Rabbiteye blueberries (Vaccinium virgatum) are grown in popularity all across the South. Part of the reason for the popularity of rabbiteye blueberries may be that no major pests have been indentified on them. As increasing numbers of northerners move south, the demand for blueberries will increase. Southerners have not yet discovered the outstanding quality of rabbiteye blueberries. They associate them with wild heckleberries and sparkleberries, which are in the Vaccinium family but are characteristically small and tasteless.
I. Appearance and Characteristics
Vaccinium virgatum (commonly known as rabbit-eye blueberry, smallflower blueberry or southern black blueberry ) is a species of blueberry native to the Southeastern United States, from North Carolina south to Florida and west to Texas.
Vaccinium virgatum is a deciduous shrub growing to 3 to 6 feet tall and with up to a 3-foot spread. The leaves are spirally arranged, oblate to narrow elliptic, 3 inches long and start red-bronze in the spring only to develop into a dark-green. The flowers are white, bell-shaped, 5 mm long. The fruit is a berry 5 mm diameter, dark blue to black, bloomed pale blue-gray by a thin wax coating. Cytology is 2n = 72.
II. How to Grow and Care
Sunlight
Rabbiteye blueberry thrives best in full sun conditions, necessitating at least six to eight hours of direct sunlight daily to optimize growth and fruit production. While it can tolerate partial sun, lesser light can lead to reduced yield and vigor. Rabbiteye blueberry’s leaves may exhibit adaptive responses to fluctuating light conditions, optimizing photosynthesis. Outdoors, rabbiteye blueberry should be planted in locations with unobstructed access to sunlight, avoiding shaded areas under larger trees or structures that could impede light intensity. Adequate light exposure is crucial for rabbiteye blueberry to maintain health and develop a robust root system and abundant berry crops.
Temperature
The rabbiteye blueberry has many cultivated species that have a wide adaptability to different temperatures. However, cold temperatures (T < 7 ℃) during dormancy are vital to helping them bloom the following year. The Lowbush Blueberry and the Northern High Blueberry usually need more than 800 to 1000 chill hours in an environment below 7 ℃. The Rabbiteye rabbiteye blueberry from the south also needs around 350 to 700 hours. It is important to pay attention to cold resistance and chill hours when selecting varieties.
The rabbiteye blueberry has a fibrous root system with shallow root distribution. Like other Ericaceae species, its roots with symbiotic fungi absorb water and nutrients from the soil. Therefore, the rabbiteye blueberry is neither drought-resistant nor flood-resistant, and requires careful adjustment of soil moisture.
Watering
Thriving in its native humid environment, rabbiteye blueberry has adapted to consistent moisture levels. It exhibits a preference for regular hydration without being waterlogged, maintaining a balance that supports its growth. Watering every week is ideal to mimic the natural conditions of rabbiteye blueberry. As an outdoor plant often found in temperate regions, rabbiteye blueberry benefits from mulching to retain soil moisture, which is particularly important during its fruiting season when water demand peaks.
Soil
Because the wild blueberries mostly grows on the edges of forests, they are accustomed to the acidic soil formed by dead branches and fallen leaves.Loose, acid soil (pH 3.8-5.5) with a good drainage performance and plenty of humus is best, with the optimum pH value being 4.5. Sandy soil and sandy loam are also preferred.
Soil acidity can be adjusted to cater to the rabbiteye blueberry. If the pH of your soil is between 5.5 and 7.0, sphagnum peat can be applied at a 10 to 15 cm thickness into the 0 to 150 mm top-layer of soil, before being fully mixed in. Sphagnum peat not only improves soil acidity, but also significantly increases the content of humus. If the pH of your soil is higher than 7.0, a raised ridge bed can be built and filled with soil that has the correct acidity. Back-filling soil should be 20 to 30 cm higher than the ground plane, and all roots must be covered in the soil layer below 0 to 150 mm.
Fertilizing
To ensure robust growth and abundant berry yields, rabbiteye blueberry thrives with balanced nutrition fertilizers, rich in nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. Apply a granular, slow-release formula in early spring as new growth emerges, and again just after fruit set, using recommended rates on the product label — typically 1 ounce per plant for first-year, increasing by 1 ounce each subsequent year, to a maximum of 8 ounces. Avoid over-fertilization which can harm roots and reduce fruiting. During dormancy, withhold fertilizers to prevent unnecessary growth spurts. Additionally, testing soil annually ensures rabbiteye blueberry’s unique nutrient needs are met, maintaining acid soil conditions crucial for rabbiteye blueberry’s health.
Pollination
Vaccinium virgatum is self-infertile, and must have two or more varieties to pollenize each other. Honeybees are inefficient pollinators, and carpenter bees frequently cut the corollas to rob nectar without pollinating the flowers. V. virgatum does best when pollinated by buzz pollination by bees, such as the native southeastern blueberry bee, Habropoda laboriosa.
Planting Instructions
Planting requirements for the rabbiteye blueberry differ between varieties. Ideally, use bag seedlings that are two to three years old when planting a rabbiteye blueberry, with the diameter of the base of the main stem being more than 5 mm.
If garden centers provide bare-root seedlings, these can be stored in a damp and dark environment before planting to keep them in dormancy. The criterion of “dampness” is that the roots must be kept moist, but not fully saturated. Ideal planting time is usually late winter or early spring, before the plant starts sprouting new buds. Soak the roots of bare-root seedlings in water for 3 or 4 hours before planting.
Two or more plants of different species, with the same florescence, can be planted at the same time. Pollination between different plants can increase the fruit setting rate, as well as the single fruit weight. For species with a larger plant shape, the spacing should be appropriately increased.
If you are planting rabbiteye blueberry into a pot, place this in a shaded and well-ventilated room for a week, before moving it outdoors and resuming with normal care. If on sloping land, avoid planting in locations where cold air stagnates, so that the plant is protected from frost during flowering. Adequate irrigation should also be carried out after planting. Maintain an organic mulch at a thickness of 5 to 10 cm throughout the year after planting.
A mulch such as broken wood sawdust, peat, pine needles and fallen leaves can help maintain soil acidity. As acidic organic matter degrades every year, the pH value of your soil needs annual monitoring, with adjustments as needed. Once the pH value of the soil is higher than 5.5, the rabbiteye blueberry roots cannot absorb iron, meaning that the edges of leaves will lose their green color and turn red. Growth will be stunted, and the plant could even die.
An acid peat soil mixture, while useful, takes effect slowly. If there are signs of an iron deficiency during the growing season, a chelated iron foliar fertilizer can be sprayed and a sulfur powder can be used to adjust the pH value of the soil.
Pruning
Pruning of young plants: After planting, for the first two or three years, the flower buds should be completely removed in the spring. This will promote growth, improve lifespan and boost future fruit yield. Pinch off any spindly shoots during the growing season to increase the number of sprouting lateral branches, so as to expand the tree crown.
Fruiting plant pruning: From the third year after planting, the rabbiteye blueberry should be pruned each year, before the sprouting of new buds in early spring. The annual branch bears fruits, and the stronger the branch is, the more fruits it bears. For mature plants, each cluster should retain 4 to 6 stems and 1 or 2 new branches each year, keeping the tree uniform and well-ventilated.
Because of the plant’s slow growth, pruning should be conservative. Excessive pruning will greatly affect the amount of fruits produced. Rabbiteye blueberry has both creeping and erect branches, and the erect should be retained as much as possible when pruning.
Propagation
This berry-bearing shrub is propagated efficiently through cuttings. For a successful growth, take semi-hardwood cuttings from healthy mother plants during the active growing phase. Prepare a well-draining soil mix, ensuring consistent moisture without waterlogging. Cuttings should be treated with a rooting hormone before planting to enhance root development. Protection from extreme elements aids in the establishment of young plants, which should display robust growth and resilience once established, eventually producing sweet, edible berries.
Repotting
Repot rabbiteye blueberry every 2-3 years to accommodate its moderate growth as a bush-forming plant. Best done in late winter, before spring growth begins, to minimize stress and encourage robust fruiting. Select a pot only slightly larger to ensure snug root fit. Post-repotting, give rabbiteye blueberry ample water and partial sun, avoiding harsh afternoon rays. Monitor soil moisture regularly to keep rabbiteye blueberry thriving.
III. Uses and Benefits
- Ornamental uses
Vaccinium virgatum is grown as an ornamental plant, especially for its fall colors, typically bright orange or red.
- Culinary uses
Berries of Vaccinium virgatum are edible and are used as sauces and syrups, and for breads, muffins, pancakes, and pies, and may have pain killing properties (antinociceptive effects).
IV. Harvesting and Storage
The rabbiteye blueberry fruiting period can last for several weeks. Fruit ripens when its surface turns bluish black. Due to inconsistent ripening of fruits, they should be harvested in batches. Harvest once every 2 or 3 days in full fruit period, and once every 3 or 4 days in both the initial and final fruit period, completing your harvest before the frost.
Gloves (finger sleeves) should be worn when picking fruits to avoid damaging them, which would affect their appearance and storage potential. When picking ripe fruits, gently hold the berries and tweak them clockwise to keep the peel intact. This will also help to prolong their storage period.
