https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/209021903
Invasive species are a threat to blueberries and bird vetch is an invasive one that can invade undisturbed areas that most other invasive species do not (Rader). Do not use a rake of any kind to harvest the blueberries, it may be swifter, but you invariably damage the plant and can reduce the harvest of next year as the berry buds can start forming as early as late June for the Vaccinium uliginosum L. (Rader). Bees help improve pollination and fruit production from blueberry bushes (Rader). If you plan to have your own blueberry bush, then you should prune up to half the plant after the leaves dropped from a frost (Rader).
I have an unrelated plant known as Rhubarb which I learned that should not be harvested for more than a third of the plant as what we eat are the aboveground stalks. Which is a fair amount of the plants mass and what it takes back for nutrient survival at the end of the season. I see that Rader stated pruning the plant improves production but as it is a berry bush and we eat the fruit from it rather than its woody branches, I can imagine that removing the branches allows the bush to spend less energy producing fruit the next year. It may have more clustered buds for harvesting the blueberries from that fact alone. Of course, it is general knowledge that blueberries are used for everything from pies to jams. I have even added them to oatmeal for a change of flavor.
Work Cited
Rader, Heidi. “Blueberries-Wild and Citified.” It Grows in Alaska: In the Alaska Garden with Heidi Rader, University of Alaska Fairbanks, 16 Apr. 2020, itgrowsinalaska.community.uaf.edu/2020/04/16/blueberries-wild-and-citified/. Accessed 26 Apr. 2024.
Comentarios
Hi Daniel,
I had no idea that bird vetch existed, nonetheless that it was an invasive species and a threat to blueberries! Also, I am guilty of using a rake on blueberries, especially the low-growing alpine kind. It is just so much easier and less time consuming! However, I will stop using it after reading your post. Rhubarb is so yummy and something that I wish was a more widespread “flavor” in things like jams, muffins, or cakes. However, I did not know that only a portion of the stalk is supposed to be harvested. I have always chopped off the entire stalk.
Elizabeth
Hi ELizabeth,
I think I should clarify, by saying the portion of the stalk what I mean is that if it has nine stalks coming out with the big leaves you only take three of them in whole which is still a lot of rhubarb because the stalks are so big. If you take more than half, you will reduce the plants’ resilience to return the next year and eventually the harvest will diminish until it does not return. It is like what the raking will do to the blueberry bushes, removing leaves the plant needs for photosynthesis and storing energy for the next year. I have not been blueberry harvesting since I lived with my mother in Haines, but we had never used a rake and I did not even know this was a practice or that specialized rakes were made for it until I read that publication.
That's some really insightful info on managing blueberries and dealing with invasive species like bird vetch. It's intriguing how specific the care guidelines are, like avoiding rakes to protect the buds that form so early in the season. It definitely sounds like a delicate balance to maintain the health of the blueberry bushes while maximizing future harvests.
And your note about bees improving pollination and fruit production is a good reminder of how interconnected nature is, and how each element plays a role in the ecosystem's health. It’s always amazing how much impact such small creatures can have on our food sources!
Regarding your rhubarb, it’s interesting to learn about the harvesting limits to ensure the plant stays healthy. It makes sense that pruning and careful harvesting can really boost the plant's productivity in the long run, similar to what you mentioned with the blueberry bushes. Also, adding blueberries to oatmeal sounds delicious! It’s a healthy twist I’ll have to try.
Thanks for sharing all these gardening tips—it’s always great to learn more about sustainable practices that help both the plants and the environment. Keep up the fantastic work in your garden, and let me know how the next harvest turns out!
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