Telow,

You can grow the northern highbush, rabbiteye and southern highbush varieties in Oklahoma, although the northern types perform best in northern Oklahoma. I do see some of the southern highbush ones sold in stores in southcentral OK and northcentral Texas but usually not quite this early in the year.

I'm sure Scott will be able to answer your questions about specific varieties since he grows quite a few in NE OK.

I don't even attempt to grow blueberries here in southern OK because even if I brought in tons of peat moss and built a bed to their liking, I'd still have to deal with very alkaline water that tests with a pH of about 8.2.

Every time Scott talks about his blueberries, I want to plant some, but you have to pick your battles and I've just decided that with our frequent droughts, alkaline clay soil, alkaline water and heavy population of berry-loving wildlife, blueberries are one of those things I'm not going to grow.

My uncle grows southern highbush ones in east Texas, but he has very well draining, acidic sand soil and his plants get huge and are very fruitful. If I had soil like his, I'd grow them too!

Dawn

Here is a link that might be useful: Blueberry Production in the Home Garden

I have not really tried any southern or rabbiteye varieties, but I have had no problems thus far with the northern highbush on the southeast side of Tulsa. The last few winters have been pretty cold so I can't say for sure my luck will hold.

I strongly suggest waiting for the 1 gallon or similar two-yr old plants instead of buying the tiny ones they keep indoors and have been selling for a couple of weeks. Paying $10 instead of $5 is not a big deal if you are only doing a few. They will produce a year or two sooner and have a much better chance of surival.

I put about half of a 3 cubic foot bale of peat moss into a pie shape hole 8 inches deep (about 2-3 feet in diameter). I make sure it is just slightly above grade so water will not run off into the peat moss, and I mulch every year with fine pine bark or pecan shells to keep at least 3 inches of mulch on the peat moss. I also use diluted Miracid to fertilize. I think failure in any of these areas will result in death of all my plants.

Bluecrop does well for me. I also like Blueray a lot. I also have berkely, Duke, and Elliot and they are all good in their own ways.

If anyone has seen the gallon pots yet at the box stores, let me know. I expect it will be March 1 or so up here in Tulsa.

You need the northern varieties for most of Oklahoma the southern varieties are bred to have a very low chilling requirement and will bloom to early.... at least here in northern OK.

I've read 10,000 words on this subject and none of them told me what Dawn, Scott, and Duckcreek just did. Tomorrow I'm off to get a bag of sulpher and a water ph testing kit.Thank you one and all!