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| COMMON NAME Emerald Blueberry |
| BOTANICAL NAME Vaccinium corymbosum ‘Emerald’ |
| HEIGHT 5′ to 6′ |
| WIDTH 4′ |
| MONOECIOUS |
| EVERGREEN |
| LIFESPAN 40+ years |
| PERENNIAL |
| COLD TOLERANCE 5° F |
| CHILL HOURS 150 to 250 |
| SOIL TYPE Well drained |
| WATER REQUIREMENTS Water after planting in ground, and water every day for 2 weeks. Week 3 and week 4, water deeply twice a week. From week 5 forward water deeply at least once a week for the next 3 months. From then on, water occasionally. Requires at least 1″ weekly during the growing season and up to 4″ weekly during fruit ripening. Keep soil moist and not soggy. Allow soil to dry between watering. Supplement with water during droughts and the hot, dry months to keep your plant lush and thriving. Reduce watering in the Winter when growth slows. |
| DROUGHT TOLERANCE Medium |
| SALT TOLERANCE No |
| LIGHT REQUIREMENTS Minimum 6 hours full sun. Tolerates some shade, especially in the evening. |
| FERTILIZING Sparingly use a general purpose, 10-10-10 once every 3 weeks to 4 weeks from Spring to Summer for faster growth. Alternatively, use a slow-release fertilizer 3 times a year. Halt fertilizing from the Fall to Winter, then begin again in the Spring. Do not allow fertilizer to clump, be sure to disperse evenly. Clumped fertilizer can potentially burn roots, potentially harming or killing a plant. Avoid getting fertilizer on the leaves, flowers, stems, and trunk. |
| FLOWER White, bell-shaped |
| MONTH OF COLOR Blooms profusely February to April. |
| FRUIT Ready from April to May. Blue, medium-sized fruit, mildly sweet flavor. Identified by five-point crown. |
| ALLERGENS, TOXICITY AND ANIMALS Non-toxic to animals. (Dogs, cats, horses, humans.) Allergic reactions are very rare. |
| COMMENTS Highly productive bush that produces a sweet blueberry. Early season crop, as with the Jewel variety, making them excellent partners for cross-pollination. This variety was released by U.F. in 1999. Self fertile, however having 2 different varieties of blueberry plants that bloom at the same time cross pollinate with one another will result in higher fruit yield with bigger, sweeter blueberries. Good for Brevard county, only needs 250 chill hours. Blueberries will grow well in areas with thriving azaleas, camellias, gardenias, ixoras, blackberries, raspberries, and other “acid-loving” plants. Install plant spacing every 4′ for a dense hedge or every 6′ for space between plants. Place plants away from the roots of trees (except pine trees) and at least 10′ away from any building foundation. |
| PRICE 7 gallon $25, 3 gallon $15 |