How Do You Pick A Good Blueberry Bush?

How to Pick a Good Blueberry Plant

1. Look for a grower who guarantees the quality of the blueberry bush.
2. Look at the fruit and leaf buds on the berry plants in the spring.
3. Check the leaves for discoloration and spots if the leaves are out of bud stage.
4. Measure the blueberry plant with a tape measure.

How can you tell a good blueberry?

You’ll want your berries to be even in size, with smooth, unbroken skin that’s deep purple to nearly black in color. A silvery coating (or “bloom”) on blueberries is normal. Choose dry, plump and firm blueberries – stains on the container might indicate bruised fruit. Skip any reddish berries as they aren’t fully ripe.

What type of blueberry bush is best?

The best selection is the highbush blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum), our native species which is ideally suited to all three growth zones of the Garden State. Highbush blueberry cultivars have an inherent resistance to many diseases of fruit, flower, and foliage.

How can you tell which blueberry is sweet?

I’ve found that the most common reason for tartness complaints in blueberries is that people harvest them too soon. Berries are sweetest when they’re fully ripe – almost right before they start to rot. I’ve seen berries that look nicely colored but that are still a day or two or three away from being fully ripe.

What are the tastiest blueberries?

The favorite blueberry varieties rated by 56 taste testers in California’s San Joaquin Valley for 2012 include Southmoon, Reveille, Biloxi, and Legacy. Following the top four were Jewel, Sharpblue, Misty, and Star. Most are Southern Highbush varieties, but some Northern Highbush varieties were also rated highly.

What does a healthy blueberry bush look like?

It looks like a typical shrub with shiny, oval-shaped, green leaves. The height can vary, depending on the variety, from a few feet tall to 12 (3.5 m.) or more feet tall. They, of course, have the tell-tale, blue berries.

When should you not eat blueberries?

A bad blueberry is easy to spot by its mushy texture, discoloration, bruising, or mold. Mushy or bruised blueberries can be salvaged by using them to make preserves or jam. However, moldy or discolored blueberries are rotten and are a health risk to consume.

Do I need 2 blueberry bushes to get fruit?

Two or more varieties blooming at the same time will ensure cross pollination and larger fruit, even in the varieties that are classified as self-fruitful, meaning they do not need cross pollination to set the fruit. In general, there are several types of blueberries.

What is the easiest blueberry bush to grow?

Rabbiteye varieties require less chill than other blueberries. They grow to 10 feet tall and produce large, sweet berries.

Do blueberry bushes spread?

Blueberry plants will gradually spread from their growing location through a process called suckering. New, fast-growing shoots grow out of the soil from the main root cluster a few inches from the main clump. Over time, the size of the blueberry bush grows gradually as new suckers form.

Are coffee grounds good for blueberry plants?

Coffee grounds are highly acidic, they note, so they should be reserved for acid-loving plants like azaleas and blueberries. And if your soil is already high in nitrogen, the extra boost from coffee grounds could stunt the growth of fruits and flowers.

Why are my blueberries not sweet?

A common cause of sour blueberry fruit is over-production on a bush. If your bush is newly planted, you’ll get sweeter, bigger berries if you remove all blossoms for the first year or two to allow the root system to establish.

How do you tell if a blueberry is sweet or sour?

It’s hard to tell whether a blueberry will be sweet just by looking at its size, but make note of the color—in general, the darker and bluer a blueberry is, the sweeter it should taste. The most common cause of sour blueberries is over-production on your blueberry plant.

What time of year are blueberries the sweetest?

summer
Harvest time for blueberries, which are native to North America, is from early June through early August. Blackberry harvest is from mid- June to early October. These delicious fruits offer several health benefits, and they capture the essence of summer in their sweetness.

How long do blueberry bushes live?

50 years
With proper care and in the right environment, blueberry bushes live 50 years or more.

What is the best time of year to plant blueberry bushes?

It’s time to get your plants in the ground! In most areas, it’s ideal to plant blueberries in the fall or spring. You can plant blueberry bushes as close as 2 or 2.5 feet apart to form solid hedgerows, or space them up to 6 feet apart so they grow individually. If you plant in rows, allow 8 to 10 feet between the rows.

What can you not plant near blueberries?

Here’s what not to plant with blueberries:

• Nightshades – Tomatoes, Peppers, Eggplants, Potatoes.
• Brassicas – Brussels Sprouts, Kale, Broccoli, Cabbage, Cauliflower.
• Melons – Cantaloupes, Honeydews, Watermelons.
• Greens – Lettuce, Collard Greens,
• Some Herbs – Oregano, Sage, Tarragon, Marjoram.
• Beans.
• Beets.
• Peas.

Do blueberries need fertilizer?

Blackberries respond well to any nitrogen-rich fertilizer, but blueberries require fertilizers with an ammonium form of nitrogen such as urea, sulfur-coated urea, ammonium sulfate, or cottonseed meal. Any fertilizer sold for azaleas or rhododendrons also works well for blueberries.

Is Epsom salt good for blueberries?

On young rabbiteye blueberry plants, the most common symptom of a magnesium deficiency is mature leaves that are pink on the edges and yellowish between the veins. When magnesium is low, based on a soil test, you can add Epsom salts (magnesium sulfate) at the rate of 3 ounces per plant to compensate for the deficiency.

Are blueberries a blood thinner?

In addition to being a source of vitamin K, blueberries also contain the natural pain relieving chemical called salicylate. This is the same chemical found in aspirin that helps reduce blood clots. The salicylates in blueberries may act as a natural blood thinner.

Why you shouldn’t eat blueberries?

The question is, what happens when you eat too many blueberries? Most fruits, including blueberries, are relatively high in fiber. When consumed in excess, this nutrient may cause bloating, gas, diarrhea, and mineral deficiencies, warns Duke University.