Knowledge from Olle Garden Bed: "Pink Lemonade" Blueberries

Add an unusual and delicious fruit in the raised garden bed, with blueberry "pink lemonade".

Blueberry "Pink Lemonade" was developed by the United States Department of Agriculture in the 1970s. But when researchers brought it to blueberry growers, they were sure that because of its unique yellow and pink fruit, gardeners would not buy it, thinking it was an immature blueberry. If blueberry "pink lemonade" was planted at that time, it was usually because of its ornamental value as a late season shrub.

Fast forward to the 2000s: research on the power of anti-cancer antioxidants and the popularity of backyard gardens is growing, and gardeners are looking for new and different things. This led to a surge in blueberry "pink lemonade".

Types of blueberry plants

There are four types of blueberry plants: high clusters in the north, high clusters in the south, rabbit eyes and low clusters. The northern high bush blueberries - cold tolerant in Zone 4-7 - have large fruits, as do the southern high bush blueberries, which are cold tolerant in Zone 7-10. Low bush blueberries have more ground growth habits and produce small fruits.

Blueberry "Pink Lemonade" is a rabbit eye blueberry; This type is more compact. The cold degree of rabbit eye blueberry is also low; For example, "Pink Lemonade" only needs to be used for 300 hours at temperatures below 45 degrees Fahrenheit, while other rabbit eyes need about 500-1000 hours.

Planting blueberry plants such as "Pink Lemonade"

Like most blueberries, blueberry "pink lemonade" performs best in sunny, acidic soils and USDA Zone 5 or warmer conditions. The ideal soil should be 6.1pH, some wet, but well drained. Plants will grow in semi shade, but the best effect is in the sunshine for six hours or more; Otherwise, it will become legs in the shade and will not produce so much fruit.

Blueberry "Pink Lemonade" is a spring flowering shrub, which is also highly praised for its silver blue leaves - which appear in March and don't fall off until very cold - and the beautiful yellow and red branch color. However, it is not considered a dwarf flowering shrub because it reaches about 5 feet tall.

Fruit production on blueberry "pink lemonade"

In spring, blueberry "pink lemonade" is full of small bell shaped pink to white flowers. From mid summer to late summer, these flowers begin to bear fruit, but unlike some blueberry plants, "pink lemonade" will not bear fruit at once. It usually produces a larger crop, and then continuously produces more fruits until about October.

"Pink Lemonade" is definitely sweeter than ordinary blueberries - about twice as much as ordinary blueberries, which means it can be eaten fresh, in desserts or as an ornament. The fruit starts from green, then turns white, then light pink, and finally ages to dark pink. The cluster to be harvested may still be green at the bottom.

Pruning blueberry "pink lemonade"

Like any other blueberry, blueberry "pink lemonade" produces fruit on two to three year old branches; Anything older than this should be deleted. To get the best harvest, trim these blueberry plants regularly to remove older growth.

Companion shrubs and plants

Because the blueberry "pink lemonade" is a bush that blooms in spring and has a highly ornamental (and practical) berry, it is a beautiful supplement to the flower bed and the mixing boundary. With berries appearing later in the season, these blueberries add a nice twist to the garden when many other flowers, shrubs and bushes are dying. When the berries and leaves fall off, the branches keep their sight in winter. Because it has an arched growth pattern, blueberry "pink lemonade" can be planted in the whole landscape as background shrubs and bushes.

Like most homegrown blueberry plants, blueberry "pink lemonade" will produce better fruit when grown together with other rabbit eye blueberries. When used as a plant behind the border, good supplements include low growing evergreen plants, Japanese forest grasses, peonies and ferns, and acid loving azaleas and azaleas. If used as a medium to high leaved plant, use dark leaved plants (such as elderberry) to decorate blueberry "pink lemonade".

The Problem of Blueberry "Pink Lemonade" and Pests

Under proper conditions, the blueberry "pink lemonade" shrub is quite pest free. However, they should be protected from deer and rabbits. Birds may eat fruits before or when they are ripe, but they can usually be stopped by catching birds.