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Plants Available in Autumn 2009
Mountain Blue Orchards stocks Low Chill varieties, Australian climates that are suited to these varieties include the Northern States.
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Southern Highbush Varieties
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Variety
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Season
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Fruit
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Quality
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Bush
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Legacy
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Late
Season
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Large
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Light
Blue
Excellent
Flavour
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Upright
Open
Vigorous
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Legacy
is a late season variety. When it receives enough chill this variety gives
high yields. Late flowering means it is suitable for cold frosty climates.
Berries are medium to large and are highly regarded for both scaring and
berry flavour. Legacy picks well.
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Sharpeblue
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Mid-
Late
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Medium
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Self
Pollinating
Excellent
Flavour
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Spreading
Vigorous
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Sharpeblue
has proved to be the most adaptive release. The bush is tough and vigorous,
generally maintaining an evergreen appearance throughout the winter months if
rust is controlled. It has grown well in both sandy soils and heavier loams.
The fruit has a pleasant flavour that is tailored to the Australian market.
The fruit has a wet scar, and is likely to become soft during very hot
weather. Off season yields make it a valuable variety.
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Misty
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Mid
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Large
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Firm
Mid
Sweet Flavour
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Upright
Vigorous
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The
Misty variety is variable, on the red kraznozem soils of Northern
NSW, it is very profitable and popular, yet on other soils it
has often not grown well and is not a variety of popular choice. To produce
high quality, early fruit, Misty is best grown under the evergreen system, it
is especially important to pay attention to nutrition and leaf diseases in
order to keep the older leaves. Misty is an early fruiting variety, with
light blue, medium to large fruit of excellent flavour.
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Biloxi
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Mid
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Medium
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Very
Firm
Excellent
Flavour
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Spreading
Vigorous
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The variety Biloxi
was developed as a pollinator for Misty, for early season areas. One of the
parents of this variety is Sharpeblue. In early trial plantings on the North Coast, it has fruited well with large
medium flavoured berries early. Fruit size drops off towards the end of the
season. The fruit is light blue, with a mottled bloom appearance. It is
of average flavour, with a medium scar and firm fruit. Biloxi has a habit of producing late
spring flowering and a second harvest, during January and February.
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Sunshine Blue
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Mid
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Medium
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Sweet
Self-Pollinator
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Upright
Compact
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This variety is ideal for the home gardener. The
evergreen bush features compact branches reaching up to one metre tall. With
unique pink flowers that complement any garden, Sunshine Blue producer large
crops of delicious blueberries nine weeks in summer. Sunshine Blue grows
better than most varieties in higher pH soils. It is self-pollinating.
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Rabbiteye Varieties
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Powderblue
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Very Late
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Large
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Firm
Mild Flavour
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Upright
Vigorous
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Powderblue is one the best late season blueberries varieties. Under
most conditions it is known for its tough vigor. Powderblue produces high
yields of evenly sized berries. The berries are quick to pick and resistant
to splitting from rain. Powderblue is a recommended rabbiteye variety where a
quality, late season berry is needed.
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Britewell
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Mid
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Medium
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Firm
Sweet Flavour
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Upright
Vigorous
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The Britewell is a vigorous and upright plant. This variety is known
for producing good yields of medium-sized fruit. Berries are a light
blue colour and, although a little gritty, very sweet in flavour. Britewell’s
are hardy and well suited to Northern NSW.
Plant with Powderblue and Premier.
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Climax
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Early
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Medium
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High Yield
Small Scar
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Upright
Vigorous
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The climax is an early season Rabbiteye that has proven to grow well
in various difficult soil locations. This high
yielding berry has a good flavour. Medium in size, the Climax variety
quite often has a small scar. Berries tend to ripen
uniformly in the early rabbiteye season. This variety works great
planted with Premier.
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Premier
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Early
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Large
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Light Blue
High Yield
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Vigorous
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The new genuine premier is an early season Rabbiteye variety. The
fruit of premier is very large, light blue and
considered a high quality berry. Boasting a vigorous bush this variety
is considered very productive.
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Tiffblue
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Late
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Medium
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Dry Scar
Loose Clusters
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Long Lasting Bush
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Tiffblue is a tried and tested Rabbiteye variety. With a light blue
firm berry, this fruit has good flavour when it is properly ripened. Loose
clusters make this variety a gem for pickers. Fruit is firm and has a dry
stem scar. With highly vigorous bushes, the Tiffblue variety is known for its
long life of productive bushes.
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Disclosure: These descriptions are collated through grower experiences
in Northern NSW, plants are subject to vary in
different environmental conditions.
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