Blueberry Scientific Experiment

Blueberry Scientific Experiment

Joseph Parish

As you may know by now my past goals were two-fold. First, years ago, I wanted to create designer grass, where those who walk on the grass would release specific smells that were breed into the genetics of the grass. Unfortunately, life caught up to me and I was forced back into reality without encountering my goal. The second concept which I wanted to develop was to create a pure black rose. Not one that was dyed or falsely created but a pure variety of rose. That too was set by the wayside since I had to work for a living. Yes, to those who may be wondering, Luther Burbank was my all-time hero.

It is not easy to be a plant breeder and experimenter when you are strapped by limited finds and lack all the proper equipment. Sure, I would love to have a modern micropropagation lab where I could clone plants at will or a huge greenhouse and plant lab fully equipped but alas, I must work within my limited means. One of the experiments which I am currently engaged in is to develop a larger variety of blueberry. Within the next month I will be working diligently on this project and I will keep everyone up to date on the progress I make. The sooner OI can get the preliminaries out of the way the quicker I can prepare the berry plants for spring growing.

Currently the largest blueberry is the OzBlue Blueberry from Australia. Through the natural breeding program developed by Dave and Leasa Mazzardis, they have created blueberries which are generally crispier, juicer, larger, and sweeter than the traditional varieties on the market today. The average OzBlue blueberry is around ¾ inch in size. My goal is to surpass that and achieve an even larger version.

Phase 1

Phase 1 of my experiment is to search the grocery stores in my area and located the largest blueberries which I can find. My goal here is obvious, I want to start with the largest blueberries I can locate and obtain the seeds from them. Our common lowbush blueberries are easily propagated from seed. Although the plants can eventually be set outside in prepared rows, we will initially restrict our growth to the greenhouse. Possibly in the string this phase 1 blueberry may be set outside in the field in January or February.

During phase 1 will be following the protocol described below.

After obtaining the necessary blueberries we will freeze them for 90 days. This process will start to break down the seeds rest period. Next we will need to extract the seeds from our frozen berries. For that we will need a kitchen blender.

Place 3/4 pf a cup of our thawed blueberries into the blender. Fill the blender 3/4 full with water. Place the cap on the blender and run at high speed for 15 seconds. Next allow the contents to stand for 5 minutes. This permits the seed to sink to the bottom leaving the pulp suspended in the water. Slowly pour off the pulp but make sure not to lose the seeds in the process. Add fresh water to the blender. Once again allow the seed to settle to the bottom. Slowly pour the water out again. Repeat this process over and over until all that remains is clean seeds. At that point remove the seed and spread them on a paper towel to dry.

The next step in the process is to sow the seed in a flat, 3″ plastic box filled with finely ground moist sphagnum moss. We will merely sprinkle the seed evenly over the moss then cover it with a very thin moss covering. One of the things that we must be careful of it not to make the covering too thick. Keep the moss moist but it should not be soaked. Place the flat in a warm room with a temperature of 60 to 70 degrees F and place newspaper over it.

If everything goes well the seed should germinate in one month at which time the newspaper should be removed. The seedlings which emerge will be extremely small. Once the seedlings begin to emerge place the container in a sunny window or like in our case the greenhouse. Keep the seedlings moist and allow them to continue to grow in the moss until they are two to three inches tall.

When it is time to transplant the seedlings, they will be carefully removed. Be especially cautious around the root system. Pot each of the seedling in three inches of peat in small plastic pots. Water well and in a sunny location. After three weeks fertilize the seedlings with a liquid fertilizer such as Start-N-Gro, at 1/2 the recommended rate.

When all danger of frost has past, the seedlings can be placed in the desired location. Water the location well all summer. Our plan is to fertilize with a 10-10-10 fertilizer at the rate of one pound per 100 square feet prior to planting outside. Next winter, being the seedlings first, we will mulch with straw. Our schedule is to accomplish this around November 1. When the following spring arrives and the buds start to swell, we will remove the straw. This will be the time that we will fertilize again with some 10-10-10 fertilizer at the rate of one pound per 100 square feet. Since blueberry plants like a lot of water we will keep them well supplied without them becoming waterlogged. At the age of two the plants should bloom and set a few berries. By year three we will be starting al over again with the largest of the crop.

As you can see this is not a simple and quick process as we see in many of our previous fun experiments, since it could take years to complete, however it is a challenge and actually if you’re like me very enjoyable. We will keep you updated every step of the way and if you are so inclined feel free to experiment along with us.

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