The Best Blueberry Producing Plants

There are several varieties of highbush blueberries. To select the best varieties, look for berry flavor, hardiness, berry size, fruit yield and maturity time. Selecting a few different varieties with staggered fruiting time will allow you to prolong the harvest season and enjoy the fruits of the garden for several weeks during the active growing season. To produce the highest yield and healthiest plants, make sure that soil pH is between 4.5 and 4.8. Blueberries prefer acidic soil. Four varieties that do well for home gardeners include "Jersey," "Northland," "Darrow" and "Patriot."

Jersey
- Jersey blueberries bear their medium-sized fruit late during blueberry season. They are suitable for growing in zones 4 to 7. They are widely grown for their excellent, sweet flavor and produce consistently high yields. Jersey is an old tried-and-true variety that is suitable for the home grower.
Northland
- Northland blueberry bushes are a lower growing variety that reach 3 to 4 feet in height at maturity. They can tolerate colder winter temperatures than other varieties and can be grown in zones 3 to 7. The berry matures early to mid-season and has an excellent flavor
Darrow
- Darrow produces an excellent tasting berry that ripens late in the season. Darrow blueberries show less winter hardiness than other varieties and are suitable for growing in zones 6 to 7. Mature, they reach 4 to 6 feet in height. The berries produced on Darrow plants are some of the largest of all blueberry varieties.
Patriot
- Patriot blueberry plants bear their fruit early in the season. They have excellent winter hardiness and are suitable for growing in zones 3 to 7. The blueberries are consistently large and flavorful, and the bushes reach 4 to 6 feet in height at maturity. Patriot plants have shown better adaptability to different soil types including heavier soils.

How to Hang Tame Blackberries

What Type of Soil Do Raspberries Live In?

Growing Berries