Elizabeth Blueberry success?

Discussion in 'Fruit and Vegetable Gardening' started by cella jane, Feb 3, 2007.

  1. cella jane

    cella jane Member

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    Has anyone raised the Elizabeth BB variety? Supposedly, Eliz. White selected this as her personal favorite for flavor when she participated in the development of the blueberry in NJ. It is considered a northern highbush.

    Personal flavor favorite is the Friendship BB-reputedly a wild cultivar found in Wisconsin. Also, my best pollinator.

    Am curious as to bush size, productivity, berry size and opinion on flavor-or any specifics pertinent to success.

    Have many varieties of BBs, but feel my patch will be COMPLETE, if I can honor the woman who was curious, tireless, and appreciative of this special fruit.

    Thanks,
    calla jane KY/6
     
  2. Durgan

    Durgan Contributor 10 Years

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    I cannot answer your question, but will add my two cents to the discussion. Blueberries are probably my favourite fruit. I have picked them for home consumption where and when available on cultivated farms and in the wild in several place in Canada.

    The best by far and the easiest to pick were the ones in Vancouver near the airport. One farm was 50 acres, the plants were about ten feet tall and completley loaded with perfect berries. The method of picking was to put a stretcher under one of the branches and tap the branch with the center of a paper towel roll. The berries fell on the stretcher, which was then was tipped and the berries put into containers for processing. I never encountered this method any other place in the country. I might add that only the properly ripe berries fall onto the stretcher using this tapping method.

    Southern Ontario farm blueberries vary in quantity, and are usually larger and slightly more abundant than in the areas where they are found in the wild in Northern Ontario. Thse must be picked by hand.

    The finest wild blueberries encountered was in New Brunswick near Fredericton. The bushes were about a meter high or slightly less in a good area. One only had to grab a handful of the top berries on each bush, since they were so abundant and perfect.

    Newfoundland is one giant blueberry patch in season around St. Johns, the only area that I am familiar. One has to pick them on you hands and knees since the bushes are around 10 cm high and the berries are very small, but they are abundant.
     
  3. biggam

    biggam Active Member

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    I've not heard of 'Elizabeth' or 'Friendship'. Where do you buy your plants?

    I took part in a variety tasting in 2005 of over 20 varieties grown in Michigan. A few really good ones are 'Brigitta', 'Ozarkblue' and 'Spartan', while 'Bluegold' is not so good. Of course, people have their own preferences of sweet, tart, in-between, high- or mild-flavored, etc. The variety 'Patriot', although I did not taste it, sounds like a good one too (from descriptions). 'Darrow' was maybe the top-rated, and 'Rubel', an old wild-selected variety, was in the top 6 or so.

    A good article someone can google is "Growing the highbush blueberry", by Jim and Ann Hancock.
     
  4. cella jane

    cella jane Member

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    durgan and biggam,

    Thanks for your input. Really enjoyed our taste of Ontario BBs when we visited. When we lived in Michigan, all the organic varieties I was able to pick were great to my tastebuds. After 15 years of raising 12 varieties(28 bushes), have concluded there is quite a range of tastes and characteristics. In 2004, I had over 350# from my plot. Planted Draper and Aurora this past Sept. Recently ordered Elizabeth from Hartmann's. Want to get a Rubel and a few others that are recent releases.

    Durgan, interesting you mentioned the garden ground drape for gathering the BBs. I plan to make such a 'catcher' from windbreak nylon fabric. Will cut a 6' circle of fabric and style like a Xmas tree skirt. Plan to make a stiff ridge outer collar from wire or boning(am a sewer). Some of you may have seen the commercial mechanical BB picker (believe developed by Michigan State), which travels down the BB rows and shakes the bushes, capturing the berries similar to a grain combine. My usual picking style requires a stool or lawn chair-only pick every 5-6 days: cut-down gallon container on belt or halter.

    My Friendship berries were from Jung's. They have the BEST flavor to me. Vigorous and a terrific pollinator. I began with two of these bushes and have given many away. I divide these by digging around half the plant and use an axe or a garden saw and divide the bush-not too different than dividing daylillies. Friendship is the one variety I prune yearly. I mix my varieties. The Friendship seems to increase the production of all. It certainly is a bee magnet. One of the tricks I learned from a wise man was to THIN one's blueberries. I was practically in shock as he demonstrated on my berries-and the results were fewer by count-but so much larger. Tried on three varieties-control and ages the same. Do use a calcium spray every 2 weeks. Organic.

    Got many of my plants from DeGrandchamps in Michigan-excellent quality for 2 year olds. Brigitta is superb, as is Elliott-both for being late. Bonus is so large and seems like its flavor is getting richer as it ages. We eat fresh berries all season and enjoy them so much the rest of the year in so many ways. Excellent as a blend with apples, peaches, apricots or asian pears in cobblers/crisps, etc.

    Am in zone 6 and find the blues do best in full sun. Good luck.
    cella jane
     
  5. skeeterbug

    skeeterbug Active Member

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    I am also a BB fan, but being in the South I am growing Southern Highbush and Rabbiteye varieties. I have 17 named varieties and several unknown varieties I got from root divisions.

    We lived in NC for a while and we use to love picking wild BBs in the NC mountains--not many berries on each of the low growing bushes in the woods, but they were the best tasting BBs I ever had.

    Skeet
     
  6. skeeterbug

    skeeterbug Active Member

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    Cella, What kind of calcium spray do you use and what does it do?

    Skeet
     
  7. cella jane

    cella jane Member

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    Skeeterbug-like your moniker!

    The Calcium spray I use is Calcium-25 from Biogard-believe they are still in Virginia. Spoke with the PhD who developed it some years ago after I saw an ad in Acres USA-my favorite eco-ag magazine.

    I trialled it on many of my crops and am still impressed. Material is in dry form(you dilute), and my 5# carton is only 1/3 used. Have never looked them up on the net. Somewhere in an unpacked box, I have a packet of info on this product. I am not a company employee.

    This summer, I want to try it on a hayfield area. I also trial various vitamin and mixed mineral supplements. With gardening, one can always experiment!

    cella jane KY/6
     

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