Tangerines or Blueberries?

[voyager]

It is April.
Just finished spraying my newest Honey Tangerine for the second time with a fungicide.
It came down with scab a couple of years ago.
I did nothing about it.
It came back with a vengance last year.

A month or so ago, I pruned most of the infected branch tips.
I sprayed it with a fungicide when blossoms first appeared 2 to 3 weeks ago.
It now has new growths sprouting all over it.
It looks pretty good with a lot of blossoms developing, and little to no infections on the new leaves.

The older Honey Tangerine has developed very poorly.
I'm convinced it is a runt because of being planted near where water accumulates during rains.
I think it gets wet feet causing it to grow much more slowly and bear much less and smaller fruit.

I'm thinking of pullin the older Honey and a small Ohia out, then putting some blueberries in that wetter area.
In the Pacific Northwest blueberries tend to do well in boggier areas.
Warm area highbush blueberries like Saphire, Biloxi, Emerald, and Sharpblue are supposed to do quite well around here.
I've seen some at HD on occasion.
I miss having access to gathering blueberries.
I'm thinking of putting in maybe 10 or more bushes.

Anyone experienced with blueberries in a subtropical zone (Hawaii)? 

 

[bsbullie]

Do yourself a favor and reach out to Oscar at Fruit Lovers Nursery in Pahoa.

[voyager]

Don't think he'll have what I'm looking for.
But, I'LL never know until I check him out.

He hides his location, but I found him.
He's near here and apparently suffered a lot of damage from the eruption.
At least he complained a lot about it.
He does appear to have trees, but says he mainly does seeds now.
I have no interest in seeds, or trees either.
What I'll be looking for are shrubs.
I see nothing like that, but it's hard to be certain from arial photos.
In a few days I'll probably take a turn by to check him out.
Not very likely he'll have what I want, but never know.

I will check with HD, and with some mainland sources.
Shipping is usually a killer when dealing with the mainland.
We'll see how it works out, no big rush.

[bsbullie]

He may not have what you want but his knowledge exceeds most, probably everyone on this site and especially for your area, where he could help provide you assistance and guidance.

[voyager]

I spent last night going through the i-net looking at possible BB options.
Getting them from the mainland can be done but is problematical.
But, I have made my decision on how I'll do it and what I'll get.

The Tangerine I put in 4 or 5 years ago:




The Tangerine put in by the previous owner possibly as long as 10 years or more ago.
It is a waste of space and is coming out.
 



I will be removing the older, runtier tree, replacing it with a blueberry planting after making the necessary preparations for them.

[Groovyfruit]

I realize that we all have our regional limitations-- 
Here in inland SoCal we have Oranges and Avocados in abundance-- southern highbush blueberries do well too.  I do think there is something like 100 chill hours needed so i'm not sure how Hawaii ranks in those categories.
If only I could grow a Mango or a Papaya-- those end up being a 8 out of 10 on the difficulty scale here due to our wet cold winters.

[happyhana]

Your probably familiar with all the publications from CTAHR, there’s a couple on blueberries:

“Growing blueberries outside in the soil is generally so challenging that most gardeners soon give it up“
https://www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/oc/freepubs/pdf/F_N-46.pdf

[voyager]

Yeah, papaya doesn't grow well around here either.
I've tried several times with different types
All had the same results, bad tasting fruit attacked by mold spots.
As near as I can figure, it's because of the wetness.

EDIT:
The normal coolest winter temps seen here are about 63°F
During The  mainland's cold spell last wilter, we did get down to 56°F'
We seen to be categorized as Zone 10.

& yeah, got many d/l's of info from CTAHR.
Even though they're now dated, they're  my primary source for making choices.

HD does carry Emerald plants at certain times of the year.
I can order Emerald and Biloxi from them online for store pickup. I'd also like to find a source for Sapphire, and, maybe Sharpblue.

But, Emerald and Biloxi have low chill requirements and should give me plants that can gain through cross pollination.
Getting some Sapphire might be good also.
They're just not as easily found around here.

I bought a chipper and am chipping up palm fronds, weed tree cuttings and weed pullings.
I'll use my truck to pull the runt and small Ohia up running them through the chipper.
Then rototill the area where those trees are now adding chippings and other organics to make soil for the BBs.

The BBs I'm thinking of run in  the 5' to 8' x 6' dia range and should be good bearers.
Maybe only 6 to 8 shrubs would do for my needs as they mature.

[Galatians522]

While I don't know how they do in Hawaii, we have grown all the bluberries on your list here in central Florida except Biloxi. Emerald is large and low chill, but does not have the best flavor in my opinion. Sapphire is very productive and tastes good, but has disease trouble. Sharpe Blue is the original and is still my favorite tasting Florida bluberry. It has a lot of wild genetics, so fruit size is variable, but it is pretty resistant to most diseases. I have seen some of these varieties fruit with a light crop (maybe a dozen berries per bush) in November. No chill was accumulated over Florida's summer, so I suspect that some fruit can be produced on these without chill (I'm not sure how much bigger the crop would have been if the bushes had not fruited at the regular time), but don't expect production to be anything like it was in the NW.

Vaccinium species vary widely in drainage needs with everything from cranberries that grow in boggs to several bluberry species native to florida that need almost cactus levels of drainage. Southern high bush is among the group that needs fairly good drainage. The plant will survive wet feet for a while, but it makes them susceptible to phytopthora root rot. You might consider making a raised bed/mound of pinebark fines (quarter size and smaller) mixed with peat moss and growing above ground level. This will solve the drainage problem and give you acid soil to start with.

Have you ever thought about growing 'Ohelo berry? It is Hawaii's native version of the blueberry.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=http://www2.hawaii.edu/~eherring/hawnprop/vac-reti.htm&ved=2ahUKEwiyg4CY1pDwAhUDTawKHdMxBA8QFjAYegQIExAC&usg=AOvVaw07rAuiXZyWmfpV2DL6TMv4&cshid=1619054174247

[voyager]

My plan for blueberries is still morphing.
The area I'm now thinking of putting them in is up near where the fruit trees are, a higher and much better drained location, where I have already built soil for the trees.
I do get high rainfall amounts, but except for where the water tends to accumulate during those very high amount periods, the property is mostly very well drained.

This is a volcanic island.
My place is on a 250 year old lava flow.
A moderate age for the area.
We're in Lava Zone 1.
Lava is quite porous.
Pretty sure the wetter area is caused by it not being as deeply rippable due to the structure of the lava flows.
That area is probably underlain by blue rock.


The Property is ripped as is usual for this area, a D9 with a ripping attachment was brought in to level the driveway, yard, and house area.
Some of the flatlander city people that come in here will have their entire lot ripped so they can have a full acre of lawn.

2/3 of my lot is still  jungle covered a-a lava.
One could break a leg trying to walk thru those areas.
Ripping was deep enough for most of the yard area to give good soil potential and drainage.
To grow more than weeds, one has to build soil in the ripped areas.
The yard grows almost as many rocks as grass.
I have enlarged the yard area to add the fruit trees by hauling and piling rocks elsewhere.
I still have to gather the rocks that grow out of the lawn.
The mower tends to complain a lot when I don't.

The plan is still not firm yet.
I'm now down to maybe 6 bushes in a 6' X 9' area further back on the lot.

I have thought about 'Ohelo.
Can't find any sources other than going into the National Park to steal some.
Don't want them bad enough to chance doing that.
Plus, I have picked and eaten them in the park.
They're at best imitation BBs.

[Dmaxx69]

Brah... I have fruiting blueberry bush in my front yard in HPP!! There are several places that sell the plants out here. Homedepot for sure has little ones and also check out the small nursery on 14th and Makuu here in my neighborhood. There is also Howard at the Makuu farmers market. They grow fine here as long as you plant with lots of cinder for drainage and i mixed in wood chips to the soil as well. The berries are decent. Im from washington originally so know what an awesome berry tastes like. Aloha

[zands]

Blueberries make a mess and take too long to gather. I would put in a grape vine. There is more sweetness in grapes. Black ones come with  built in Resveratrol

[voyager]

@ Dmaxx69
I will check the nursery in HPP.
I don't go into the Macuu market since they upped the parking charge again.
The produce stalls reduced in numbers, so been going to  the Kea'au market for produce.
Just saw that the Pahoa market is supposed to be reopening.
I'll check it out Sunday or whenever.

I grew up in Washington and then lived in Alaska for 35 years.
I too know what a real blueberry is, based on wild berries.
What I also miss are what we called huckelberries, the orange blueberry types from the West side of the mountains.
But, I'll probably never see one them again.

Its very heartening to get a firsthand report on their being grown in the area.
You are in a warmer, drier location at a lower elevation.
If blueberries can do well there, I can get them to well here.

@ zands,
I wouldn't waste the effort or space to grow grapes.
I very rarely buy them from  a grocery even though they're there all the time.
I buy more cups of BBs even though they cost a lot more.
I enjoy picking BBs, never get much mess from them, probably due to a lifetime of practice.
The highbush cultivars, if cultivated well. should have clumps in fairly large numbers making picking much easier, but picking is part of the fun.
Probably more go into my mouth than the bucket.