Description
GUPTON BLUEBERRY
Vaccinium corymbosum
Origin: USDA/ARS
Low Chill Southern high-bush type cultivar. Recommend a minimum of 400 hours of chilling, accumulative temperatures 32 to 45 F (0 to 7C). Height of mature plants is 6 feet. Plants grow upright with a narrow crown. Fruits ripen early. In the state of Mississippi, the fruits are harvested in the middle of May for a period of 2 weeks. The flower period occurs later than many low chill cultivars and will escape most late spring freezes. Yields are consistently high producing 12 to 15 pounds per plant.
Fruit size is large, yielding berries over 2 grams. Fruits are larger than most low chill cultivars. The attractive fruits have a distinguished long lasting light blue color. The fruits have a fine flavor and an excellent firmness with a small dry picking scar. Harvesting is accomplished by hand or mechanical. Mechanical harvest for fresh market can be accomplished with the firmness of the fruits, narrow upright bush stature, and loose clusters.
Marketing should be focused on the fresh markets. Fruits resist cracking during rains that can occur during ripening times. Gupton is recommended for growers for a mid-season high-bush that will ripen before any of the Rabbiteye types. Gupton has the same pedigree as the cultivars Camelia and Blue Suede and is a substitute choice cultivar for Camelia. Hardiness Zones 9a-6b.
Care Info
- Plant Type:Highbush blueberry-height varying between 4 to 12 feet. Deciduous fruiting shrub.
- pH Requirements:4.0 - 5.5
- Soil Type:Well drained sand or sandy loam
- Light Requirements:Full to filtered sun
- Plant Rows Spacing:3 - 5 feet
- Plant Aisle Spacing:5 - 10 feet
- Mulching:Beneficial, but not necessary
- USDA Zones:4 - 10
- Scientific Name:Vaccinium corymbosum
