Although most Blueberries are self pollinating to some extent, it’s always better to cross pollinate Blueberries. Just need the types that grow best in your area. I’m not 100% confident about NHB pollinating SHB but I’m 100% confident that climate zone does not always predict what type of Blueberries grow where. For the most part the nurseries don’t have a clue. Two local nurseries in my area are promoting and selling NHB which are well known to fail here. Mail order nurseries are probably worse about selling things that do not do well in a particular area. So are the big box stores.
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@BlueHen … you might try your state coop-exten site.
The state of TN site recommended rabbiteyes for me and they have worked well. I have 10 plants… 4 varieties.
Good luck !!!
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@BlueBerry, @blueberrythrill,
Thanks for your insights.
@TNHunter,
Thanks for the link. Definitely speaks to local knowledge on the subject but without sharing the details online. I sent an email. We’ll see what I get!
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How did things go? Im convinced all will taste good. I was surprised even at the blue crop. I think This year I will line my property with blueberries, I do zero maintenance only thing that goes after them is birds and one stink bug. No ants No worms, no watering. Maybe they will taste even better if I actually fertilized them
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After researching what University of Delaware extension office had on growing blueberries in the area, I ended up preordering Blueray and Spartan. Decided on just two plants so I could save the space for other things. I ordered from Indiana Berry. Given what I’ve read about how small their plants are, I guess it’ll be a few years before I know how it turns out.
If you’d like to add more varieties later this year, you can pick up whatever’s left at the end of the season at big box stores for half off. (I got a couple for ~$8 a piece. In the suburbs west of Philly there were lots of Bluecrop, Blueray, Chandler, Elliot, Chippewa, Bonus, Sweetheart (I think…it’s the one that’s supposed to fruit twice, sometimes for some reason, in a single, longish season), Legacy, Jersey and a couple others. There’s blueberry pollination charts showing the overlap times. The bloom times and harvest times seem to correlate pretty closely with blueberries according to most sources I’ve seen.
Has some pictures of berries that were pollinated versus ones that were bagged. It’s a pretty stark difference.
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