Blueberry specialists at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) remind growers about management options they need to be mindful of during October.
Producers should monitor and manage leaf diseases, especially in evergreen systems. It is important to scout for algal stem blotch and selectively prune out canes infected with algal stem blotch, Botryosphaeria stem blight and dead canes.
Growers should also apply insecticides or miticides to control blueberry bud mites if they were present during the prior season. They should also spray for southern red mites and fall webworms.
Farmers should also apply a post-emergence herbicide if weeds are at densities that hinder the growth of the bush.