{"product_id":"brightwell-blueberry-vaccinium-virgatum-brightwell","title":"Brightwell Blueberry - Vaccinium virgatum 'Brightwell'","description":"\u003cp\u003eBrightwell Blueberry (\u003cem\u003eVaccinium virgatum\u003c\/em\u003e 'Brightwell') is an upright rabbiteye blueberry that gives a long run of fruit through summer. It grows to about 2m to 3m tall and 2m wide in a dense, rounded shape, with pale pink bell flowers in spring and clusters of deep blue berries to follow. Rabbiteyes need less winter chill than highbush blueberries, which makes this a good pick for milder gardens.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eWhy you'll love it\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eA long fruiting season.\u003c\/strong\u003e Brightwell ripens its berries over many weeks, so you pick handfuls through summer rather than facing one big flush.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNeeds less winter chill.\u003c\/strong\u003e As a rabbiteye it asks for fewer cold hours than highbush blueberries, which is why it suits milder climates.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePretty across the year.\u003c\/strong\u003e Pale pink bell flowers in spring, deep blue fruit in summer and good autumn colour. In cool climates the plant is deciduous.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eFeature shrub or informal hedge.\u003c\/strong\u003e The dense rounded habit looks tidy as a specimen, and a row of plants makes a loose fruiting hedge.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eFruits while young.\u003c\/strong\u003e Blueberries crop from an early age, which makes them a rewarding plant to grow with children.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eWhere it works best\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAs a feature shrub.\u003c\/strong\u003e Give it a sunny corner of the veggie patch or lawn edge and pick straight from the bush. Allow about 2m of clear space around it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eInformal fruiting hedge.\u003c\/strong\u003e Plant 1.5m apart in a single row for a soft hedge of around 2m that gives berries as well as privacy.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA pollination pair.\u003c\/strong\u003e Rabbiteye blueberries fruit best planted beside other varieties. Plant Brightwell with the later fruiting Powder Blue or Premier for the heaviest crop.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eGrowing Brightwell Blueberry in Australia\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePosition and climate.\u003c\/strong\u003e Full sun to part shade. Rabbiteyes are frost hardy and fruit well in heat and humidity, so Brightwell works across subtropical, warm temperate and cool temperate gardens. In cool climates it drops its leaves in winter after a good show of autumn colour.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSoil.\u003c\/strong\u003e Free draining, acid soil (around pH 4.5 to 5.5) with composted manure dug in before planting. Where the soil is alkaline, grow it in a large pot of acidic mix instead.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWater and feed.\u003c\/strong\u003e Lay a thick layer of mulch after planting to keep the shallow roots cool and moist, and water regularly through spring and summer while the berries swell. A light feed with an acid loving plant fertiliser in spring is plenty.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePruning.\u003c\/strong\u003e Prune in mid winter, taking out weak, crossing and the oldest stems so the bush keeps making strong new wood. If pests turn up, organic eco-oil deals with them.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eWhat to expect when it arrives\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe sell Brightwell Blueberry as tube stock: a young plant in an 80mm deep tube that establishes quickly and is the economical way to start several bushes. Plant it into prepared acid soil or pot it on, and mulch straight away.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOur grower supplies the tubes, so supply comes and goes. If the tube shows as sold out, the grower has none at the moment: press the notify button on the page and we will email you the day it is back.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePlants are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95. Every plant is covered by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003ePlant care guides and related reading\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"\/blogs\/blog\/blueberry-care-guide\"\u003eBlueberry care guide for Australia\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"\/collections\/edible-plants\"\u003eEdible plants and bush tucker\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"\/collections\/fruit-trees\"\u003eFruit trees for the home garden\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"\/blogs\/blog\/how-to-lower-soil-ph-a-guide-for-healthier-gardens-and-lawns\"\u003eHow to lower soil pH for acid loving plants\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eCommon questions\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eDo I need more than one blueberry plant?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt is best to. Blueberries fruit best planted alongside other varieties, rabbiteyes especially. Pair Brightwell with Powder Blue or Premier, which fruit later in the season, for the best crop.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eMy soil is alkaline. Can I still grow it?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYes, in a container. Fill a large pot with an acidic mix made for azaleas and keep it watered. In the ground it needs soil that is naturally acid or has been made so.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eWhen do the berries ripen?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBrightwell fruits through summer over a long season. Exact timing shifts with climate, earlier in warm gardens and later in cool ones.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Nursery Near Me","offers":[{"title":"Tube (Backorder)","offer_id":67790179959103,"sku":"VAC-VIR-BRIGHT-tube","price":18.95,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0691\/2917\/5359\/files\/brightwell-blueberry-vaccinium-virgatum-brightwell.jpg?v=1792195543","url":"https:\/\/nurserynearme.com.au\/products\/brightwell-blueberry-vaccinium-virgatum-brightwell","provider":"Nursery Near Me","version":"1.0","type":"link"}