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market-farming - Re: [Market-farming] growing blueberries under partial cover

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  • From: "Bill Shoemaker" <wshoemak AT inil.com>
  • To: "Market Farming" <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [Market-farming] growing blueberries under partial cover
  • Date: Mon, 30 Jan 2006 08:47:19 -0600

The one thing I would worry about is the potential for warming conditions in the tunnel during winter, the period of dormancy. When you have clear plastic tunnels protecting dormant plants, the tunnel warms up like a greenhouse, forcing the plants to break out of dormancy too early. The next really cold snap comes along you have to manage your tunnel like a real greenhouse (heat and water).

One possible solution is to put white plastic over the tunnel for the winter to reflect light away from the tunnel. Nurseries in northern Illinois do this. I'd try to find someone in your region who's tried this and ask them how they solved that problem.

Bill Shoemaker, Sr Research Specialist, Food Crops
University of Illinois - St Charles Horticulture Research Center
www.nres.uiuc.edu/faculty/directory/shoemaker_wh.html


I've been doing research into the possibilities of
growing blueberries under partial-cover as in a
haygrove-type tunnel. From the little bit of
information I've been able to gather from growers who
do other fruits under cover the tunnels increase the
brix levels & size of the fruit, prevent fruit loss
due to birds, allow picking of the fruit in
less-than-perfect weather conditions, allow for
earlier harvests & provides protection from inclement
weather such as late frosts.

I cannot find much on blueberries being grown like
this. I have yet to hear back from the Haygrove people
though the price of their structures is prohibitive
for the limited size
of our operation. I think a simple hoop tunnel
construction would serve the same purpose for us. Any
advice would be greatly appreciated!

Liz Pike
Hillsville VA (where i can't find anyone to agree on
the zone...some say 5, others say 7, so I'm going with
6!)


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