Q&A – Why don’t my blueberries ever ripen?
Question:
Year after year my blueberry produces lots of fruit, but they never ripen. They just slowly turn hard and eventually fall off. What can I do to get ripe blueberries? Do I have the right variety?
Answer:
Horticulture Expert Lelia Kelly thinks it’s a disease called mummy fruit. This usually affects a small number of fruit on the plant. She says that you should pick off the mummies and clean up any on the ground then replace the mulch under the plant. She also says that you will get better fruit production if you have two kinds of blueberries to cross pollinate. Also, there are some blueberry varities that are more resistant to mummy fruit.
Related Resources:
The Second Phase in the Battle Against Mummy Berry of Blueberry in the PNW: Fruit infection
Blueberry IPM - Mummy Berry
Year after year my blueberry produces lots of fruit, but they never ripen. They just slowly turn hard and eventually fall off. What can I do to get ripe blueberries? Do I have the right variety?
Answer:
Horticulture Expert Lelia Kelly thinks it’s a disease called mummy fruit. This usually affects a small number of fruit on the plant. She says that you should pick off the mummies and clean up any on the ground then replace the mulch under the plant. She also says that you will get better fruit production if you have two kinds of blueberries to cross pollinate. Also, there are some blueberry varities that are more resistant to mummy fruit.
Related Resources:
The Second Phase in the Battle Against Mummy Berry of Blueberry in the PNW: Fruit infection
Blueberry IPM - Mummy Berry