Why blueberries don’t bear fruit and what to do, reasons and solutions

Growing berries on a personal plot has long become a habit. But the cultivation of unusual, less common species primarily evokes interest or even excitement. After all, who doesn’t want to admire a beautiful bush with rare, tasty and healthy berries. But such bushes are a risk. After all, even after maximum efforts, they are not happy with the harvest. Why blueberry plantings do not bear fruit and what to do to make the plant begin to bear fruit.

Why blueberries don’t bear fruit or bloom: reasons and solution to the problem

Situations arise when, despite all the efforts to care for blueberries, flowering and fruiting do not occur. To understand why garden blueberries do not bloom, you need to observe the plant. Perhaps mistakes were made during planting or during the care process. And there are enough factors influencing the fruiting of a bush.

Violation of agricultural technology

An important factor in the appearance of flowers and fruiting of a plant is compliance with the rules of agricultural technology. This shrub grows poorly in beds where there were previously potatoes or other vegetables. Herbs are recognized as the best predecessors, and they are also perennial. The plant does not like organic matter, so soils that have not been added to organic matter for the last five seasons are suitable.

Failure to follow planting rules is also an important factor. When purchasing, you must choose a copy that is in a large container. In small pots, the roots of the plant are densely intertwined and rolled inward.

Rules for planting shrubs:

1. Soak the container with blueberries for a quarter of an hour.
2. Remove the pot and straighten the roots of the plant, since they will not straighten on their own. If you plant it as is, then after some time when digging it up you will find that the root system has remained in the same form. Blueberries planted in this way will not only not bear fruit, but will die over time.

The root system of the shrub is located shallow, almost in the surface layer, no deeper than 0.25 m. Accordingly, a hoe or similar equipment is not used in the process of weeding the plant.A damaged root system will not recover. The soil is not loosened deeply, 30-35 mm.

Planting bushes in the shade

The shrub does not bloom if planted in a shaded area. Although this is a familiar environment for it and it takes root well in the shade, the plant needs light to bear fruit. In this case, the place should be illuminated by the rays of the sun and protected from draft winds.

Unsuitable soil acidity

The acidity level should be up to 3.5-4.5. To obtain such soil, it is recommended to use sulfuric or sulfuric acid. And to acidify the soil, you can use 9% acetic or malic acid at a rate of 120 ml per 10 liters of liquid.

Lack of mulch

Mulching with sawdust, bark and tree needles helps enrich the soil, creates an air-water balance for the development of the plant's root system, helps maintain the required level of acidity, and prevents the appearance of weeds. Recommended layer thickness is 5-8 cm.

It has been proven that mulching promotes plant development and increases yield. One of the advantages of mulch is the ability to retain moisture, cool the soil in hot weather and heat during winter (the roots are protected from frostbite).

Insufficient drainage

If the soil is heavy and groundwater is nearby, blueberries must be planted on a ridge. It is necessary to extract a part of the soil 50-80 mm deep. Place it around the planting hole. Fill the hole with peat or peat-sand mixture. You can add sawdust and pine needles. You should get a hump, on the top of which place a blueberry bush, sprinkle with soil, and mulch the soil.

As a result, excess liquid will flow down the surface of the slide, and the plant’s root system will receive air and water in a balanced manner.

Planting only one bush

To improve productivity, it is recommended to plant at least two varieties of blueberries, then there will be a lot of berries.

Bacterial and infectious diseases

A sick plant, weakened by infectious or bacterial diseases, will not bear fruit. For prevention, it is recommended to treat with fungicides in spring and autumn.

At the beginning of spring it is treated with Polycarbacin 1%, Bordeaux mixture, Rovral 1%. When the foliage blooms, treat with a fungicide (Topsin M, Euparen, Kuprozan, Benomil, Rovral). Treatment is carried out three times every 7-10 days.

After removing the berries from the bush, they are treated with fungicides three times, the last after the leaves fall.

Double leaf spot

Appears exclusively on leaf blades. At the end of March, a small number of small light, brown, gray, dark spots with a diameter of 2-3 mm are formed, but soon there are more of them. In summer, the formations begin to expand, reaching a diameter of 6 to 13 mm. The stain becomes, as it were, double: the previous one and the new one, much darker. In rainy weather the disease spreads much faster.

Topsin and Euparen are recognized as effective drugs for treatment. In the spring and autumn periods it can be treated with Rovral.

Stem cancer

The most harmful disease of this nature. The disease has the following symptoms. First, red spots form on the scars of the leaf blades and on the sprouts. Over time, they become larger, take on an oval shape and darken. Then the spots grow, connect with each other, cover the entire surface of the shoot, and it dies. Young shrubs are more quickly affected by this disease. On old shoots, ulcers appear with the bark cracking and falling off.

Prevention is important above all. It is not recommended to plant in beds where there is high humidity, and do not apply large amounts of nitrogen-containing fertilizers. Promptly cut off disease-damaged branches and destroy them.

For treatment, it is recommended to use “Topsin” (0.2%), “Euparen”. Carry out the treatment three times, every 7 days. The first treatment is before flowering, the second after harvesting. Treat with Bordeaux mixture after the foliage blooms, in the autumn - twice after falling.

Parasitization of the fungus Phomopsis

The symptoms of the disease are similar to stem cancer. New shoots begin to dry out and curl. The length of the lesion varies from 3 to 35 cm. The foliage becomes brown, dries out, falls off, and red spots measuring 10 mm in diameter form on it.

To combat it, it is necessary to destroy the affected shoots; the plant is treated with drugs used in the treatment of stem cancer.

Gray rot

The disease is characterized by brown, sometimes red spots on branches, leaves, and fruits. Subsequently, the spots acquire a gray tint. The spread of the disease begins from the top of the shoot and moves to the base. The berries suffer greatly. Particularly dangerous in prolonged wet weather. When fungal spores get on flowers, the yield decreases.

Plants overfed with nitrogen, as well as dense plantings with poor ventilation, are susceptible to this disease..

The fungus overwinters on fallen leaves. It is necessary to collect all leaves and fallen fruits and burn them. Preventive methods used for the diseases mentioned above are important. It is also recommended to plant bushes at a sufficient distance to ensure air circulation.

Moniliosis of fruits

Visually, this disease looks as if all parts of the plant: branches, leaf blades, flowers and fruits are damaged by frost. The fungus overwinters in dried berries. First, the affected tip of the branch withers, turns yellow, then acquires a brown tint, turns black and dies. This stage is called a “monilial burn.” The flowers also turn brown and die. The berries acquire a brown tint and lose their taste.

Gradually, the fungus covers the wood, the bark cracks, gum deposits appear, and gradually the branches of the plant die off.

For prevention and treatment, it is necessary to collect all fallen debris under the bush and burn it. It is recommended to spray with Bordeaux mixture or other fungicides.

Viral lesions

Fungal diseases are not the only ailments that plague the plant. Some of them are viral in nature. When affected by such a disease, treatment is useless. All that remains is to remove and burn the affected plant. It is important to learn to determine the nature of the disease.

Mosaic

Yellowish patterns form on the leaf blades of the plant. Near the cuttings they are yellow, closer to the tops they are greenish. The disease is carried by ticks.

Threadiness of branches

The complexity and danger of this disease lies in the fact that in a latent state it can last for about four years. When affected, the growth rate of the plant decreases, the leaf blades turn red, then wrinkle, and gradually begin to curl. The sprouts have stripes similar to laces.

Red ring spot

By mid-summer, reddish spots form on the leaf blades of the plant, often on older ones. The defeat begins with the leaves and gradually spreads to the entire plant, completely destroying it.

Dwarfism

This disease is caused by mycoplasma. A diseased plant grows poorly, hence the name. The branches bear small, tasteless berries, or there are none at all. Gradually the leaves become small, then turn yellow, and at the end of summer the yellowed leaves turn red.

Necrotic spotting

With this disease, red ring-shaped spots are visible on the leaves of the plant. The lesion first spreads to older leaves. Afterwards the plant is completely affected.

There are many reasons for the slow development of the bush and the lack of berries. If this is a violation of the rules of agricultural planting or care, this can be corrected in a fairly short time. If a plant is affected by a disease, you will have to spend a lot of effort and time to save it. If the disease is viral in nature, the plant cannot be saved. The main thing is to correctly and timely determine the cause of the current situation and, without delay, try to save the plant. Only then can you expect the desired results.