Raven

[JD]

Echoing Frank Sweetcrips thread...I have access to a few Raven plants and I am curious to know if anyone has experience with growing them in ground and in pots. Any information would be appreciated and helpful. I have done some research and read what the experts say, now I would like to learn more about what the "growers" say about Raven or start collecting that information here.

A blueberry farm friend swears by Star as the only and best choice for North Florida. Given his location and the fact that he produces some incredible berries, so we are performing a (small) test.

[Gina]

I think it's so new that very little is known about it. And very few people even have it. Commercial growers don't especially want it because it ripens on the late part of the season. And homeowners simply can't get it. New rules and all.

I doubt it will be a success - not because of the merits of the variety (large and late) - but because it's generally unavailable for growing.

[WillsC]

Like Gina said getting the cultivar will be tough. Take a look at sweetcrisp patented in 2005, 10 years ago and it is still a challenge to get for a lot of people and the rules from the University are so commercially centered that all of their cultivars will be difficult to find. Sadly the commercial interests not only drive the research goals but also the distribution. Part of the problem is the university wants so much $ for the rights to propagate and the nurseries told them if you want that much you have to tighten the reins on distribution, and they did.

When I bought my Ravens and signed my life away on the draconian non propagation agreement I asked the commercial nursery owner if he had tried the berries yet and he said no, it was the first crop of plants and he had not attended the taste testing for the variety from the university. On mine I had removed 50% of the top but I did miss a few buds so I will get a few berries off a couple plants to try.

I wish the university would develop a system to allow hobbyists to try the new varieties but they flatly refuse to do so. While sweetcrisp was a challenge to get it was simple compared to the future varieties. The line in the sand seems to be the bird series, ones previous to it like sweetcrisp will be available and from the bird series forward no retail sales will be allowed. Sadly the only way a person is going to get the newest cultivars is if they know someone connected to the industry. Just isn't right as the plants are developed at a public university with public tax dollars.

[Blueboy1977]

That's a crying shame Wills! UF has brought a lot to the table for us but to hold out on potentially the biggest break through in blueberries is absurd!!! Especially when its our tax dollars paying for there research. Those are the publics plants and for them to hog all the goods but gladly except our money so they can make a killing in the process is flat out wrong. There should be some law against doing that. May be we all need to rustle up some feathers and see what pans out?

[m5allen]

Raven looks like such an awesome variety. I love the idea of a monster size berry. But in Tampa, FL - it looks like I won't get enough chill hours.

[Darkman]

Hi Jimmy,

I hope you decide to trial Raven. If it does well for your area it will do well in mind.

[Harborseal]

Until you Floridians bug your elected representatives nothing will change.

[Gina]

The word was that Raven was not going to be marketed - in part because it is later ripening. (If I'm remembering correctly). Turns out FallCreek Nursery is carrying it. Not to us lowly public people, but to commercial interests.

The description says 'good tasting'. Well, lol, that is not accurate.

http://www.fallcreeknursery.com/commercial-fruit-growers/varieties/raven-fl05-627

[WillsC]

I take it you didn't like it Gina? Here it is EXCELLENT.

[Gina]

I'm glad that it is good for you. Here it produced large absolutely tasteless berries. Worse than tasteless, even on a highly thinned plant. The worst blueberry I've ever tasted, and over a two year period just to make sure. I think in part that is because here it just didn't produce very many leaves. It is listed at 300 chill hours, and that is way too much for my yard for most varieties.

I am however very glad I got to try it, especially with a newer variety, because you never know. When I first got Sweetcrisps, I wasn't sure they would do well, but they do. They are listed at "200-300 hours"

[WillsC]

Gina,

I bet you are right, it is lack of chill. Sparse leaves would make for crappy berries. I sometimes thing that the U of Florida simply guesses at the chill hours Kind of like the hurricane predictors.

[Gina]

I think when they first assign chill hours to a variety, they don't have nearly the information they have a few years down the line after it's been released and growing in far more areas. They have updated Biloxi for sure - now all the way to 'no chill' when initially it was higher. Also, I think they revised Sweetcrisp to 200-300 from simply 300 (going from memory) - because when I first got them, they were on the cusp for my area, but actually do well here.

Also, there is variability from year to year in numbers of hours, so if you are on the edge of the range, some years they will work, others not as much. They also adjust their numbers to round numbers so something really might be at 250 or 275.... though such precise numbers are probably not possible to determine.

I was looking at my Mistys the past few days and they are looking peaked like my Southmoons (300), and culled Star (300), Raven (300) and O'Neal(500?). Just not prospering and basically declining slowly. I looked up their chill, and they also were at 300 hours - which for here is marginal most years. Finally figuring out that one.