Blueberry
Site Selection Blueberry ph 4.0 to 5.5 Full sun and well drained Sandy loam with added organic matter - ideal Avoid frost-prone areas Control weeds bermudagrass wild blackberries
ph Requirement Blueberry Soil test to determine ph To lower ph: Add S
Sulfur/pH Table Lbs of S/100 ft 2 to lower soil ph one unit Sand: 1.0 to 1.5 Loam: 2.0 to 3.0 Clay: 3.0 to 4.0
Blueberry Types Highbush Rabbiteye Photo: Steven Clemants, Westchester Co., NY. Southern Highbush
Highbush Blueberry 5 to 25 feet tall Ripens in May Requires 800 hours chilling Performs best in northern Oklahoma
Rabbiteye Blueberry 5 to 20 feet tall Ripen in May and early June Requires 150 to 600 hours chilling Performs best in central and southern Oklahoma More heat tolerant
Southern Highbush Blueberry Intermediate between highbush and rabbiteye Ripen about 3 weeks earlier than rabbiteye Should perform well throughout Oklahoma
Planting and Culture Blueberry Plant mid-january to late March Plant 2 year old container-grown plants - 12 to 16 inches in height Plant two or more varieties Set plants approximately 5 feet apart Set plants without washing soil from roots
Fertilizing Established Blueberries Ammonium N better than nitrate N Apply N in small applications once before bloom once after bloom once in fall Apply P and K according to soil test Apply fertilizer uniformly within dripline Avoid the base of the plant
Pruning Blueberries Summer pruning Remove broken and diseased branches Prune soon after harvest to control size of bush Winter pruning Remove dead, diseased, deranged and dying canes Thin healthy canes: 6 to 10 main canes per plant Tip remaining canes to maintain convenient height
Diseases of Blueberry
Mummy Berry Disease Monilinia vaccinii-corymbosi Blueberry Berries shrivel and turn pinkish Fall to ground and turn brown Favored by cold wet weather Infects very young tissue Source of innoculum Infected fruit mummies on ground
Phytophthora Root Rot Phytophthora cinnamomi Blueberry Early symptoms: Yellowing of leaves Small terminal leaves Lack of new growth Excessive defoliation
Phytophthora Root Rot Phytophthora cinnamomi Blueberry Root system discolored Brown to black epidermis Uniform light brown discoloration of vascular tissue Control: Avoid poorly drained areas Apply metalaxyl soil fungicide
Stem Cankers Blueberry Pathogens: Botryosphaeria, Gloeosporium, Phomopsis Occur periodically in Oklahoma Symptoms: Discolored lesions on stems Infected stems eventually wilt and die
Blueberry Disease Control Spray Schedule Delayed dormant - just before bud break Mid-bloom First post-pollination - about May 25 to June 1 Second post-pollination - 7-12 days after first post-pollination Cover sprays - beginning 7-12 days after second post-pollination continue as needed on a 7-12 day schedule.
Blueberry Insects Scale Delayed dormant Just before bud break Dormant pruning Foliar sprays for crawlers Reduced vigor Uncontrolled - death
Blueberry Insects Leafrollers Season long pest Foliar sprays Removal Not serious pest
Blueberry Insects Leafhoppers Stippling Chlorosis Hopperburn Young leaves Young trees
Blueberry Insects Leaf Miners Adult deposits eggs Larvae feeds on foliage Post pollination Cover sprays
Blueberry Insects Cherry Fruitworm Eggs laid on fruit Larvae bore into fruit Brown trails Distorted fruit Well timed sprays
Blueberry Insects Aphids Sap suckers Distorted leaves Honeydew
Blueberry Insects Plum Curculio Early season pest Attacks fruit Crescent scars Fruit drop
Blueberry Insects Blueberry Maggot Most important pest Larvae feed inside berry 1 per berry Flies emerge in June Most severe Following cold winter Wet conditions at harvest Spray every 10 days when flies begin egg laying
Blueberry Harvest Limited production first year Mature plants produce 14 to 23 pints depending on pruning and variety Cluster does not ripen evenly: Harvest individual berries Ripe berry is uniformly blue Harvest every 5 to 7 days
Acknowledgements Appreciation is extended to the following for the use of some images contained in the Backyard Fruit Production Program: Michigan State Cooperative Extension Service North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service Ohio State University Cooperative Extension Service Oregon State Cooperative Extension Service Texas Cooperative Extension Service West Virginia Cooperative Extension Service
Backyard Fruit Production Program developed by: Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service Oklahoma State University Susan Gray, County Extension Educator, Horticulture Phil Pratt, Area Extension Specialist, Plant Pathology Jim Shrefler, Area Extension Specialist, Horticulture Bill Stacey, Area Extension Specialist, Entomology