Georgia Blueberries: Crop Not Projected to be Early This Year

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Georgia blueberries are progressing this season but don’t expect them to be ready for an early harvest, says Renee Holland, University of Georgia area Extension blueberry agent in Alma, Georgia.

“It depends on the weather between now and then. It’s quite warm right now, so things are progressing very quickly, Holland said. “I don’t think we’re going to be two weeks early like we sometimes are. I think we won’t really start picking until May. There may be a little bit in late March for the earlier varieties. But overall, I’d say most of our picking is going to come on in May.”

Colder temperatures this winter slowed the growth of Georgia blueberries. Weather will still play a role in how quickly the blueberries mature between now and May. Cold and warm temperatures could “push” and “stop” the growth of the plants, Holland said.

“We’ve had some years where we’re like two weeks early. But I think we’re going to be right on time, as they say, this year,” Holland said. “We’re not running behind, but we’re not early, so more kind of a moderate year.”

As far as the what the crop looks like now, Georgia producers couldn’t ask for much a better crop status.

“It looks like we have a nice, large crop load. Most everything’s in full bloom by now, depending on the variety of the plant and the species of the plant. A lot of things are in bloom. We have the blooms out. Some of our mid-season stuff is still in the earlier bloom stages,” Holland said. “We’re in a good place right now. Of course, we’re just waiting to see if we get any freezes.”