Cooperative Extension: Maine Wild Blueberries

By Seanna Annis Waldo, Lincoln, Knox, Hancock and Washington Counties There was an infection period overnight in all areas. Mature cups are probably still in most fields. Almost finished in Waldo, Lincoln and Knox counties but still probably around.  There are lots of mature cups producing spores in Hancock and Washington counties. Your plants are […]

By Seanna Annis Lincoln, Knox and Waldo Counties Mature mummy berry cups producing spores were still present in Appleton and Liberty on Monday morning. Pinheads were still found in Liberty, suggesting that mature cups are probably still present in most areas. No infection periods occurred over the weekend. I expect the mummy berry cups will […]

By Seanna Annis All Areas An infection period for the fungus to get into the plants was produced in most blueberry growing areas from Thursday through Friday. If you applied a fungicide on or after Thursday, April 19, your plants were probably protected during this infection period. If you applied a fungicide before Thursday, April […]

By Seanna Annis Knox, Lincoln and Waldo Counties Numerous pinheads and mature cups are still present at Appleton, Liberty, and Belfast.  Mature cups producing spores are probably present throughout this area.  As mentioned before, the plants are susceptible as long as cups are present in your field. Hancock and Washington Counties Numerous pinhead and mature […]

By Seanna Annis We have had a long infection period extending in some fields from Friday, April 20 and in others from Saturday, April 21. I have below the locations where we have weather stations and roughly when the infection periods started in those areas. If you had applied fungicide on or after Monday, April […]

By Seanna Annis Washington County Mummy berry pinheads were found in Meddybemps area on Thursday.  The plants are most susceptible in this area. There is a chance that mature cups ARE present in fields in this area.  The rain this weekend may produce infection periods this weekend in these fields. If you use fungicides, you […]

By Seanna Annis Knox, Lincoln and Waldo Counties Fog in fields close to the coast may have caused an infection period for the mummy berry fungus to get into the plants last night. In our Belfast site, approximately four miles from the coast (straight line distance), there was ten hours of fog (at an average […]

By Seanna Annis When are my plants susceptible to mummy berry fungus? Your plants are susceptible to infection by the mummy berry fungus from when they have 40% of the stems at the crown stage throughout their development.  The flowers and leaves are susceptible at every stage of development past when the bud scales have […]

By Seanna Annis What does an “infection period” mean? Once mature cups are present in your field, they will be actively producing and shooting off spores into the air that will land on your plants. The spores will be produced as long as there are mature cups in the field. The spores on the plants […]

By Seanna Annis Lincoln and Knox Counties There were borderline conditions for an infection period in the Appleton and Liberty area. The leaf wetness was almost long enough to provide an infection period but was short approximately ½ hour. In a wet field in Liberty, mummy berry pinheads were seen on Thursday. Plants in the […]