines. Plants produce about twice as much with a pollinator. If you have single plants in your garden which produce, remember that there are wild plants in your area.
A wide variety of appearances, shapes and sizes are available, ranging from prostrate ground-covers to dense hedges 6-8 feet in height. Foliage may be open or dense and branchy, dark or light green in hue, depending on your taste. Blueberries may be grown in the landscape as hedges, feature plants or as groundcovers. Ground cover varieties range from 8 inch height Well's Delight which produces long laterals and is a true evergreen native to Lowbush varieties which reach 24 inches in height, produces large edible berries and is very cold hardy and vigorous. Large containers are good permanent environments for growers with limited space. These require somewhat more maintenance than in-ground plantings but have a number of advantages for folks with limited space. North American natives of long-standing, blueberries are easy to grow in yard or garden if a few simple rules are followed:Choose a variety which suits your preference for size, shape, appearance and performance, spaced so it can mature. Any two standard varieties will cross-pollinate, increasing fruit crops. It is necessary to add sphagnum peat moss (combined with your soil) to the root zone of each plant. This will help maintain a soil pH of 4.5 to 5.5, which is the ideal for blueberries. Adding compost and topsoil to improve the soil's organic matter is also recommended. Most of the blueberries which we produce will endure temperatures of -25, with some hardy to -45. They prefer full sunlight but will grow pretty well in 50% shade. Once a location is chosen combine peat into a hole twice as wide but the same depth as the root ball, and plant so that settled soil will leave the plant at the established level. Standards should be placed at 4 foot centers, with smaller varieties at 2 foot centers. Our large, container grown plants require no initial pruning. Lay a soaker hose or drip line along the plants before mulching to make watering thru dry periods easier. It is best to water them during dry periods. You may use any fertilizer for acid-loving plants but a time-release, complete product is best with 5 to 15 ounces placed around the root zone at the beginning of the growing season. Average yield can be more than 10 lbs per bush. Varieties NORTHERN HIGHBUSH PATRIOT is a very popular Early Season variety which endures temperatures as low as -40. Dense, colorful foliage reaching 4' and tasty large fruit. Zones 3-7. BLUEHAVEN is our most attractive Mid- Season standard variety. Reaching 4' it is attractive, hardy and has very sweet fruit. Zones 4-7. FRIENDSHIP is an excellent landscape variety because of its bushy habit, reaching about 4’. Medium size Mid-season fruit has sweet wild taste, similar to Bluehaven and Tophat. Long lasting brilliant orange red fall color. Zones 4-7. DUKE is an Early Season variety for growers in Zones 4-7. Reaches 5-6' with vigor and attractive foliage and outstanding fruit size and taste. BLUECROP is a very adaptable Mid-Season variety with open habit, willowy canes and large fruit. Fiery red fall color. Popular variety for fruit growers in Zones 4-7. BLUERAY is a hardy, upright Mid-Season variety with large fruit in tight clusters. Often a production leader, this variety will endure -40. Attractive burgundy red fall color. Zones 3-7. JERSEY, a 1928 Late Season release remains very popular because of its vigorous growth and large crops of tasty medium size fruit. Reaching 6-8' with very dense, upright habit and attractive foliage, long-lasting yellow orange fall color, long a favorite for growers in Zones 4-7. BLUEJAY is an exceptionally vigorous Mid-Season variety with large, light green foliage and sweet medium to large fruit. Attractive yellow orange fall color. Zones 4-7. ELLIOTT is Late Season variety reaching 5-6’. Yields big crop of medium size berries. Blue green leaves turn orange red in fall. Zones 4-7. BLUEGOLD has compact growth habit to 4’ that is stunning. Late-season medium size fruit has excellent flavor. Zones 4-7. SHARPBLUE grows to 5-6’ with medium/large berries. Fast growing. Early season. Zones 7-10. SOUTHERN HIGHBUSH O' NEAL is our most vigorous self-fertile variety. Reaching 5 feet it has excellent Early Season fruit and great foliage. Zones 5-9. CAPE FEAR is a very attractive Early Season variety with large fruit. Reaching 4' it is a natural to pair with Blue Ridge in Zones 5-9. BLUE RIDGE is a vigorous Mid-Season variety with unusually dense and very attractive appearance in Zones 5-9. Delicate branches have small, blue-green foliage and quality fruit. SHARPBLUE grows to 5-6’ with medium/large berries. Fast growing. Early season. Zones 7-10. RABBITEYE Cross-pollinate with another Rabbiteye. Zones 7-9. Average height 6-15’.CLIMAX is an early season with large sweet fruit. TIFBLUE is a mid/late season, medium full flavored berries, good ornamental. PREMIER is a mid/late season with large light blue fruit and good yields. POWDERBLUE is a mid season with large powdery blue fruit. SELF-POLLINATING O' NEAL is our most vigorous self-fertile variety. Reaching 5 feet it has excellent Early Season fruit and great foliage. Zones 5-9. (Southern Highbush) ANGUSTIFOLIUM, the American Lowbush has long been favored for its small, sweet fruit and exceptionally hardy growth habits in Zones 3-7. This native species will spread thru roots to provide a 24" colorful shrub with interesting appearance year-round. Leaves are small, finely serrated and glossy, unusually drought resistant. TOPHAT is a distinctive compact Highbush Mid-Season variety which generally resembles Lowbush species. Reaching 24" in heights it resembles a Nandina and is simple to grow in Zones 4-7. This Self-Fertile variety is a favorite as a patio or container plant and for those who desire small berries for baked goods. GROUND COVER WELL'S DELIGHT is distinctive Southeastern US native, having lustrous foliage which forms small runners which resemble the American Cranberry, this plant is a true evergreen species. It will grow in heavy shade, endure drought and temperatures of -27 while slowly spreading to cover all available space. It's has small white flowers and blue berries which resemble their namesakes but are not tasty, "just for the birds." LOWBUSH BLUEBERRY (Vaccinium angustifolium) has long been favored for its small, sweet fruit and exceptionally hardy growth habits. This native species will spread through roots to provide 24" tall colorful shrub with interesting appearance year-round. Leaves are small, finely serrated and glossy. This variety is unusually drought resistant and trouble-free to grow in well drained, acidic soil. "Putte" is a selected lowbush strain which is uniformly 20" in height, has large berries and is very branchy and hardy. Often used in mass plantings. Zones 3-7.
Blueberries “You ought to have seen what I saw
on my way Our website is printable. |
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Established
blueberries are trouble-free and last a lifetime with very simple care,
producing several gallons of tasty fruit each year. Their nutritional merits and
health-giving qualities are a legend and no toxic chemicals are required under
most growing conditions.