By Diana Rattray

Ingredients	Quantity
Milk	3 Cups
Eggs	3 Large
Day-Old torn French or Italian Bread or Rolls	5 to 6 Cups
Granulated Sugar	1 Cup
Almond Extract	1/4 teaspoon
Vanilla Extract	1/2 teaspoon
Lemon Zest	1/2 teaspoon (optional)
Fresh Blueberries	2 cups
Powdered Sugar	3 Tablspoons

Preparation:

Heat oven to 350°. Butter an 11- x 7-inch baking dish. Whisk together the milk, eggs, sugar, flavorings, and zest. Add the bread and let stand for 10 to 15 minutes. Toss blueberries with powdered sugar then stir into the bread mixture. Pour into the prepared baking dish. Set the baking dish in a larger pan and set in oven. Add about 4 cups of very hot water to the outer pan. I use water from my hot water dispenser, or bring water to almost simmering before adding to the larger pan. Bake for about 1 hour, or until the bread pudding is set and lightly browned on top.
Serves 8 to 10

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BY-LAWS OF THE FLORIDA BLUEBERRY GROWERS ASSOCIATION AS ADOPTED APRIL, 1999

ARTICLE I – NAME

The name of the associate shall be the Florida Blueberry Grower’s Association, a non-profit association incorporated under the laws of the State of Florida.

ARTICLE II – PURPOSE

The objectives of the Association are to advance the interest of the Blueberry industries; to collect, preserve and circulate valuable and useful information relating to the business of growing and marketing of Blueberries; to collate, distribute and publish such information; to promote economic and production research to improve the quality of products; to standardize grades; to promote betterment of markets; to promote integrity, good faith, goodwill and just and equitable principles of business in the industry; and to strive in all ways to promote the best interests of its members.

ARTICLE III – MEMBERSHIP

Membership shall be classified as Grower / Producer, Out-of-State , Education and Research, and Associate.

Section 1 – Grower / Producer membership shall be limited to individuals, firms or Corporations who are engaged in the production of blueberries and blueberry plants in  Florida.  Only Grower / Producer members shall be permitted to vote and only one vote shall be permitted for each dues paying individual, firm, or corporation.  Annual dues are $10 per acre with a minimum of $50 and a maximum of $250.

Section 2 – Out of State membership shall be confined to individuals, firms or corporations who are engaged in the production of blueberries and blueberry plants out-of-state or out-of-country.  Out of State members shall be entitled to all rights and privileges of the Association except voting and petitioning for additional meetings.  Annual dues are $50.00.

Section 3 – Education and Research membership shall be available to individuals directly engaged in extension, teaching, and research related to the blueberry industry.  Educational and Research membership shall be entitled to all rights and privileges of the Association except voting and petitioning for additional meetings.   Annual dues are $10.00

Section 4 – Allied membership shall include those individuals, firms or corporations who are allied to the blueberry industry  Examples, Chemical and equipment companies.  Allied members shall be entitled to all rights except voting privileges and petitioning for additional meetings.  Annual dues are $125.

ARTICLE IV – MEETINGS AND DUES

Dues of Grower/Producer, Out-of-State, Allied, Educational and Research memberships are payable and are considered due before the annual spring meeting.  The fiscal year of the Association is January 1 through December 31.  The fiscal year may be changed by Board of Directors as they deem appropriate in the best interest of the Association.

Section 1 – The annual dues shall be determined by a majority vote of the active, Grower/Producer membership, as defined in Article VII, Section 1.

Dues:
Annual dues are due and payable February 1 of each year and notice of dues shall be mailed out January 15 of each year.

Assessments:
The Board of Directors may fix assessments as it considers appropriate from time to time.

Default:
A second notice of the annual dues shall be sent February 15th.  Any member who has not paid dues by March 30 shall automatically be suspended from all privileges of membership.  Written suspension of membership shall be sent April 1.  If the default is cured, plus a late fee of $10.00 is paid by April 30 the suspension shall be rescinded, by operation of this section, and all privileges of membership restored.  If, after written notice, the default is not cured as required, the membership in the Association shall be terminated, by operation of this section, with no further action by the Board of Directors being necessary.

Section 2 – The regular, annual meeting of the Association shall be held during the spring short-course.  Additional meetings of the Association shall be called at any time by the president or by a majority vote of the Board of Directors.  Additional meetings must be called by the President upon receipt of a petition to do so signed by at least 50% of the current, Grower / Producer membership.

Section 3 – Written notice of the annual meeting shall be mailed to each member prior to the date of the meeting at their address as it appears at the time on the record books of the Association.  Failure to receive such notice by any member shall not affect the validity of such meeting nor any of the proceedings held or action taken thereat.

Section 4 – Written notice of the time and place as well as the purpose of any special meeting shall be mailed by the Secretary at least 2 weeks prior thereto to each member at his address as such appears at the time on the record books of the Association.  Failure to receive such notice by any member shall not affect the validity of such meeting nor any of the proceedings held of action taken thereat.

ARTICLE V – PUBLICATION

The Blueberry News shall be the official publication of the Association and shall be mailed in full to all members.  Additional copies may be obtained for employees of an active member at cost as determined by the Board.

ARTICLE VI – AMENDMENTS

These Bylaws may be amended at the Annual meeting by two-thirds vote of the active, regular members present, provided such amendment has been approved by the Board of Directors.  Twenty five percent (25%) of the voting membership must be in attendance when such a vote is taken.

ARTICLE VII – VOTING AND QUORUM

Section 1 – Each current, regular membership in good standing shall have one and only one vote.  No voting by proxy shall be permitted.  A membership is said to be in ‘good standing’ and ‘active’ if its dues are paid as per Article IV.

Section 2 – The voting members present shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business at any meeting of the Association except where a different quorum is specifically provided in these By Laws.

ARTICLE VIII – BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Section 1 - The Association shall have Board of Directors, 13 in number, composed of the current President, the Vice-President, the immediate past President, five at-large members and one Research member, one Educational/ Program Director, one county Extension Member. The Research member ,  Educational/Program Director, Extension Member, Secretary and Treasurer will be non-voting members. There will be eight voting members.

Section 2 – The term of office of each Director shall be for a period of three years.

Section 3 – The members of the Association shall have power to remove any Director for cause by the affirmative vote of ¾ of the members at the time of any special meeting called for such purpose, and further provided that notice of the proposed removal shall be given by mail to the Directors at least thirty days prior to the holding of the meeting to cause such removal.

Section 4 – The Board of Directors may require the Treasurer and all officers and members of the Association charged with the responsibility for the securing and custody of its funds or property to give a bond for the faithful performance of their duties as such, the premium for which shall be paid by the Association.

Section 5 – Regular meetings of the Board of Directors shall be held at least twice year, one which shall be held at the Annual meeting of the members of the Association.  Other meetings of the Board may be called by the President at his discretion and at the written request of at least 1/3 of the members of the Board.  He shall call a special meeting with notice given of at least two weeks to each member of the Board. Failure to receive such notice by any Board Members shall not affect the validity of such meeting or of any proceedings held or action taken thereat.

Section 6 – All officers shall be notified and should be in attendance at all meetings of the Board.

Section 7 – Directors shall have the full power to determine the compensation, if any, of the officers of the Association and in addition, shall have the complete authority to select, retain and pay for the services of counsel, experts and other persons and to incur such obligations as may be deemed necessary to properly effectuate the purpose of the Association provided specifically that payment for such services shall be made only from and to the extent of funds available.

Section 8 – The Board of Directors shall have the power by majority vote to cancel the membership of any member in arrears for dues for a period of more than six months pursuant to 30 days notification.  Notice of such cancellation of membership shall be forwarded to the member effected.

Section 9 – The Board of Directors shall have the power by at least a two-thirds vote to recommend expulsion of any member for cause, provided that notice of the proposed expulsion shall be given by mail to the member affected at least two weeks prior to the holding of the meeting that the expulsion shall be considered.

Section 10 - In the event a vacancy occurs on the Board of Directors, the remaining members of the Board shall have the power to appoint a successor to fill such vacancy until the next annual meeting, at which time the active members shall elect a successor for the uncompleted term of the Board member.

ARTICLE IX – OFFICERS

Section 1 – The officers of the Association shall consist of a President, a Vice-President, a Secretary, a Treasurer, and one Education/Program Director.

Section 2 – THE PRESIDENT shall be elected by the regular active Members at the appropriate Annual Meeting for the term of two years And may be reelected for only one more consecutive term and shall  Serve until his or her successor takes office.

1. He or she shall take office at the next meeting of the New Board of directors.
2. He or she shall preside at all meeting of the Association and have general supervision.
3. He or she shall serve as Chairman of the Board of Directors.
4. He or she shall appoint all committees.
5. He or she shall review in detail all budget and progress reports of all committees.
6. He or she shall be a member ex-officio of all committees.
7. The President shall, with the Vice President, sign all contracts and obligations authorized by the Board of Directors.
8. The President shall be authorized to disburse monies of the corporation in the absence of the Treasurer.

Section 3 – THE VICE-PRESIDENT shall have the following duties:

1. He shall, in the absence of the President , assume and carry out the duties and responsibilities of the presidency.
2. He shall review in detail all budgets and progress reports of the Committees.
3. The Vice-President shall chair the by-laws committee.
4. The Vice-President shall assist the treasurer with the preparation of the annual budget.
5. The Vice-President shall also serve on the Nominating Committee.

Section 4 – THE SECRETARY shall have the following duties:

1. The secretary may receive an annual stipend fixed by the Board of Directors.
2. Send out the “Call” or Notice of Meetings.
3. Prepare Order of Business for the Presiding Officer.
4. This officer shall keep the minutes of all business meetings, and of the meeting of  the Board of Directors.
5. Correction and Approval of Minutes.
6. This officer shall be Secretary to the Board of Directors.
7. This officer shall keep a special file of all Rulings of the Board of Directors.

Section 4 – THE TREASURER shall have the following duties:

1. The Treasurer may receive an annual stipend fixed by the Board of Directors.
2. This officer shall receive all monies.  Expenditure of monies will be upon this officer’s order and authorized by the Board of Directors.
3. The treasurer shall be the custodian of the funds of the Association and shall collect all dues, assessments, and other monies.
4. The treasurer shall be responsible for notice to the membership of all financial obligations.
5. The treasurer shall, when appropriate, send written notice of suspension of membership in accordance with the bylaws of the Association.
6. The treasurer, with the assistance of the vice president, shall prepare the proposed annual budget and present to Board of Directors for approval before the Spring members meeting. The membership shall have an opportunity to comment on the budget during the Spring meeting. The budget shall be approved at the Spring meeting.
7. The treasurer shall make all payments in accordance with the budget.
8. The president and vice president or any other person(s) so designated by the Board of Directors shall sign all checks.
9. He shall keep full an accurate account of all monies and render a financial report at each Annual Meeting.
10. This officer shall collect all dues.
11. There shall be an annual audit of the Treasurer’s books by a CPA.
12. The treasurer shall be responsible to provide all documents to CPA for filing tax return with the Internal Revenue Service.

Section 5 – EDUCATION/PROGRAM DIRECTOR shall have the following duties:

1. This officer will be responsible for compiling, editing and issuing Florida Blueberry Grower Associations newsletter, The Blueberry News.
2. This officer will be responsible for mailing if need be with the assistance of the Secretary.
3. This officer will be responsible, with in-put from the Board of Directors, for co-ordination and establishing a program for annual meetings for the Florida Blueberry Growers Association.

Section 6 – NOMINATING COMMITTEE of five Active members shall be appointed by the President at least 30 days prior to the Annual Meeting after the adoption of these Bylaws.  It shall nominate Active Members for all officer positions and for vacant Director positions as well.  Nominations may also be made from the floor.

ARTICLE X – DISSOLUTION

The Association shall not engage in any business or enterprise with a view to making a profit.  Upon the dissolution of this Association any remaining assets, after the payment of all just debts of the Association, shall be disbursed at the discretion of the Board of Directors for blueberry research work.

Florida Blueberry Integrated Pest Management Guide

Jeffrey G. Williamson, Philip F. Harmon and Oscar E. Liburd

This publication was adapted for Florida from the Southeast Regional Blueberry Integrated
Management Guide, available here.

Thus, major contributions were made by the original editors: Gerard Krewer, Phil Brannen, Mark Czarnota, Dan Horton, Paul Guillebeau, and Paul Sumner (University of Georgia); Bill Cline (North Carolina State University); Frank Hale and David Lockwood (University of Tennessee); Hannah Barrack, Katie Jennings, Wayne Mitchem and David Monks (North Carolina State University); and Powell Smith and Bob Bellinger (Clemson University).

Additional contributions by: Allen Straw (Virginia Tech University); Scott Nesmith (University of Georgia); John Meyer (North Carolina State University); Steve Bost (University of Tennessee); Harald Scherm (University of Georgia); and Blair Sampson (USDA/ARS Small Fruit Res. Station, Poplarville, MS).

Recommendations are based on information from the manufacturer's label and performance data from research and extension field tests.

Because environmental conditions and grower application methods vary widely, suggested use does not imply that performance of the pesticide will always conform to the safety and pest control standards indicated by experimental data. This publication is intended for use only as a guide. Specific rates and applications methods are on the pesticide label, and these are subject to change at any time. Always refer to and read the pesticide label before making any application! The pesticide label supersedes any information contained in this guide, and it is the legal document referenced for application standards.

You can download the full guide below.

The next meeting will be on November 1, 2012

More Information will be posted as the meeting gets closer.

Florida Seed Producers, Inc.

A Multifaceted Approach For Control Of Blueberry Pests in SoutheasternUnited States: Project Summary

 

Blueberries are an important small fruit crop in the Southeastern United States with Mississippi, Georgia and Florida as key blueberry production states. The development of early ripening southern highbush Vaccinium corymbosum L. X Vaccinium darrowi Camp blueberry cultivars have created a niche for growers in the southeast.  Blueberry growers in Florida can produce high quality berries as early as late March when prices are extremely high and other key blueberry producing states cannot compete for market shares. However, further growth and development of the blueberry industry in Florida is limited due to the high incidence and spread of blueberry gall midge Dasineura oxycoccana (Johnson), flower thrips Frankliniella spp., and blueberry bud mites Acalitus vaccinii (Keifer). In Florida, blueberry gall midge has almost completely eliminated the Rabbitteye V. ashei Reade blueberry industry. The blueberry bud mite is imposing an increasing threat especially to well established plantings of southern highbush varieties.

Another emerging pest of great concern in the southeast is blueberry maggot Rhagoletis mendax Curran.  During 2000 and 2001, several cases of blueberry maggot infestations have been recorded throughout Mississippi, Georgia, and northeast Florida. The overall goal of this project is to develop a multifaceted approach for managing key pests in blueberries.

 

Objectives

 

1. To develop monitoring / sampling techniques for blueberry gall midge and flower thrips in southeastern blueberry plantings

2. To determine correlation between blueberry gall midge and thrips densities and injury / damage caused by these pests in southern highbush and Rabbiteye blueberries

3. To investigate the potential for biological control of blueberry gall midge and thrips by parasitoids and predators

4. To develop and refine monitoring protocol for blueberry maggot fly in the southeast

5. To evaluate “reduced-risk” insecticides for control of blueberry gall midge and thrips

6. To disseminate research information via on-farm demonstrations, grower meetings, web-sites and other extension channels

7. To determine the life cycle of the blueberry bud mite in Florida and include their management into the blueberry IPM guide.

 

Investigators

 

* Dr. Oscar E. Liburd, Fruit & Vegetable Entomologist, Univ. of Florida, Gainesville, FL

* Dr. Blair Sampson, Small Fruit Entomologist, USDA-ARS, Poplarville, MS

* Dr. Elke Weibelzahl, Nematologist / Entomologist Univ. of Florida, Gainesville, FL

 

Cooperators

 

* Dr. Jeffrey Williamson, Small Fruit Ext., Univ. of Florida, Gainesville, FL

* Dr. Paul Lyrene, Horticulturalist, Univ. of Florida, Gainesville, FL

* Dr. Gerard Krewer, Univ. of Georgia, Tifton, GA

 

Thrips Population and Management during the 2007 Blueberry Production Season

 

This year flower thrips caused considerable damage to southern highbush and Rabbiteye blueberry plantings in Florida and Georgia. Flower thrips cause injury mainly by feeding on the floral tissues including pollen, styles, ovaries and petals. When thrips populations are high, they feed on the developing berries resulting in scarred and sunken fruits; consequently, reducing the quality and quantity of marketable berries. Flower thrips begin to appear in blueberry plantings as soon as flowering starts. Thrips tend to emigrate from adjacent flowering plants, including citrus, as well as flowering weeds such as cutleaf evening primose, Oenothera laciniata Hill and white clover, Trifolium repens L. New arrivals into blueberry fields aggregate into ‘hot spots’. However, as the flowers develop thrips population increases and move into uninhabited areas. Their populations will continue to increase until shortly after peak bloom when they begin to decline. Their life cycle last approximately 18-24 days under ideal conditions but late flowering varieties can result in multiple generations of thrips, which may cause the population to linger in the field for a very long time. During periods of high pressure, thrips population can remain in the field well after fruit set and damage the developing fruit.

The dominant blueberry thrips in Florida is the ‘Florida flower thrips’, Frankliniella bispinosa (Morgan), accounting for 83.6% of the thrips captured on white sticky traps. However, in Georgia, F. tritici (Fitch) is the most abundant species representing 94.0% of the thrips captured on sticky traps. Flower thrips are small insects, approximately 0.05 inches long (smaller than a pinhead) with yellowish-orange coloration. They reproduce quickly and thrive under hot, dry conditions, which occurred during the 2007 blueberry production season in Florida and Georgia.

One of the best ways to sample for thrips is by collecting flowers randomly from both field borders and from the center of the field. Flowers should be cut open with a pocket knife and inspected for thrips with a hand lens. If the number of thrips exceeds a 1:5 ratios (1 flower to 5 thrips) it may be appropriate to consider some type of management action. Sticky traps and floral tapping can also be used to determine the presence of thrips inside a blueberry planting, although these methods are not as reliable as flower inspection. Thrips hide inside the flower, which makes them extremely difficult to control with pesticides. Repeated chemical treatments are necessary in order to achieve effective control because thrips continuously move in from adjacent hosts. To date, inundative biological control for thrips in blueberries has not proved successful, probably due to the relatively short period of time that thrips spend on the blueberry plant. For chemical control, SpinTor (Spinosad) is a good choice because this chemical conserves beneficial insects and other pollinators, which are important during bloom. Organic blueberry growers can use Entrust in place of SpinTor. During peak bloom extra precautions need to be taken when using chemical control to avoid interfering with pollinators. Any insecticides used should be applied either early in the morning or late in the evening when pollinators are less active.

 

Evaluation of conventional and reduced-risk insecticides for control of flower thrips in blueberries

 

During the 2003 blueberry growing season, researchers from the University of Florida Fruit and Vegetable IPM Laboratory in Gainesville conducted field trials to evaluate various conventional and reduced-risk insecticides for control of flower thrips, Frankliniella spp., in commercial blueberry plantings.  Trials were conducted at two sites: a high-density southern highbush planting in central Florida, and a rabbiteye planting in South Georgia.  All insecticides were applied at the recommended rates.  In Florida, the following insecticides were evaluated: 1) Imidan 70W, 2) Provado 1.6F, 3) SpinTor 2SC, 4) Ecozin 3% EC, 5) Garlic Extract, and 6) Surround WP.   In Georgia, six insecticides were evaluated: 1) Diazinon AG500, 2) Malathion 5 EC, 3) Actara 25 WG, 4) SpinTor 2SC, 5) Ecozin 3% EC, and 6) Surround WP.  Insecticides were applied every 10 - 14 days at each site.  Insecticide effectiveness for suppressing thrips was evaluated using white sticky traps and by collecting 40 blueberry flower clusters from treated areas (per insecticide).  In Florida, Surround was the only insecticide that significantly reduced flower thrips population.  It is uncertain how Surround reduced thrips populations, but one possibility is that it restricted thrips accessibility to blueberry flowers.  In Georgia, Malathion and Ecozin were the most promising compounds for suppressing flower thrips population.  Unfortunately, the structure of the blueberry flower allows thrips to feed in a protected environment, and many insecticides only reach the external surface of the flower.  It is possible that some of the newer neonicotinoid insecticides (Provado and Actara) with systemic or trans-laminar mode of action may demonstrate more effectiveness against thrips in future studies. The quick movement of thrips within blueberry plantings and from adjacent hosts may hinder the potential to evaluate the effectiveness of selected insecticides.  Future studies will include laboratory studies to provide additional information regarding thrips behavior as it relates to various classes of insecticides.

 

Southern Highbush

 

Primadonna makes a vigorous, upright bush and tends to be more evergreen than Star and Jewel, possibly because it tends to be more resistant to rust than Star and Jewel. It also tends to flower before it makes new leaves, which can be a serious problem if it does not produce enough early leaves to support development of fruit. It is also somewhat susceptible to root rot and stem blight. It requires 300 chill hour units.

Emerald is a vigorous bush with a growth habit midway between upright and spreading. Flowers open uniformly and it produces abundant leaves even after mild winters. Emerald is very capable of carrying heavy crops. Berries are large and firm with a good picking scar and have a sweet flavor. Color is medium to dark blue. There are no real problems with Emerald, root rot, stem blight and cane canker have not been too serious.[/important]Emerald is a vigorous bush with a growth habit midway between upright and spreading. Flowers open uniformly and it produces abundant leaves even after mild winters. Emerald is very capable of carrying heavy crops. Berries are large and firm with a good picking scar and have a sweet flavor. Color is medium to dark blue. There are no real problems with Emerald, root rot, stem blight and cane canker have not been too serious.

Star is a low chill southern highbush variety that requires 300-600 chill hour units. Star flowers later than Sharpblue, but ripens at the same time. The berries are large and have excellent scar and firmness. The plant is medium in vigor and has a upright growth habit. It is as resistant or better than Sharpblue with root rot, stem blight and leaf fungal diseases.

Windsor is an early ripening and early flowering highbush with high yield potential and large berry size. It is very vigorous with stout stems and a semi-spreading growth habit. It may abort some or all of its flower buds after mild winters. Berries have good firmness and flavor, but picking scar is variable. Windsor has above average resistance to leaf-spotting organisms and moderate resistance to root rot.

Jewel has a moderately low chill requirement. It is an early ripening and high quality berry. Jewel produces a large number of flower buds but leafs well in the spring. Vigor is about equal to Sharpblue, but Jewel is shorter and more spreading. Berry quality is excellent but tends to be tart until fully ripe. Jewel is moderately susceptible to root rot. back to top

Springhigh is a low chill variety intended for early season production. Springhigh produces a vigorous, upright bush with limited suckering from the base. It does not tend to be twiggy. It produces numerous flower buds in the fall and is capable of heavy flowering in the spring. Springhigh leafs well, shortly after the time of full bloom. It has good resistance to phytophthora root rot, stem blight, along with good leaf disease resistance. Springhigh has a large berry that ripens in early spring and has good scar, firmness and flavor. It is also somewhat dark in color. back to top

Springwide is a low chill variety intended for early season production. It ripens early in the spring and has a spreading bush habit and is medium in vigor. The plant has excellent leafing in the spring. The berries ripen early and are large, with good scar, firmness and flavor. It needs cross pollination for high fruit set and good berry size. The plant has medium to good resistance to phytophthora root rot, cane canker and stem blight. back to top

Santa Fe is a low chill highbush that is adapted to the 300-500 chill hour units. It produces a vigorous, upright bush. The branches are stout and rather than twiggy. It has better resistance to root rot, cane canker and stem blight than other varieties. Berries are the same size as Sharpblue with a lighter blue color. The scar and firmness are excellent. back to top

Sweetcrisp is a vigorous, low-chill variety that has a very sweet, crisp-textured berry. Its structure is midway between upright and spreading. Sweetcrisp makes only a medium number of flower buds therefore, yield per bush may be lower than Jewel or Emerald. Berry size is similar to Star, but is more variable. The picking scar is good and has a medium blue color. Sweetcrisp is more prone to rain splits. back to top

Camellia is an early-to-mid season highbush. It has highly favorable attributes, especially fruit color, size and plant vigor. It has a 400-450 chill hour unit requirement. back to top

Abundance is a low-chill, very vigorous bush with an up-right habit. Abundance produces a large number of flower buds in the fall and flowers heavily in the spring. It flowers early and leafs shortly after. The berry is large and has medium blue color and good firmness and flavor. back to top

O’Neal is early-ripening and has a vigorous upright bush that does not flower excessively. It flowers for a long time, probably because of lack of chilling. Leafing is usually delayed. Plants are susceptible to cane canker. Berries are large and of high quality, but does not get enough chilling to succeed commercially. back to top

Rebel is an early ripening highbush and has better berry size, plant vigor and is earlier than Star. It has a chill hour unit requirement of 400-450 hours. It has highly favorable size, scar and vigor. back to top

Palmetto is a vigorous variety with a spreading bush habit and narrow crowns. Requires 350-450 chill units. Plants are self-fertile, but should be interplanted for cross-pollination to increase pollination, yield, quality and size. back to top

Dixieblue is vigorous and productive and somewhat spreading and round in shape, as well as of medium height. Fruit is medium to large size, flat in shape, and have good flavor, color and firmness, with small picking scars. Dixieblue bloom rather late but ripen quickly. It should also be interplanted for cross-pollination. back to top

 

Gupton is vigorous and productive and have an upright growth habit. Berries are medium to large in size, with good flavor, color and firmness and have small picking scars. Bloom occurs relatively late. It is highly recommended to plant Gupton with other southern highbush cultivars for cross-pollination, in order to increase fruit set, early ripening, and maximum yields and quality. back to top

 

Sebring is a vigorous, upright plant with medium to good resistance to the diseases that most often kill blueberry plants in the field in Florida. It flowers and puts on new leaves very early in the growing season and is highly susceptible to freeze damage during February if grown as far north as Gainesville. The heat-unit requirement to go from flowering to ripening is similar to Sharpblue, and is longer than for clones like Star and Millennia. The berry is medium to large, about like Sharpblue. The berry color is dark blue, similar to Windsor. The scar, firmness and flavor are good.

 

Millennia is medium to high in vigor, with a spreading growth habit, but it not excessively twiggy. It produces a heavy load of flower buds in the fall. The berry is large to very large on well-leafed bushes that are not overloaded. They are grey-blue in color and are very firm with a good picking scar and flavor. Leaves have medium resistance to leaf-spotting fungi but show somewhat below average resistance to stem blight and root rot. back to top

 

Snowchaser is a low chill variety and is the earliest ripening blueberry. The bush is highly vigorous, produces numerous flower buds and produces high quality berries. It has a growth habit midway between upright and spreading. Berries have good scar, firmness and flavor and are medium blue in color. back to top

 

Misty (’92) has a low chilling requirement like Sharpblue, but has a greater tendency to retain its leaves through the winter. Misty is more resistant to phytophthora root rot than Sharpblue. It is a vigorous, upright bush. The worst problem with Misty is its tendency to produce far more flower buds than the plant can support. These flower buds tend to sprout before the leaf buds in the spring, and the resulting flowers and fruit inhibit sprouting of the leaf buds. Misty stems that flower and fruit without leaves are also highly susceptible to tip die back, caused by Botryosphaeria dothedia, and can spread rapidly downward, killing the stem and the entire plant. This problem can be minimized by removing flower buds from young plants and by reducing the flowering of bearing plants via pruning in late summer and winter. Berries are large, firm and have good color. back to top

 

Gulf Coast (’87) loses its leaves by Christmas and has the same chill requirement as Sharpblue. Gulf Coast and Sharpblue flower and ripens at the same time. The berries are large and of good flavor. back to top

 

Sharpblue (’76-’77) combines a vigorous bush that leafs well in the spring and has good size and excellent flavor. It normally maintains good balance between flower buds and vegetative buds making it easy to prune. Sharpblue is moderately resistant to phytophthora root rot and stem blight. This variety requires cross pollination for greatest earliness, yield and fruit quality. Problems with Sharpblue include susceptibility to various foliar diseases, limited resistance to phytophthora root rot and stem blight and several berry quality problems. There is some tendency for the skin to tear when the berry is picked. Sometimes, the dry corolla tends to remain on the berry through harvest, possibly due to lack of cross pollination and Botrytis flower blight during bloom. Sharpblue often has a long fruiting season, with early berries being large in size and later berries may be much smaller. back to top

 

Farthing is a very low chill vigorous bush with the bush structure of Windsor, but with more branchiness. The plant makes numerous flower buds and flowers very heavily. Flowering is not as late as for Windsor but later than for Emerald and Jewel. The berries begin to ripen at about the same time as Star, Windsor, and Emerald. Berry firmness is good, and the texture is somewhat but not fully crisp. Berry scar and flavor are good. Farthing is partially self-incompatible and requires cross pollination for full fruit set. back to top

 

Scintilla has a vigorous and semi-upright growth habit. The plant flowers earlier than Star and Windsor, and freeze protection may be needed as early as January 20th. The plant produces new vegetative growth early in the season to fully support berry development. The berry is large and has excellent color, scar, firmness and flavor. Scintilla requires cross pollination for full fruit set. back to top

 

Lenior berries are medium in size, have a very good scar and average color, firmness, and flavor. Plants are upright with average vigor. Planting with other southern highbush with a similar bloom time is recommended for optimum cross-pollination. back to top

Rabbiteye Varieties

 

Brightwell berries are medium in size, have small dry stem scars, and have good flavor and color. Plants are vigorous and upright and can be mechanically harvested with good weather conditions. Brightwell is partially self-fertile. back to top

 

Alapaha are vigorous, upright with quite narrow crowns. They flower relatively late and produce consistent, high yields. Its berries are medium in size and have excellent firmness, color and flavor. Its small dry scars contribute to good shelf life. The chilling requirement is about 450 hours. The outstanding characteristics include late flowering with early ripening and vigorous plants that produce high yields of excellent quality fruit. back to top

 

Vernon is an early season rabbiteye with favorable fruit attributes large berry size, good yields and excellent plant vigor. Vernon flowers late but ripens early. Berries are large in size and have excellent firmness, color, flavor and dry scars which contribute to good shelf life. Vernon requires 500-550 chill unit hours. back to top

 

Ochlocknee is a late ripening rabbiteye with superior berry size. The berries are also high quality with excellent berry scar, color, firmness. The plant is also very vigorous and should be planted with other rabbiteyes that bloom at the same time, such as Brightwell and Powderblue. back to top

 

Powderblue berries are medium in size, are very light blue in color, have a small, dry stem scar, and have average firmness and flavor. Bush is upright and spreading and may be mechanically harvested. back to top

 

Premier bushes are upright in growth habit and vigorous. The fruit is medium-large to large with good color, stem scar and flavor. It is recommended for planting on fresh market farms that can be picked by hand or very regularly with mechanical harvesters. If the fruit is not picked frequently it may be too soft for the fresh market. back to top