How to weed an existing blueberry patch

Question: I have a prolific blueberry field that was existing on a property that I purchased in the winter. Other priorities kept me from tending to the field and now the blueberry bushes are overrun with weeds. I am looking for advise on how to get rid of the current weeds, tend the blueberries now, prepare them for winter and how to care for them in the spring so they are pruned correctly, fertilized and treated so the weeds don't happen again.  Thanks!  A current photo is included.

responder: An Ask Extension Expert Replied August 07, 2024, 3:54 PM EDT
response: Dear Anna,  Thank you for contacting me for a recommendation about managing the blueberry field that you purchased. Without knowing the size of the field, its location and the age of the plantation and the variety there is little I can recommend. However, examining the picture attached to your message. I believe that this field was abandoned for many years, at least for 10 years. The plants in the picture are not productive any longer. You may need to cut down all the plants to ground level and let it grow back again. Two years after the renovation you may start harvesting blueberries again,  To clean the field from all those weeds you need a small tractor and a 3-point 72” mower. Also, depending on the size of the field you may need a Heavy Duty Brush Hog designed for thick growth of weeds, grass, and brush up to 3” diameter that works with 42 or 52 minimum hp tractors.  I hope this information is useful for you to start thinking about the future of the field.  Let me know if you have any questions.  Carlos Garcia

responder: The Question Asker Replied August 07, 2024, 4:37 PM EDT
response: Thank you so much for your response. The field has been very prolific and the bushes have been producing steadily for many years and continue too. My concern is getting the weeds out now. I have read that a strong vinegar may be an option and the extension online information seems to suggest Chateau as a possible solution as well. I would be interested to hear your thoughts on using those products this year and how to get ahead of the weed control next year without taking the bushes down, because they are currently so productive. Thank you for you time, Ann   On Wed, Aug 7, 2024 at 3:54 PM Ask Extension <<personal data hidden>> wrote:

responder: An Ask Extension Expert Replied August 07, 2024, 5:12 PM EDT
response: Am sorry to inform you that vinegar is not a herbicide. Furthermore, the kind of weed that cover the field can't be controlled with chemical herbicides. That field need to be mowed first and after it has been weed-free you can use herbicides to control weeds growing on the rows.  Also, from your response to my first message seems to me that you are not a commercial grower. A blueberry field to be commercially sustainable need to produce between 5 to 8 thousand pounds of blueberries per year. The bushes in the picture can't produce no more that 7 to 8 hundred pounds per acre. I can't help you if I do not know the location of the field, the acreage and the age and the blueberry variety. Please, provide me with these information and I will be glad to see what your options are.  Carlos