Description
PEARL BLUEBERRY
Vaccinium ashei
Origin: USDA 2010
Southern highbush type cultivar. The minimum chilling is 400 hours of accumulative temperatures 32 to 45 F (0-7 C). Height of a mature plant is 5 ½ feet and upright slightly spreading. Branches are strong and will support the heavy fruit load. Ripening of the fruits are mid-season, 3 weeks before the first Rabbiteye type varieties will ripen.
The fruits are fine flavor mostly sweet when ripe. The yields are consistently high 10 to 15 pounds per plant, considered a heavy producer. The flowers open late in the spring so they are less susceptible to spring frosts. Fruit are medium to large, most large averaging 60 to 70 berries per 8 ounce cup. The quality of the fruits are rated high and produce no stem scar.
The berries are easily harvested by hand, all the fruits are borne on the outside of the bush if pruned properly. The bush is adaptable to mechanical harvesting yielding high quality fruits. The fruits should be marketed fresh due to the high quality and flavor.
Care Info
- Plant Type:Tall growing 6 to 15 feet at maturity. Deciduous, almost evergreen in the deep south.
- pH Requirements:4.0 - 5.5
- Soil Type:Well drained sandy and sandy loam
- Light Requirements:Full to filtered sun
- Plant Rows Spacing:4 - 6 feet
- Plant Aisle Spacing:6 - 12 feet
- Canes per year:1 to 4
- Mulching:Beneficial, but not necessary
- USDA Zones:8 - 10
- Scientific Name:Vaccinium ashei
