Michigan Is Expecting Its Best Blueberry Crop in Years
Think you had enough of our Michigan winter of 2018? It might have been a bit too much for you, but it turns out it was perfect for blueberries. Growers in the South Haven area expect a great season.
DeGrandchamp's Blueberry Farm shared an update on Facebook on why this winter's weather was so good for blueberries.
Here in beautiful southwest Michigan, we experienced a winter that was cold, but not too cold, and relatively steady temps. That means the plants came through the winter in probably the best possible condition in years. That’s not to say we didn’t have cold or snow, which we did, but the cold was not brutal, nothing much below zero. We had lots of moisture, mostly in the form of rain and fairly steady temps.
Spring didn’t seem like it would ever come, but that was a good thing! We were able to avoid all possible frost events to date, which meant no long nights of driving around the fields watching the temps for me!!! Pollination looks to be good for most varieties as the weather changes from cool to hot. So far it looks like our little friends (honey bees) did their job and the berries are sizing nicely.
Grower Joe DeGrandchamp noted how different the crop can be from year to year depending on weather conditions,
Last year, things were dry at this time and I was irrigating on a regular schedule. This year however, is just the opposite. Because of the plentiful supply of rain we have been receiving, I have been spending most of the time draining the excess water out of the fields. All in all, it looks like the bushes are in good health and the berries are progressing nicely.
DeGrandchamp Farms is located on 14th Avenue at Blue Star Highway just south of South Haven and expects to have blueberries ready for picking by 4th of July weekend.