Climax blueberries.
An early-season variety for Mississippi.
- Chilling requirement: 400 hours to 450 hours.
- Ripening period: Ripens late May to early June in the southern growing region.
- Bloom period: Blooms late February to early March in southern growing region. Blooms and small fruit may require frost protection to prevent injury from late spring freezes. Climax is a widely planted early maturing blueberry variety that has become a standard to which other varieties are compared.
- Plant yield, vigor and growth habits: Plants are productive, upright and open.
- Berry qualities: Berries are small to medium size with good color, flavor and small dry scars. Fruit firmness is excellent.
- Harvest tehnique: Has concentrated ripening, may be harvested in two pickings. Excellent for mechanical harvesting for fresh market.
- Drawbacks: Has a poor cropping history due late spring freeze damage and poor leafing. As a result, popularity is declining among many growers.
- Breeding history: Released Jointly by the University of Georgia and United States Department of Agriculture-ARS in 1974; public release.
Reference:
Braswell, John. Establishment and Maintenance of Blueberries. 2009. Retrieved 30 April 2010.