Description
Sweetheart was released by the USDA in 2010 with one goal: a blueberry that crops twice. It delivers a heavy main harvest in early summer, then sets a second flush of flowers in late summer and ripens a smaller crop months later if the autumn stays mild enough to finish it.
It came from crossing a southern highbush selection with a northern highbush one, and it inherited a wide adaptation from both sides. It wants 700 to 800 hours of winter cold before it flowers, and it performs from the north well into the south. The berries are medium to medium-large, firm and sweet, and the compact 4 to 5 ft bush turns burgundy, orange and red in fall.
Overview
- Two crops in one season, early summer and again in fall.
- Medium to medium-large firm berries, sweet and good flavored.
- Compact at 4 to 5 ft with strong burgundy and orange fall color.
- A 2010 USDA release with a wide range of adaptation.
Growing Details
Latin Name: Vaccinium corymbosum ‘Sweetheart’
Site and Soil: Full sun; acidic, well drained soil, pH 4.5 to 5.5
Hardiness: Hardy to USDA Zone 4
Chill Requirement: 700 to 800 hours
Rootstock: Grown from cuttings or tissue culture
Bearing Age: Fruits right away; full production in 5 to 6 years
Size at Maturity: Upright and compact, about 4 to 5 ft
Ripening Time: Early season; June into July, with a second small crop in fall
Pollination: Self-fertile; a second blueberry variety improves size and yield
Additional Notes
- Grower’s Insight: The second crop depends on your autumn. A mild fall ripens it; an early hard frost does not, so plant it for the main summer crop and treat the second as a bonus.
- 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
