Blueberry canker? - Ask Extension
Hello. I transplanted my blueberries this spring and they all are doing poorly. Leaves are browning and dying, branches too. That said, the plants kee...
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Blueberry canker? #880506
Asked August 07, 2024, 10:13 AM EDT
Hello. I transplanted my blueberries this spring and they all are doing poorly. Leaves are browning and dying, branches too. That said, the plants keep putting out new leaveS, so I don’t want to give up on them.
I think it is a canker or stem disease and have read that I should cut it out, but the majority of the plants have it… can I cut them back drastically?
Thanks for any support,
Worried Blueberry Mama
Wasco County Oregon
Expert Response
From your description it sounds like transplant shock. Blueberries are shallow rooted and like to have frequent water but not as much as you might water a tree. Too much water and roots will rot. The most important issue is soil pH as they like to have an acid soil. Soils in your area may have a high pH so getting that tested will help. Overall, it is hard to transplant in the spring and do well in our 100+F heat events. I do not think you have any diseases you mention. Keep caring for them and hope they survive the summer and winter.
Hi Jay, Thanks for this info. I just wanted to make sure that you saw the photos that I sent with the lesions on the branches? Is that also possibly from the transplanting?
Emily
Emily - Those are natural formations on the side of branches as they get older and more mature. We tend to see them on the sun side of the branch first. Make a little cut on top of them or use your finger nail and see if the tissue is green underneath as it should be. A canker would be brown and dry.