Richard A' Dale Small Fruits Specialist Highland Valley Farm Bayfield, WI, USA

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Richard A. DaleSmall Fruits SpecialistHighland
Valley FarmBayfield, WI, USA

• Serbia Agribusiness project

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Blueberry Establishment for Serbia
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Blueberry plant types in USA

• Lowbush (V. Angustifolium) native
• Half-Highbush hybrid
• HIGHBUSH (V. Corymbosum) native
• Southern Improved Highbush hybrid
• Rabbiteye (V. Ashei) native

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Blueberry plant types for Serbia

• Half-Highbush hybrid ?
• Possibly for high altitude cooler sites
• Patriot is a half-highbush hybrid
• HIGHBUSH (V. Corymbosum) native
• Bluecrop is proven
• Duke, Spartan, Reka and Nui look promising
• Southern Improved Highbush hybrid ?
• Climate of Serbia in the most promising regions
  may be more similar to Arkansas than to Michigan
• Ozarkblue is being trialed

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Additional Cultivars that should be trialed for
Serbia

• Elliot
• Late season favorite of Michigan growers
• To extend season and for domestic markets
• Chandler
• Extremely large fancy berry
• Early-midseason
• Bluetta
• A proven excellent early season fruit
• Earliblue
• Another proven early season berry
• O'Neal
• Considered the earliest fruiting southern
  highbush
• Misty
• Another excellent early season southern highbush

Elliot
Earliblue
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Site Selection

• Appropriate climate
• Well drained surface soil
• Low pH 4.5 5.2
• At least 1/2 day full sun
• Irrigation available

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Other Site Considerations

• Air drainage
• Wind breaks
• Accessibility
• Proximity to available cooling and cold storage
• Machine harvest possible?

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Site Preparation

• Begin at least one year before planting
• Control perennial weeds with cultivation or
  non-residual herbicides
• Soil test
• Adjust pH per soil
• Add P K fertilizer
• Add organic matter if necessary
• Improve drainage
• Prepare irrigation

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Planting Blueberries

• In the spring after danger of frosts is past or
  early fall before hard frosts
• Container-grown plants
• Remove flowers or fruit
• Loosen roots
• Depth just lower than in the nursery

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2-year old container grown plants
Loosen roots
Remove blossom and green fruit at planting
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Planting System

• Spacing
• Plants 1 1.2 m spacing in the row
• Rows 3m between rows
• Raised Beds
• For improved drainage on heavier soils
• Mulch
• Irrigation
• Drip irrigation is best

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1.2m between bushes x 3m between rows
3m
3m
3m
3m
1.2m
1.2m
1.2m
1.2m
1.2m
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Mulch

• Mulches are desirable for
• Retaining moisture
• Keeping soil surface cool
• Protecting roots
• Reducing weeds
• Increasing organic matter
• Sawdust, shavings, bark, or clean straw
• Plant sod between rows
• Non-creeping grasses
• Maintain with mowing. Do not allow to seed

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Irrigation

• Supplemental irrigation critical
• Drip irrigation recommended
• Water source
• Flow rate and recharge
• pH
• Quality
• Schedule 2.5 - 4 cm / week

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Richard A. Dale87080 Valley RoadBayfield, WI
54814 USArdale46_at_gmail.com

• Serbia Agribusiness project