Understanding Blueberry Rest Periods

In most of the state, blueberry bushes take the winter off. Whether they are managed as deciduous or evergreen plants, they do not grow actively during this period. This temporary stop in visible growth is called dormancy. Dormancy is a natural response to internal and external stimuli. Plants have two kinds of dormancies: endodormancy and ecodormancy. Understanding how each one works is important, because together they play a major role in determining when plants resume growth—and ultimately, when we harvest fruit.

The Florida flower thrips (Frankliniella bispinosa Morgan) is primarily a pest of southern highbush blueberries during the bloom period in Florida. Larvae and adults feed on all parts of the flowers (ovaries, styles, petals) and developing fruit. Feeding damage can reduce pollination of the injured blooms, and the subsequent quantity and quality of fruit produced from those blooms. Adult females can also cause indirect injury to fruit when laying their eggs inside flower tissues (Figure 1 c). The newly hatched larvae create holes in the flower tissue when they emerge, resulting in scarring of the fruit. 

Seasonal Insights and Industry Updates 

October 23, 2025
Lakeland, Florida
photos by JESS McDONALD and TYLER DiGIOVINE

There’s an old joke about farmers being outstanding in their fields, and in Florida, it rings true on both counts. I’ll be the first to champion the dedication and perseverance of our growers. The flip side of that joke, of course, is that you’re almost guaranteed to find a farmer literally standing alone in a field. Farming can be a solitary lifestyle much of the time, which makes it all the more important for growers to seek out meaningful connections with their peers. 

BerrySmart Field was established by the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council (USHBC) to ensure emerging technologies are tested, validated and refined on real farms — so growers can make better decisions with less risk. Launched initially in the Pacific Northwest, the program expanded in 2025 to include on-farm deployments in Florida and New Jersey, reflecting USHBC’s commitment to learning across diverse production regions and conditions. Rather than asking individual growers to experiment on their own, BerrySmart Field invests nationally to generate practical, transferable insights that benefit the entire U.S. blueberry industry.

Latest Research and Best Practices to Fight the Disease

“This is the story of Johnny Rotten, It’s better to burn out than it is to rust.” 

Disease

Virtually all blueberry fields in Florida are subject to late winter or early spring freezes, which can cause serious reductions in yield. This is a list of activities for freeze preparation. The list was originally published by Mike Mainland in the North Carolina Blueberry News, Vol. 7, No. 1 and has been modified by IFAS faculty and FBGA board members.

How Close Is Too Close for a Blueberry Plant?

CREDITS: Martin Zapien, Md Zohurul Kadir Roni, Gerardo H. Nunez

Pesticide Efficacy Hinges on Spray Water pH

Provided by USHBC

Hurricanes and tropical storms can result in damage to Florida blueberry farms in three primary ways – wind damage, flooding, and disease resulting from plant damage or post-storm environmental conditions.

Soil Moisture Sensors Can Help Boost Florida Blueberry Production

by Diego Cabezas

A common question I’m asked is, “What do you do in the off-season?” The answer is simple: We hustle. The off-season is our time to plan, budget, and forecast for the next harvest. Planting and growing healthy bushes are fundamental parts of our work, but many other factors are crucial to our success. Pre-harvest realities can set in earlier than expected, and shifting policies, pests, weather, and labor add layers of complexity.

Grower 411

Research Aims to Develop Nitrogen Fertilizer Guidelines for Florida Blueberries

Weed management can be a significant problem for organic blueberry production. The key practices are sanitation and prevention. These practices prevent weed seed from entering the soil profile and becoming problematic. Sanitation practices include cleaning weed seed off equipment between fields, maintaining field edges, and using weedfree plant material. If weeds begin to emerge in the field; use the methods below to prevent the weeds from producing seeds and create a growing problem. 

In late May, President Trump’s Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) Commission released its Make Our Children Healthy Again Assessment, outlining the “dietary, behavioral, medical and environmental drivers” behind the decline in American children’s health. The report lays the foundation for evidence-based policy reforms and cultural shifts aimed at reversing this trend. A national strategy will follow in August, with the 2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGAs) expected later this year.