It is now pollen season in our FloridaGarden. The various oak species, mostly live, water, and laurel, are in full bloom, leaving all surfaces with a yellow-green hue due to the copious amounts of pollen produced during this 2-3 week period. Of particular interest are the BLUEBERRY bushes, now blooming and setting fruit. The three rows include a row of small Southern highbush blueberries planted two years ago, and two rows of well established blueberries, one Southern highbush and one Rabbiteye. Most varieties are University of Florida cultivars. They were pruned after last season’s harvest to maintain compact shapes, especially for the Rabbiteye bushes that can otherwise exceed 7 feet tall. The pine bark mulch was renewed last summer, and the coffee grounds from the kitchen were added as acidifier to the mulch. Hollytone organic fertilizer was added in January, 1-2 cups around each bushes’ drip line. Most of the bushes lie in our sprinkler field, so they do well in our dry season. As a result, the bushes look quite healthy. The warm December caused some premature blooming with fruit set too early, causing loss after several bouts of frost. Nonetheless, some berries survived and may provide a small early crop. Most bushes are in bloom now, attracting honey and bumble bees. The berries will be watched closely, with bird netting applied before our bird neighbors develop a liking. We look forward to fresh berries on our breakfast cereal in the weeks ahead.
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