The ‘Pink Lemonade’ Blueberry was bred by the USDA in the 1970s, its unusual coloration of yellowish-pink berries gave it the appearance of an unripe fruit and they felt it was unmarketable. However time has proven them somewhat wrong, while you will rarely find it in supermarkets. It has however found a niche of popularity among home growers.
It serves well not only as a berry producing plant but also has an ornamental value. It blooms and fruits later in the-season than most plants and enhances the aesthetic and culinary appeal of any yard.
Pink Lemonade blueberries first materialize as yellowish-green ugly ducklings eventually maturing to juicy, succulent pink berries. They are very similar to their blue cousins in taste and texture but not identical. They are sweet and fragrant with a fairly high sugar content, which makes them suitable for baking and preserves. They also make a dazzling addition to a fruit salad.
Pink Lemonade blueberries are best suited to mild growing regions where there is no sub zero winters. USDA zones 4 to 8
They are self pollinating, and berries ripen mid- to late summer.
- Blooms Pink – Spring
- Fruit Color -Pink
- Fruit Size – Medium
- Full Sun – It will grow in semi-shade but does best with at least 6 hours of sun. In the
- shade it will simply not produce near as much fruit.
- Soil Well Drained – Loamy – – Soil pH 4.8 – 5.5
- Years to Bear 2 – 3
Blueberries grow best in full in Well Drained – Loamy soil. also do well in heavy soils so long as there is good aeration and drainage, high organic matter content and adequate moisture. Organic matter increases the water-holding capacity and improves the aeration of soils.
When planting any blueberries it is best to ..
1. Soak the roots for several hours before planting.
2. Dig a hole 18-20 inches deep X 18-20 inches wide
3. Mix 1 cubic foot of peat moss with top soil until the hole is filled 4 inches from the top.
4. Set the plant and cover the roots with the remaining peat-soil mix. In heavy soils, an equal amount of peat can be mixed with an equal amount of soil.
Fertilizer
Blueberries need very little fertilizer, they are sensitive to too much. They also have some unusual nutrition requirements. Fertilization used for tree fruit production will not work for blueberries.
Do not use Fertilizers with chlorides or nitrates.
Do not fertilize the year plants are set, roots are very sensitive at this time.