Good pollination is one of the most critical steps in the journey from fruit
bud to berry.  If bees cannot or do not pollinate the blooms within a fairly
short window of opportunity, BH becomes a plant farm instead of a berry
farm

  • First blooms at BH usually appear April 15 to 25, depending on spring temps

  • BH fields are normally in full bloom by the first week of May

  • Bumblebees are the principle pollinators of our bushes
     (with as many as 5 to 10 bumblebees at work on each plant, it           
     sounds like an airport during pollination season)

  • A blueberry bloom that does not get pollinated within about 3 days,
     most likely will not produce fruit

  • Cold, rain, and high winds all reduce pollination

  • Bloom and pollination continue for 5 to 6 weeks

  • Well documented field tests show that Highbush Plants in full bloom can  
    withstand temperatures down to 28 degrees with minimal damage

  • A percentage of blooms are destroyed by each 1 degree below 28

  • As illustrated from our experience, a brief period of 25 degree
    exposure during full bloom reduces the patches berry production by
    about 25%    

  • A few years ago during the plants experienced 3 days of temperatures
    of 28 degrees daytime and as low as 16 degrees night time temps
    during bloom and budset resulting in 100 % freezing of blooms and
    buds.