I just returned from Day of Fruit (fabulous bud grafting class, summer pruning class, fruit tasting, and potluck). Big thank you to all those who volunteered their time to make the event happen.
At the fruit tasting, there were a lot of blueberries from the germplasm repository. These varieties caught my attention:
Echota: interesting apple flavor, large berry.
Magnolia: great flavor, medium size
Nelson: tart, medium size, good texture
Pemberton: sweet, good tasting, okay texture
Blueray: sweet, okay texture
I've also heard good things about these blueberries:
Jersey
Brigitta
Chandler
Earliblue
Blue Crop
Does anybody have any of these varieties, and would be willing to share a cutting? Apparently blueberries propagate quite easily from cuttings.
I'd really appreciate it -- and would make it easy and convenient for you.
First, the best thing that can be said about the Earliblue is that it is indeed early. As soon as anything else is ripe, I find the Earliblue hardly worth picking and eating. It's not bad, but everything else I have is appreciably better.
Depending on what I killed when I relocated my bushes this spring (I really don't remember, and haven't updated my map...), I should have both surviving Bluecrop and Blueray. They're both good. When I and my yard cool down, I'll see what I've still got. I've also got three I bought this Spring that are still (suffering) in pots, none of which are on your wish list.
I got most of my information years ago from OSU's extension service web site. They seem to have changed a bit, gone to PDF format and added graphics, but it seems to be essentially the same information: [url:36v93m6s]http://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalog/pdf/ec/ec1308-e.pdf[/url:36v93m6s]
Rattle my cage in a couple of days when this miserable heat breaks, and I'll let you know what I have that looks healthy.
mh
Having been shopping for blueberries myself this last fall through spring, I've encountered many of these varieties, though since my GF's taste tends towards the tarter side; that's where we tended when selecting them! And living near Corvallis, can taste all of these and more at the Germplasm Repository of course:) Didn't really recognize most of the ones on your upper list, aside from Blueray; haven't heard of these being grown around here commercially; at least at any of the many places I've picked near Corvallis. However; Jersey, Chandler, Earliblue , and Blue Crop are all commercially grown; though I kind of agree about Earliblue, not as good as later ones - but it is the earliest; and it's not like I've met a single blueberry I didn't like!!! Just like some more than others:) Jim Chandler told me last year that all I needed to plant was Chandler & Spartan, wasn't worth messing with any others.....though he might have a vested interest; seeing as how one was named in his honor because of the blueberry breeding he'd done in the past. Too bad you didn't get a chance to sample the raspberry tasting one from the repository, was an unnamed one with only a number so far - pretty good!
My only experience with Brigitta was tasting them at the Repository, they tasted okay (mostly I was drawn to them because of the name - same as my landlady the last 23 years, until my GF & I bought the new place last summer) but was very unimpressed with the growth of their 2 bushes and how little they bore for fruit. Not much growth in the around 6 years they'd had them; and not much fruit - one of the Repository people pointed out that they were bred in Western Australia, and the climate's a lot different so they probably won't thrive here. Their collection is just that; a collection representing lots of varieties and related species, and they maintain it for fruiting but not for maximum fruit bearing - no pruning or spraying other than just watering them; so they do what they do.
I thought about starting plants from cuttings, been told it's not too hard; but you do need a special setup for it to apply bottom heat while you're rooting them - and I didn't have the time to construct that; also didn't want to take the 2 or 3 years it takes to grow them to a reasonable size for planting; so I shopped around and bought either wholesale or from smaller nurseries for cheaper - basically paid the price (about $6 - $6.50 each) to save the several years growing! Then ended up getting too many plants, and had to pass on some of them:)
My mom's two 20-30 year old Earliblues are now producing well, despite lack of any attention or mulching at all; all they get is the occasional watering - can't say they're thriving; but putting up with benign neglect well!
Dave
Great Blueberry banter! …I miss them so… After my third try, in 25+ years, I’m down to none … thanks to the voles that had set-up-shop under the mulch of a dozen I’d transplanted from an uncle. Took 3 years for them to die; but of what I remember, and loved about my Uncle’s line-up, was having an ever-maturing selection.
I’ve certainly got that with my apples; as succession of ripening; the first, watery & weak, to the last – loaded with richness & flavor. “Earliblue†(as apply described) was/is definitely worth having… as I’d move on to Blue Crop – a must-have in my book – and a heavy and consistent producer; to me, the ‘classic Blueberry.’
Berkeley (not listed above) blueberries 
(I always think it’s fun to actually look at them – and those are Berkeley’s) – were the grand finally!
If I try again, which I may... those would be my ‘big three.’ “Chandler†I’d tried as well. The only bush I hadn’t transplanted as a 20 year old, its lack of vigor was nowhere near as impressive as its Giant Berry… sad to say. I likened it other in-bread cultivars; impressive fruit, weak plant. I wouldn’t try it again.
But dang… you’ve all made me hungry! I may have to hike up to my neighbors, though they had a very small crop this year, I ‘hear’ their berries are ‘humongous!’
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