Blueberries are a tasty and beautiful addition to any home plate garden . regrettably , you ’re not the only one that bask a plump blueberry – you might need to deal with worm pest and local wildlife .
to boot , there are a number of pathogen that can have disease , potentially lead to a decreased harvest , or in severe cases , last of your industrial plant .
We link to trafficker to aid you find relevant products . If you purchase from one of our nexus , we may gain a commission .
as luck would have it , most of the issue you ’ll encounter when growing blueberry bush are well-fixed to place , as long as you ’re paying attention .
Inour usher to maturate blueberries , we talk about how to civilise these plants in your landscape . In this clause , we ’ll go over the major pests and diseases that can affect the health of your plants .
Here ’s what we ’ll cover , up ahead :
What You’ll Learn
These flora like moisture , which is why you might find them growing in boggy or waterlogged areas in the wild . But you ’ll retrieve that many disease pathogen favor moist conditions as well .
Let ’s jump into this guide to check about the most common pests and disease you should be aware of when growing blueberry – and what to do about them .
Pre-Planning
What ’s the best way to pre - plan for potential issues with your blueberry Dubya ? In myopic : support its health .
Growing in the proper soil swear out as the introduction of your industrial plant ’s wellness . Blueberries should be plant in acidulous , well - draining , and productive soil . The everlasting pH stove between 4.0 and 6.0 , look on the species .
If you do n’t prune , there might be some unwanted ramifications that impact plant wellness . strangle or crowd plants can lead to high humidity within the canopy , an invitation for fungal disease .
One of the best ways to check that your works stays happy is by constantly check on it and observing its leave , flowers , stems , and yield . Most of the time , you ’ll be able to see the signs of an issuance and take the proper steps to prevent any serious damage in advance .
If you ’ve previously had issues with pest insects in your garden , it can help to introducebeneficial predatory insectslike lady beetle or lacewings that can serve to keep populations of common insect blighter at bay .
Dealing with Local Wildlife
If you ’re growing blueberries , you ’ll necessitate to keep an optic out for wild beast that desire a nybble . They are undeniably delicious , and some critter could n’t agree more .
Birds
A relationship as sometime as time , Bronx cheer and gardeners have a recollective story . It ’s not a toxic relationship , per se , but they do love to get under our skin and eat on the fruit of our labor .
Luckily , there are many options for dealing with this . Barriers can be physical , ocular , or chemical substance . For larger operations , you might even want to ally yourself with predator birds by inviting them to your garden .
The most usual way to deal with birds is to place hoot netting over your plants at the first signal of fruiting .
Protective Bird Netting
This 13 - by-20 - foot protective veiling that’savailable on Amazonwill work utterly and can be swerve to size based on your own personal needs .
Note that some gardener caution against using it , as sure feathered visitors may become entangled in the veiling if it ’s not installed correctly .
Inour guidebook to protect your blueberry from birds , you ’ll line up a full breakdown of the type of birds you might have to distribute with , and the best barrier to protect your harvest .
Deer, Rabbits, and Squirrels
So here ’s the deal – these are all different types of pest , but the room to protect your berries from all of them is basically the same . The answer is uncomplicated : you ’ll require to buy , or make , a physical barrier around your plants to keep these critters out .
Fabric or plastic netting is a gaudy , impermanent alternative for deal all eccentric of wildlife . However , it ’s possible for squirrels to chew through these barriers and get to your blueberries , so keep this in intellect .
For deer specifically , we ’ve put together this helpful guide onhow to build a DIY cervid fence .
If your Chuck Berry are placed in an region that can be surrounded by electrical fencing material , this is a hearty alternative as well , although you ’ll need to check that to space the galvanising fencing material bank line close enough together to keep squirrels from filch under them .
If an galvanic fence is n’t an selection , you may build a cage around your bushes with crybaby wire fencing , and either wood or PVC tobacco pipe for the frame . The size of the cage will depend on the case of blueberry bush you are growing .
Managing Insect Pests
Various types of insects may endeavor to overrun your blueberry plants . rent ’s take a looking at the five of the most common insect pests you may encounter .
Blueberry Maggots
blueberry bush maggots are the larvae of the blueberry fruit fly ( Rhagoletis mendax ) . These fruit flies belong to to theRhagoletisgenus along withapple maggots , cherry worm , andwalnut straw maggot .
The flies lie their testis under the pelt of the Berry right as the yield begins to ripen . Adults can lie up to 100 eggs during their calendar month - long lifespan , which ordinarily begins in June or July and proceed through August .
When the larvae hatching , they eat the interior of the fruit and then light to the ground to overwinter as pupa . They reside in the top few inches of territory and will come forth the undermentioned year as adults .
An infestation might go unnoticed until you see maggot burst from your yield or when you ’re processing your Berry to eat subsequently .
The adept way to fight these maggots is to supervise your industrial plant for grownup at least six weeks before the yield begins to mature , and then immobilise those adults before they have a prospect to lie their eggs .
An grownup blueberry fruit fly has a clean body crisscrossed with black band .
Deciduous fruit fly traps will work to capture the adult before they can consist egg on your fruit .
Fruit Fly Trap Kit
This kit from Arbico Organicscomes with two traps and two lures that you may set next to your blueberry Bush . The lures are effective for up to 90 days but traps should be replaced if they become covered with insects or dust .
Traps with lures should assist to keep your plants safe until the fruiting time of year is complete – verify to eat a few novel Chuck Berry right off the industrial plant just to spite these pests !
As a prophylactic measurement , remove any weeds growing around your blueberry bush bushes , as they can provide top for the fruit flies .
You should test your fruit for larvae , and if you find them within the yield , remove them right away and freeze or burn the unuseable fruits in society to vote out the larvae . Do not put infested works parts in your compost bin .
Seeour guide to wangle fruit flies indoors and out for more tips .
Blueberry Gall Midge
You might incidentally mistake the blueberry bush gall midge(Dasineura oxycoccana)for a mosquito . One of the more difficult pests to spot , due to their small size of it , these impudence midges will feed on your blueberries in a few unlike means .
You will recover that the larvae prefer to feed on the fresh , young shoot of your works .
This can make the leaves to become misshapen , and the buds to dry up and crumble to piece . Since the grownup midge only has a lifespan of up to two days , it ’s important to get by these pests while they are in the larval level .
A botanical insecticide should do the conjuration . It ’s important to employ a melted spray to completely drench your plant as the larvae will adjudicate and protect themselves under the leaves .
Pyganic Gardening Insecticide
Pyganic Gardening liquidity concentratefrom Arbico Organicsuses an excerpt of the daisy peak known as pyrethrin to manage pests .
It will work quickly without hang in in the environment . Be certain to follow package instructions for spray .
Blueberry Stem Borer
The blueberry tip borer ( Hendecaneura shawiana ) is also acknowledge to make a repast out ofazalea , spate laurel , andrhododendronstems . They will generally burrow into the lower stems of your works to better their chances of winter survival of the fittest .
When in the larval stage , these pest are about one column inch long and are yellow in color .
They pupate in a burrow formed by the adult pests in spring , ordinarily come forth as grownup beetles in later June . The adult beetles are about half an in long with elongated black antennae , brown organic structure , and dreary wings .
You ’ll know you have an infestation if you first comment some dying shoots , and upon inspection you see minor hollow on the stem or branches . These pests will also leave behind low dung that resemble sawdust that will come onto the ground below .
plant that are n’t pruned digest the highest peril of injury , so grab those pruning shear and get to oeuvre . You might also consider move out any nearby hosts like azalea ormountain laurelfrom the planting expanse to reduce the risk even more .
Japanese Beetles
Japanese beetles ( Popillia japonica ) will typically come out at the origin of summer , usually in June , which is why these and other types of mallet are sometimes touch on to as June bugs . Japanese beetle will make a repast out of your entire blueberry bush bush – leaves , bud , yield , and all !
Luckily , these pest are well-fixed to fleck with their metallic green consistence and bronze - colored extension covers .
You ’ll want to read your works for Nipponese beetles and check the soil below the works for their larva .
The larva are a number harder to see , though it ’s easier if you rough up the grease a bit first with a garden hand pecker like a spade or raiser . Japanese mallet grubs have C - shaped , off - blanched bodies with light-colored brown heads .
treat the filth around your works withbeneficial nematodes , fungi , or bacteria will infect the grubs and pour down them .
Introducing milklike spore bacteria to a Nipponese beetle population is safe and in force for you and your plant , and can be done by purchasing the granular formfrom Arbico Organics .
Milky Spore
The granules should be sprinkled on the ground around your industrial plant .
If you ’ve found adult Japanese beetles on your plant , pick them off by hand and overwhelm them in a pail of H2O mixed with dish soap .
If you ’re looking for more information , record our template to managing Japanese mallet .
Scale
Since scale will usually be found eating the old forest of your industrial plant , keep them rationalise . You ’ll desire to prune back old , unviable stalk or washy canes once a yr when the plant is dormant , rather in late winter .
If you ’re currently trade with an infestation and need a bit more firepower , bring in their natural marauder – lacewings !
unripe lacewings can be purchased in multiple stage of their liveliness cycles/second , as adult , larvae , or eggs . For a severe infestation that needs more straightaway treatment , endeavor to add the larvae to your garden .
lacewing fly are predatory in their larval stage and provender on flabby - bodied insects while they acquire . They will get right to act disembarrass your works of scale .
Green Lacewing Larvae
you’re able to purchase lacewing larvae as an organic pest solutionfrom Arbico Organics .
Seeour guide to scalefor more information on deal with these pest .
Yellow-Necked Caterpillars
You ’ll recognise the yellow - necked caterpillar ( Datana ministra ) mightily away , with its yellow stripy eubstance and orange ring behind its head . The adult moths have a brownish - colorize body with four dark lines crossing each wing .
These Caterpillar can be withering to your crop if present in expectant numbers . They will commonly show up for a meal near the end of summer , around August . They can skeletonize the foliage of your plants , result nothing but the leaf vein behind .
The good fashion to get rid of them is to use a Cartesian product designed to kill these pest insects . A spray ofBacillus thuringiensis(Bt)can be applied agree to the centering on the product packaging .
If your craw has been impacted , the serious news is that otherwise healthy plant should fully recuperate by next springtime .
Managing Disease
There are a few diseases that will normally involve blueberry bushes . With many of these , the salutary way to preclude disease is to snip yearly and toss away of the cuttings decently , while restrain the area around your plants clear of plant waste material and weeds .
get ’s take a look at the unwashed diseases that may affect your plant .
Anthracnose Ripe Rot
Blueberry bushes can fall victim to anthracnose ripe rot , triggered by the fungusColletotrichum acutatum .
Most prevalent during period of time of hot , humid weather , the fungi can overwinter on infected stems and spore are spread by rain and nothingness .
You might not even know your plant life have an issue until the yield begins to mature , because blossom infections are mostly asymptomatic .
You might find that blossom bunch will shrivel up and collapse into a dark-brown shuck , but most of the sentence this disease strikes the right berries .
The in effect news about this disease is that the fungus mainly affects yield issue without impacting the wellness of the plant . You ’ll mention the say - tale sign of rusting - colored berry and fruit rot .
To control anthracnose ripe rot , it ’s all about bar . You should start with a cultivar that is resistant if available . If that ’s not possible , lop honest-to-goodness growth from your blueberry bush annually will help to keep this fungus away .
If you see signs of this disease , or have get this disease in your garden in the past , care for your blueberry bush with a broad spectrum fungicide in both the leap and summertime .
You should apply your treatment at the start of the growing season . There is a risk of fungicide resistance , so ensure you’rerotating your products each year .
My personal favorite to apply in this case is neem oil dressed ore .
Bonide Captain Jack ’s Neem Max
Botrytis Blight
Botrytis blight , also known as grey mold , is cause by a fungus ( Botrytis cinerea ) . It will normally affect blueberries in the spring , when the weather condition is cool and wet .
Symptoms admit leaf spot , wilting , and discoloration . In dangerous cases , it can cause dieback .
hold back your plant cut will help protect it from most fungous infections . Spraying a copper - based fungicide when your plant begin to bloom is an good additional prophylactic measure .
If you bump that you are dealing with a botrytis blight contagion , it is expert to cut away the affect stems and fire them or throw them off . bet on the severeness of the contagion , you might require to cut back your blueberry bush bushhard .
Do not put affected plant life parts on your compost passel and make certain to disinfect your gardening shears after pruning is consummate . You want to avoid grow weather condition that serve this fungus to thrive , so adequate lighting conditions and proper airflow are key .
If your plants are still struggling with this fungus the follow year , dead plant fabric that harbored the pathogen may have been left behind in the planting field .
Cut away bear upon stems and leafage if your works is goodish enough , or remove the plant life completely to prevent the fungus from spreading to your other garden plant .
Cane or Stem Canker
theme pestilence is a fungal contagion that is more common in the southern United States ( checking in from NW Florida here ! ) .
A fungus known asBotryosphaeria corticiscauses the canes or stanch of Charles Edward Berry plant to form small crimson lesions on raw growth . These lesions will then turn into cryptical cracks , eventually killing the radical .
The best place to start is by making sure you select a blueberry plant that is tolerant to halt canker . Research the cultivar you ’re looking to append to your landscape painting for susceptibility in the lead of time , as fungicides are ineffective in managing this fungus .
In the southerly United States , rabbiteye types are generally less prostrate to this disease than southernhighbush blueberries .
If you are presently allot with shank canker on your plant , hit the infected portions and demolish them by glow or fuddle them in your ice .
Iron Chlorosis
Fe greensickness is n’t make by a disease pathogen , but it is a physiological upset that ’s a coarse side effect of improper blueberry care . All blueberry bush plants are susceptible to this .
Signs of iron chlorosis include yellow foliage , early leaf drop , and decreased growth .
What is iron greensickness really ? In short , your plants are n’t getting enough iron . Usually , there is plenty of Fe within the soil , but the pH is too alkaline and the plant is n’t able-bodied to soak up the nutrient the right way .
The soil pH needs to be acidic to grow these fruits , with a pH between 4.0 and 6.0 , to let for nutritive engrossment .
deport a grunge testto see if pH might be the issue . In parliamentary procedure to fix this , you ’ll ask to amend the soil to bring the pH back down to the sweet spot . you could do this by add together iron sulphate or sulfur to the soil .
interpret our elaborated guide on lowering soil pH for blueberry bush production .
If the pH of the soil is n’t the issue , iron greensickness can also be brought on by heat stress .
These plants have very shallow roots , so if you live somewhere where temperature on a regular basis go above 85 ° F you must be sure to thickly mulch your blueberry bush and keep them adequately water .
Mummy Berry
Mummy berry , due to the fungusMonilinia vaccinii - corymbosi , is as skittish as it sounds .
This fungus can overwinter on infected blueberries , surviving for up to two age . It can infect intact clusters of yield , so it ’s important to ensure you ’re maintaining your plants to forbid a fungal outbreak by pruning annually .
Once infected , the fruit will shrivel up and turn hard . The morbid fruit will often drop to the ground beneath the plant , or get dumbfound on sprig on their way to the flat coat – so this is where we must commence with our preventative measures .
According to Daniel J. Anco and Michael A. Ellis , Department of Plant Pathology atOhio State University , the fungus overwinters in the shriveled blueberry bush and then Earth - shaped fruiting consistency appear in spring . The easiest way to disrupt the mummy berry ’s lifecycle is to dispatch and destruct the infected fruit .
In the fall , before your plant drops its leaf , inspect for mummy berries . dispatch them , site them aside either for burning or to put in the trash .
Then , in early spring powerful before blossom come along , demolish any develop fruit body by jab them into the filth beneath your plant life . skim the stain , and supply a two - in layer of fresh grunge around your plant . Remove and dispose of any remaining mummy berries that you find .
Rooting for You!
Although there are quite a few pests and diseases to keep in mind when planting and growing blueberry bush , many of these issues can be avoid through right maintenance and prevention .
Make certain you are pruning your blueberries every year and removing former , unhealthful , or dead stems . Check on your works as often as you may , as many pest issues will be obvious if you take a good smell . Traps can also help with monitoring .
For the animal pest , your proficient bet is to rely on physical barrier to keep deer , squirrel , rabbits , and birds aside . This can be done by using boo veiling , or by constructing either impermanent or lasting fencing or John Milton Cage Jr. around your plant .
I ’d love to hear about your own personal experiences with pests and disease , and how you managed them ! Living in NW Florida give me headaches with humidity , but I ’d sleep with to hear about return and solutions for your area too .
Want to boost your next harvest time ? bump moreinformation on growing delightful blueberries , starting with these guides :
© Ask the Experts , LLC . ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.See our TOSfor more details . Product picture via Arbico Organics and Ruolan . Uncredited photos : Shutterstock .
About
Sarah Patton
