I have a Cara’s Choice air layered right now. I will check late summer.
I do too. I only grow them for my wife (she loves black currants too) else i would probably grow only a couple plants. But she likes to have as many as possible so currently I have 11 blueberry plants. I have at least that many black currents too.
I wish I could grow currants, I use it in my favorite wine recipe. Black currants are still completely banned in my state, and only the northern half is allowed to grow any sort of Ribes. Too bad, since most of my available space gets plenty of shade with some sun, which I hear is perfect for them.
For cooking, no contest. For fresh eating, it depends. Black currants have a smaller window of best eating. They have more flavor and sugar than blueberries.
Generally I like fresh blueberries better than fresh haskap, but cooked haskap are way better.
I picked some Ka-Bluey blueberries today. Wow! Excellent, early too! I guess the commercial market thought these too soft, I don’t think so, not super firm, but not soft either. Gardens Alive who owns Gurney’s bought the rights. I must give the guys who pick plants for them kudos. This is a winner. The guys who name them, a C- or 2.0!
I aslo picked a Utah Giant sweet cherry. Not cracking this year. As good or better than anything in the store, firm, huge, delicious!
Oh good, I was hoping to see some first hand reviews about ka-bluey, I have that on my list for deciding what to get.
KA-Bluey is vigorous for me. it has many canes for a small plant. So many I’m going to remove some while dormant. It doesn’t have a ton of berries though. A lot of growth, few berries. Also they do not all ripen at the same time. When blue they are ripe enough to harvest. No need to hang. Great for a U-pick. The flavor is excellent, top shelf. Even when just blue.
How much nitrogen vs phosphorus are you feeding it?
The same as all the others which are loaded to the gills with berries. I feed them once a month with Hollytone and Jacks acid fertilizer. Blueberries are notorious nitrogen hogs. Most of my blueberry plants probably could use more nitrogen
I understand they need lots of nitrogen, but I wouldn’t expect much fruiting on some plants when there’s not as much P-K to balance the nitrogen. Lots of growth and foliage without the bloom/fruit to match sounds like it needs more phosphorus. Have your tried feeding some bloom fertilizer to it as well? Maybe blending some with your regular feeding in the spring could help boost the fruiting, even if your other plants don’t seem to need it, this strain may just need more.
My favorite too, by far. My tallest bush at 6-7 ft, highest yield, earliest picking season and best berries. My kids prefer it so much that I can only convince them to pick the other bushes if I tell them the other berries will be for pancakes.
Here’s part of my patch. My oldest one is almost twice the height of my Patriot of the same age, and half again taller than the Legacy and Elliot bushes:
I was thinking, Maybe try adding some bone meal in the fall. I’d think fall is a good time to load it on on phosphates, it needs some time to break down and it’ll give the plant time to absorb some (helps roots through winter too) and put it to use in the spring.
Drew, reading your way of growing, interest me a lot. You use Peters, which I use for my citrus for years. I am new to blueberries and was under the impression not to use strong package fertilizers.My newly 6 blueberries are not growing well, got some new growth, nothing great.
Need some guidance here, help!
I fertilize 2 out of 6 plants with Peters 25/5/15, added some micro,s in the mix, sink or swim! Organics doesn’t do much for growth with these young plants.
Yes, I read where yields increase with age. My plant is still young.
I would worry about increasing pH. I would use another product that is neutral like gypsum or Sul-Po-Mag. Depending on what you think it needs.
I use the Acid fertilizer 17-6-6 This will help them grow for sure, and will lower pH too. If pH is too high nothing much works. This will help lower pH and feed them.
It has Ammonium sulfate which is green crack for blueberries. I would use it every two weeks until you see growth. I use it once a month but the organics carry it the rest of time. I do them both at once Jacks works instantly and the organics takes 2 weeks. Just about time all of the jacks is gone.A great organic is cottonseed meal if you can find it cheap. It is for acid lovers.
Right, forgot bone meal increases ph. But would gypsum add enough phosphorus? I use starsan sanitizer for my wine making equipment, it’s a phosphoric acid solution. when diluted enough, people use the used solution to feed plants with, I just have no idea yet what kind of ratio is in it.
Drew, got everything you mention. Bought cottonseed meal, 50lb for $14.95 at a local farm co.op.Even got 500gl of rainwater.
Btw, that cherry tree you mention sounded great, how big is your tree?
Btw, your figtrees are doing very good, airlayer doesn’t show much roots yet. Thanks.
No, I would not use it unless you needed calcium, or wanted to reduce salts.
For phosphorous I’m a proponent of not introducing anymore than possible.
Wow! I wish we had something like that around here.
It about 7 feet tall. I just pruned it down. I love this tree! So easy to work with. Sprouts branches easily anywhere, so you can really shape them well. Right now it’s loaded with cherries. It is netted. Here it is a few minutes ago.
I grafted Utah Giant unto it.
White Gold and Utah Giant
That’s a beauty. Wonder if they grow in zone 7, Arkansas. Yours looks like a perfect size tree and looks, got to have one.
Very interesting, I have always bought into it I guess, seeing most of my past growing experience was in a closet 
. I though a good balanced fertilizer, or ones geared towards the life cycle your focusing on was a good way to go.
@Drew51 I transplanted some blueberries this spring. They’re growing, but have red around the leaf edges and are light green. Do you think a dose of N would help? My native soil has a pH of around 5.5 and I amended the row with peat, sulfur, and fertilizer last fall. My soil is generally low in N and OM.
Yes sounds like the pH is OK, it could be too low with the sulfur. Yes they like a lot of nitrogen. But only ammonium, or urea forms of Nitrogen, no nitrates. I would go easy and maybe a half dose since the plants need help and are probably weaker. Or even a smaller amount in every watering. They like to be moist too. Check pH if you can. If it does not work it may be pH related. Good luck!
