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How Close Is Too Close for a Blueberry Plant?

CREDITS: Martin Zapien, Md Zohurul Kadir Roni, Gerardo H. Nunez

Grower 411

A common question I’m asked is, “What do you do in the off-season?” The answer is simple: We hustle. The off-season is our time to plan, budget, and forecast for the next harvest. Planting and growing healthy bushes are fundamental parts of our work, but many other factors are crucial to our success. Pre-harvest realities can set in earlier than expected, and shifting policies, pests, weather, and labor add layers of complexity.

Pesticide Efficacy Hinges on Spray Water pH

Virtually all blueberry fields in Florida are subject to late winter or early spring freezes, which can cause serious reductions in yield. This is a list of activities for freeze preparation. The list was originally published by Mike Mainland in the North Carolina Blueberry News, Vol. 7, No. 1 and has been modified by IFAS faculty and FBGA board members.

Soil Moisture Sensors Can Help Boost Florida Blueberry Production

Hurricanes and tropical storms can result in damage to Florida blueberry farms in three primary ways – wind damage, flooding, and disease resulting from plant damage or post-storm environmental conditions.

Research Aims to Develop Nitrogen Fertilizer Guidelines for Florida Blueberries

Weed management can be a significant problem for organic blueberry production. The key practices are sanitation and prevention. These practices prevent weed seed from entering the soil profile and becoming problematic. Sanitation practices include cleaning weed seed off equipment between fields, maintaining field edges, and using weedfree plant material. If weeds begin to emerge in the field; use the methods below to prevent the weeds from producing seeds and create a growing problem. 

In late May, President Trump’s Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) Commission released its Make Our Children Healthy Again Assessment, outlining the “dietary, behavioral, medical and environmental drivers” behind the decline in American children’s health. The report lays the foundation for evidence-based policy reforms and cultural shifts aimed at reversing this trend. A national strategy will follow in August, with the 2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGAs) expected later this year.

Plant Diagnostic Center Serves Invaluable Role in Florida Blueberry Industry

The 2025 Florida blueberry season proved to be a case of “better late than never” for many growers. A delayed start, caused by a cold January and the lingering effects of an active 2024 hurricane season — including Hurricane Milton in the south and Hurricane Helene to the north — set back many growers. Although yield volumes were generally considered average, harvest prices remained strong through late April and into May, transforming a challenging start into a successful season for most.

Summer Is Prime Time for Blueberry Gall Midge to Feast on Floral and  Vegetative Buds 

There are two species of blueberry gall midges (BGM) infesting blueberry plantings  in Florida. Dasineura oxycoccana (Johnson) is an important pest of Vaccinium species, including southern highbush blueberry, and feeds on developing floral and leaf buds. Prodiplosis vaccinii (Felt) is a BGM species that typically feeds almost entirely on leaf buds during summer months. The feeding injury caused by the larvae of these pests is observed as dieback from leaf tips, crumpled and withered buds (Figure 1), leading to reduced plant vigor, increased susceptibility to secondary infections, and reduced yields by up to 80% in the case of damaged floral buds. In Florida, populations of BGM have been recorded on blueberry farms throughout the north-central and central regions of the state. 

The table below lists suggested blueberry management items for July - September. Suggested management items for the entire calendar year are available in an EDIS publication, Calendar for Southern Highbush Blueberry Management in Florida (https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/HS1363). Specific disease, insect, and weed controls are listed in the 2024 Florida Blueberry IPM Guide (https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/HS380), as well as in subject-specific publications referenced below. Also, a list of all UF EDIS blueberry publications can be found at www.blueberrybreeding.com/blog, along with a summary description and link to each.

Hurricanes can have significant impacts on Florida blueberry operations, including wind damage (uprooting and defoliation), flooding, and disease. Blueberry growers should consider the following pre-storm preparations and post-storm management items to help minimize these impacts.

Steady Market Prices Make for Successful Season

by RYAN MILEJCZAK

Top Summer Practices to Prime Your Field for Success

Summer is a critical period for the growth of new fruiting wood, which is needed for the following year’s blueberry crop. The goal is to produce vigorous and healthy summer growth that will initiate flower buds in late summer and fall that will form the bases for next year’s crop. Along with postharvest pruning, fertilization, and pest and disease management, proper irrigation practices are critical for producing healthy summer growth of sufficient vigor to sustain productivity year after year. A typical blueberry field in Florida often consists of a light sandy soil with pine bark incorporated into the soil, or with beds of pine bark on top of the soil surface. The pine bark provides organic matter and helps maintain an acidic soil pH. However, neither sandy soils nor non-decomposed pine bark have high water holding capacities (they do not retain large quantities of water after wetting). Moreover, blueberry plants have shallow root systems that lack root hairs, making them drought susceptible during periods of high water demand (Figure 1). 

The FBGA meetings are always a great way for growers to connect and compare notes about what’s working and what isn’t. This past meeting in Citra on March 6 was no exception, especially when it came to the panel discussion on machine harvesting. Growers Ryan Atwood, Kyle Hill, Kyle Straughn, and Cameron Allison highlighted several important aspects, including labor and genetics.

Dear Valued Members,