I'm in Zone 6, mid-Atlantic, and trying to choose a blueberry variety or two. I'm interested in hearing about people's favorite varieties. Also, the catalog hype for Ka-Bluey is especially over the top, and I wonder if anyone has had them long enough to review them. Thanks.
Favorite blueberry varieties? Anyone tried Ka-Bluey?
- Thread starter ltaytwo
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Greenthumb18
Deeply Rooted
I like the variety called, Coville it produces good blueberries. I also like the variety Chandler, they produce very large blueberries that have a nice taste to them.ltaytwo said:
I've heard of the variety Ka-Bluey, I have been thinking if I should try it also. Not sure how good they are, but hopefully someone who has it will comment about it.
lighthawk
Attractive To Bees
Itaytwo... My bushes are two years in the ground and I purchased two year old plants when I put them in. I wasn't sure which variety to buy so I bought two. I had room for 12 plants so I got 6 Toro (lowbush)and 6 blueray (highbush). The reason I bought these varieties is that they were grown by a LOCAL nursery that farms blueberries commercially and they already have the firsthand knowledge of what produces well in my area. I highly recomend that you do the same if at all possible.
They were also able to supply me with enough sulfer and fertilizer for my smaller needs. No guesswork about how much to apply.
I prepared the bed a full year in advance of planting on their advice.
So far my yeilds have been small (about 10 lbs per season) but the quality of the fruit is excellent. The Blueray produces a smaller fruit than the Toro but it also has more berries. The Toro has consistently large berries.
Good luck.
They were also able to supply me with enough sulfer and fertilizer for my smaller needs. No guesswork about how much to apply.
I prepared the bed a full year in advance of planting on their advice.
So far my yeilds have been small (about 10 lbs per season) but the quality of the fruit is excellent. The Blueray produces a smaller fruit than the Toro but it also has more berries. The Toro has consistently large berries.
Good luck.
thistlebloom
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I've seen the ads for Ka-bluey also. Makes you wonder/hope that they're all that. I grow Duke and Blueray, not because they're my favorite (although they are very tasty ) it just happened to be what they had at the nursery. I think I have a patriot too...
I moved my blueberries to a completely different part of the property
and lost their markers in the process so now I don't know who is what. I'm on the other side of the country from you so I know this isn't helpful, but I'm drinking high octane coffee and can't seem to shut up!
One thing I would emphasize is that blueberries LOVE acidic soil, like about 4.5 pH. So amend with peat or whatever you need to do before you plant to insure an acid soil or they'll peter out on you in a few years.
I moved my blueberries to a completely different part of the property
and lost their markers in the process so now I don't know who is what. I'm on the other side of the country from you so I know this isn't helpful, but I'm drinking high octane coffee and can't seem to shut up!
One thing I would emphasize is that blueberries LOVE acidic soil, like about 4.5 pH. So amend with peat or whatever you need to do before you plant to insure an acid soil or they'll peter out on you in a few years.
April Manier
Deeply Rooted
How about throwing some pine needles at the base every few years? Do you think that would suffice?thistlebloom said:
April Manier
Deeply Rooted
What did you do to prep the beds?lighthawk said:
thistlebloom
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It's a persistant myth that pine needles acidify soil, and I have even found that recommendation in some of my older, trusted gardening books (eg. RodalesEncyclopedia of Organic Gardening ) There have been some studies done on that subject and I've read some of them, that have convinced me otherwise.April Manier said:
Pine needles are acidic, however when exposed to soil and breaking down they have a neutral pH. That happens to plant matter in compost piles, the effect of decomposition, no matter the material, renders it more neutral.
Here' one article on the subject if you're interested:
http://www.wausaudailyherald.com/ar...0318/Fallen-pine-needles-can-be-used-as-mulch
luvsdirt
Chillin' In The Garden
I love hearing about the blueberries. I'm in zone 7 (N. central Texas) and don't know if they will grow/produce here. I was thinking maybe one of the patio blueberry plants(container grown) might be the way for me to go. Has anyone tried these? :tools
Greenthumb18
Deeply Rooted
Their are varieties of blueberries that do well in the South, their called Rabbiteye Blueberries.luvsdirt said:
