SCIENTIFIC NAME: Vaccinium corymbosum hybrid 'Top Shelf'

COMMON NAME: Top Shelf Hybrid Highbush Blueberry

GARDEN SIZE: 3-6 feet tall x 3-6 feet wide

GROWTH RATE: Reaches maturity in 6-8 years

USDA ZONE: 4-8

CHILL HOURS: 700-1000

EXPOSURE: Full Sun

WATER & SOIL: Acidic, well-drained soil high in organic matter

HABIT (FORM): Multi-stemmed woody shrub with an upright, vase-like form

FOLIAGE: Deciduous with blue-green leaves that turn red-orange in autumn

FLOWERS: Clusters of small, bell-shaped, pink and white flowers

BLOOM TIME: Mid to late spring

HARVEST TIME: Mid to late summer

POLLENIZATION: Highbush blueberries like Top Shelf are self-fertile and produce some fruit in isolation, but they produce a better crop with a compatible partner nearby. Plant near at least one other highbush blueberry of a different variety that blooms around the same time to encourage cross-pollenization.

POLLENIZATION PARTNERS: Recommended partners for Top Shelf include other late-blooming highbush blueberries like Blue Ribbon, Bluecrop, Blueray, Patriot, and Sweetheart, as well as Bushel and Berry's 'Jelly Bean' and 'Perpetua'.

FRUIT: Extra large, powder-blue berries with a mild, sweet, slightly tropical flavor. Berries are firm and last well in storage.

CARE: When planting, condition the soil in an area twice the diameter of the root ball with peat moss or a soil conditioner like our Earthmix Landscape. Mix soil conditioner with existing soil in a 50/50 ratio.

Mulch with 2-6 inches of straw, wood chips, or other organic matter to help regulate moisture. Leave a gap of a few inches around the trunks to prevent damage to the stems from staying wet.

Blueberry bushes need about an inch of water every 7-10 days, though young bushes need a little more during their first growing season while they establish roots. If not enough rain has fallen, give a deep soak to the soil around the base of the plant once or twice per week. A good rule of thumb is 1 gallon of water per square foot of surface area under the canopy.

Fertilize each spring and fall with Holly-tone or another fertilizer made for acid-loving plants.

Prune in late winter to early spring while the plant is dormant. Remove weak canes and low-growing shoots that will be shaded by other limbs or touch the ground. If desired, cut taller canes down to within arm's reach to make it easier to harvest berries.

When your blueberry bush is about five years old, you may notice older canes becoming less productive. At this stage, begin cutting back 20% of the thick, gray, older branches to ground level each year. This will allow the canes to completely refresh themselves in a five year cycle.

PET SAFETY: May cause gastrointestinal issues in cats and dogs if consumed in large amounts, but not commonly eaten by pets. Always research further if you have concerns, as reactions can occur with anything. Also, remember to check the safety of any fertilizers or pesticides applied to your plants.

USES: Edible berries, hedges, borders, fall color

HISTORY: Top Shelf was first bred in Lowell, Oregon by Fall Creek Farm and Nursery, Inc. in 2007 and is exclusive to the Fall Creek Genetics company. It has a colorful heritage, with contributions from a number of native blueberry species. One of Top Shelf's parents, Draper, is primarily a northern highbush but boasts genes from V. tenellum, V. ashei, and V. darrowii. Its other parent, Magnolia, is a southern highbush of unspecified ancestry, but all southern highbushes are hybrids of V. corymbosum and other cultivars, making Top Shelf a true melting pot. The new variety, notable for its jumbo-sized berries that last well in storage, was patented in 2014. It is recommended for regions with high chill hours but relatively mild winters.