D95-Edible Berries Edible #1 Vaccinium cory Sweetheart/Southern Highbush Blueberry

SCIENTIFIC NAME: Vaccinium corymbosum 'Sweetheart'

COMMON NAME: Southern Highbush Blueberry

GARDEN SIZE: 4-6 ft. x 3-6 ft.

USDA ZONE: 4 to 8

EXPOSURE: Full Sun

WATER & SOIL: Acidic, well-drained, average moisture

HABIT (FORM): Vase-shaped, compact shrub

FOLIAGE: Deciduous; Blue green leaves that turn orange-red in the fall

BLOOM TIME: Spring

POLLINATION: Self-fertile. However, larger and earlier berries result if several cultivars are interplanted for cross-pollination

FRUIT: Develops in the summer and then again in the fall

CARE: Use an acidic fertilizer such as Holly-tone, in early spring before the leaves emerge. Be careful not to add too much and do not let the fertilizer build up around the stems at the base. If you do not have acidic soil, you can also add soil acidifier to help lower the pH around the root zone.