Found some sweetcrisps

[Visceral]

I just bought some sweetcrisp blueberry plants from Ebay. After hearing all the good things about them online, I could never (and still can't) find them in stock anyplace. I hope these are the real deal. If they are, I will have to get rid of some of another variety in my limited space.

[Gina]

Cool. If they are the real deal. I'm not familiar with the seller. But if I didn't already have some, I'd take the risk.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Blueberry-Plants-Sweetcrisp-Southern-Highbush-Includes-4-Four-Plants-/221835023127?hash=item33a665d317

Be very careful with those tiny tissue cultured plants. They can dry fast, and are totally unforgiving. I lost one of another variety earlier this year by being not totally mindful.

[Visceral]

Thanks for that tip Gina. Regarding not drying out, I've got them in the shade under my porch to help protect them from the brutal TX sun. Is that ok, or do they need direct sunlight to grow from tissue culture?

[WillsC]

I would get them in a much much larger pot as soon as you can, don't worry about up potting in stages with the blueberries. They do need sun and make sure you are giving them PH corrected water and feeding VERY VERY lightly with each watering.

[Visceral]

Thanks WillsC. I put them in quart pots as soon as I got them, but I have some 3 gallon pots available to put them in. I've been using Fruitnut's recipe of 1tsp of ammonium sulfate/2 gallons of water for my bigger plants. I will try to take that down to 1/4 tsp/2gallons.

In Houston zone 8b, do you think these new tc plants can survive outside through the "winter" with an Aug start? This is my first time trying to grow tc.

[Gina]

As Wills said, pot them up to get a larger root system. That will help when you do move them into the sun - which they will need eventually to prosper. But since you are in Texas, and it's August, you might want to wait a bit before doing that (giving them full sun). Or perhaps you could find a location where they will get some shade in the middle of the day until they are somewhat larger.

If given the right conditions, blueberries can grow fast, and sweetcrisps are healthy growers. But since they are starting so small, it will take longer to get them to 'harvest' size. But you have SC (hopefully), which most people just can't get.

[Sarahkt]

I bought some from this seller too, as it was too rare an opportunity to resist (especially in CA). Fingers crossed they're actually Sweetcrisps!

[Sarahkt]

The blueberries arrived, small but actually look pretty good. I can say definitively that they are at least actual blueberry plants.

[Visceral]

I've got mine in full morning to noon sunlight and they haven't died yet. So I've got that going for me, which is nice.

[Sarahkt]

*High five*

[WillsC]

If enough people are interested I will get another load of sweetcrisps this year.

[Sarahkt]

How old and big are the Sweetcrisps when you order them, Wills? If they're significantly bigger than these tissue culture babies which may or may not be correct, I'd be up for getting 4 or so!

[WillsC]

Sarah,

They are 3-4 feet tall They are field dug, semi bareroot. But like I said I'm not sure if I will do it again, is a LOT of work.

[Sarahkt]

No worries, I have enough new plants growing this year to keep me occupied! If you do ever decide at some point to get a load of Sweetcrisps and are looking to split with a group, I'd probably be interested.

[Harborseal]

What about Indigocrisps?

[WillsC]

I can't sell that one.....The University would crucify me. The agreement you have to sign to get them is Draconian.

[Sarahkt]

I'm not familiar with how you acquire these blueberry varieties. I thought maybe you bought from some wholesale provider, but you have to place bulk orders through a university?

[Thepodpiper]

WillsC, not sure if you are still contemplating getting the Sweetcrisps again but I would be interested.

[inkinbrushes]

WillsC I would love some more info on the Sweetcrisps! I'm on the hunt for some blueberry bushes but not quite sure what price range or variety to look at. Sweetcrisp sounds like a crowd pleaser though!

[WillsC]

Sarah, Popdpiper and Ink,

There are no secrets, this is how it works. The university of Florida is the chief developer of the southern high bush blueberries. The licensing arm of the University is the Florida Foundation seed producers ( http://www.ffsp.net/ ). I buy the BB plants from Millers BB farm here in Florida. They are wholesale only and very nice folks and I may or may not have bribed the owner with a fig plant but because I was a GIANT pain in the azz to the person that runs the Seed producers Foundation and thanks to help from a local Congressman and proof that a squeaky wheel truly does get grease I was granted an exemption, a dispensation that the seed foundation put in place. I understand they are trying to protect their intellectual property but that property was developed by the tax payers of Florida and that is me. Basically all of my arguing got me a dispensation from just ONE rule. The agreement goes so far as it grants the university the right to enter your property 24/7 365 to inspect it and take samples of all your plants for DNA testing. If you sell the property you have to give the university written notice and they have the RIGHT to come to the property and remove all of the university developed BB varieties you have and it goes on and on.

The rules in a nutshell were:

You had to buy a minimum of 100 plants of EACH variety you wanted a real killer for us home growers and this is the rule I got the dispensation for so can buy as many or as few as I want BUT that does not mean the wholesale nurseries have to sell you plants, you still have to meet whatever their minimum is. Millers was kind enough to allow me to buy just a liner tray (60 plants). Also have a friend who is a commercial BB farmer and does sell BB plants and it also allowed me to legally buy from him just a couple plants here and there.

I am still bound by the other rules and that is NO selling.....I am not even allowed to give them away for free.

The university just cares about the new varieties, the bird series and newer. Older varieties including sweetcrisp they don't care or I don't think they do anyway but I still had to sign a non prop for Kestrel, Sweetcrisp and Raven. Ironically while I got Indigocrisps they forgot to put them on the non prop agreement and I did not mention they forgot

So I am kind of trapped........and the university can be a bully and I have no desire to get on their bad side as I know they could jeopardize my nursery license.

Prepping and shipping a truck load of 3 to 4 foot tall plants is a pain in the butt and a task I am not looking to repeat. The liner tray plants are easy to mail but last time I asked they did not have liners of sweetcrisps.

[Visceral]

I don't read good

[m5allen]

Wills, it sounds like you didn't sign a non prop agreement for Chickadees...

[Sarahkt]

Yeah, Wills, I'm with Visceral -- all I'm hearing from you is, "So there IS a chance."

[Gina]

So I am kind of trapped........and the university can be a bully and I have no desire to get on their bad side as I know they could jeopardize my nursery license.

LOL, I'm reading 'no chance' into what Wills said.

There is/was someone on ebay selling very small Sweetcrisps for something like $20 for 4. I think there are people here who have purchased those. I have no idea if they are reliable sellers however. Those small BB plants grow very well, at least for those of us with a 12 month growing window.

I had two ripe Sweetcrisps the other day to remind me of how good they are, even in the cooler days of January.

[Sarahkt]

Yeah, I was kidding. I have a big Sweetcrisp (three others were snatched by family for their own gardens) and one each of a bunch of other SHBs that are big and beautiful enough to provide enough fruit. I also have a bunch of those baby eBay plants which are growing... slowly... No other blueberries needed.

[Visceral]

^^^^^^^What she said ^^^^^^^. I've got my quota of plants filled.

[Thepodpiper]

I never have enough fruiting plants Wills. So 5 plants it is then……………………………………………Wills.

[Gina]

Sarahkt said: "No other blueberries needed."

Lol, what does 'need' have to do with it?

---

[Sarahkt]

Well, I don't NEED any more plants to the point where I'd PUSH Wills to do a lot of work for only a few small orders from the group. BUT if he were to offer, I would probably not be able to resist buying some.

I'm rooting some of the Sweetcrisp prunings I took off the larger plants in peat in the humidity bins. So far there's been a much lower success rate than figs, maybe 50% and very slow root formation.