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Fruit & Orchards

Blueberry pollination questions

14 years ago

I have a few questions regarding cross pollination of blueberry bushes.

1. Will Highbush blueberry plants cross pollinate with Half-High blueberry plants?

2. Let's say that I have two blueberry bushes. One is listed as 'Early-Mid' and the other as 'Mid'. Will they be able to cross-pollinate? Is there a good chance that the flowers will be open at the same time? If they both half to be half-high to cross-pollinate I was trying to decide between Northland with either Northblue or Northsky. Northland is listed as 'Early-Mid' whereas the other two are listed as 'Mid'. Will this work or should I just get two 'Mid's such as Northblue and Northsky?

Thanks for your help.

Kim

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Comments (8)

fruitnut Z7 4500ft SW TX
14 years ago
Kim: Early and late refers to fruit maturity. They will bloom close to the same time. Also,I don't think plant height will have any effect, they will still cross pollinate. The southern types I have don't need cross pollination under my conditions. Yours may set more fruit with cross pollination but I think most any two varieties will get the job done. Maybe someone with more northern experience will chime in.

The Fruitnut
fruitgirl
14 years ago
I don't think that the half-highs require cross pollination, and I know the highbush do not. So you should be fine, regardless.
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ericwi
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We have 20 blueberry shrubs, including highbush, half-high, lowbush, & dwarf. They all bloom around the same time in the spring, within the same three week window. This year, flowering began around April 25, & all of the shrubs were in bloom on May 9th. To be sure of pollination, I pay attention to the bees in our neighborhood. We have many native plants that flower all summer, including purple coneflower, bee balm, new england aster, salvia, and columbine. But the bumblebees spend most of their time on the patch of everbearing red raspberries. I am located in Madison, Wisconsin.
thepodpiper
14 years ago
ericwi, what varieties of blueberries do you have? I am researching blueberries to see what will do good in my area. Southeast Michigan. I am looking for some early mid and late season varieties to fill a row 100' long.Any suggestions?

Dale

Here is a link that might be useful: Garden Pics
ramble
14 years ago
Dale,

OMG. Just an amazing garden/orchard/paradise. Wish mine grew like that.
ericwi
14 years ago
We have several patriot, one friendship, which is a half-high, several blueray, a dwarf northblue, & a St Cloud, which is lowbush. The most recent shrub planted is a jersey. I have lost the names of the other shrubs, because that information was kept in computer files that I no longer can access. Now a days, I keep these records in small notebooks.
kr222
Original Author
14 years ago
I've been checking out berry books from the library. One of them said that they have to be of the same kind to cross pollinate. Highbushes won't cross pollinate with rabbiteyes, for instance. That's why I'm concerned that if I get a highbush (Patriot) and half-high (Northland) that they may not be able to cross pollinate. I definitely want them to be able to for the increased production and large berries.
Kim

Here is a link that might be useful: Kim's Garden
ericwi
14 years ago
We have a Patriot(high bush) planted next to a Friendship, which is half-high. The Patriot yields about 5 pounds of fruit per season, and is our highest yielding shrub. But we have other shrubs, the yard is small, & the bees go all over.

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