{"id":57,"date":"2010-05-05T12:41:44","date_gmt":"2010-05-05T16:41:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/extension.umaine.edu\/blueberries\/?page_id=57"},"modified":"2025-09-10T11:20:18","modified_gmt":"2025-09-10T15:20:18","slug":"filling-bare-spots-in-blueberry-fields","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/extension.umaine.edu\/blueberries\/resources\/production\/filling-bare-spots-in-blueberry-fields\/","title":{"rendered":"221-Filling Bare Spots in Blueberry Fields"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>Fact Sheet No. 221, UMaine Extension No. 2057<\/strong><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><em>Prepared by Tom DeGomez, Extension Blueberry Specialist and Dr. John Smagula, Professor of Horticulture, The University of Maine, Orono, ME 04469.\u00a0 Revised March 1990<\/em><\/p>\n<h3><strong>Introduction<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Lowbush blueberry fields occur on a wide variety of acidic soils.\u00a0Blueberries can be found growing wild in succession forests throughout New England and Atlantic Canada.\u00a0Today&#8217;s commercial fields were forests before human intervention. Clearcutting large areas started a natural movement, or succession, of plants into cleared areas.\u00a0Lowbush blueberries are quick to move into clearings.\u00a0However, they&#8217;re also easily dominated by faster growing species, unless humans intercede and impose management practices that safeguard lowbush blueberries as the dominant species.\u00a0Blueberries may dominate in many areas, but complete coverage of a field is rare.<\/p>\n<p>Blueberry plants most often increase in number through seed dispersal.\u00a0They spread and cover an area by sending out underground stems (rhizomes).\u00a0Fields in production before the 20th century were not managed as intensively as fields are today.\u00a0Biennial pruning with fire and herbicide application were not common until the 1900s.\u00a0Fire pruning increases the vigor of aerial portions of existing plants but may hinder rhizome development and spread; it may also kill young seedlings before rhizomes have a chance to develop.\u00a0Fire pruning of young seedlings in a research plot at Blueberry Hill Farm in Jonesboro caused severe damage and high mortality. Recent studies at the University of Maine have shown that blueberries spread very slowly into bare spots in commercial fields.\u00a0The slow movement of blueberries into bare spots suggests that current management practices hinder spread and that spreading slows as plants age.<\/p>\n<p>Blueberry fields vary in plant cover from a few clones dotting a field to plants in all but a few spots.\u00a0Fields that have been in production the longest have the greatest amount of cover.\u00a0Young fields are poorly covered, with some areas between clones occupied by weeds or bare soil (after herbicides have killed the weeds).\u00a0However, this bare area will soon be infested with a new generation of weeds.\u00a0Recent studies suggest that not all clones spread at the same rate.\u00a0Some fields may indeed have a greater potential to fill in naturally. However, even fields with clones that spread faster than average will take decades to approach complete plant cover.<\/p>\n<p>Several problems occur when fields have poor plant cover:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>First, inputs such as pruning and chemical pest controls are unnecessarily applied to portions of the field not covered with blueberries<\/li>\n<li>Second, when herbicides are used, bare spots occur on slopes and are subject to erosion<\/li>\n<li>Third, yield potential is lower on fields with incomplete plant cover<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Since clonal spread is so slow, the quickest way to increase coverage is to plant blueberries in the bare spots. This can be accomplished with plants propagated by seed, tissue culture, cuttings or blueberry sod plugs.\u00a0If interplanted blueberries are managed properly, bare spots can be completely filled in and fields in full production within six years.\u00a0However, this method is costly and may not be economically feasible.\u00a0An alternative method to improve rhizome spread and reduce erosion is to apply surface mulch to bare areas.<\/p>\n<p>Both of these techniques will be covered in this fact sheet. Management of new plantings includes mulching, fer\u00adtilization, pruning,\u00a0and pest control.\u00a0Using mulches alone involves selection of the proper mulch for the proposed effect.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Establishing New Plantings<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><strong>Plant Material<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Seedlings<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Planting seedlings is probably the least expensive method of propagating lowbush blueberries.\u00a0Seeds are sprouted in flats and transplanted into cell\u2011packs where they are grown under greenhouse conditions for 18 months to 2 years.\u00a0Cell\u2011pack culture produces individual plants that can be planted with a low\u2011cost tree-planter.\u00a0Seedlings produce vigorous plants that develop rhizomes readily and spread rapidly. Each seedling is a different clone or variety, and therefore, date of ripening and potential yield can be quite variable, as is the case in existing blueberry fields.\u00a0Seedlings from specific crosses will be less variable than from open\u2011pollinated crosses in which only one parent is known.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Cuttings<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Cuttings taken in late June and rooted in propagation beds can be ready for planting after two growing seasons.\u00a0Cuttings produce uniform plants and yields comparable to the mother plant.\u00a0They have an upright growth habit with less consistent rhizome development than seedlings.\u00a0Therefore, it will take longer to fill in bare spots using cuttings.\u00a0Cuttings may be best suited to row culture.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Tissue Culture<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Tissue culture plants may be more expensive to produce than seedlings, but they offer many advantages.\u00a0These plants have been &#8220;cloned&#8221; in test tubes and therefore have a yield potential equal to that of the mother plant.\u00a0Since they have been grown under sterile conditions, they should have no obvious fungal or bacterial diseases.\u00a0Studies at the University of Maine indicate that tissue\u2011propagated plants have many seedling\u2011like characteristics such as smaller leaves, more vegetative buds along stems, and a high degree of branching at the plant&#8217;s base. In field tests, they produce rhizomes rapidly and more consistently than rooted cuttings do.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Sod<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Blueberry sod may be dug from neighboring plants in the spring and planted into bare spots.\u00a0Sod is readily available and may be dug with a shovel or golf\u2011hole cutter.\u00a0However, digging, transporting, and planting is strenuous.\u00a0Sod will produce yields equal to the mother plant.\u00a0Since it already has rhizomes, it should aid in lateral spread.\u00a0The holes that result from digging sod should be filled with sand and peat moss to encourage filling back in.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Site Preparation<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><strong>Weed Control<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Preparation of the planting site is very important.\u00a0The field should be in the vegetative year (burn cycle).\u00a0Weeds should be controlled in the spring by hand pulling or with a herbicide such as hexazinone (Velpar\u00ae).\u00a0If bunchberry (<em>Cornus canadensis<\/em>) is growing in the area, glyphosate (Roundup\u00ae) can be used for control.\u00a0Kill bunchberry with glyphosate in late summer the year before plants are established. Be careful to wipe the glyphosate only on the weeds within the area to be planted.\u00a0Glyphosate will also kill blueberries.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px\"><strong>Note:<\/strong> Trade names are used for identification. No product endorsement is implied, nor is discrimination intended against similar materials.\u00a0For additional information on weed control refer to Wild Blueberry Fact Sheets found in the Lowbush Blueberry Growers Guide or at your local county Extension office.<\/p>\n<p>Research at the University of Maine has shown that fertilizer speeds the establishment of young blueberry plants.\u00a0Fertilizer applications increase vegetative growth, rhizome production,\u00a0and ground cover.\u00a0Response seems greatest the first two or three years after planting.\u00a0Where little organic pad remains, a slow\u2011release type of fertilizer may be beneficial.\u00a0Experiments at Blueberry Hill Farm on a plowed soil without an organic pad showed a dramatic response to frequent, multiple applications of liquid fertilizer.\u00a0Preliminary results of an experiment comparing slow\u2011release fertilizers to multiple applications of liquid fertilizer favor the less labor intensive, slow-release fertilizers.<\/p>\n<p>Fertilizer should be applied to the soil surface before mulching and planting and to the mulched surface in the spring of the second and third year. Determine fertilizer requirements after the third year by leaf analysis.<\/p>\n<p>The rate and type of fertilizers that produced the greatest seedling growth and yield at Blueberry Hill Farm are one pound of Osmocote three\u2011month formulation (18-6-12) per 80 square feet or one pound of Peters Slow Release (14-7-7) per 60 square feet. Other slow-release fertilizers of similar formulations (N-P-K) may be as effective. Since yield is related to area covered (stem density), the cost of the fertilizer may be returned in earlier increased yields.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Mulch<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Mulch seems critical for early establishment and will benefit young plants in many ways, including:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>protection from frost heaving<\/li>\n<li>suppression of weed growth<\/li>\n<li>increased rhizome growth and development<\/li>\n<li>reduced summer soil temperatures<\/li>\n<li>reduced water loss at the soil surface<\/li>\n<li>prevention of soil erosion<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<figure id=\"223\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><a href=\"https:\/\/extension.umaine.edu\/blueberries\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/41\/2010\/05\/221fig1a.gif\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-223\" src=\"https:\/\/extension.umaine.edu\/blueberries\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/41\/2010\/05\/221fig1a-300x155.gif\" alt=\"Plant covers will protect the plants when mulching after planting.\" width=\"300\" height=\"155\" srcset=\"https:\/\/extension.umaine.edu\/blueberries\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/41\/2010\/05\/221fig1a-300x155.gif 300w, https:\/\/extension.umaine.edu\/blueberries\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/41\/2010\/05\/221fig1a-105x54.gif 105w, https:\/\/extension.umaine.edu\/blueberries\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/41\/2010\/05\/221fig1a-317x164.gif 317w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 320px) 85vw, (max-width: 768px) 67vw, (max-width: 1024px) 62vw,300px\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><strong>Figure 1:<\/strong> Plant covers will protect the plants when mulching after planting.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Apply mulch before planting if you plan to use a tree planter. Otherwise, mulch may be applied after planting.\u00a0Apply mulch two to four inches deep. (One cubic yard per 90 square feet equals a depth of four inches.)\u00a0The amount of mulch needed will depend on the depth of the organic pad at each site.\u00a0Two inches may be applied to areas with an organic pad. When mulching after planting, cover the plants temporarily to avoid injury.\u00a0Two 1-inch x 6-inch boards hinged together (Figure 1) may be used to cover several plants at a time, or plants may be covered individually using overturned plastic flower pots or drinking cups. After removing the temporary plant\u2011protection device, mulch should be carefully raked around the plants, leaving the stems exposed.<\/p>\n<p>Mulch may be applied by hand using snow shovels or wide hay forks.\u00a0For large areas, mulch may be applied mechanically with a tractor\u2011mounted bucket loader or a manure spreader that has had the paddle chain disconnected; this allows the mulch to fall off the end of the spreader rather than thrown to the sides.<\/p>\n<p>Suitable mulches include sawdust, bark, cedar hair, wood chips,\u00a0and peat.\u00a0A study at Blueberry Hill Farm comparing these mulches indicated that seedling growth was comparable in all mulches except the coarser wood chips, which produced inferior growth.\u00a0Reapplication may be unnecessary since these mulches are long-lasting.\u00a0Mulch may be obtained at little or no cost, but transportation is expensive.\u00a0Try to find a nearby source.\u00a0Sawdust is the least stable of the mulches as it is subject to erosion by wind and water.\u00a0Weed-free hay or straw may also be used but will decompose quickly and must be reapplied every fall.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Planting<\/strong><\/p>\n<figure id=\"236\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><a href=\"https:\/\/extension.umaine.edu\/blueberries\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/41\/2010\/05\/221fig2a4.gif\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-236\" src=\"https:\/\/extension.umaine.edu\/blueberries\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/41\/2010\/05\/221fig2a4-232x300.gif\" alt=\"Tree planter and mechanical tube.\" width=\"232\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/extension.umaine.edu\/blueberries\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/41\/2010\/05\/221fig2a4-232x300.gif 232w, https:\/\/extension.umaine.edu\/blueberries\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/41\/2010\/05\/221fig2a4-105x136.gif 105w, https:\/\/extension.umaine.edu\/blueberries\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/41\/2010\/05\/221fig2a4-317x411.gif 317w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 320px) 85vw, (max-width: 768px) 67vw, (max-width: 1024px) 62vw,232px\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><strong>Figure 2:<\/strong> Tree-planters. Farmer built tree-planting tools (a and b). Mechanical tree-planting tube (c and d). Drawing courtesy of Hakmet Ltd., Dorlon, Quebec.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Blueberries should be planted in the spring as soon as the ground allows and before the plants break dormancy. If the plants have broken dormancy and leaves are forming at the time of planting, low temperatures will cause the plants to go into shock.\u00a0If leaves have turned red and growth has stopped, the plants are in shock.\u00a0Early summer planting can be successful with adequate rainfall or available irrigation.<\/p>\n<p>Plants should be kept moist before planting.\u00a0If the soil is dry at planting time, add water.\u00a0It will ensure proper growth and rapid establishment even if abnormally dry conditions follow planting.<\/p>\n<p>Cell-pack culture produces individualized plants that are easy to transport and handle.\u00a0Most cell-pack containers have ridges to prevent spiraled root growth that could girdle the plant even after field planting.\u00a0Roots are air pruned when they grow out the bottom of the cell, which results in root branching and a tight root ball that lends itself to planting with tree-planters (Figure 2).<\/p>\n<p>Tree-planters may be used to set plants at a depth of two to three inches below the plant&#8217;s crown so that the basal vegetative buds are buried.\u00a0Deep planting encourages rhizome production from buried buds and reduces fall and spring frost heaving (Figure 3). After planting with the tube, compress the soil around the roots to ensure good root-soil contact. To accomplish this, push a shovel in next to the plant and rock back and forth on the shovel handle several times.<\/p>\n<p>Spacing plants about two feet from each other in all directions should result in complete coverage in six years.\u00a0An area 20 x 30 feet will require 150 plants or sod pieces.\u00a0When transplanting pieces of sod with a shovel or golf\u2011hole cutter, plant the sod only slightly below the original depth, with spacing based on the size of the sod pieces.\u00a0A five-inch plug made by the golf\u2011hole cutter could be spaced and mulched similarly to a seedling.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Maintenance<\/strong><\/p>\n<figure id=\"238\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><a href=\"https:\/\/extension.umaine.edu\/blueberries\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/41\/2010\/05\/221fig3a.gif\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-238\" src=\"https:\/\/extension.umaine.edu\/blueberries\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/41\/2010\/05\/221fig3a-300x175.gif\" alt=\"Rhizomes\" width=\"300\" height=\"175\" srcset=\"https:\/\/extension.umaine.edu\/blueberries\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/41\/2010\/05\/221fig3a-300x175.gif 300w, https:\/\/extension.umaine.edu\/blueberries\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/41\/2010\/05\/221fig3a-105x61.gif 105w, https:\/\/extension.umaine.edu\/blueberries\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/41\/2010\/05\/221fig3a-317x185.gif 317w, https:\/\/extension.umaine.edu\/blueberries\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/41\/2010\/05\/221fig3a-423x247.gif 423w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 320px) 85vw, (max-width: 768px) 67vw, (max-width: 1024px) 62vw,300px\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><strong>Figure 3:<\/strong> Plant on left planted too shallow; the rhizome growth is poor. Plant on right is planted 2 to 3 inches below the soil surface and good rhizome growth.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Weeds, diseases,\u00a0and insects can be controlled in the interplanted areas in the same manner as the rest of the field.\u00a0If the area has been planted with tissue\u2011culture plants or cuttings of only one clone, and if the area is over 2,000 square feet, there may be an increase in the incidence of a disease to which this clone is susceptible.\u00a0Since pruning with fire will not be possible until the sixth year, it may be necessary to use fungicides in the interplanted areas.\u00a0Using many different clones in a large interplanting will help decrease disease problems and is a good alternative to chemical control.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Pruning<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>To allow for maximum vegetative and rhizome growth, the plants should be allowed to grow without pruning for four years.\u00a0At the end of the second cycle, the plants will have reached maturity and can be mechanically pruned with a mower or hand clippers and managed with the rest of the field.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Harvesting<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>If young plants are not allowed to bear fruit during the first four years, they may produce more vegetative growth and spread faster.\u00a0Removal of fruit buds or flowers in the spring is the most effective way to keep the plant from fruiting, but this may not be practical.\u00a0Quantities of fruit produced in the third, fourth and fifth years may be substantial and warrant careful raking or hand picking for the fresh market.\u00a0By the sixth year, the plantings should be mature and bearing large quantities of fruit.\u00a0Take care when harvesting to ensure that the rhizomes of the newly developed plants are not pulled out by the rake.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><em><span id=\"m_2242575166680019940gmail-24\" class=\"m_2242575166680019940gmail-gr_ m_2242575166680019940gmail-gr_24 m_2242575166680019940gmail-gr-alert m_2242575166680019940gmail-gr_spell m_2242575166680019940gmail-gr_inline_cards m_2242575166680019940gmail-gr_disable_anim_appear m_2242575166680019940gmail-ContextualSpelling m_2242575166680019940gmail-ins-del m_2242575166680019940gmail-multiReplace\">Information<\/span>\u00a0in this publication is provided purely for educational purposes. No responsibility is assumed for any problems associated with the use of\u00a0<span id=\"m_2242575166680019940gmail-26\" class=\"m_2242575166680019940gmail-gr_ m_2242575166680019940gmail-gr_26 m_2242575166680019940gmail-gr-alert m_2242575166680019940gmail-gr_gramm m_2242575166680019940gmail-gr_inline_cards m_2242575166680019940gmail-gr_run_anim m_2242575166680019940gmail-Grammar m_2242575166680019940gmail-only-ins m_2242575166680019940gmail-replaceWithoutSep\">products<\/span>\u00a0or services mentioned. No endorsement of products or companies is intended, nor is\u00a0<span id=\"m_2242575166680019940gmail-25\" class=\"m_2242575166680019940gmail-gr_ m_2242575166680019940gmail-gr_25 m_2242575166680019940gmail-gr-alert m_2242575166680019940gmail-gr_gramm m_2242575166680019940gmail-gr_inline_cards m_2242575166680019940gmail-gr_run_anim m_2242575166680019940gmail-Grammar m_2242575166680019940gmail-only-ins m_2242575166680019940gmail-doubleReplace m_2242575166680019940gmail-replaceWithoutSep\">criticism<\/span>\u00a0of unnamed products or companies implied.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>\u00a9 1990<\/p>\n<p><strong>Call 800.287.0274 (in Maine), or 207.581.3188, for information on publications and program offerings from University of Maine Cooperative Extension, or visit\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/extension.umaine.edu\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">extension.umaine.edu<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><i>The University of Maine is an EEO\/AA employer, and does not discriminate on the grounds of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, transgender status, gender expression, national origin, citizenship status, age, disability, genetic information or veteran\u2019s status in employment, education, and all other programs and activities. The following person has been designated to handle inquiries regarding non-discrimination policies: Director of Equal Opportunity, 101 Boudreau Hall, University of Maine, Orono, ME 04469-5754, 207.581.1226, TTY 711 (Maine Relay System).<\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Fact Sheet No. 221, UMaine Extension No. 2057 Prepared by Tom DeGomez, Extension Blueberry Specialist and Dr. John Smagula, Professor of Horticulture, The University of Maine, Orono, ME 04469.\u00a0 Revised March 1990 Introduction Lowbush blueberry fields occur on a wide variety of acidic soils.\u00a0Blueberries can be found growing wild in succession forests throughout New England [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"parent":18627,"menu_order":7,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_kad_blocks_custom_css":"","_kad_blocks_head_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_body_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_footer_custom_js":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-57","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.9 - 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