By Clint Thompson
Warmer temperatures in previous months led to earlier blooms for blueberry plants in the Southeast. That’s not good news for farmers, says Georgia producer Russ Goodman, co-owner of Cogdell Berry Farm in Clinch and Lanier counties.
“We’ve got a lot more bloom right now than we would want I can tell you that. It’s not a good thing. The warm weather that we had in November and December has contributed to it. I don’t know if I’ve ever seen them bloom quite this much this early,” Goodman said. “I’ve got a friend who’s been growing blueberries for 40 years. He said he’s never seen his bloom this early.”
He estimated those early blooms equated to about 5% of his crop.
“If you’ve got 5% blooming, that means you’ve got a lot coming behind it that’s getting ready to bloom and it’s just (early January). We’ve got to make it until Easter,” Goodman said. “Every warm spell advances them further and you’ve got to make it to (mid-April).
“This time of year, you want your buds to be tight. You don’t want where we’re at right now.”
It is a huge concern for farmers as late freeze events in the spring could derail blueberry production.
Goodman said there are different stages of bloom, with stage 5 being open bloom. He said growers hope to be at stage 1 or 2 this time of year. But that’s not the case.
“Stage 5 is open bloom, but if everything would normally be a stage 1 and you’re at stage 3, that’s not a good thing,” Goodman added.
A warmer winter is not surprising to weather experts, who predicted a La Niña weather pattern. That would mean drier conditions and warmer temperatures. Pam Knox, University of Georgia Extension Agricultural Climatologist, estimated that there is a 70% to 80% chance that the La Niña continues through next February or March.