Pink Lemonade Blueberries

[Aya]

Has anyone tried them? If so, what do they taste like? They're kind of pretty and I was thinking of sneaking in a plant or two based on everyone's input

[CharlieBear]

This is a very new variety. Even those of us who bought the first available plants only have a couple of berries on some of the plants, they are still too young. It is my understanding that they taste about the same according to data from the originator. Most people can't tell the difference between most of the varieties of blues to begin with, so this will probably be the case with these as well.

[Aya]

Well that's cool. I wasn't sure how new the variety was, so thought I'd ask around. I assume they're like golden raspberries - just a color variation? I bought my first golden raspberry plant this year so I'm not sure if they taste different or not.

[dearmad]

Got one last year. The plant has taken off nicely! It's vigorous for me and evergreen, so pretty in the winter.

Didn't get many berries on it this year as it was growing like crazy, but next year will be the test, I think.

The berries are ripening slower than the other varieties I have, looks like a few more weeks. Will taste them then!

[Aya]

Be sure to let us know how they turn out!

[dearmad]

So weeks ago, we ate the berries from this bush. They turn out to be mostly whitish/yellowy in color with a pink blush.

Their flavor was astoundingly good and complex- but not with as much juice as the other varieties I'm growing. So totally a worthwhile eating berry. Ripeness was easiest to tell by their texture, NOT the color as that varied a lot.

Flavor was EASY to tell apart from all other blue varieties I've had but still clearly a blueberry.

[CharlieBear]

I think you didn't wait long enough to pick those pink lemonade, mine are turning very pink. It appears that they are the late variety of blues, you treated them like mids I am afraid. I am going to leave them for about another week before I pick them.

[dearmad]

Nope I waited until some went through their entire life cycle to wrinkling in order to see what they would look like on my bush- they varied a lot amongst themselves, and taste is the decider. Perhaps variation in soil or something.

[CharlieBear]

Interesting, maybe there is more variety in this strain than was first thought. Out of curiosity are your bushes in full sun, mulched with pine needles or sawdust and is the ph about 5.6. That is the only way we could compare our plants at this point I guess.

[dearmad]

Mine are in full sun... BUT... that sun doesn't start until almost noon... then they get sun until sunset. They got peat moss when I prepped the bed for planting, and some acid fertilizer mix... (I checked the Ph with own kit prior and am more maintaining it now at about 5.8 or so... it could be down to 5.5 by now, but I didn't want to to rush it...

They also get some solid heat from a wall they are near- to their east.

Mulched with cocoa bean shells. Watered by weeping hose (the flexible kind that is not drip, but more weeps). https://www.homedepot.com/buy/outdoors-garden-center-watering-hoses/gilmour-5-8-in-x-25-ft-flat-soaker-hose-134686.html

Ph may have changed a bit since planting, but haven't checked lately. The plants are now putting on good foliage growth.

[CharlieBear]

Mine get sun all day until about an hour before sundown. They are in an area with other blues that used to be pine trees, so the soil was fine to begin with after the trees had to be removed for safety reasons.
I didn't fertilze them the first year at all, my soil is liked of silty, but has clay down quite a ways. They are well mulched and I water them twice a week only. We are both maritime NW and not that far apart really, so I am thinking either something in the soil or genetic variation.