Mechanical mowing will produce equivalent yields without depleting the organic pad. Mowing is less costly than using oil or straw and has been widely adopted by blueberry growers. Burning does reduce certain insects and diseases that reside in the leaf litter. Favorable weather conditions could lead to periodic outbreaks of these pests in mowed fields, which would require periodic burning to reduce populations. Pollination Blueberries require insect pollination, and the use of honeybees will increase the fruit set and seed number resulting in higher yields.
Current recommendations are for two to four hives per acre depending on the field size and location.
Fertilization Fertilization recommendations used to be based on noting stem height and leaf spotting and applying nitrogen from urea. Growers now use leaf tissue samples to determine if fertilizer is needed since standards of satisfactory levels of nutrients in leaf tissue have been developed. Blueberries have responded well to fertilization, resulting in more rapid establishment, greater plant growth and higher yields. The optimum acidity level, or pH, for wild blueberry soils is 4.5. The acidity of these soils should be kept near this optimal level.