Blueberries

 

Blueberries are one of the easiest fruits to grow in the Houston area. Blueberries are sweetest two or three days after they turn blue, when the fruit is slightly soft to the touch. They are easy to freeze by laying them single high on a cookie sheet in the freezer. Once frozen, they can be put in a freezer bag for easy storage.

 

Blueberries can grow well in Houston.

Care of Blueberry Plants

Blueberries have no disease or insect problems, and just need to be planted in acidic soil. If you have soil that is not acid, you can mix in some sphagnum peat moss and add a little sulfur to bring the PH down to acidic level. Blueberries also like even watering, but don’t like to stand in water, so a raised bed is a good place to plant them.

 

Blueberries need pollination from another blueberry in order to fruit. Since all these varieties flower at the same time, plant any two for pollination. Although they flower at the same time, they fruit at different times, providing a long harvest season with proper selection of varieties.

Varieties of Blueberries for the Houston Area Climate

 

Brightwell  Vigorous, upright bush, large fruit with good flavor and very productive. Excellent bush shape. Ripens early, in May.

 

Climax  Most of these dark purplish-blue berries ripen at once. The plant is highly regarded as a commercial variety and has a very good flavor. Ripens early, in May.

 

Premier  Moderate vigor, medium/ large fruit with excellent color, taste and scar. A superb tasting fruit with a little less production than some of the other varieties. Ripens early to mid season.

 

Tifblue  The benchmark for all rabbiteye varieties, with the best taste off all. Bushy upright vigorous growth, large light blue fruit. Ripens mid to late season.

 

Woodard  A large, light blue rabbiteye blueberry of very high quality.  The bush is moderately vigorous, with heavy production. Ripens early, mid May.