John:

Blueberries are pollinated by wild species of bumblebees. Honeybees never seem to visit blueberry blossoms. I don't know why this is, but I have been watching blueberry bushes for 25 years, and that's the way it is here in Northern Virginia. Pollination has never been an issue for me, even when I was growing only the Blueray variety. If anything, healthy plants will set way too many berries for their own good.

I would question whether a second variety of blueberry will result in larger berries. Not so in my experience. Thinning the clusters, and thinning off entire clusters when they are too numerous will, however, result in larger berries. The clusters to thin off are obviously those toward the ends of the canes which usually have smaller berries anyway. In an individual cluster, remove the smaller berries and leave the larger. Thinning the berries when plants overset also relieves stress on the plants and allows them to continue more vegetative growth through the season.

Don Yellman, Great Falls, VA

In commercial settings, blueberries are pollinated by honeybees, but that's only because growers bring hives in. In some cases, and mostly with southern highbush and rabbiteye varieties, cross pollination can increase fruit size and fruit set. It's generally though to be necessary with rabbiteyes, in fact.

So, I guess it would be good to know what type of blueberry you have.

The variety that I have is Patriot (Northern Highbush) Vaccinium corymbosum. All the web pages that I can find mention cross-pollination benefits but do not say what varieties are compatible. I guess that having the same flowering time would be important.


John

Here is a link that might be useful: Johns Journal

John:

I have Patriot here, right next to a Blueray. Patriot is an excellent variety, both in size and flavor. For that matter, so is Blueray, though the berries might average ever so slightly smaller than Patriot. These varieties blossom at the same time here, and, I assume, cross-pollinate, though I can't prove it.

It often takes Northern Highbush blueberries several years to become established and really begin producing, so don't expect quick results. But they are worth the wait.

Remove any blossoms or berries the first year to encourage more vegetative growth. That will cause temporary pain, but is a good investment for the future.

Don Yellman, Great Falls, VA