I'm in the south and the "rabbit eye varieties are the most common; tifblue, premier, powderblue, etc. These varieties require very little maintenance. I never apply fungicide and only apply pesticide (malathion) twice in the spring after the berries have set to ward off cranberry fruitworms. Birds (bluejays, cardinals, woodpeckers) are the real issue after the berries ripen. They will attract some desirable birds like quail and a few turkeys who seem to like the berries that fall off and probably have worms inside. Deer seem to visit as we see tracks but don't seem to eat the plants or berries; I can't say the same for the other fruit trees we have like peach, apple, plum, nectarine, and figs. They do recommend keeping grass away for the base of the blueberry plants for the first few years to ensure better growth. Also, pick off the flowers the first year to help plant growth.
We have a couple of oriental persimmon trees in different varieties that are (fuyu and suruga). I perform no maintenance on these trees except to pick off excess fruit because they will break branches in good years. The leaves are deep green and the fruit turns orange early in the fall then stay on even when the trees are bare. I just looked on-line and they don't seem to grow Illinios, though.
Also, I agree with the negative assessment on the "dwarf" varieties. The trees do stay small but fruit set is very limited and fruit quality is poor, IMO.
1 ac pond LMB, BG, RES, CC
