Joe Masabni
UKREC
Princeton, KY
Joe Masabni
Blueberries
Excellent
E
ll t market
k t potential
t ti l
Limited acreage now in KY
B i will
Berries
ill hold
h ld for
f 10 days
d
on the
th bush
b h
Will keep for 2 weeks in refrigerated storage
Plants are long lived
Limited spray schedule
Plants very hardy
Crop consistent from year to year
Joe Masabni
Good site
G
Low soil pH
Organic mulch source
Irrigation
g
Pest control, birds, including wild turkeys,
deer,, and rabbits
Market
Joe Masabni
Joe Masabni
Blueberry Types
Lowbush
Northern Highbush
Southern Highbush
Rabbiteye
y
Joe Masabni
Lowbush
o bus
Blueberry
Joe Masabni
Lowbush
o bus
Blueberry
Joe Masabni
Wild
Highbush
Blueberry
Joe Masabni
Northern
N
th
Hi
Highbush
hb h
BlueberryJoe Masabni
Rabbiteye
Blueberry
Joe Masabni
Site Selection
Good
G
air drainage
High elevation
Joe Masabni
Resistance to
cracking
Long shelf life
Nice aroma and
flavor
Ability to hold on
plant without dropping
Joe Masabni
Joe Masabni
Joe Masabni
Joe Masabni
Purchasing Plants
P
Purchase
h
two-year-old
t
ld bare
b
roott or potted
tt d
plants.
Purchase from reputable nurseries that
practice virus testing.
Blueberry viruses can destroy a planting if they
are brought in.
Plant more than one variety to provide for
cross pollination and group varieties by
ripening date to make harvest easier.
Joe Masabni
Variety
Sierra
Nelson
Duke
Toro
Bluecrop
Bluegold
Sunrise
Patriot
Cum. Yield
1995-2003
(lb/bush)
Yield 2003
(lb/bush)
Yield 2003
(T/A)
78.5
76.3
75.7
75.7
74.8
73.0
52.6
50.1
17.6
17.0
15.8
18.3
18.3
22.5
15.8
15.9
6.8
6.6
6.1
7.1
7.1
6.5
6.1
6.2
Joe Masabni
Taste
B
Appearance
A+
Nelson
4.6
A+
Bl j
Bluejay
46
4.6
Blueray
3.7
BS
Toro
3.3
A+
Sierra
3.2
A+
Ornablue
3.1
BS
Patriot
3.1
S-M
Brigitta
3.1
Joe Masabni
Taste
ST
Appearance
A+
Blueray
3.8
ST
A+
Ozarkblue
3.8
ST
A+
Toro
3.2
SB
A+
Reka
25
2.5
ST
Bluejay
2.4
SB
Sierra
23
2.3
ML
ST
A+
Patriot
2.2
ST
A+
Bl
Bluecrop
18
1.8
SB
A
A+
Joe Masabni
Duke
Spartan
Patriot
Bluejay
j y
Ozarkblue (S. H.)
Sierra
Bluecrop
Joe Masabni
Bluegold
Toro
Nelson
Brigitta
g
Darrow
Elliott
Duke
Joe Masabni
Spartan
Joe Masabni
Patriot
Joe Masabni
Bluejay
Joe Masabni
Bluecrop
Joe Masabni
BlueGold
Joe Masabni
Toro
Joe Masabni
Nelson
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Darrow
Joe Masabni
Joe Masabni
Sulfur
(lb/100 sq ft)
Aluminum Sulfate
(lb/100 sq ft)
Light sandy
0 78
0.78
45
4.5
Medium sandy
loam
1.50
9.0
2.25
13.5
*B
Based
d on soilil sample
l water
t pH
H
Joe Masabni
Planting
Plant in late fall or early spring
If possible run rows in a North-South
North South direction
with crosswalks every 200-300 for U-Pick
operations.
p
Subsoil each row and if the soil is heavy,
prepare a raised bed (6-8 inches high) prior to
planting.
Plant rows far enough apart to accommodate
equipment.
i
t
Recommend 9-14 between rows and 4-6
between plants.
plants
Joe Masabni
Planting Holes
Plants set in deep narrow holes produce more
fruit (UI, Urbana Champaign,1991).
Holes are dug by hand or with a tractor
mounted auger.
They are 18 diameter and 24 deep.
Soil from holes is mixed 50/50 with moist peat
moss at planting.
It is thought that the deeper holes reduce plant
stress.
Do not put fertilizer in the hole at planting as it
will burn the roots.
Joe Masabni
Planting
Blueberries grow best on soils that have a
higher organic matter content.
Standard recommendations are to mix 1 gallon
of moist peat moss with the soil in the bottom
of the hole prior to planting.
One
O 6 cu ft b
bale
l off peatt moss will
ill do
d 45 plants.
l t
Water plants to settle soil around the root
system.
system
Do not substitute sawdust, hay or compost for
the peat as this will stunt or slowly
y kill y
your
plants.
Joe Masabni
Joe Masabni
Mulching
Mulch should be applied to a depth off 4-6
inches and reapplied when it rots to a depth of
3 iinches.
h
Remulching is necessary every year or two.
Blueberry roots grow at the mulch/soil
interface and if the mulch decomposes too
much
h and
d is
i nott replaced
l
d the
th roots
t will
ill be
b
exposed.
Mulch is applied in a 3-4 wide band down the
row.
Joe Masabni
Mulching
Mulch moderates soil temperature, conserves
moisture, releases nutrients, and helps with
weed
d control.
t l
Producing plants are generally mulched after
h
harvest
t to
t avoid
id removing
i blossoms
bl
and
d fruit
f it
during application.
Woodchips,
W d hi
sawdust,
d t pine
i needles,
dl
ground
d
corn cobs, and straw
Joe Masabni
Joe Masabni
7 yrs old
no mulch
Joe Masabni
4 yrs old
with mulch
Joe Masabni
Mulch
Spreader
Joe Masabni
Too Early to
Bear
Joe Masabni
Masabni
Good Time to RemoveJoeFlowers
on Young Plants
Fertilization
Sidedress at bloom and 6 weeks later with 0.1
lb of ammonium sulfate per bush each time.
Increase the amount of ammonium sulfate by
0 1 lb each year until 0
0.1
0.3
3 lb of ammonium
sulfate is being applied per bush per
application.
li ti
Joe Masabni
Fertilization
Be careful to apply fertilizer completely around
each bush as little lateral transport of nutrients
occurs from one side of the bush to the other.
If you mulch with wood chips or sawdust,
sawdust
plants may need additional N at the rate of 0.1
lb off ammonium
i
sulfate
lf t per plant
l t for
f the
th first
fi t
few years.
Joe Masabni
Joe Masabni
Bud Swell
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Green Tip
Joe Masabni
Bud Break
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Full Bloom
Joe Masabni
Joe Masabni
Flower CrossSection
Joe Masabni
Pollination
Recommend
R
d 2 hives
hi
off honeybees
h
b
per acre
Joe Masabni
Pruning
Remove any diseased or injured wood.
Remove some of the less vigorous canes at
ground level or cut these back to young shoots
t that
to
th t the
th bush
b h never has
h canes that
th t are over
5-6 years old
Weak, brushy or twiggy wood should also be
removed.
removed
Joe Masabni
Pruning
Up to 20% of the wood in a bush can be
removed without decreasing
g yields.
y
The number of berries will be decreased, but
th size
the
i off the
th b
berries
i will
ill be
b increased.
i
d
Most g
growers do not let bushes get
g taller than
6 feet.
Joe Masabni
Neglected Bush
Joe Masabni
Joe Masabni
Desirable Pruning
Joe Masabni
Joe Masabni
Pruning
Regular pruning is necessary to establish
plants and to develop vigorous plants that
produce
d
consistent
i t t crops off large
l
berries.
b i
Pruning may be done from leaf drop in the fall
t bud
to
b d break
b
k in
i the
th spring.
i
Joe Masabni
Fe Deficiency
Joe Masabni
Fe Deficiency
Joe Masabni
Fe Deficiency
Joe Masabni
Mn Deficiency
pH 3.6
Joe Masabni
N Deficiency
Joe Masabni
Harvest
Joe Masabni
U-Pick
Joe Masabni
Pre-Picked
Joe Masabni
Blueberry Harvest
Fruit should be dry when harvested.
Remove ripe berries with the thumb and
forefinger, keeping the hand cupped under the
berry to avoid dropping it.
The whitish bloom on the fruit should not be
rubbed off.
Buckets should be no larger than 5 quarts and
be rigid to reduce mashing and berry heating.
The number off pickings per variety can vary
from 3-7.
Joe Masabni
Blueberry Harvest
Most commercial operations pick a field once
per week.
Under normal conditions blueberries may
remain on the bush for up to 10 days
y after
ripening without a loss in size.
Blueberries will develop blue color both in the
light and dark at a suitable temperature. Color
development is best at 70-80
70 80oF.
F
Joe Masabni
Blueberry Storage
Fresh blueberries keep best at 32oF & 85%
%
relative humidity.
Packaged blueberries will hold with 5% waste
for:
2 weeks at 32oF
1 week at 40oF
2 days at 70oF
Joe Masabni
Propagation
Joe Masabni
Hardwood cuttings
Joe Masabni
Propagated
Cuttings
Joe Masabni
1 Year
Old
Joe Masabni
2Y
Year Old
Ideal for
Purchase
Joe Masabni
Joe Masabni