URBAN AG
New ornamental blueberries Bred by UGA for home landscapes by Sharon Dowdy for CAES News Commercial blueberry varieties must also ripen at one time. In a home setting, gardeners like to pick a bowlful at a time, so they don’t mind an extended ripening season, NeSmith said.
Taking a second look Many of the blueberry plants bred by NeSmith did not meet commercial standards but produced pretty and large fruit or a plant with an attractive shape or foliage. He decided to take a second look at these plants for home gardeners and the edible-ornamental market.
On the campus in Griffin, Georgia, UGA blueberry researcher Scott NeSmith typically breeds new varieties to meet growers' needs. Now, he's released some ornamental blueberries that are perfect for growing in home landscapes and will help home gardeners grow their own fresh fruit.
For years, University of Georgia plant breeder Scott NeSmith has created
UAC MAGAZINE | FALL 2019
blueberry varieties for the commercial market. Now, he’s introduced a series of blueberry plants bred for home gardeners.
48
Blueberries have to travel long distances to get from farmers to consumers. These berries must be extremely firm when they’re picked so they can withstand mechanical harvesting, hold up through long-distance shipping and have a long shelf life, NeSmith said.
“You can’t have berries that leak and ooze while they are being shipped to market,” he said. “But in a home setting, it doesn’t matter because you are going to eat them right away.”
Representatives from the nursery industry also approached him and requested material specifically for home landscapes. They partnered with UGA to provide NeSmith with input and to test the edible-ornamental selections.
“A couple of these new ornamental blueberry releases are ultra-dwarfs and would make for a great patio plant. Others have attractive foliage during the growing season. You can enjoy the beautiful, colored foliage in the fall and winter; flowers in the spring; and delicious berries in the summer.” ~ Scott NeSmith
“We wanted these plants to produce goodtasting fruit,” he said. “Some produce small, dark berries, and some produce multicolored berries. Above all, you don’t have to worry about whether your kids or grandkids pick and eat them because they are safe to eat.” NeSmith continues to breed varieties for the home market, including a plant that produces clusters of blueberries and blue-green foliage and another that will hold berries on the bush
