Q. I’m having a problem with my Japanese blueberries. Some
are fine and the two on the end appear to be drying out but only towards the
top? Do you have any idea what’s causing this? The soil is not dry and they all
get the same amount of irrigation.
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| Japanese blueberries tops dying back |
A. I would guess that something caused a problem on the
trunk or large limbs at the bottom where it has turned brown. I am guessing it
might be borers or some other critter that mechanically damaged the
trunk/limbs. It is possible it could be sunburn as well particularly if they
were open enough to allow direct sunlight on those branches/trunk for extended periods
of time.
I think we can rule out diseases in our climate except
for the possibility of sunburn (non pathological disease).
Look at the area of trunk/large limbs just in the footabove the healthy areas and let me know if you see peeling bark, discoloration
or other types of abnormalities.
If it is borers (the most likely), there is nothing you
can do to raise it from the dead but you can protect it with a soil drench once
a year using Feri-Lome’s soil drench. It contains an insecticide that should
give you about one year of control from what I am hearing.
can do to raise it from the dead but you can protect it with a soil drench once
a year using Feri-Lome’s soil drench. It contains an insecticide that should
give you about one year of control from what I am hearing.