My Blueberry Plants Have a Disease!
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- Опубліковано 23 кві 2024
- In this video I talk about "witches broom" - and disease to which blueberry plants are susceptible, and that has infected almost all of my plants.
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When I was a kid my dad used to walk through his wild blueberry fields swearing about witches broom. I don’t remember removing plants and the fields are still producing so I agree with you - I wouldn’t count your high bush berries out yet!
They're relatively easy to start from seed; just time consuming with a long germination of 2-3 months. You can gather berries from your surviving bush, or go out and get some wild ones. Stratify freeze cycle for 3 weeks. Mash thawed berries in water (I've usually seen a blender recommended); seeds will sink and the mash will float. Separate and scatter on your acidic seed starting medium, light dusting of soil on top. Cover to retain moisture. Wait 2-3 months. Transplant seedlings and pot up under protection and observation. Harden off and plant in spring or fall.
Thanks for the code! :)
The rust fungus spore causes this, maturing in the fir tree and then spreading to the blueberries. It can affect junipers, pines, furs, pecans, walnut, Willow, and plenty more... sometimes the new growth kills off the branch like it's suffocating it, sometimes you can remove it and the plant doesn't mind. My blueberry bush is many years old and is doing very well with lots of fruits despite me needing to remove quite a few bunches of witches broom. After walking around my property, I found some trees with witches broom that are flourishing wonderfully. I pruned the parts I could reach just in case it helps🤷 I'm eager to see the results in your garden!
Thanks for the info!
I planted several blueberry bushes years ago, and they eventually developed this disease. Usually the birds got to the berries before me! Last year I discarded those bushes and did not replace them.
I’ve had witches broom disease on my blueberry bushes also. I just prune it off every year, burn the pruned branches if possible and wipe my shears with an alcohol wipe. Not all the plants have it every year. I have 17 bushes, two of which are very old and were at this property before I moved here. The older bushes have the disease as do some of the ones I’ve planted. We are also surrounded by forest. All of my blueberry bushes produce well and I feel that as long as I prune the witches broom every year I will get many years out of these bushes….hopefully??! Fingers crossed for your plants!
I'm hoping the same thing :)
I live about two hours from you, and have twenty six blueberry plants. There are seven to eight different varieties, and most of them have witches broom. Two of the plants are around forty years old, they have it, but have continued to produce well for the twenty four years that we have lived here. When I see it, I just pull it off and move on. My understanding is that the witches broom will suck energy from the plant without giving anything back. My experience is that if you stay on top of it, they will survive.
It seems that there is no way of avoiding it here in Nova Scotia. If you want the berries, you will likely just have to learn to live with it.
Thanks for that - gives me hope
Was wondering what was on one of my plants the last few years. It didn`t produce very good either. After seeing this I went out and dug it out and another plant got dug out with it. Cut a branch off another one. Two went to the green bin. I have tree`s all around me so guess that`s why we got it. Thank`s for this info.
I lost mine years ago because I'm surrounded by fir just like you.
I have a problem and wondering if you can help me. I had a container garden last year and noticed that the dirt got these tiny little speck bugs. We had fires and floods here, it was a terrible summer. When cleaning up in fall, I threw all the dirt together and then realized that the buggy containers got mixed in. Is all that dirt ruined now or is there some way to kill the little bugs? Garlic maybe? I'm not doing a big garden this year since I'm helping to care for my mom who is declining with Alzheimer's. Is there a way I could save this dirt for next year's garden?
were the bugs a problem? IT's possible they just flew in - so they are around anyway. I guess I'd just use the soil and see what happens. If the bugs show up - identify them and see if they are a problem - and if so, find out how to get rid of them. I doubt garlic would do anything but who knows.
@@maritimegardening4887 There were so many of them, loaded with it. I figured it must be a pest. My garden didn't do well with the weather (so dry then flooding) so I'm not sure if it hurt the plants or not.
Blueberries aren't grafted, but they do have a pretty wide range through Canada/America. So looking for verities more local to your area makes sense. They may have more resistance to witches broom than those from others.
You are actually making me paranoid about that sad pear tree I was given. I grafted a few branches, and left others alone. In part to not stress it any more than needed, and to maybe get a pear from it, so I can figure out what it's supposed to be.
The stunted growth could also be down to a mild spell in mid-Feb, followed by awful wind, and rain. Which only stopped again last Sat. So maybe a mix of being grafted, planted properly in the ground, not way too shallow in half a small blue plastic barrel.
That gave it the urge to throw out lots of new growth from old wood. That then just got hammered with cold, wet, and windy conditions.
I know pears can get it, but I haven't had time to really look into it. The fact I'm not seeing a lot about this as it relates to pears does make me feel better. Mind you, I have just planted a few blueberry bushes. So fate giveth with one hand and taketh away with the other.
There's witches broom in birch trees only 200 yards from the allotments. They look like big crazy crows nests, but you'll never see birds actually nesting there.