SCIENTIFIC NAME: Vaccinium corymbosum hybrid 'ZF06-043' PP 23325

COMMON NAME: Bushel and Berry 'Peach Sorbet' Hybrid Highbush Blueberry

GARDEN SIZE: 1.5-2 feet tall x 1.5-2 feet wide

GROWTH RATE: Reaches maturity in 6-8 years

USDA ZONE: 5-10

CHILL HOURS: 300

EXPOSURE: Full Sun

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

HABIT (FORM): Multi-stemmed woody shrub with a dwarf, compact, rounded form

FOLIAGE: Deciduous green leaves that display showy, pink and orange new growth during the growing season and turn deep purple in fall. May be evergreen in some climates.

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 Peach Sorbet 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 Peach Sorbet include early- to mid-blooming southern highbush cultivars like Bountiful Blue or Bushel and Berry's 'Blueberry Buckle' and 'Sapphire Cascade'.

FRUIT: Medium-sized, light blue berries with a mild, sweet flavor

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, container planting, borders, fall color

HISTORY: A mishmash of northern and southern highbush varieties contribute their genes to the unique coloring and compact size of this cultivar. Peach Sorbet's family tree includes Toro, a cross of Earliblue and Invanhoe, as well as Sunshineblue and other unnamed strains. A patent for Peach Sorbet (aka 'ZF06-043') was issued to Fall Creek Farm and Nursery, Inc. of Lowell, Oregon in 2013. Peach Sorbet shares the same ancestry as fellow Bushel and Berry offerings Pink Icing and Silver Dollar.