Sunshine Blue Blueberry is a Southern Highbush selection that produces firm and tangy dime-sized berries. A natural dwarf, Sunshine Blue's compact rounded habit make it an ideal plant for landscape and patio container use.
Water well in dry spells and mulch the plants annually each spring with compost. Mulching is highly beneficial to keep soil moisture even.
Little pruning is necessary in the first 2 years other than to shape the bush and remove dead branches. Restrict cropping; by removing flower buds, until a strong branch framework has developed, aim for a vase shape with an open centre. Fruit is produced on year-old wood. From the third year pruning is essential to maintain fruit size and quantity. Prune the bushes annually in winter; retain 4 to 6 older stems each year and encourage 1 or 2 new shoots. Please note: Blueberry 'Sunshine Blue' is semi-dwarf with a dense habit of growth and requires very little pruning.
"Sunshine Blue" blueberries are considered a southern highbush variety, meaning they are hybridized for low winter chilling, a measure of accumulated hours of temperatures below 45 degrees Fahrenheit in the dormant season.
Vaccinium 'Sunshine Blue' has no toxic effects reported. Blue-green foliage and showy pink to white flowers provide ornamental value, followed by an abundant crop of fruit.
