More About Types Of Blueberries Mississippi

By Stephanie Price


There are two basic types of blueberries, with several popular varieties each, which grow in Mississipi, particularly in the Southeast area. Those two types are called Rabbiteye and Southern Highbrush. Delicious and tasty, Blueberries Mississippi are widely known for their high quality and they are harvested, depending on each particular variety, from early May till September.

Rabbiteye type is native to the Southeast. This type requires cross pollination for achieving maximum fruit set, and that is why they usually combine two or more varieties on the same area. There are several really popular varieties, such as Premier, Brightwell, Powderblee or Baldwin, and probably the most popular of all is the variety called Tifblue.

Tifblue has beautiful, large, mid blue berries and ripening starts usually June 20. This is one of the most popular sorts, and can be harvested using machines, or manually. When it comes to chill hours, this particular sort requires five hundred and fifty to six hundred and fifty. Another interesting sort is Powderblee, which requires up to six hundred chill hours, and is appreciated because it has highest resistance to wet weather.

Baldwin has different characteristics, for example, late ripening and darker color. It is mostly used for backyard growth, and requires five hundred chill hours. Centurion is another variety with special characteristics. This one has self-fertile flowers, mid sized berries and lovely blue color. Long harvesting season that last from late July till September.

Brightwell has medium size, medium blue berries, with small dry scars and especially good flavor. It produces quite a large volume of fruit, and harvesting season begins June 1 in Southeast Mississippi. It requires 350 to 400 chill hours, and the variety Premier, which is vigorous, highly productive and has large, beautifully blue berries, requires approximately 550.

Another main type of blueberries in Mississippi is called Southern Highbush. Ripening starts early in May, and the earliest sorts are O'Neal and Reveile. Other varieties of Southern Highbush also are harvested during May, for example Bladen, Blue Ridge, Cooper, Magnolia or Gulf Coast. O'Neal is among the most popular ones, with its medium blue color, really large berries and the fact it requires only four hundred chill hours. It also has really nice flavor.

Among other popular sorts of Southern Highbush type some are popular thanks to their very light blue berries, for example Reveille and Cape Fear. Jubilee is commercially extremely good, because it can be almost completely harvested in only one to two picking. Some sorts are designed for yard planting and hand picking, while others are more acceptable for commercial planting and mechanical harvesting. Reveille is highly appreciated for its ability to hold up in storage, among other things.

In any case, large, medium blue berries with smaller scars and more flavor are always more popular, although all sorts have their specific characteristics and advantages. Some are more resistible to wet weather, some have higher productivity and vigorous plant growth. When it comes to their market price, early sorts usually have higher prices, and after that the price goes a little bit down.




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