Ok I realize there are around 100 different types of blueberry plants and many would likely do ok here in Texas. However, I'm sure some of you fellow Texan gardeners have had more success with some varieties than others.
I'm looking to get a few blueberry plants established here, but I've never grown them. So my main concerns in selecting the 'right' ones for this area are . . . How will they do in the heat down here and which ones are the most disease and pest resistant? I don't mind share'n a some of my crops with the birds and squirrels and such, but I'd hate to lose them to the heat and/or the cold.
I've checked out several in the PlantFiles section and noticed many say "full sun" . . . is that like most other things - down here that usually means 5-6 hours of sun and some shade as well. Or do they want to be in 'our' full sun all day?
Any and all suggestions will be appreciated.
Thanks,
GD
What's the best blueberry for growing in Texas?
This from "Plantanswers"
"...the production of blueberries has a few challenges of its own. The soil or growing medium pH is critical for successful blueberry culture. This funny expression-- pH -- is a measure of the hydrogen ion concentration in the soil solution or simply put, whether the soil is acid (less than 7.0) or alkaline (7.1 and above). Rabbiteye blueberries are one of the few crops that require very special soil or growing medium; a pH of 4.0 to 6.0 is required for good plant growth; the plants will not live in soils or potting mixes with a pH above 5.5. The plants' feeder roots are very close to the surface and they do not have root hairs; therefore, good soil moisture management and mulches will be needed. One may be surprised as to why we would recommend such an exacting, low soil pH plant for planting across a state which only has a small amount of such soil, which is mainly in East Texas. Simply put, it is because of the potential to produce an acceptable amount of fruit on a containerized plant with very few pest problems."
And from aggie horticulture (http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/extension/fruit/blueberry/blueberries.html )
recommendations are:
Tifblue is the most universally outstanding rabbiteye blueberry grown to date. The fruits are large, light blue and ripen late in the season. The bush is vigorous and very productive. Tifblue is more cold hardy than most rabbiteye blueberries varieties. It should be the predominant variety in any planting.
Garden Blue produces a very small, light blue midseason fruit. The bush is moderately large.
Delite is good as an ornamental. The fruits are small and light blue (red and pink when immature)
Briteblue is a new, moderately vigorous plant, which produces firm, large, light blue berries in moderate to heavy crops. The berries have a waxy bloom and should not be harvested before they are fully ripe. It normally ripens inearly to midseason.
Climax is a new rabbiteye blueberry, which is early ripeining. Most of the fruit ripens in a short period of time. The crop load is moderate to high.
Brightwell is a vigorous, upright plant, which produces outstanding yields of medium-sized fruit. It ripens early to midseason.
Sharpblue is a variety from the Wayne Sherman program at the University of Florida. It is a low-chiller for areas receiving 600 hours or less of temperatures below 45 degrees.
Hope this helps.
Yeah that narrows it down a bit :)
I guess I need to do some soil testing in different areas around here, cuz I know it varies a lot from place to place - just in my yard. I've got mostly that ol 'blow sand' in most places, but also there's some sandy loam and a bit of black dirt that was hauled into a few areas at some point several years ago.
From what I've heard, these big Live Oaks cause the soil under them to be fairly acidic, but I've only tested a few places so far.
Thanks April