Container production of blueberries is becoming more popular because it allows increased control of the rooting media. High organic matter and low pH are more easily maintained in containers than in Florida soils, but water retention can be ... READ MORE
Category: AGRICULTURE, Fruits & Vegetables, Horticulture
Biochar is a stable form of carbon produced by burning organic matter (usually wood) under low oxygen conditions. It can be used as a soil amendment to increase the fertilizer holding capacity in soils, making the fertilizers slowly available ... READ MORE
Category: AGRICULTURE, Fruits & Vegetables, Horticulture
Blueberries are not easily grown in Florida soils because of high organic matter and low pH needs. The media for growing blueberries requires good drainage (total porosity of 50-85%), a pH of 4.2-5.5, and a relatively low nutrient concentration ... READ MORE
Category: AGRICULTURE, Fruits & Vegetables, Horticulture,
Growers often want to recoup some of the cost of a new planting of Southern Highbush Blueberry (SHB) by harvesting the fruit from the newly-planted bushes rather than stripping it off, a practice commonly recommended to allow the plants to become ... READ MORE
Category: AGRICULTURE, HorticultureBlueberries require an acidic soil that may be difficult to maintain with some of our high pH soils and with high pH irrigation water. Researchers in Chile and Spain have similar problems and also must produce organically, which can limit which ... READ MORE
Category: AGRICULTURE, HorticultureJoin us to learn the latest about blueberry pests - insects and diseases, and to practice some hands-on diagnostics. Dr. Oscar Liburd, Dr. Phil Harmon and Dr. Carrie Harmon will talk about the pests and how to control them. Dr. Juanita Popenoe ... READ MORE
Category: AGRICULTURE, Horticulture, Pests & DiseaseHoney bee pollination increases fruit set and yields in many fruit, but not all. Blueberries are supposed to respond to increased pollinator activity with greater yields. Some fruit growers routinely bring in bee hives to increase pollination, ... READ MORE
Category: AGRICULTURE, HorticultureMany people are interested in growing blueberries in containers to provide optimum soil qualities of high organic matter, low pH, and controlled irrigation that are not easily provided in fields. Organic matter requirements are expensive and ... READ MORE
Category: AGRICULTURE, Horticulture
Blueberries prefer a low soil pH between 4.5 and 5.5. Growers add pine bark fines to the soil to reduce soil pH and increase organic matter, but how else can you reduce soil pH? You can add elemental sulfur to the soil before planting, or irrigation ... READ MORE
Category: AGRICULTURE, Horticulture
Chilling hours are the number of cold hours that are needed for a deciduous crop to break winter dormancy. Lack of adequate chilling can result in poor bud break, extended flowering season, poor bloom overlap with pollenizers, flower bud death, ... READ MORE
Category: AGRICULTURE, Horticulture