Bluecrop
Zone 4-7
POTTED ONLY, SORRY NO SHIPPINBG
Full sun
Highbush
A firm light blue medium-sized fruit. This blueberry is considered the best all around variety for consistent yields, disease resistance and high quality. Bluecrop is an upright, open growing shrub. One of the best garden blueberry varieties on the market today. Mature height 4-6 feet. Two year old plants.
$17 each
Blueray
Zone 4-7
POTTED ONLY, SORRY NO SHIPPING
Full sun
Highbush
A heavy producer of high quality large, powder-blue berries with outstanding dessert flavor. The beautiful rose-pink flowers turn bright white in full bloom. Foliage turns a burgundy color in the fall. Does particularly well in areas with hot summer or very cold winters. Upright and open growing habit. Mature height 5'. Attracts Butterflies and birds!
$17
each
Northland
Zone 4-7
POTTED ONLY, SORRY, NO SHIPPING
Full Sun
Medium to high bush
Fruit is dark blue and has a wild berry flavor. Mature plants are 3 - 4 feet high with a similar spread. Northland has limber branches which do not break under heavy snow and adapts well to the sub zero climate. Great for ornamental use. Foliage is beautiful throughout the growing season.
$17
each
Patriot
Zone 4-8
POTTED ONLY, SORRY NO SHIPPING
Full sun
Highbush blueberry
Considered one of the best all around varieties for adaptability, hardiness, consistent yields, high quality fruit and disease resistance. Fruit is very large, firm and has small dry recessed scars. The berry is formed on tight clusters and it tends to be flatter than the other cultivars. Excellent flavor. Can yield 12-14 lbs of fruit per year. Mature height 4-6'. 2 year old plants.
$17
each
Blueberry Information
Blueberries are self-pollinating, however more than one variety will increase production, ripen earlier and the fruit can be larger!
Yes, blueberry plants are expensive,
but remember, blueberry plants are long-lived.
(30 to 50 years or perhaps even longer)!
Time and effort in preparing the planting site is a wise investment. Blueberries require an acid soil with the pH in the range of 4.5 to 5.5 for best results. Planting in an area by pine trees is a good option. Because of their shallow, fibrous root systems, blueberries require a soil that is uniformerly moist, but not saturated. Heavy poorly drained soils should be avoided. Think about making a raised garden.
Testing your soil pH
Most good garden centers will gladly pH test a soil sample for you, or you can buy an inexpensive pH test kit at most nurseries, or hardware stores.
These test kits generally consist of a test tube, some testing solution and a color chart. You put a sample of your soil in the tube, add a few drops of test solution, shake it up and leave it for an hour or so to settle.
The solution in the tube changes color according to the pH of your soil. Compare the color of the sample with the color chart that came with the kit. Matching colors will tell you the pH of your sample. The better kits will also advisory booklets about how to interpret your result.
More info on Blueberries from the University of Minnesota
Blueberries are increasingly popular fruits with well-documented health benefits. Blueberry plants are also exceptionally handsome bushes worthy of planting in the home landscape. The fruit can be eaten fresh, or frozen for out-of-season use. Plants have a profusion of white blossoms in late spring, and the leaves are glossy green in summer and have outstanding red foliage in autumn.
Blueberry growing presents a challenge for most gardeners because the plants need special growing conditions. They require acidic, well-drained soils, which are not common in most Minnesota landscape situations. When the initial pH is less than 7.0 (slightly acidic), most soils can be amended to make them suitable. In western Minnesota, where the native pH of the soil is greater than 7.0 (basic), amending the soil to a suitable range is very difficult, although construction of a planting area filled with an acidic, well drained soil mixture high in organic matter is possible. Winter hardiness is also a consideration. Production should be successful if cultivar recommendations for your particular area of the state are followed.
Site
Blueberries grow best in a sunny location. Plants will tolerate partial shade, but as shade increases, plants produce fewer blossoms and fruit production declines. Avoid areas surrounded by trees, which provide too much shade, compete with plants for water and nutrients, and interfere with air movement around plants. Poor air movement increases danger of spring frost injury to blossoms and favors disease development.
Soil Preparation
Blueberry plants grow best in acid soils (pH 4.0 to 5.0) that are well-drained, loose, and high in organic matter. The soil water level should be at least one foot below the soil surface or roots will suffocate. Soil pH can be determined by sending a sample of the soil to the University of Minnesota Soil Testing Facility. Instructions and containers for taking a soil sample can be obtained through your county extension office or the University of Minnesota Soil Testing site. Most garden soils in Minnesota have pH readings above those that are optimum for blueberries (most soils are too basic).
Soils not within the range of pH acceptability for blueberry plant growth must be prepared BEFORE planting. If the pH is too high, the growth of the plant i​s slowed and the foliage turns yellow. If the pH is too high for an extended period of time, the plants will die. When several plants are to be grown together, more satisfactory results will be obtained if an entire bed is prepared rather than digging holes for individual plants.
If the pH of the soil is between 5.5 and 7.0, and the texture is sandy to sandy loam, the addition of acid peat is all that will be needed to prepare the soil. Mix 4 to 6 inches of acid peat into the top 6 to 8 inches of soil. In addition to acidifying the soil, the peat increases the soil organic matter content.
Different sulfur compounds can be used to acidify the soil as well. For 50 cubic feet of sandy soil (the amount of soil in a space 10 feet by 10 feet by 6 inches), use one to two pounds of elemental sulfur to reduce the pH one point. You will need to use three to six pounds to get the same effect in loam soils. Elemental sulfur takes at least one year to adjust the pH.
Iron sulfate reacts much faster than elemental sulfur (less than one month); however, the cost is greater. Multiply the rate of elemental sulfur needed by six to determine the required amount of iron sulfate.
Aluminum sulfate is not recommended, although it can acidify soil, because high rates of this compound can be toxic to roots.
Soils with a pH greater than 7.0 will require higher rates of acidifying amendments and are not recommended for growing blueberries. In addition to an acid soil, blueberry plants require a soil that is well aerated and has a high water-holding capacity. Most garden soil is not good blueberry soil, so modification of the soil is frequently necessary.
To grow blueberries where soil is poorly drained and/or too basic to be acidified adequately, prepare a raised planting area. To accommodate two plants, create a raised planting bed 15 inches deep by 24 inches wide by 48 inches long. Fill with a soil mixture of 4 bushels well-rotted sawdust, leaf mold, or peat; 2 bushels loam soil; and 2 cups wettable sulfur. As this soil settles and decomposes over the years, you will need to continue adding sulfur, soil and peat to the planting bed. Continue to have your soil’s pH tested every year or two, and amend as needed.
To modify soil that is too dry and sandy, there is no need to create a raised bed; instead, make a hole in the ground of the above dimensions and fill it with the soil mixture.
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