Just thought I would post a few followup pictures of this bush. The bush recently went through some cold temperatures and looks a little rough but all the scions survived and several have been added lower based on a super forum members advice. After the top finishes fruiting I plan to cut it back to the newer lower grafts.
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002 Some of these scions were toothpick size and were held together only with parafilm. Can you spot the one that was accidentally grafted upside down?
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Oneal graft is the largest blueberry I have right now. The cold snap killed a few blooms and a few flowered a little later.
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I tried grafting some NHB scions onto one of my rabbiteyes a week or two ago. I used cleft grafts of very small diameter scions onto 1/2" to 3/4" stems. They’re looking promising already. I’ve also bought a few sparkleberry plants for rootstock, but I want to let them size up a little more before I graft them. Rabbiteyes have been easy for me to grow, but my minimal attempts with SHB’s and NHB’s have all languished. Grafting seems easier than doing what it would take to get SHB’s or NHB’s to grow well in my soil. My chief interest in NHB’s and SHB’s is in in an earlier start to the season. My rabbiteyes typically don’t start ripening until about the first of July.
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The grafted blueberries are filling in nicely with a little help from some strings. Hoping these will start ripening about mid May.
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The rabbiteys start ripening about late June at my location and we typically are in the 90 degree days by then.
I can see some value in grafting different SHB varieties on ‘Sunshine Blue’ because it has greater pH tolerance than other varieties. It could mean greater success planting in-ground here in So Cal.
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Sunshine Blue sound like a good rootstock candidate. The SHB that I grafted are low vigor but have large good tasting berries that ripen well ahead of SWD infestation. The grafted over Tifblue bush already has more limbs and berries than the SHB I took scions from. The canes only need an occasional renewal so that would require only a minimal effort.
I went outside early this morning and I noticed a large Oneal berry on the bush that appeared to be ripe. My plans were to come back by the bush after looking over the other plants in the orchard. Never wait. When I came back by it was gone. Pretty sure a bird wanted it. Bird netting will go on tomorrow. Oneal and Star ripen way ahead of the rabbiteyes if you can get through the cold spring weather.
Mine aren’t as far along as yours but I put my netting on yesterday. By third leaf I have learned my lesson. 
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Picked my first handful of Oneal blueberries today. So good to have my first fruit of the year.
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They were not large in size but had a good sweet taste.
I’ve got a graft of Kestrel on Indiocrisp that is pushing growth. It’s one of about a dozen cleft grafts I did on April 23 just over two weeks ago. More takes would be nice but even one is great. I was about to lose the Kestrel variety.
Thank you Auburn for getting me going on grafting BB…!!
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I never thought much about blueberry grafting but next year I’ll be asking for sweetcrisp scions. Lol
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I guess it is still a little early to determine how grafting blueberries will do. Right now I’m liking the vigorous Tifblue root with less vigorous Oneal SHB grafted on top. Nice to have ripening berries now instead of July when Tifblue typically ripens.
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I don’t have that variety but I do have a few others your welcome to have.
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How do you like those indigocrisp? Your sweetcrisp are outstanding! Started with 3 plants 6 years ago when you posted on GW. I am up to 14 now, love the texture as well as taste!
So far they don’t come close to Sweetcrisp for eating quality. But this yr they are overset. That pulled the canes down and interfered with light interception. They certainly yield way more but can they do it and come close to SC, I doubt it.
I’m glad you like Sweetcrisp. It’s not for everybody but is in a class by itself. You must agree given your 14 plants. I’ve heard surprisingly little positive feedback on SC. I think mostly because people haven’t gotten a crop yet.
I absolutely agree, sweetcrisp is in its own class! Not only crisp like a firm grape, but very sweet with a great blueberry flavor. They can be picked early and are still sweet and tasty, while ripe berries last a very long time due to firmness. Mine don’t set huge amounts of berries but still sets pretty good loads. They are a little hard to shape, mine want to be 6 feet tall and lanky.
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Those are splendid Sweetcrisp plants. They look just like mine only better…!! Wonderful green foliage and nice crop load. Maybe part of the reason it’s so good is it doesn’t overset like many others.
IMO Sweetcrisp is the perfect fruit lovers plant. It’s not suited to commercial production because of yield and later than ideal harvest. I once told the breeder that it was the greatest advancement in fruit breeding that I’d witnessed. I’d stick by that today.
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