berry – Youngs Garden Center | Roseburg Oregon

Blueberry Pink Lemonade

youngswebsite — Tue, 14 Jan 2025 00:56:14 +0000

Vaccinium x ‘Pink Lemonade’

Plant Size: 5-6′ H x 5-6′ W (bushy, upright habit)

Soil Type: Acidic soil, regularly moist with good drainage

Light: Prefers full sun

Ripening Time: Mid-late season (late-July to mid-August)

Berry: Medium sized, very sweet pink berries

Pollination: Partially self fertile. Plant multiple varieties for better harvest.

Pink Lemonade is a completely unique variety with pink berries. They are a conversation starter with everyone who sees them. The large berries have a great berry flavor that is sweeter than most blueberries. They seem to be easier to grow than other varieties and are reported to grow well in heavy soils where other blueberries struggle. However, the crop size doesn’t seem to be very consistent. Planting another variety with them is important for cross pollination.

In Autumn the leaves of Pink Lemonade turn orange to crimson. We have found, in our area of Oregon, that this variety is semi-evergreen. So in winter the plants will typically keep about half of their leaves. The stems remain green with a light red blush.

Blueberry Type

Pink Lemonade is a Rabbiteye x Highbush cross that was introduced in 1996. This cross carries some of the characteristics of both parents. The highbush gives a smaller plants and larger, thinner skinned berries. Rabbiteye parentage brings the pink color, later fruiting and good disease resistance.

Planting Site

Blueberry plants need at least 6-8 hours of direct sunlight. If they are planted in a site that doesn’t receive enough they will not set fruit. Blueberries grow best in rich acidic soil (pH 4.5-5.5). You can improve the soil quality and acidity by mixing some organic compost with the soil at the planting site. After planting, mulching around the plant will help it to retain moisture.

Watering

Getting your blueberry plants the correct amount of water is essential to successful growth and fruiting. Blueberries want moist, but not soggy soil. How often you water depends on the weather and soil type. In general you will give them one gallon of water per square foot of plant space per week. This water should be applied once or twice during a week and not lightly each day. Light watering wets the soil surface, but does not saturate the root zone. Regular watering is especially crucial in summer. Even in our area of Oregon you should plan on irrigating your blueberry plants throughout the summer heat. They will not thrive without supplemental water when fruiting.

Fertilizer

To provide your plants with the nutrients that they need they should be feed in late winter through early summer. Use a fertilizer designed for acid loving plants like rhododendrons and blueberries. For the exact application times, follow the specific instructions for the fertilizer that you are using. A good rule of thumb is to feed blueberries in March and again in June.

Pests

Deer and birds love blueberries as much as you do. The best way to protect the fruit is to use fencing or netting.

Blueberry Duke

youngswebsite — Wed, 08 Jan 2025 00:37:49 +0000

Vaccinium corymbosum ‘Duke’

Plant Size: 4-6′ H x 4-6′ W (stocky, upright habit)

Soil Type: Acidic soil, regularly moist with good drainage

Light: Prefers full sun

Ripening Time: Early season (late-June to late-July)

Berry: Large berry with savory, mild-sweet flavor

Pollination: Partially self fertile. Plant multiple varieties for better harvest.

Duke is one of the earliest blueberries to ripen! With Dukes you can be enjoying the berries a couple weeks before most other varieties. They bloom around the same time as other blueberries though so pollination and frost aren’t problems for these early producers. This classic favorite has good, reliable crops of powder-blue fruit. In storage the fruit will keep its excellent flavor better than other varieties. However, Duke Blueberries seem to be less adaptable to soil conditions than other varieties. Make sure they are planted in rich, acidic soil that drains well and water regularly.

In fall the orange and yellow foliage gives way to red branches.

Blueberry Type

This variety is a Northern Highbush type of blueberry. These plants are native to wet areas of North America. They have an upright habit and reach a size that is ideal for harvesting. They are the most common on commercial farms and also best for home growers. Northern Highbush plants need rich, acidic soil. They have shallow roots so they require regular water.

Planting Site

Watering

Fertilizer

Pests

Deer and birds love blueberries as much as you do. The best way to protect the fruit is to use fencing or netting.

Blueberry Chandler

youngswebsite — Mon, 06 Jan 2025 19:12:25 +0000

Vaccinium corymbosum ‘Chandler’

Plant Size: 5-7′ H x 5-7′ W (upright, slightly spreading habit)

Soil Type: Acidic soil, regularly moist with good drainage

Light: Prefers full sun

Ripening Time: Mid-late season (mid-July to mid-August)

Berry: Giant berry with full, sweet, robust flavor

Pollination: Partially self fertile. Plant multiple varieties for better harvest.

The berries on Chandler are enormous! They are claimed to be one of the world’s largest blueberries and its easy to believe. Size doesn’t sacrifice taste with these berries. Then add a long harvest season (July 15 – Aug 10) to this variety and it’s a clear winner.

Chandler Blueberry plants look good off season too. In the fall they have wine red and orange leaves. In winter, when this deciduous plant has dropped of of its leaves, the branches are red & orange.

Blueberry Type

Planting Site

Watering

Fertilizer

Pests

Deer and birds love blueberries as much as you do. The best way to protect the fruit is to use fencing or netting.

Blueberry Bluecrop

youngswebsite — Sat, 04 Jan 2025 00:42:35 +0000

Vaccinium corymbosum ‘Bluecrop’

Plant Size: 4-6′ H x 4-6′ W (open, upright habit)

Soil Type: Acidic soil, regularly moist with good drainage

Light: Prefers full sun

Ripening Time: Mid season (July)

Berry: Large berry with classic, mild, sweet flavor

Pollination: Partially self fertile. Plant multiple varieties for better harvest.

Bluecrop is one of the best all-around blueberry varieties. This variety is very commonly grown at commercial farms and also does well in home gardens. It is a vigorous plant that produces big clusters of large berries over a long season (July 10 – Aug 1).

In addition to the bountiful crops of berries, Bluecrop Blueberry is a beautiful plant in the fall with bright red foliage. This plant is deciduous, and the bare branches are a dark red in winter.

Blueberry Type

Planting Site

Watering

Fertilizer

Pests

Deer and birds love blueberries as much as you do. The best way to protect the fruit is to use fencing or netting.