Fields that have been in production the longest have the greatest amount of cover. However, this bare area will soon be infested with a new generation of weeds. Recent studies suggest that not all clones spread at the same rate. Some fields may indeed have a greater potential to fill in naturally. However, even fields with clones that spread faster than average will take decades to approach complete plant cover.
Several problems occur when fields have poor plant cover.
Since clonal spread is so slow, the quickest way to increase cover is to plant blueberries in the bare spots. This can be accomplished with plants propagated by seed, tissue culture, cuttings or blueberry sod plugs. If interplanted blueberries are managed properly, bare spots can be completely filled in and fields in full production within six years. However, this method is costly and may not be economically feasible. An alternative method to improve rhizome spread and reduce erosion is to apply surface mulch to bare areas.