Some blueberry variety talk mainly Sweetcrisp and Springhigh my favorites

I took some pictures today (April 20, 2016). It doesn’t look they have grown much over the last 20 days…but I check them almost every day so maybe I am not noticing:

Indigocrisp:

Sweetcrisp:

Springhigh:

Sweetcrisp:

Sweetcrisp:

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I heard you guys like pics of Blueberry Flowers…

Darrow

Pink Lemonade, with distinctive Carpenter Bee slits

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I’ve started sampling this yrs blueberry crop: Sweetcrisp, Springhigh, and Star. The results bring me back to one of my first reports, five yrs ago, on Sweetcrisp: http://www.cloudforest.com/cafe/gardening/sweetcrisp-blows-away-other-low-chill-blueberries-t981.html?hilit=sweetcrisp%20blows%20away#p6612 In there I stated that Sweetcrisp blows away other low chill blueberries. What I’d change is first it crushes, mutilates, destroys, and then blows away all other blueberries I’ve sampled, about 30-40 varieties.

I’ve told the breeder of Sweetcrisp that it’s the biggest advancement in fruit breeding I’ve witnessed. I’ll stick by that as well. And hope more people here taste Sweetcrisp this yr. It’s about time.

I’m sure a few won’t agree but most reports I’ve seen rate it #1 in their collection.

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This year again I have been denied a taste but the plant is super healthy and getting quite large. I feel like a Cubs fans, maybe next year! I know whatever fruit I eventually get, I’ll be growing the seeds.

That’s about all I’ve seen for reports here. It’s a difficult plant but not that bad.

Fruitnut

I would love to try some, but the very low chill hours worry me. I can grow Star and Emerald most years here in 7B. Wonder if Sweetcrisp would have a chance in my climate?

I’m looking at some of the best flowering I’ve had in years, only really attributable difference, is that I’ve switched to using holy-tone once a month, no more ALSU4 or Miracid, purely anecdotal, go figure

Rick:

No question some yrs they’ll get frozen out and yield is medium at best. So for profit no way. But a few bushes for personal use in NC, absolutely I’d try them. They bloom with Emerald for me but that means little for you.

The crisp texture is being bred into blueberries everywhere. In 10-20 yrs we’ll all have Sweetcrisp like berries in adapted cultivars. For now Sweetcrisp is the way to find out if you agree with my assessment.

Sweetcrisp blooms with jewel, pink lemonade and duke(n) for me in NYC, springhigh & Legacy are a little later but do overlap some.

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Moley have you tasted Sweetcrisp yet and if so what do you think?

This will be its second year to fruit, 4yrs in the ground. Last season I only harvested about a cup of delicious berries, but not enough for a thorough evaluation. This year i will have spring-high to compare it with and a usually very reliable Jewel.

Jewel this year lost 3/4’s of its flower buds to an extended warm spell in December, the buds started to swell way too early then we had a 48hr window of single digits in early February. the buds appeared green, but they crumbled to dust when touched.

Edit: last year I loved Jewel, Darrow, Norlthland in no particular order. I’m a sucker for tart wild blueberry flavor.

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I too like them, and have no examples! I do have other tart fruit! If Indigocrisp produces fruit (I don’t have any SHB flowers this year except Indigocrisp). I think i best keep a few for seeds! They will be crossed with a NHB hybrid. Maybe the offspring would be better for here.All my blueberries are starting to grow, a good thing, all look great! I’ll have a better crop than expected. Legacy, Liberty, and Chandler are loaded with berries. Cara’s Choice and Indicrisp have only a few. Southmoon and Sweetcrisp have none. Next year for those!

Fruitnut. The only one of these three that I have is Star. Do the other two ripen before Star? Thanks, Bill

Would I do better if I planted them in a 5 gallon pot and moved the pot into the barn in the winter? The temperature in the barn is almost as cold as outside. I also have a small greenhouse (8X10 lean to) I could place them in, but because of the small size it tends to overheat even with the fan running

My situation probably doesn’t mean anything for you. But on ave it would be Springhigh then Sweetcrisp followed by Star with a lot of overlap.

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In Z7 NC Sweetcrisp should be hardy outdoors. The issue would be late spring freezes. If you could cover the bush in ground during those late freezes you should be OK. Several layers of frost blanket might do the trick. A small heat source inside and you’d be in great shape.

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Thanks

Bought sweet crisp three years ago from FHN so I hope it is actually sweet crisp. First year with berries, six of them.

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Get a Darrow if you can, I don’t recommend a lot of varieties but this is the one, reminds me of picking BBs along the highways in Maine on our annual family trip up to Freeport to visit the LL Bean Factory :sunglasses:

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After a very warm spell last fall, all of my SHB tried to mature blueberry around Christmas. I was very surprised when they bloomed very heavy again this spring. Unfortunately, we had two 27 degree nights after fruit set which killed most of the fruit. I don’t have enough water for overhead irrigation and I need to look into frost control material like Remay to cover the rows in the future.