Which blueberry varieties are suitable for growing in the South
SummaryThe varieties very suitable for growing in the South include rabbiteye blueberry and highbush blueberry, while varieties such as Sharpblue, Misty, Brightwell, O'Neal, V3 blueberry and M7 blueberry can also be grown in the South. Because the air in the southern region is mostly hot and humid and the soil is heavy clay with poor aeration, when growing blueberries you should select suitable varieties, improve the soil, and promptly replace "aged seedlings".
At present, the blueberry varieties grown most in the southern region of our country are rabbiteye blueberry and highbush blueberry; in addition, varieties such as Sharpblue, Misty, Brightwell, O'Neal, V3 blueberry and M7 blueberry are also grown in small amounts.
1. Advantages of growing blueberries in the South
When blueberries are grown in the southern region of our country, the fruit ripens earlier, can be marketed ahead of time, and has strong market competitiveness. Generally, southern highbush blueberry varieties grown in the South ripen from late April to mid-June; in some areas with a better climate, blueberries ripen in mid-to-late March. The relatively high yield of blueberries grown in the South is a major advantage.
2. Disadvantages of growing blueberries in the South
The southern region is mostly heavy clay red soil, yellow soil and paddy soil; the organic matter content in the soil is relatively low and aeration is also relatively poor, which has a certain effect on blueberry growth. Blueberries are afraid of waterlogging, and the southern region has more rainfall, which easily causes standing water. If the standing water is not drained in time, the blueberry bushes will suffer root rot. In addition, summer temperatures are relatively high, and combined with the relatively high air humidity in the Yangtze River basin, both air temperature and humidity are relatively high, which also affects blueberry growth.
3. Variety selection
Combining the advantages and disadvantages of growing blueberries in the southern region, if you want to show the early ripening and marketing of blueberry fruit to fill the gap in the market without processing, the best choice for growing in the South is rabbiteye blueberry and highbush blueberry.
Rabbiteye blueberry: mid-June to mid-August is their ripening period. They do not have very high soil requirements, are relatively easy to plant and cultivate, and are also convenient to manage. Although the taste is slightly worse than northern blueberries, they are still one of the varieties suitable for growing in the southern region. At present, the two varieties grown more are "Brightwell" and "Baldwin".
Southern highbush blueberry: their fruit ripens early and the market price is relatively high. At present, the varieties grown more and relatively mature in the southern region include "Sharpblue", the early-maturing "O'Neal", the mid-maturing "Misty", the late-maturing "Legacy" and "Brigitta". "Biloxi", which has a very low chilling requirement, is also very suitable for growing in Hainan and South China.
4. Avoid growing northern highbush varieties
Northern highbush blueberry varieties can only be grown in southern areas at high altitudes such as Yunnan, Guizhou and Sichuan. They have poor tolerance to high temperature and high humidity. If grown in the southern region, even if they grow normally in the first two years, after the third year phenomena such as early leaf drop, non-development of leaf buds, and drying up and death will appear. This will be even more serious in areas that cannot reach the chilling requirement needed by blueberries. Therefore, it is best not to grow northern highbush blueberry varieties in the South, so as to avoid unnecessary losses.
5. Soil improvement
When growing blueberries in the southern region, whether on mountain land, hills or flat ground, you must cultivate on raised ridges. Moreover, southern soil is mostly heavy clay, prone to standing water, low in organic matter and poor in permeability. When growing blueberries in the South, you must first improve the soil well. You can mix peat soil, pine needles, sawdust, bark, perlite, river sand, organic materials, crop straw and organic fertilizer into the soil to improve it. Generally, the proportion of peat and organic materials is best controlled at about 50-70%.
6. Promptly replace "aged seedlings"
In recent years, because more and more blueberry seedlings have been propagated, many seedlings have not been repotted in time and have grown into "aged seedlings". Although they will not die after planting, their growth condition will be very poor.
The specifications of the nutrient pots for propagated seedlings must meet the standard. For two-year-old seedlings, the nutrient pot specification requires a national standard 250PX caliber; for three-year-old seedlings, the nutrient pot specification requires a national standard 375PX caliber. Generally, seedlings with complete, well-developed root systems that are yellow-white in color are of better quality. Do not select seedlings whose roots are brown or black, half-broken, and have a moldy, foul smell.