I have some potted blueberries in my garage for frost protection. We had a warm streak and now they’re just beginning to break dormancy. Unfortunately the weather forecast looks like it will get below freezing again in the next 10 days. Should I bring them back out or keep them in the garage? They are all cold hardy varieties (below zone 4 and I’m in zone 5).
Thanks!
I’d keep them inside,by a window if possible,until the freezing goes away.
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Shuffle them in and out. Get them out there before you have too much weak growth. If temps are above freezing that is. Put them back in at night. I have a south facing garage and only have to open the garage door. I don’t have any blueberries in there but do keep many plants in the garage during winter.
Mine are all staying outside in pots. I had damage in December. Don’t anticipate any more this coming Sat/Sun. Many blueberries can take 5 or even 10 degrees of freezing and still crop. Blooms that are open are damaged but not completely zapped until it gets into teens.
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I made the comment,because of any new growth that might come,could get damage.
There was a guy,who lived in zone 5?,southeast Washington State,probably still does.Anyway,he grew Northern Highbush,some in those half whiskey barrels and they froze solid during the Winter.When things thawed during Spring,the plants started growing again.
So yours can be left outside,all the time.If there is a concern,maybe bury the pot in the ground.Snow will also insulate.
I have three in 25 or 30 gallon grow bags and they have been left outside for five years or so. Some still have leaves right now. All dead but hung on as long as possible. Some shed all leaves some do not let go until killed by the cold.
In my experience plants overwintered in the garage have super early out of dormancy dates. My Girardi mulberry came out of dormancy in around March too and it had berries ready to eat by June or July. It got light by a window. Mulberry are known to be more late to come out of dormancy so I am sure many plants would come out much earlier. Like others said get it some light and you should be good.
I have found on warm days of that night you open the garage and cool it down or anytime the garage gets warm they will not wake up. Mine are fully dormant right now and it’s almost April.
Had the worst blueberry year in memory. The variety Aurora still produced ok…none of the others…highbush or rabbiteye.
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Do you grow in ground? Sorry to hear about the bad year. Do you like your Aurora variety?
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At times I have…but currently all in containers. Some got freeze damage from breaking dormancy in winter, some died from I’m guessing a combination of too much rain at times and too much nitrogen.
I like Aurora. It’s not the sweetest or anything, but I like it, it’s late, it’s hardy.
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I had a bad blueberry year, too. Of well over 100 bushes, about the only ones to get berries were the Elliotts. Two more trees cut, so hoping for a better harvest next year. 100% sun now on the larger bed.
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