Varieties ready for the chopping block

[Gina]

Because of space, time, and water considerations, I'm trying to keep the number of larger bbs in pots to around 60. Becaues I keep trying new varieties, and liking them, I have to get rid of some. Also, since we've been having warmer winters lately, some varieties just aren't making grade in terms of winter chill hours. Usually anything more than 300 just doesnt' work that well here, or only marginally so. (zone 10, sunset 24 - the avocado belt)

So on the way out (after harvest), or at least some of them if there are multiples, are Star (doesn't set enough, plants don't do as well vegetatively as others.) Biloxi (fruits small, and unexciting), Abundance (average taste, not enough fruit set), Sharpeblue (fruits too variable and tend to be soft). And anything else that isn't looking really good.

What varieties have you culled?

[WillsC]

Lets see......I have culled Southmoon, Scintilla, Millennium, Gulf Coast, assorted rabbiteye, Star, and this year 40 5 year old Emeralds. Still have maybe 20 Emerald left but did not want to get rid of them all as it would really hurt the pounds of fruit for the year. I will cull the rest of the emeralds in 2017.

[Gina]

What did you not like about Scintilla?

[WillsC]

Gina,

The berries are good but it has root rot issues, it gets leaf spots but worse of all the plants just don't last long.....4-5 years and they will be in severe decline heading quickly toward death. That is the main reason the commercial folks no longer plant it. In reality the 2 plants of it I tried I did not cull, they self culled at 4 years, well at least to the point I could see the writing on the wall and yanked them.

[Gina]

Thanks. Good information. Hopefully it will survive better out here, esp if grown in pots.

[WillsC]

I don't think they ever figured out why Scintilla croaked so young, or if they ever did I didn't hear why.

[fruitnut]

I'm culling Emerald for average taste and doesn't set if I lack bees. Should get rid of Jewel for same reasons but only have one. Don't know if I can part with my 10 yr old Star even thou the fruit is average. It does well here with my high chill. My one Santa Fe is sweet but soft. I like it better than the others listed. Have newer plants of Farthing, Snowchaser, Raven, and Scintilla that will get at least another yr or two. A few unknowns will go. That would leave Sweetcrisp and Springhigh as 80% of my crop.

Ones I've culled in the past that I can recall at the moment: Southmoon, Primmadona, Jubilee, Legacy, Misty, O'Neal, Sharpblue, Brigitta, Chandler, Revellie, Premier, Climax, Brightwell, Paloma, Blue Crop, Ozarkblue, Cara's Choice, Blue Gold, Duke, Hannah's Choice, Bluecrisp, Windsor, blah, blah, blah. I can chill the NHB here with effort but the fruit isn't that good and competes with my best stone fruit in summer.

[drphil69]

I only have 6 bushes and honestly have no idea what varieties. A few "self-culled" for me, likely due to a high pH issue I had as a new BB grower.

I am hoping to have better growth and fruit this year after all the info Wills has posted. I will be watering with acidified water and adding the am. sulfate to the water this year.