All About The Bluecrop Blueberry

There is truly nothing better than having fresh fruit easily accessible in your outdoor space. As time goes on more and more people are deciding to grow their own fruits and vegetables to have organic food at their fingertips. One popular food for both experts and beginners alike are blueberry bushes. Blueberry bushes are relatively easy to grow and once established can provide you and your family endless amount of berries for years to come.

One berry plant that has been the front runner as the most popular type of blueberry is the Bluecrop Blueberry that is a cultivar of the Highbush variety. These berry plants are self fertile, disease resistance, and offer clusters of white flowers and berries every year. They are one of the best options for home gardeners and experts alike.

In this article we will break down what exactly a Bluecrop Blueberry is as well as how they can be used in the kitchen. We will also explain how to successfully grow a Bluecrop bush and what it needs to thrive in any location.

What is a Bluecrop Blueberry?

Bluecrop Blueberry bushes are amazing plants that offer you huge white flowers clusters that eventually turn into light blue berries. These berries are perfect for various reasons, from their high yield to their various uses in the kitchen, making them insanely popular all over the United States.

Bluecrop Blueberries are a great variety if you are looking for a good amount of berries on a bush that is hardy and disease resistant. While many fruit trees and bushes take a while to establish themselves, you will be getting fruit off of your Bluecrop plant after the first year. Every year after your bush is established, you can expect to get 10 to 20 lbs of fruit every single July, making for a great choice for your backyard garden.

From showy white flowers to the light blue berries to the deep fall color, your self fertile blue berry bushes will add visual appeal to your yard all year long. Blue berries are loved by so many and having them conveniently located out your back door will provide a healthy snack readily available only a few steps away. Remember that they grow best in USDA zones 4-7 and are disease resistant, making them a perfect choice for all levels of gardeners.

What is the History of Bluecrop Blueberries?

The Bluecrop Blueberry Bush (Vaccinium Corymbosum Bluecrop) is also commonly referred to as the Northern Highbush by many people. The name highbush comes from being a cultivar of the highbush blueberry variety. Also, these plants often grow tall and wide which explains why they are part of the highbush famiy.

Bluecrop Blueberries do well in moist acidic soil and are native to North America where you could commonly find them in water logged areas. Bluecrops are a mid season variety that is thought to have been cultivated and grown by Native Americans many years ago. This plant is also an important food source to deers and other animals in the wild as well as bees in the spring.

This variety of blueberry has been the most popular bush to grow blueberriesin in the United States and all over the world. It has been so popular for so long because of its resistance to frost, incredibly high yields, and relatively low maintenance. Recently, there have been other varieties and cultivars that have risen in the ranks and currently compete with the Bluecrop variety.

How Does a Bluecrop Blueberry Taste?

While many see a blueberry bush and instantly think they can grab a berry straight off the bush to enjoy, Bluecrops have a sweet to tart flavor. You can enjoy a sweeter variety of blueberries by letting the berries fully ripen before you pick them off the plant. Typically, once they lose their shine they are at the perfect ripeness to pick.

Many people combine Bluecrops into jams and jellies as well as baked goods. Some people even love the tart flavor they offer and like to eat them straight off the bush; it all comes down to personal preference.

Bluecrops are loved by humans and animals alike, so if you are planning to use your berries in various recipes, it is recommended to cover your plant. There is specific bird netting you can buy and wrap your plant with before birds can have a feast on all of the delicious berries.

Another amazing benefit of Bluecrop Blueberry plants is that they attract bees for pollination, which keeps bees doing what they do best.

How to Grow a Bluecrop Blueberry Bush?

A Bluecrop blueberry bush is a heavy producer and can provide you with an incredibly bountiful harvest of 10 to 20 lbs of blueberries every summer. These blueberry bushes are self-pollinating yet can produce an even larger crop when it has the opportunity for cross-pollination with another blueberry bush, such as the Jewel Blueberry bush.

Not only do these blueberries produce amazing fruit year after year, but they also give you flashes of white flowers in the springtime that are a perfect accent in any yard. If you decide to plant multiple varieties of blueberries for a larger crop, ensure that they have the same bloom time. Also, make sure you space them at least four feet apart to provide enough room for them to grow and expand.

When choosing the optimal space for your blueberry bush, keep in mind that they will need at least four feet for them to grow both tall and wide. This variety of blueberries excels in hardiness zones 4 thru zone 7and is popular among many homeowners.

Soil and Sun Requirements

They also love acidic soil so testing your soil beforehand can help you decide whether or not to add amendments to the soil. Many times they will do well with the same amendments or food that you give to Azaleas and Camelias. Along the same lines, Azalesa, Camelias, and Bluecrops do well together and create a stunning border for any space.

Once you choose the perfect space for your Bluecrop Blueberry bush in full sun with good soil, you don’t have to worry about it outgrowing your space. Many blueberry bushes only grow about a foot a year, so leaving four feet on all sides is perfect to account for their growth every year.

The beauty of the Bluecrop blueberry variety is that they offer stunning colors, delicious fruit, and they are fairly easy to grow. They are very drought tolerant and can withstand a variety of soil types.

Diseases

You’ll want to stay alert for any signs of plant disease. To learn how to identify, treat, and even prevent some of the common ones, check out our article about Blueberry Bush Diseases.

Pests

It’s not just people who love blueberries and, chances are, you’ll end up dealing with a pest or two. For information about how to identify, eliminate, and deter pests, read our blog post on the 9 common pests you’ll encounter with blueberries.

Pruning

Over time you will need to prune back last year’s branches so you can help your bush focus on sending out more stalks and to make your blueberry plant more appealing. Pruning blueberries is crucial for plants that grow strong and healthy year after year.

Once established, you can expect to see beautiful white flowers in May, bountiful fruit in July, and have red fall color in October. A Bluecrop blueberry bush is a great choice for a year-round appeal that has you admiring the plant throughout every season. For more detailed information, read our guide on growing blueberries.

How to Use a Bluecrop Blueberry?

You can use Bluecrop blueberries in a variety of ways, both in the kitchen and outdoors.

When it comes to the outdoors, these blueberry bushes not only offer amazing spring colors but don’t lack stunning colors in the fall. During the fall months, the blueberry plants will turn to a deep crimson red that is a beautiful sight for all to see. Many people like to put the bushes around four feet apart, so they grow into a hedge that produces stark contrast to the typical green landscape.

Another way to use Bluecrop Blueberries is to can them to use later, freeze them for smoothies, and even turn them into jams and jellies that you can spread on a piece of toast. These plants produce such high crop numbers every year that you could truly experiment with a variety of recipes and still have some leftover to enjoy.

You can freeze these berries with ease by placing them on a cookie sheet and letting them freeze for a few days. After they are frozen well, you can transfer them to Ziploc baggies and pull them out when you need some berries for a baking recipe or to add to your morning smoothie.

Bluecrop plants also provide you with antioxidants and health benefits that you can grab right out your backdoor. They are also stocked full of bioflavonoids that offer you an immune booster and a high amount of antioxidants. Bioflavonids are known to treat allergies, arthritis, and more and are a great thing to add to any diet.

Blueberries are delicious in so many recipes; the possibilities are truly endless. Bake them into a cobbler to enjoy around a warm crackling fire or fold them into a pastry to enjoy in the morning hours. No matter how you decide to use your Bluecrop blueberries, they are sure to be a hit amongst your entire family.

Where to Buy a Bluecrop Blueberry?

You can find a Bluecrop Blueberry in a variety of local shops, but the easiest way to ensure you get the variety of bush you want you should take your search online. Online retailers like Nature Hills Nursery offer you fast delivery and the confidence that you will receive a healthy plant right to your door.

By purchasing this northern highbush variety online you minimize the amount of time spent driving around from nursery to nursery to try and find the plant you need. All you need to do to purchase online is add it to your shopping cart and go about your day. Many online retailers offer free shipping or promo codes that will make it even easier and cheaper to buy your blueberry bush online.

Because they are a mid-season variety that is highly popular to grow in the United States, you need to order your Bluecrop plants sooner rather than later. Remember to buy multiple varieties of blueberry plants to ensure proper cross-pollination that will typically produce higher yields and larger berries.

Bluecrop blueberry plants are a cultivar of the Northern Highbush and are one of the most popular blueberry plants not only in the United States, but around the world too.

FAQ

Are Bluecrop blueberries sweet?

Bluecrop blueberries have a sweet to tart taste that many people love to enjoy baked into a variety of baked goods as well as jams and jellies. Some people love to eat them off of the plant as well, just depends on how ripe the berry is.

How big do Bluecrop blueberry bushes get?

Bluecrop Blueberry plants typically reach around five feet tall and four to five feet wide.

How often to water Bluecrop Blueberries?

You should water your Bluecrop plants regularly especially if you are in an area that has hotter temperatures during the day. They love moist well drained and acidic soil and will thrive in this environment.

Conclusion

Blueberries are a great choice for those just starting out growing fruits and vegetables in their backyard as well as those that simply want to add another plant to their orchard. No matter what your experience level, Bluecrop Blueberry Bushes are incredibly popular because of their ease of growing as well as being disease resistant with high yields.

Besides offering you over 10 to 20 lbs of fruit after they are established, which is typically after their first year, they also offer stunning colors throughout the year. In the spring you can look out your window to see white showy flowers blanketing your blueberry bush. As summer comes around you will see light blue berries that begin to replace the white flowers you once saw. The amazing thing about this bush is the beautiful colors don’t stop there, a deep crimson red covers the tree in the fall months.

The Bluecrop Blueberry bush offers you tons of fruit that you can use in canning, making jams, or adding to pastries. It will also give you an abundance of berries that you can freeze to use later.

Excited for more blueberry content? Then check out our blueberry page to learn all about how to grow, care for, and harvest this delicious fruit!