I just picked 35# of blueberries---in an hour!

It is just about unbelievable just how thick these berry bushes are loaded! You don't even reach for a cluster if it won't fill your hand.

These are not my berry bushes, but very close to where my bushes are planted--they are about 20 years old an many are probably 12-15 ft tall (if they were not bent over with berries).

I'm guessing these are rabbiteye bushes since highbush doesnt get that big. Are these wild rabbiteyes? Rabbiteyes are wild in your neck of the woods, from the most southern part of Georgia and north Florida across to the western part of Alabama. Vaccinium Darrowii is also wild down there which is the plant they made crosses with Northern Highbush plants to get Southern highbush. There are numerous vaccinium plants that are native where I'm at that are also used in crosses to get southern highbush that have small but very delicious fruits like V. Pallidum, V. Elliottii, V. Formosum, V. Fusculum, V. Simulatum, V. Constablaei, etc. Vaccinium Pallidum is gathered in the mountains of Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, & North Carolina by the locals yearly.

This is a planted berry patch--that is used to a minor extent as a U-pick farm--probably less than 10% of the berries get picked. I know some of the varieties are Misty, Woodard, Tifblue, Climax, but there are at least a dozen different varieties there.

When I moved earlier this year, I had to leave my blueberries at our old house. I had Oneil and Sunshine varieties. I liked the Oneil better, but the Sunshine was more of an ornamental. Are there any other low chill varieties out there?

Phillip

There are many low chill varieties--below 5-600 hrs. UF has developed quite a few.

This is where I got a lot of my bushes: http://www.danfinch.com/berrys.htm

http://www.islandgroveagproducts.com/index.html
http://www.fallcreeknursery.com/

These are some good places to buy the new Florida and Georgia releases.

Thanks Morphinelover, I have been thinking about adding a few of the new varieties to my patch--especially Emerald.

Everytime I hear or see a blueberry I think of this ... Propane powered cannons (BANG!)


http://www.banthecannons.com/propanecannon.html

Cheers, Barrie.