The Windsor Blueberry Plant produces the largest fruit of any of the Southern Highbush Blueberry varieties. They have a low chill hour requirement of 300 to 400 hours, and are suggested for planting in the ground in USDA Zones 7 to 10. Windsor Blueberry Plants grow to 6 feet tall and 4 feet wide, and can take cold temperatures down to 15ºF. With dark blue-green foliage and dense growth habits, Windsor Blueberry Plants make beautiful edible landscape hedges.
Windsor Blueberries are large, crisp, juicy, and sweet. They are considered one of the highest quality dessert Blueberries, and are perfect for eating fresh, juicing, baking, and for making preserves. Windsor Blueberry Plants bloom in early March and the fruit is ripe from late April through May. Plant one or more Windsor Blueberry Plants with another Southern Highbush Blueberry variety for cross-pollination, and enjoy home grown crops of delicious, nutritious Blueberries.
Windsor Blueberry Plant Care
Windsor Blueberry Plants do best in well drained, rich, acidic soil. The ideal soil pH for Windsor Blueberry Plants is 4.0 to 5.0. To increase soil acidity, add elemental sulfur or rich compost. Windsor Blueberry Plants will benefit from a few inches of mulch which will help keep the soil moist and prevent weeds. Good choices for Buleberry Plant mulches are pine straw and oak leaves, because both will slowly add acidity to the soil over time.
It is a good practice to prune Windsor Blueberry Shrubs in late winter. Cut out any dead or damaged branches, and prune taller stems to keep the plant at a manageable height. Water new plants two or three times each week for the first three months. Water established Windsor Blueberry Plants once a week or when the soil is dry down to two inches deep. Treat Windsor Blueberry Plants in spring and summer with horticultural oil or fungicide to prevent fungi.
Fruit & Harvesting
The Windsor Blueberry Plant grows the biggest fruit of the Southern Highbush Blueberries. The berries are high eating quality with crisp skins and a sweet, juicy pulp. Windsor Blueberry Plants produce heavy yields and a healthy shrub can deliver as much as 20 pounds of blueberries each year. Windsor Blueberry Plants are fast growers and can begin producing fruit in two years after planting.
Harvest Windsor Blueberries by hand from late April through May when the berries are deep, dusty blue and taste sweet with a slight tartness. Windsor Blueberries are not only flavorful, they are nutritious. Blueberries have high amounts of antioxidants, vitamin C, and fiber. Blueberries are eaten fresh, or baked into pies, muffins, and cakes. The fresh berries are also great in cold cereal, salads, and oatmeal. For long-term storage blueberries can be frozen or made into preserves.
Advice
Windsor Blueberry Bushes need to be grown with another Southern Highbush Blueberry variety plant for cross-pollination in order to produce fruit. Good pollinators for Windsor Blueberry Plants include Star, O’Neal, and Rebel. Plant cross-pollinating plants within thirty feet of each other. Potted Windsor Blueberry Plants can be moved closer to each other when the plants are in bloom. Windsor Blueberry Plants can be fertilized with berry fertilizer in spring and summer.
Plant Windsor Blueberry Plants in early spring when there is no chance of frost. Remove grass and weeds from a six-foot circle, and dig a hole twice as wide and deep as the rootball. Backfill the bottom of the hole with compost and then position the rootball so the rootball surface is even with the surface of the ground. Fill the surrounding hole with compost and water in well. Windsor Blueberry Plants can be arranged in a hedge or as single specimens.
FAQs
Where does the Windsor Blueberry Plant come from?
Windsor Blueberry Plants were developed by the University of Florida and released for cultivation in 2000.
When do Windsor Blueberries bloom?
Windsor Blueberry Plants bloom in early March and the bluberries ripen from the last weeks of April through May.
When is the best time to pick Windsor Blueberries?
The best possible time to pick Windsor Blueberries is in the early morning, which helps reduce scaring or tearing of the berry skins.
Do Windsor Blueberry Plants need a pollinator?
Yes. Windsor Blueberry Plants need a pollinator to grow fruit. Good choices are other Southern Highbush Blueberry varieties such as Star, O’Neal, or Rebel.