Three highbush blueberry varieties are planted.
- Red Row Markers - Blueray (early ripening) usually about ripe around July 6 to 8
- Blue Row Markers - Berkeley (mid season ripening) usually about ripe around
July 8 to 10
- Green Row Markers - Coville (late ripening) usually about ripe around July 15 to
20
- Each variety has a distinctly different flavor but when fully ripe, all are sweet
- Most bushes are planted as small 2 year old seedlings
- Bushes are planted 4 to 5 feet apart in rows 10 feet apart
- Bushes mature to nearly full production in 5 to 7 years
- Highbush blueberries require about 1000 hours of below 45 degree temps to reset
their biological clock for the next years growth and production.
- BH bushes have endured -10 degree winters without much problem
- Blueberry bushes require acid soil (ph 4.5 to 5.5)
- The ph at BH is about 4.5
- Bushes develop fruit buds for next years crop in the fall
- Blueberry plants have small, shallow, inefficient root systems and are very
susceptible to drought
- Spring droughts reduce the current years plant growth and fruit size; fall droughts
reduce the next years fruit buds and plant growth
