10 Chandler Blueberry Starter Plugs – Vaccinium corymbosum Live Plants

Overview

Bring the joy of fresh, homegrown fruit to your garden with these 10 Chandler Blueberry Starter Plugs. The ‘Chandler’ blueberry, scientifically known as Vaccinium corymbosum, is a highly sought-after Northern Highbush blueberry variety specifically bred for its exceptionally large and incredibly flavorful berries. These aren’t your average blueberries; many gardeners describe them as being up to the size of a quarter! This robust and upright shrub is not only a prolific producer but also offers significant aesthetic value, boasting delicate white flowers in the spring and vibrant, colorful foliage in the fall. Ideal for North American climates, these starter plugs provide a strong foundation for establishing a thriving blueberry patch that will yield an abundance of fruit for years to come. Growing your own Chandler blueberry live plant ensures you get to enjoy the freshest, most delicious berries right from your backyard.

What sets the ‘Chandler’ apart is its remarkably long ripening season, which can extend for up to six weeks, typically from mid-July to mid-August. This prolonged harvest means a continuous supply of fresh berries, perfect for eating fresh, baking, or preserving. Whether you’re a seasoned gardener or just starting, these easy-to-grow starter plugs make cultivating your own delicious blueberries accessible and rewarding. Get ready to enjoy an unparalleled blueberry experience with these high-quality starter plants.

Key Benefits

Choosing the ‘Chandler’ blueberry for your garden offers a multitude of advantages, combining bountiful harvests with ornamental beauty. This particular variety stands out for several compelling reasons:

• Exceptional Fruit Size and Flavor: The primary draw of the Chandler blueberry live plant is its incredibly large berries, often reaching the size of a quarter. These berries are not only big but also boast a superior, sweet flavor, making them a favorite for fresh eating, desserts, and preserves.
• Extended Harvest Season: Enjoy fresh blueberries for longer with the ‘Chandler’s’ unique six-week ripening period, typically from mid-July to mid-August. This extended yield ensures a continuous supply of delicious fruit throughout the summer.
• Vigorous and Upright Growth: This Northern Highbush blueberry is known for its strong, upright growth habit, forming a vigorous shrub that can reach significant size, contributing to a healthy and productive plant.
• Ornamental Appeal: Beyond its fruit production, the ‘Chandler’ blueberry adds beauty to the landscape with attractive white bell-shaped flowers in spring, followed by lush green foliage that turns brilliant shades of red and orange in the fall.
• Reliable Producer: As a well-established and proven variety of Vaccinium corymbosum plants, the ‘Chandler’ offers consistent and abundant yields when provided with proper care, making it a reliable choice for home gardeners.
• Good for Pollination: While self-fertile, planting with another Northern Highbush variety can often enhance fruit set and yield, ensuring a robust harvest of your large blueberry variety.

Plant Care & Growing Tips

To ensure your Chandler blueberry live plant thrives and produces an abundance of its signature large berries, proper care is essential. Blueberries, including this specific Northern Highbush blueberry, prefer acidic soil conditions. Aim for a soil pH between 4.5 and 5.5. If your soil is naturally alkaline, you may need to amend it with sulfur or peat moss to lower the pH. A well-draining, organic-rich soil is crucial; consider incorporating compost or aged pine bark fines to improve soil structure and acidity. These plants are typically hardy in USDA zones 4-8, tolerating a range of climates but requiring a certain number of chill hours to produce fruit.

When it comes to sunlight, ‘Chandler’ blueberries require full sun exposure, meaning at least 6-8 hours of direct sunlight per day. Adequate sunlight is vital for flower and fruit development. Consistent moisture is also important, especially during the fruiting season. Water deeply and regularly, ensuring the soil remains consistently moist but not waterlogged. Overhead irrigation should be minimized to prevent fungal diseases. Mulching with pine needles, wood chips, or sawdust is highly recommended to help retain soil moisture, suppress weeds, and maintain soil acidity. Fertilize in early spring with a fertilizer formulated for acid-loving plants, such as azalea or rhododendron fertilizer, or a specific blueberry fertilizer. Avoid fertilizers containing nitrates, which can be harmful to blueberries.

Pruning is key to maintaining plant health and maximizing fruit production. For young plants, focus on establishing a strong framework. For mature plants, prune in late winter or early spring while dormant. Remove any dead, damaged, or weak canes. Thin out older, less productive canes to encourage new growth that will bear fruit. Regular pruning also improves air circulation and sunlight penetration, further reducing disease risk and promoting a healthy Vaccinium corymbosum plant. Protecting young plants from birds with netting as berries ripen is also a good idea to ensure you get to enjoy your harvest.

Size & Details

This offering includes 10 Chandler Blueberry Starter Plugs, providing a robust start for your blueberry patch. These starter plugs are young, healthy plants, typically shipped bare root without a pot to ensure safe and efficient transport. Upon arrival, they will be ready for immediate planting in your prepared garden bed or larger containers. The ‘Chandler’ blueberry is known for its vigorous growth, eventually forming a substantial shrub. Mature plants can reach heights of 5-6 feet and spread equally wide, making them a significant addition to your garden landscape. The growth rate is moderate, with plants typically beginning to produce a significant harvest within 2-3 years of planting, with full production achieved in 5-7 years. The long ripening season, from mid-July to mid-August, is a defining characteristic, providing an extended period to enjoy the fruits of your labor from this exceptional large blueberry variety.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Q: How big does a Chandler blueberry plant get? A: A mature Chandler blueberry live plant typically reaches a height and spread of 5-6 feet. Its vigorous, upright growth makes it a prominent feature in the garden, providing ample space for its large fruit production.
• Q: What size pot does it come in? A: These 10 Chandler Blueberry Starter Plugs are shipped as bare root plants, meaning they arrive without a pot. This method ensures the plants are compact for shipping and ready to be transplanted directly into your garden or a larger container upon arrival.
• Q: Is this an indoor or outdoor plant? A: The ‘Chandler’ blueberry is an outdoor plant, best suited for cultivation in garden beds or large outdoor containers where it can receive full sun and proper chilling hours. It is a true Northern Highbush blueberry, adapted to outdoor environments.
• Q: How much sunlight does it need? A: For optimal fruit production and plant health, your Vaccinium corymbosum plants require full sun exposure, which means at least 6-8 hours of direct sunlight per day. More sun generally leads to more berries.
• Q: Is this plant easy to care for? A: While blueberries have specific soil and pH requirements, once established in the correct conditions, the ‘Chandler’ blueberry is relatively easy to care for, requiring consistent watering, annual fertilization, and routine pruning.
• Q: How long until it blooms and produces fruit? A: You can expect your Chandler blueberry live plant to begin flowering and producing a small amount of fruit within 1-2 years. Significant harvests typically begin in 2-3 years, with full production achieved in 5-7 years.
• Q: What kind of soil does this large blueberry variety prefer? A: The ‘Chandler’ blueberry thrives in acidic, well-draining soil with a pH between 4.5 and 5.5. Amending your soil with peat moss or pine bark is often necessary to achieve these conditions.
• Q: Will it survive winter in my zone? A: The ‘Chandler’ blueberry is hardy in USDA Zones 4-8. It requires a certain number of chill hours (typically 800-1000 hours below 45°F) to produce fruit, making it suitable for cooler temperate climates.
• Q: What condition will the starter plugs arrive in? A: Your 10 Chandler Blueberry Starter Plugs will arrive as healthy, dormant or semi-dormant bare root plants, carefully packaged to ensure their vitality during transit.
• Q: Is it necessary to plant more than one Chandler blueberry plant? A: While ‘Chandler’ blueberries are self-fertile, planting multiple blueberry varieties, especially another Northern Highbush blueberry, can often lead to improved pollination, larger fruit set, and higher yields.