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Blueberry (Duke) is among the most popular Northern Highbush blueberry varieties for home gardeners, prized for its early harvest window (typically the first highbush variety to ripen each season), its large, pale-blue fruits with a mild, sweet flavor, and its exceptional productivity on compact 4–6 foot bushes. Duke's fruits cluster tightly at the tips of branches, making harvest fast and efficient — critical for gardeners who want to pick quickly before birds find the ripening crop. The variety was developed by the USDA and released in 1987 specifically for northern growing conditions, exhibiting excellent cold hardiness and strong resistance to mummyberry disease, a fungal blight that devastates other highbush varieties. Duke requires at least 800–1000 hours of winter chilling and does best in zones 4–7.
Duke blueberries demand acidic soil in the pH range of 4.5–5.0 — this is the non-negotiable requirement that determines success or failure. Test your soil before planting and amend with sulfur if needed (work it in 6–12 months ahead of planting if possible for gradual acidification). For fastest results, plant in raised beds filled with a mix of 50% pine bark fines and 50% acidic topsoil or peat. Plant two or more Duke plants, or pair with another early-ripening highbush variety (Patriot, Bluecrop) for cross-pollination, which significantly improves berry size and yield. Apply 3–4 inches of pine needle or wood chip mulch, replenishing annually — this is the easiest way to maintain soil moisture and slowly acidify the soil as it breaks down. Fertilize with an acid-forming fertilizer (ammonium sulfate or a dedicated azalea/blueberry fertilizer) in early spring and again in late spring after flowering; avoid nitrate-based fertilizers. Net plants as berries begin to color — birds will strip a bush bare in a single day. Prune annually in late winter, removing any canes older than 6 years to maintain vigorous, productive wood.
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