Sweetcrisps

[FMD]

I was fortunate to have come by 5 plants from a very good friend last fall and they are ready to go into the ground! How close together can I plant them and still get a good yield? I plan on covering them with bird netting eventually.
My other two plants have never needed any special care or fertilizers, will this variety be the same?

[Gina]

Wills recently planted some new BBs (Kestrel) at 3 foot centers. If you have space, I think standard is 3 to 4 feet. Sweetcrisps are rather lanky but can be made bushier by pinching (so I've heard). I grow my BBs in 15 gallon containers, and for those about 3 feet seems best, though I can move them either closer or further apart depending on the individual plant.

I only have had my sweetcrisps just over a year. They came as 2 year plants, but are now in 15/20 gallon containers, and they are already bearing. They are superb. They remind me of bing cherries. I can see changing out more of my older varieties.

As for care, my SCs get the same treatment as my others - acidified water, light but frequent fertilizing. Birds are a problem, but I grow a lot so there are some left for the humans. I've tried netting, but the shape of my beds makes that impractical. Flashing tape works to some extent, but they do get used to it. And your yard will look like a used car lot.

[FMD]

Good info, Gina. Thanks.
A good friend sent out samplers of Sweetcrisp berries last year, and holy cow, did they ever make an impression on my and my wifes's palates! There is no better descriptive name for any fruit I've ever encountered. Super sweet and crisp. How in the world do you make a crispy blueberry, anyway?
For some reason, the birds don't seem to bother my blueberries like they do the figs but they've never tasted Sweetcrisps before.
Can't wait until the start producing!

[WillsC]

As Gina said they are good berries, only negative is the mediocre bearing. The indigocrisps are supposed to taste the same with the same crunch but be as productive as Emeralds....I should find out if that is true next year as I will let them set a few berries each.

[JD]

Good question Frank. I have a handful in 3 gallon pots (for now) and plan to graduate them to 15 gallon pots as they grow. I have a few youngsters that are trying to set fruit. Should I pinch the fruit? Also, I concur with the acidified water that Gina noted. Thanks to Wills, after testing my water (City water PH=8), I purchased some 'battery acid' to acidify it and there was a significant change in color and growth. And then the weather changed and the leaves fell.

[Blueboy1977]

Jimmie, I would pinch off the flowers on a first year plant. Some choose not to if in a long growing season zone but I have done side by side trials of that in years past and I can assure you that letting a first year plant ripen fruit will set it back. I will let a 2nd year plant ripen just a handful of berries to get a good taste though. One thing to watch for if you do let it fruit young is stem blight. It can kill a blue if not caught early enough but Sweetcrisp seems to fight off blight pretty well.

[WillsC]

I agree with Rob 100%. Pinch that fruit and if they are new prune them hard at planting. When the roots outweigh the tops they take off fast and as is true most times ...a plant that takes off fast grows fast and a plant that struggles tends to stay that way for quite some time. You are looking at an investment of a decade or more in the plant so sacrificing a few berries the first seasons will pay you back many times over in the seasons ahead.

[Gina]

My sweetcrisps have both ripe fruits now... and are beginning to flower again. The ripe fruits are mostly on the lower hanging branches - the slight ones that many people might have pruned off. And most of the newly forming flowers are on the more sturdy, upright canes.

I have a couple other varieties which seem to be doing the same thing.

[fruitnut]

Gina:

Mine have a few really late flowers on top from large vigorous canes. Not sure they will set as my bumblebees are about done. I do have a good set on normal bloom. Looking forward to those!!

[Gina]

I'm not sure how many flowers will open on the stronger canes, but they could just out-bloom the earlier ones. That would be great since the Sweetcrisps have risen very fast on my 'favorite variety' list. As in they are now on top. And I don't even have the patience to allow them to get fully ripe!

[Gina]

The really big problem with sweetcrisps is that they are so good, they ruin other berries for you.

[WillsC]

yep.

[fruitnut]

Gina:

I agree fully except for one variety so far and I think it's Springhigh. Do you have that variety? I've got about 10 sent by FHN and supposed to be Sweetcrisp. They are average for firmness but sweet and huge on blueberry flavor. When I get into harvest I'm going to do a taste test at the farmers market; Sweetcrisp vs Springhigh. I think SH will hold it's own.

[Gina]

No, I don't have Springhigh. Yet. I've read various mixed reports here and there. Fruitnut, are the Springhighs that you have from FHN the mystery blueberry discussed on the old gardenweb thread? Or do you believe it to be an actual SH? That 'blueberry flavor' is very appealing.

I'm getting a smattering of berries now that I share with the birds. As I graze, I go to the various bushes, but save the Sweetcrisps for last - like dessert.

[fruitnut]

Yes, I've discussed this on GW. Could be wrong about the identity. But if you can try one. SC and whatever this is make a great pair.

I don't share with the birds for several reasons. They have proven to be more greedy than me. They want 100%. Also I like to let mine get good and ripe, the birds don't. Lastly they leave a mess behind and bird mess is potentially serious illness. I have eaten other pecked fruit but try to make sure it's cleaned up well.

[WillsC]

Springhigh is a very blueberry tasting variety but I did not like the texture of it at all. Taste is just so subjective.

[m5allen]

I have Springhigh and it is really good, but not in a class like SC. But I would say it is my second favorite. It does make a much bigger berry than SC though.

And to echo what others have said, Sweetcrisp is a very sprawling variety. So I think 3 feet should be the minimum for this variety.

[fruitnut]

Hey second favorite is pretty good in my book and that's where I'd rate it also. In my view the only area that it rates behind SC is texture. It's ahead on yield, ease of culture, and pollination needs. For a new grower that wants to try one variety nothings much easier than SH. Way easier to train than SC or even Emerald. SH can be grown by itself without pollination and still sets a good crop. SC sets nothing without pollination and is a sprawling mess to train vs SH.

[Gina]

D*mned enablers.

[FMD]

Oh oh. I didn't know Sweetcrisp needed pollinators! I just planted them about 25 feet from my established generic bushes. I also have one Raven planted amidst the Sweetcrsips. Should I move them?

[fruitnut]

What I know is that Sweetcrisp sets nothing in my greenhouse with lots of other varieties if there are no bees. It sets great with bumblebees.

What I don't know is if it's self fruitful with bees, probably not. Or at least it would set bigger crops if cross pollinated.

The bees will fly 25 ft. I won't be concerned if there are bees and other varieties nearby.

[WillsC]

As Steve said training SC is not possible.......they will do what they want and you can forget about them looking neat.

SC is self fruitful (with bees) but with a flower set of only 50% and a reduced berry size.

Frank as long as your generics bloom at the same time as the sweetcrisps you are good.

I have never grown springhigh just had the fruit and maybe it had been stored awhile and was softer than it would be at harvest. Damn......now I am thinking of adding a row, you people are the worst (looking at you Steve).

[penandpike]

I have never grown springhigh just had the fruit and maybe it had been stored awhile and was softer than it would be at harvest. Damn......now I am thinking of adding a row, you people are the worst (looking at you Steve).

Geez, there is no end to this. I feel the same way.

[Gina]

Damn......now I am thinking of adding a row, you people are the worst (looking at you Steve).

LOL, I've been trying to figure out where I can stick more pots - maybe near the citrus. I don't think my upper limit of 60 max is going to hold. My old limit of 50 didn't. I've already been checking on Craig's list for more pots...

[m5allen]

As Steve said training SC is not possible.......they will do what they want and you can forget about them looking neat.

SC is self fruitful (with bees) but with a flower set of only 50% and a reduced berry size.

Frank as long as your generics bloom at the same time as the sweetcrisps you are good.

I have never grown springhigh just had the fruit and maybe it had been stored awhile and was softer than it would be at harvest. Damn......now I am thinking of adding a row, you people are the worst (looking at you Steve).

What is 10 more plants if you already have like 60 at this point? What is your current count after culling the Emeralds and adding Ravens Kestrels and Indigos?

Springhigh was my first blueberry plant and I killed it (I have another one now). I didn't know at that time about how harmful watering from my alkaline tap water was.

My only complaint about this variety, at least for me, is that it grows very tall and lanky. I can't seem to get it to bush out. So for me, it is not that productive because I can't seem to get much canopy.

[WillsC]

I need to count the bushes but guessing it is somewhere between 300-400? I really do not have room for another row but I do have more emeralds that are hitting the chopping block so could replace them. I would probably have to buy a liner tray of 60 arg......