Fluctuating temperatures can cause as much or more crop loss than cold winter temperatures or spring frosts.
Unfortunately, our ‘Bluecrop’ blueberry field at the Horticulture Research Farm has more flower bud damage this year than I’ve ever seen before. While our site makes winter damage especially likely, I’m afraid we won’t be alone.
Our planting is right on the valley floor where we’ve never been able to overwinter blackberry plants without tunnels. We get really cold temperatures overnight, and it warms up nicely during the day, so the temperatures tend to fluctuate anyway. But the fluctuations this year were extreme.
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