How do I care for my plants?
The plants love acid, pine bark mix, and daily water (well drained)

When do plants flower and fruit?
Flower - Feb and Fruits - April & May

How much fruit per plant?
5-6 lbs

Do I need more than 1 variety?
Southern Highbush varieties are self fertile. But two varieties are recommended for best results.

Do they need full sun?
Yes

What kind of freeze protection is best?
Water or freeze cloth

When do I prune them?
Prune after harvest (40% of plant)

What kind of fertilizer is best?
Azalea fertilizer from Feb - Sept.

How long is harvest?
5 Weeks

Will plant fruit in containers?
Yes

What is a Southern Highbush?
Southern Highbush varieties are considered best suited for southern climates where
summers are hotter and chilling hours fall well below 1,000 per year. Ripening
time will vary depending on the climate in which they are grown. The estimated
minimum chilling requirement (number of hours under 45°F in winter) is listed
for each variety on our plant comparison chart.

What is a Northern Highbush?
Northern Highbush varieties are the most widely planted blueberries in the world.
They grow best in temperate climates where total winter chilling is 1,000 hours
or more. Most Northern Highbush varieties are relatively selfpollinizing.

What is a Rabbiteye?
Rabbiteye varieties are native to the southeastern states. They have been commercially
cultivated nearly 100 years. With firmer berries and thicker skin, southern growers
machine harvest Rabbiteyes for both the fresh and process markets. The seeds
tend to be slightly more pronounced than Highbush. Rabbiteyes are available by
custom order.

How to Freeze your blueberries?
After you buy fresh blueberries, place them in a single layer on a cookie sheet. Be sure to not wash the blueberries before freezing. After they are frozen, transfer to an air tight plastic bag or freezer container and store. When you are ready to use your blueberries, take them out and wash prior using.

More Information on Southern Highbush
Southern highbush blueberries are a domesticated form of Vaccinium corymbosum which were bred by lowering the chilling requirement of northern highbush blueberries , which were first domesticated in New Jersey between 1910 and 1930. Northern highbush blueberry varieties require a minimum of 1000 hours below 7° C. per winter to stimulate opening of the flower and leaf buds in the spring. In the eastern United States, this limits their cultivation to areas that have winters at least as cold as those typical of the coastal plan of North Carolina around Wilmington. Due to low temperatures from February through April, blueberries in this area do not ripen before mid-May. In the southern hemisphere, northern highbush varieties do not ripen before mid-November. The principal utility of southern highbush blueberries is that their low chilling requirement, achieved through breeding, allows them to be grown in areas where warm temperatures in late winter and early spring permit flowering in early February and ripening in April and early May in the northern hemisphere and flowering in early August and ripening in October and early November in the southern hemisphere. Thus, southern highbush blueberries extend the season of availability of fresh blueberries by a period of about 6 weeks in each hemisphere and contribute to the year-round availability of blueberries on the fresh market. Because southern highbush blueberries are relatively new, additional varieties are needed that have higher yields, varying dates of maturity, and adaptation to various production areas.