{"id":32861,"date":"2025-05-19T10:26:20","date_gmt":"2025-05-19T14:26:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/extension.umaine.edu\/publications\/?page_id=32861"},"modified":"2025-08-18T10:45:58","modified_gmt":"2025-08-18T14:45:58","slug":"2096e","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/extension.umaine.edu\/publications\/2096e\/","title":{"rendered":"Bulletin #2096, Burning Wild Blueberry Land in Maine"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Bulletin #2096, Burning Wild Blueberry Land in Maine (PDF for printing)<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

By Dr. Lily Calderwood, Ph.D., Wild Blueberry Specialist and Associate Professor of Horticulture, University of Maine Cooperative Extension<\/em><\/em>, Jordan Parks, Wild Blueberry Research Technician, University of Maine Cooperative Extension<\/em><\/em> and Leala Machesney, Extension and Research Professional, University of Maine Cooperative Extension<\/em><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

For information about UMaine Extension programs and resources, visit extension.umaine.edu<\/a>.<\/strong>
Find more of our publications and books at extension.umaine.edu\/publications\/<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n

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Image 1.<\/strong> Using straw to burn a wild blueberry field. Photo: Greta Rybus.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Introduction<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Wild blueberries have been an important part of Maine\u2019s farming heritage for centuries. The use of prescribed fire to manage wild blueberry fields was historically, and is still today, a valuable pest and crop management tool. Burning was first practiced by the First Peoples of Canada who found that burning temporarily improved soil quality, enhanced the growing habits of berry species, and increased bud production (Chapeskie, 2001). Because 70% of the wild blueberry plant is underground, the plant can recover well from burning events (Drummond et al., 2009). Pruning wild blueberry fields is a critical management practice to maintain a two-year cropping cycle. To prune, growers can burn or mow fields after harvest. All wild blueberry fields were burn-pruned until research was done using a flail mower to prune in the late 1970s (Gomez, 1988) to mitigate the high cost of heating oil and serious air quality issues. However, flail mowing was first adapted large-scale in the 1980s (Wood, 2004). Today, most wild blueberry fields are mowed, not burned. Organic growers are more likely to incorporate burn pruning than conventional growers because burning every few cycles is an important strategy to manage pest populations. The decision to mow or burn is often economic. Some years burning can be significantly more expensive than mowing- potentially four times more expensive. Burning is performed using either straw or oil as a fuel source, and the cost of these materials can vary by year. Producers must carefully consider the yield loss they may experience due to pest pressure compared to the costs associated with burning using either fuel source when choosing their pruning strategy (Nicolas Lindholm, personal communication 2025).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Burning versus Mowing:<\/b> Mowing builds organic matter, while burning can destroy organic matter. Burning is an effective pest management tool, while mowing spreads pests across fields. Therefore, it is primarily organic wild blueberry farmers who burn, as it is an important pest management tool in systems that do not use synthetic pesticides.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Cautions<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Working with Fire<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Wild blueberry landowners or farmers should not burn fields until they have been properly trained. In order to burn a wild blueberry field, you must first contact your town fire warden or receive an Open Burn Permit from the Maine Forest Service through the Maine Burn Permit System<\/a>. Depending on the town you live in and the location of your field, you may not be allowed to burn. It is likely not possible to burn fields located in residential neighborhoods, close to schools, or near fragile habitats. If you can burn in your location, it is still important to create a mowed or burned perimeter to act as a fire buffer around the field. This will prevent the spread of the fire from the field to non-target locations, like a forest. It is important to gauge wind speed and know your field topography. Fire can move uphill rapidly. A burn perimeter around the field, and awareness of this habit, can help prevent forest fires and injury.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fire Laws and Permitting<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The use of prescribed fire for residential, commercial, or agricultural purposes is regulated by the Maine Forest Service and its forest rangers, governed by Maine\u2019s open burning and wildfire prevention laws. These laws, include the requirement for obtaining an open burning permit, adhering to the conditions listed on that permit and the extinguishment of all fires can be found in M.R.S.A. Title 12, Chapter 807<\/a>. The duration of the permit depends on the location and the current fire danger warning for the area.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Summary of Maine Open Burning Laws<\/b><\/p>\n