by Molly Jameson | Jun 8, 2016
Blueberries beginning to ripen at Blue Sky Berry Farm. Photo by Molly Jameson.
There is something almost magical about picking vibrantly blue blueberries off a bush and eating them fresh. If you watch the blueberries develop, you see them go from shades of pale green and blush red to dark and puffy and bright blue. When a blueberry is ready – you know it!
Blueberries are one of the few crop plants that are actually native to eastern North America. The most popular types are the rabbiteye blueberry (Vaccinium ashei) and the highbush blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum). Both can be found in northern Florida and southern Georgia, and the highbush blueberry can be found as far north as southeastern Canada. There are at least eight other Vaccinium wild blueberry species that can be found in the woods and near swamps in Florida. They are usually smaller and don’t taste quite as sweet as the rabbiteye and highbush, but birds rely on them heavily for forage.
If you’ve never experienced a fresh blueberry right off the bush, then you may want to consider either foraging for wild blueberries, growing your own, or scouting out a local u-pick blueberry farm near you.
Mulch blueberries with pine straw. Photo by Molly Jameson.
Let’s first consider the joys of growing your own. Blueberries require an acidic soil pH, between about 4.0 and 5.5. Lucky for most of us in the Panhandle, our soil pH is largely naturally acidic. If you have pine trees growing in your area, you most likely can grow blueberries. And the pine straw makes an excellent blueberry mulch! There are many rabbiteye cultivars that have been specifically developed to grow well in our hot climate – requiring fewer “chilling hours” than their northern counterparts. Check out varieties such as Powderblue, Brightwell, Tifblue, and Climax. Highbush blueberries can also do well in northern Florida, although they tend to flower early, making them susceptible to late freezes. Try highbush varieties such as Bluecrisp, Emerald, and Star. Each has its own advantages and drawbacks, such as fruit cracking and insect susceptibility. Click here to learn more about growing blueberries in Florida.
If you are not already growing blueberries, and you want fresh blueberries, then be sure to check out a local u-pick near you. This year you may have noticed we had a warm winter, which delayed the onset of blueberry dormancy. This means the crop is hitting its peak about two or three weeks later than normal. But don’t delay – blueberry season in north Florida typically declines by the beginning of July, so the season is upon us!
If you are in the east Panhandle, be sure to check out u-pick operations such as Blue Sky Berry Farm, Myrtle Creek Farm, Green Meadows Farm, and Blueberry Springs Farm.
Blue Sky Berry Farm, which is located just three miles south of the courthouse in Monticello, on 1180 Ashville Highway, is entering its second season as a u-pick, and its bushes have really grown! They use organic fertilizer and grow using sustainable farming methods. Blue Sky Berry Farm anticipates being open Saturdays and Sundays from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. this summer, but anyone interested in picking blueberries should first check the Blue Sky Berry Farm website (http://www.bskyfarm.com), as it is updated regularly during the season.
‘Titan’ blueberries at Blue Sky Berry Farm. Photo by Molly Jameson.
Green Meadows Farm, located at 177 East Bluebird Road in Monticello, is five acres of USDA certified organic blueberries. The farm is located among the trees and has been designated a Certified Wildlife Habitat by the National Wildlife Federation. It is open Fridays and Saturdays from 7:30 a.m. to noon and 5:00 p.m. to dusk, and Tuesdays from 7:30 a.m. to noon, while the blueberries last.
Myrtle Creek Farm, located at 2184 Tram Road in Monticello, has beautiful blueberry fields that are dappled with shade in the late afternoon and early evening. They currently have u-pick blueberries and blackberries available. They are open during the weekdays and weekends while the blueberries last, but do call ahead (850-997-0533) to check on availability.
Blueberry Springs Farm is located at 383 Wacissa Springs Road in Monticello, and is celebrating their 25th anniversary of harvesting blueberries. They first planted in December of 1991 and had their first harvest in June of 1991. They are open Tuesdays through Sundays 7:00 a.m. to noon and 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. You can contact Blueberry Springs Farm at (850) 997-1238 for updates, pricing, and directions.
Also check out the Florida Blueberry Growers Association website and the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services u-pick locator to discover u-picks around the state, including grape and blackberry u-picks.
Whether you are foraging for wild blueberries, picking your own blueberries, or visiting a u-pick, be sure to bring along plenty of water, a hat, close-toed shoes, and sunscreen, as blueberry season can be a very hot and sunny time of year! But once you’ve experienced your first taste of hand-picked Florida blueberries, you will be hooked and coming back for more each and every summer!
by Mary Salinas | May 5, 2016
The panhandle of Florida is a great place to grow citrus with our plentiful sunshine and sandy soil. But some varieties do better than others. Here are some that thrive in the more northerly climes of Florida:
Nagami kumquat. Photo credit: UF/IFAS.
- Satsuma mandarin is cold hardy to 15°F once established. There are a few different available cultivars with fruit ripening October through December. Fruit needs to be picked promptly when ripe.
- Kumquat is cold hardy to 10°F once established. ‘Nagami’ and ‘Meiwa’ are the two common cultivars of the small tart fruits. Fruit matures in fall and winter and holds fairly well on the trees.
- Calamondin is a lesser known variety that bears small fruit that resemble tangerines. The tart fruit is great for jams and chutneys. Fruit is borne all year.
- Some of the sweet oranges that do well in the panhandle are Navel, Hamlin and Parson Brown. They are cold hardy to 14°F once established and are harvested November through January.
- Minneola or Honeybell tangelo is also hardy to 14°F and harvested in January. This is a cross between a Duncan grapefruit and a Darcy tangerine. This bell-shaped fruit is very juicy and sweet. Unlike the other citrus varieties, it needs another citrus nearby for cross-pollination in order to produce an abundant crop.
- Meyer Lemon is the choice to make if you would like to grow lemons in the panhandle. Other lemons may be damaged by our occasional freezes.
Grapefruit and lime can be grown – although unreliably – on the coast with protection from northwestern winter winds. They are much more susceptible to freezes in more northerly panhandle locations.
In order to have the healthiest and most productive trees, learn about how to properly care for citrus and how to recognize and combat the pests and diseases that occur.
Citrus canker symptoms on leaves, fruit and stem. Photo by Timothy Schubert, FDACS
There are threats to our dooryard and commercial citrus from pests and disease. Only vigilance will help to combat the challenges so that we may continue to grow and enjoy our citrus. What can we do to protect our citrus?
- Report any serious diseases like suspected citrus canker or citrus greening to the Division of Plant Industry by calling toll-free 1-888-397-1517. Inspections and diagnosis are free. Citrus canker has been confirmed in south Santa Rosa County in the past 3 years.
- Purchase citrus trees only from registered nurseries – they may cost a little more but they have gone through an extensive process to remain disease and pest free. That will save you $$ in the long run!
- Don’t bring plants or fruit back into Florida – they may be harboring a pest!
- Citrus trees or fruit cannot move in or out of the State of Florida without a permit. This applies to homeowners as well as to the industry. This rule protects our vital dooryard trees and citrus industry.
For more information please see:
Save Our Citrus Website
UF IFAS Gardening Solutions: Citrus
Citrus Culture in the Home Landscape
UF IFAS Extension Online Guide to Citrus Diseases
Your Florida Dooryard Citrus Guide – Common Pests, Disease and Disorders of Dooryard Citrus
by Les Harrison | Feb 16, 2016
Last Week’s temperatures have confirmed the winter of 2016 is not 100% over. Now is the time to plan that spring garden!.
Garden catalogs from every part of the nation are finding their way into many area homes. Their pages promise the buyer the potential for legendary success and the envy of their friends and neighbors.
After all, who can resist the full color beauty of giant flowers, large luscious fruit and vegetables which are sure to win a prize at the fair? There is not a runt, reject or cull in all the pages of these publications offering the mortal version of horticultural heaven.
Before ordering, the would-be gardener should consider several factors to increase the likelihood of a positive gardening experience. A failure will waste not only funds, but also much time and hard work and may introduce a long-term problem or two.
Cultivar selection for a tree, shrub, vegetable or fruit is critically important to producing the desired results. While a specific plant cultivar may grow and produce in one environment, it may not do so in all situations.
A common example of this problem is grape vines offered. Only muscadine grapes will grow and produce locally because Pierce’s disease kills other varieties.
Carefully examine the growing zones recommended by the catalog for specific cultivars. Check with fellow gardeners and the UF/IFAS Extension Office to see if they have any information or experience with any cultivars under consideration.
Heirloom varieties are especially sensitive to the variances in growing conditions. While they offer unusual and sometimes unique taste and culinary traits or landscaping characteristics, these antique varieties can be a challenge to grow.
Their genetic potential can make a consistent yield, especially for the novice growers, a real effort. Also, as an open pollinator variety, the results can be inconsistent.
Another question for the catalog company customer is new or untried plants varieties. Some of these plants are patented and few or no trials have been performed with them in north Florida’s growing zone.
Caution should be used when ordering these seed or plants. Being the first in North Florida to cultivate a new variety may require a large commitment of time and resources, and may produce only a large disappointment.
Check with fellow gardeners, local nurseries and your UF/IFAS Extension Office for available information on these new or patented varieties. It may save much wasted motion.
Lastly, be sure the plant or seeds under consideration do not have the potential as exotic invasive pests. As hard as this may be to believe, this does occur.
Some catalog vendors will advise buyers in the ordering instructions or at the time of ordering. Either way, the purchaser should check to verify the plant ordered does not have the potential to escape control and damage the environment.
Check out the following publications to assist with finding adapted fruit and vegetable varieties for North Florida.
by Mary Salinas | Feb 16, 2016
As you have read in other articles in this blog, it is too early to fertilize your lawn; however, this is a good time to start fertilizing your citrus to ensure a healthy fruit crop later in the year.
Orange grove at the University of Florida. UF/IFAS photo by Tara Piasio.
Citrus benefits from regular fertilization with a good quality balanced citrus fertilizer that also contains micronutrients. A balanced fertilizer has equal amounts of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium such as a 6-6-6, 8-8-8 or a 10-10-10. The amount of fertilizer to be applied will vary on the formulation; for example you will need less of a 10-10-10 than a 6-6-6 as the product is more concentrated. Always consult the product label for the correct amount to use for your particular trees. Fertilizer spikes are not recommended as the nutrients are concentrated in small areas and not able to be widely available to all plant roots.
The number of fertilizations per year will vary depending on the age of the tree. Trees planted the first year need 6 light fertilizations that year starting in February with the last application in October. In following years, decrease the number of fertilizations by one per year until the fifth year when it is down to 3 fertilizations per year. From then on, keep fertilizing 3 times per year for the life of the tree. Good quality citrus fertilizer will have accurate and specific instructions on the label for the amount and timing of fertilizer application.
Fertilizer should be spread evenly under the tree but not in contact with the trunk of the tree. Ideally, the area under the drip line of the tree should be free of grass, weeds and mulch in order for rain, irrigation and fertilizer to reach the roots of the tree and provide air movement around the base of the trunk.
If you have not in recent years, obtain a soil test from your local extension office. This can detect nutrient deficiencies, which may be corrected with additional targeted nutrient applications.
For more information:
Citrus Culture in the Landscape
by Matt Lollar | Jan 27, 2016
We may be suffering from the recent low temperatures, but temperate fruit trees such as peaches and apples require a period of cold weather in order to become cold hardy and produce a good crop.
What is Cold Hardiness?
Cold hardiness is the ability of a plant to survive low temperatures. However, every cold event is fairly unique with variables such as when the low temperatures occur (early vs. late winter), how quickly the temperature drops, the temperatures in the days leading up to the event, and the length of time the low temperatures are sustained.
Cold Acclimation
Cold acclimation is the development of freezing tolerance in plants. Three fall environmental factors contribute to cold acclimation in fruit trees. Plant will develop 10 to 15 degrees of cold tolerance when the leaves sense shorter day lengths. Metabolic activity is increased when days are short and temperatures are between 60°F days and 40°F nights. The second factor occurs when lows reach the 20s, which can make trees up to 10 degrees hardier. The final factor occurs when temperatures dip to near zero, which fortunately for us does not occur very often.
Trees remain hardy during the winter as long as temperatures remain fairly stable. However, de-acclimation occurs in reaction to warm temperatures. This explains the winter flowering which occurred this past December. A cold snap may not injure trees unless it immediately follows a period of mild temperatures.
Florida Average Chill Hours Map – UF/IFAS Extension
Chilling Requirement
The cold weather and gradual cold acclimation are necessary to a tree’s accumulation of chill hours which is necessary for steady fruit yields. Chill hours are the accumulation of hours when temperatures are between 32°F and 45°F. The yearly average chill hour accumulation in Northwest Florida is between 660 and 700 hours. The apple varieties recommended for our area (‘Anna’, ‘Dorsett Golden’, and ‘TropicSweet’) have a chilling requirement of 250 to 300 hours. Some of the peach varieties recommended for our area (‘Flordacreast’, ‘Flordaking’, and ‘Gulfsnow’) have a chilling requirement of 350 to 400 hours. Please note the risk of planting these varieties because their chilling requirements are lower than our average chill hour accumulation. The varieties listed are for example, but other available varieties are suitable for our area.
Whether you like winter weather or not, just remember the satisfaction of eating fresh fruit in the summer. To track this year’s chill hours from the warmth of your home, please visit the AgroClimate tool at http://agroclimate.org/tools/Chill-Hours-Calculator/.
by Matthew Orwat | Jan 13, 2016
Crapemyrtle Scale, UF / IFAS Extension
During cold January weather, one doesn’t often think about spraying fruit trees and ornamental shrubs for spring insects and diseases. It’s just not on the radar. The fact is January and February are the best time to apply dormant sprays to combat insect and disease issues. Many ask, “What are dormant sprays” ?
Dormant sprays act on insects or disease pathogens differently. Many insects overwinter on trees and shrubs, either as eggs or immobilized in a protective shell (scale insects). Horticultural oils applied during cool dormant conditions work by smothering the eggs of some insect species or encapsulated scale insects. Since they cannot breathe, they die.
On the other hand, dormant sprays containing copper or sulfur actually kill latent fungal spores that are ready to infect the moment weather warms. They also burn tender young plant tissue, so can only be used when the plant is not actively growing. These preventative sprays can delay disease incidence in early spring and allow for reduction or elimination of regular fungicide applications. The old adage “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” surely applies to these situations.
There are several products on the market for dormant applications.
Dormant oil is a type of horticultural oil, made of refined petroleum products, for application on trees or shrubs when the trees are not actively growing. It has been in use for over 100 years. They are effective in the suppression of scale insects and mites. Care must be used to not apply them when daytime temperatures are above 75 degrees or night temperatures below 28 degrees. Other horticultural oils exist that can be applied during the growing season to control soft-bodied insects, but not during extremely hot weather. Many different brands exist, some are certified organic by OMRI. They can be purchased at most garden centers, but the best selection is usually found at your independent nursery or farm store.
Cottony Cushion Scale, Image Credit, Matthew Orwat, UF / IFAS Extension
Dormant fungicides can be classified into two groups. Those that contain copper and those that contain sulfur. The most common preventative remedy for fungal disease is lime-sulfur. It is applied to dormant plants and actually sanitizes the stem, killing all fungal spores. It cannot be used during the growing season since it burns leafy tissue. Caution must be taken when mixing and loading since, being an acidic product, can burn the skin. Wear chemical resistant gloves when applying (bought at your local hardware store for $4.00-$10.00), safety goggles and follow all label directions carefully. Also, never apply lime-sulfur within one month of horticultural oil applications. It should be applied in early to mid February, avoiding hard freezes for the 24 hours around application time.
Dormant copper sprays are effective on both bacterial and fungal pathogens and used primarily on fruit crops for the suppression of many fruit diseases including fire blight, bacterial leaf spot, powdery mildew, downey mildew and anthracnose. One popular option, the “Bordeaux Mixture” blends copper with lime. This lime reduces the acidic nature of the copper, thus reducing tissue damage when applied to plants. Always read the label for proper personal protective equipment and dosage rates, to avoid copper toxicity.
For more information, contact your local extension agent or consult these extension publications from: Disease Management Strategies, and Pest Control Using Horticultural Oils .
