IMHO

In this order

Spartan

Herbert

Patriot

Hope one of these works for you

Thanks, Mr.Ed! I had a Patriot but lost it in its first year due to the Easter '07 freeze. I don't have the other two. Thanks for your input!

I have none of these varieties :(

I haven't really tasted any of my blueberries yet because I picked them off last year to promote growth. I have several varieties including Darrow and Blueray. I hear these two are exceptional in taste. We shall see.

For TN one of the best tasting and most productive varieties is Legacy. Another one that has really impressed me with its flavor is Hannah's Choice. It is really early and the berries have a distinct peach-like flavor. The birds really go for these too. Elizabeth is another one with great flavor, but is not so productive. Legacy is an offspring of Elizabeth that was selected to have the great flavor with much better production. Ozarkblue has been my most productive variety, but the Legacy's have caught up and may surpass the Ozarkblues. OB has excellent fruit as well, but not quite as good as Legacy.

Thanks, Kiwinut! Do you have a source for the three cultivars you mentioned? I've not heard of Legacy or Hannah's Choice before, though I have read about Ozarkblue somewhere.

Hannah's Choice is a newer release that may only be available from Hartmanns nursery. Hartmanns sells all three varieties. There are several other online nurseries that sell Legacy and OB. Finch nursery sells Legacy, but not OB. They have the best plants for the price that I have found. Where in TN are you? There is a gentleman that sells Legacy who lives along Hway 56 between Smithville and McMinnville.

I'm in Cookevegas, the Hub of the Cumber Upperland. ;-) I can manage a trip down 56 with no problem.

The bunnies have eaten two "little giant" bushes to the ground, while my other 4 varieties have not faced such attack. I cannot however comment on the flavor of the serries themselves as I cannot get a plant to bearing age with such pressure.

lol

~Chills

chills,

I solved my bunnies problem by getting a plastic fence that came in a roll at Home Depot. I believe it was 3 ft. tall by ?? ft. long. You cut the fence to size. And pin the fence in with metal things that look like the things from the game of horseshoes . So I made a number of 1 1/2 ft. round fences to go around the BB bushes. I did it especially to stop the rabbits in the winter from eating the bark. It's worked summer and winter so far.

I checked the email from a friend who told me about the nursery back in February. It is in McMinnville not too far from the Walmart on Old Smithville Highway. I think the name is Dale Bennett Nursery and they do have Ozarkblue in addition to Legacy. They also have muscadines, blackberries, etc.

The blueberries he bought back in February were 2.5 ft tall plants in 3-gallon pots for $7.50 each. Definitely worth the drive from Cookevegas.

Just to clarify, the nursery is on Old Smithville Road, directly across from the super Wal Mart, not highway 56. Don't know if they will have these for fall planting. I'll be driving through McMinnville Saturday, so if I get a chance, I'll stop by and ask.

I don't know if they will work where you are, but here on the West Coast the best blueberry is Southmoon. YUM

Carla in Sac

Thanks, everyone!

Bless your heart, Kiwinut, I would sure appreciate you finding out about their fall availability!

Thanks for the tip on these two varieties kiwinut, I will try to find some room for them myself. I have to say thus far I have not noticed large differences in any of my varieties, but maybe with these two I will notice something. The primary thing I don't like is low acidity, for example Rubel is too low acid for good fresh eating.

Scott

I like Spartan also. None of the late ones Legacy included rate real high with me. They are not bad, just not in the same class with Spartan, Toro, Patriot, Blueray, Bluejay, Hardiblue, and most of the midseason ones.