Description
Reka is one of our favorites here, and the reason is that it performs where other blueberries are fussy. It grows well in light sandy soils, in peat, and in heavier clay loams, and it tolerates wetter ground than most of the crop will accept.
It also crops very heavily. The berries are medium to large, an attractive dark blue, with good flavor, and they come early in the season. The plant is very vigorous, upright and open to about 5 to 6 ft, and the one thing to keep on top of is pruning, because left alone it will overcrop itself and give you more small berries instead of fewer large ones.
Overview
- Very high yields of dark blue, good flavored, medium to large berries.
- Early ripening, among the first of the season.
- Adaptable to sandy, peaty and heavier clay soils, and wetter ground.
- Very vigorous and upright; prune to keep berry size up.
Growing Details
Latin Name: Vaccinium corymbosum ‘Reka’
Site and Soil: Full sun; acidic, well drained soil, pH 4.5 to 5.5
Hardiness: Hardy to USDA Zone 4
Rootstock: Grown from cuttings or tissue culture
Bearing Age: Fruits right away; full production in 5 to 6 years
Size at Maturity: Very vigorous, upright, open, about 5 to 6 ft
Ripening Time: Early season; June into July
Pollination: Self-fertile; a second blueberry variety improves size and yield
Additional Notes
- Grower’s Insight: Prune it every winter. Reka will overcrop itself if you let it, and the cost is berry size rather than berry count.
- Regional Insight: Blueberries crop best where winters are cold enough to meet their chill and the soil is naturally acid, which covers most of the country once the planting hole is prepared properly.
- Explore more berries in our collection: Berries
