Vaccinium (Blueberry)
Vaccinium (Blueberry): Broad leaf evergreen shrub with profuse pick, white or red flowers
| Vaccinium | Deciduous Shrub |
|---|---|
| Bloom Time | Late Spring |
| Light | Part Shade to Full Sun |
| Water | Moist |
| Diseases | Pythium and Phytophtora Root Rot, Powdery Mildew, Rust |
| Pests | Caterpillars, Scale |
| Propagation | Semi-Hardwood cuttings, grafting, layering |
| Color | Pink, White |
| Height | 3 - 8 feet tall |
| Zones | 3 to 7 |
| pH Range | 4.5 to 6.5 |
Vaccinium (Blueberry)
Tasty blue fruits and colorful red fall foliage make blueberries outstanding additions to the landscape.
Use them in mixed shrub borders and perennial beds for structure and interest as well as fruit production.
Blueberries demand the right climate and soil but take little care if you provide a site suitable to their somewhat exacting conditions.
They require a fair amount of cool weather in the winter and won't grow well in mild winter climates.
They grow best in full sun, and well-drained, sandy, acid soil. Plant at least two varieties for cross-pollination. The most commonly grown blueberry is highbush.
Lowbush blueberries grow just one foot tall and spread by underground stems to form a dense mat.
Vaccinium (Blueberry)
Due to its large size of up to 12' this will become a dominate shrub in your landscape.
This is a very beautiful shrub, with with that beauty comes high maintenance. It is very susceptible to disease and pests.
Types of pruning include: pinching, thinning, shearing and rejuvenating. Pinching is removing the stem tips of a young plant to promote branching. Doing this avoids the need for more severe pruning later on.
Thinning involves removing whole branches back to the trunk. This may be done to open up the interior of a plant to let more light in and to increase air circulation that can cut down on plant disease. The best way to begin thinning is to begin by removing dead or diseased wood.
Shearing is leveling the surface of a shrub using hand or electric shears. This is done to maintain the desired shape of a hedge or topiary.
Rejuvenating is removal of old branches or the overall reduction of the size of a shrub to restore its original form and size. It is recommended that you do not remove more than one third of a plant at a time. Remember to remove branches from the inside of the plant as well as the outside. When rejuvenating plants with canes, such as nandina, cut back canes at various heights so that plant will have a more natural look.
Vaccinium (Blueberry)
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Vaccinium (Blueberry) ‘Pink Perfection’: A commonly grown camellia, this long time favorite of gardeners produces a long winter season of perfectly double, pink flowers. An heirloom camellia it has been a southern garden feature for over 150 years.
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Vaccinium
'Bluecrop' blueberry reliably produces large, light-blue fruits with good tart flavor. The 4- to 6-foot-tall bushes are hardy and thrive in a short growing season. Zones 4-8
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Vaccinium 'Blueray'
blueberry has very large, firm, sweet fruit. This upright plant thrives in many climates and grows particularly well in the Pacific Northwest. Zones 3-7.
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Vaccinium 'Coville' blueberry has large, light-blue fruit that remains tart until near harvest. The fruit of this tall, upright plant are good both fresh and for cooking. Zones 3-7.
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Vaccinium 'Darrow' blueberry is a highbrush blueberry with large, sweet fruits said to be the size of nickels. A self-pollinating cultivar, you only need one plant for fruit set. Zones 4-7
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Vaccinium 'Duke' blueberry produces an early crop of large, sweet fruit. This highbush blueberry is commonly grown for both fresh eating and culinary uses. Zones 5-7.
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Vaccinium 'Jersey' blueberry has medium, firm berries with good flavor. The 6- to 8-foot-tall bushes are hardy and disease resistant. Zones 4-8
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Vaccinium 'Lateblue' blueberry produces late-ripening, firm, and very flavorful dark blue fruits. Lateblue has a more tart flavor than other berries. Zones 5-7
Fertilization techniques for the Vaccinium (Blueberry) are as follows:
Take a soil test to determine the PH of the soil. If one or more nutrients are low, use a specific fertilizer to bring up that level
Avoid fertilizing late in the growing season as application made during that time will force new growth and this new growth will not have sufficient time to harden off before the cold weather season.
Vaccinium (Blueberry)
