Blueberries – Cross Pollination

Q: I’m very confused about which varieties of blueberries I must plant together to achieve cross-pollination. I bought ‘O’Neal’ and ‘Chippewa’ from big box stores. Will they cross-pollinate?

A: My smartphone is my best resource when I see a plant I don’t know much about at a big box store. Although I have gotten some real finds there, these stores often stock plants that are not appropriate for our area. ‘Chippewa’ was bred for the northern U.S. and requires too many cold days to grow well here. ‘O’Neal is a Southen highbush blueberry and is usually self-pollinating. However the berries will be larger if two varieties are planted together. Look for ‘Blue Ridge’ or ‘Star’. Don’t forget that rabbiteye blueberries like ‘Alapaha’, ‘Tifblue’ and ‘Delite’ are very well adapted to the metro area.