Florida's Commercial Blueberry Industry
Click here to view a PDF version of this document.
Home Search What's New Products Survey Help
Florida's Commercial Blueberry Industry

   

Florida's Commercial Blueberry Industry 1

J. G. Williamson and P. M. Lyrene2

The purpose of this publication is to provide a brief overview of Florida's commercial blueberry industry. Those seeking information about commercial blueberry production practices in Florida are referred to the UF/IFAS Extension publications Web site at http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu .

Blueberry (Vaccinium spp.) is one of the few cultivated fruit crops that is native to North America. Canada and Maine have large expanses of native lowbush blueberries (Vaccinium angustifolium and V. myrtilloides) in naturally occurring barrens that are managed and harvested for the processing market. Cultivated blueberries in the United States consist of the following:

Only certain cultivars of rabbiteye and southern highbush blueberry are adapted to Florida because of its mild winter climate.

Major Production Areas

U-pick blueberry farms are scattered throughout north, north-central, and northwest Florida, primarily near population centers such as Ocala, Gainesville, Tallahassee, and Pensacola. Blueberries for commercial fresh fruit shipping are grown in three major areas of Florida. The north-central area includes Alachua, Marion, and Putnam counties and accounts for about 40% of the blueberry acreage planted for commercial shipping in Florida. The south-central area includes Highlands and Hardee counties and consists of approximately 25% of the total acreage. The newest production area is in central Florida and includes Polk, Orange, Lake, and Hillsborough counties. This new area accounts for about 35% of the total acreage and may be the area with the most growth potential for the future. Southern highbush blueberries share some of the climatic requirements of strawberry, and 90% of Florida's commercial strawberry production is in Hillsborough county.

Types and Cultivars of Blueberries Grown in Florida

Both rabbiteye and southern highbush blueberries are cultivated in Florida. During the early 1980s, many acres of early-season rabbiteye blueberries were planted in north-central Florida for what was then considered the early-season market (May 20 - June 20). During the last 10 to 12 years, southern highbush blueberries have been replacing early-season rabbiteye cultivars. There are two reasons for this: 1) early-season rabbiteye cultivars have not yielded well in peninsular Florida; and 2) southern highbush cultivars ripen earlier than rabbiteye cultivars (mid-April through May). Other factors being equal, the earliest southern highbush cultivars ripen about one month earlier than the earliest rabbiteye cultivars. Currently, approximately 80% of Florida's blueberries are shipped fresh and 20% (mostly rabbiteyes) are sold locally. For many years, 'Sharpblue', 'Misty', and 'Gulf Coast' were the major southern highbush cultivars grown in Florida. Since the late 1990s, the major southern highbush cultivars that have been planted are "Emerald', 'Star', 'Millennia', 'Jewel' and 'Sapphire'. In southwest Florida, 'Sharpblue' and 'Gulf Coast' are still widely grown. Florida's U-pick farms primarily grow later-season rabbiteye cultivars such as 'Powderblue', 'Tifblue', 'Briteblue', and 'Bluebelle', along with some earlier-ripening rabbiteyes such as 'Climax', 'Brightwell', 'Chaucer', and 'Beckyblue'.

Identify Your Market

As mentioned earlier, blueberries can be grown for fresh fruit shipment, local or roadside markets, and u-pick. Decisions on marketing will affect almost every aspect of a blueberry farm including its size, location and the cultivars grown. For example, most blueberries grown for fresh fruit shipment are early-season southern highbush cultivars that ripen before prices drop in late May. They are best adapted to the region of peninsular Florida between Gainesville and Sebring. Alternatively, many mid-season rabbiteye cultivars are grown for the less volatile U-pick, roadside or local markets because they are higher yielding and easier to grow than southern highbush, but ripen after wholesale market prices fall. Rabbiteye cultivars are generally well adapted from Ocala, north to the Georgia border and west throughout the panhandle.

Is Commercial Blueberry Production Profitable in Florida?

The profitability of blueberry production in Florida for the fresh fruit shipping market is difficult to predict because of:

  1. high variation in production costs and yields from farm to farm;

  2. uncertainty about future market prices; and

  3. uncertain risks from weather, pests, diseases and other forces of nature inherent to any agricultural enterprise.

Establishment of a southern highbush blueberry planting in Florida can be expensive (as much as $15,000 per acre not including land cost) depending on plant density, amount of site preparation required, and whether or not overhead irrigation and bird netting are used ( Fig. 1 ). It is possible to plant southern highbush blueberries at conventional spacings on very good soils for less than $10,000 per acre. For conventionally-spaced plantings, micro-sprinkler irrigation can be used in place of overhead sprinklers during the first two years, and bird netting is not needed until plants come into production which is usually the third year after planting. The approximate costs of maintaining a blueberry planting, exclusive of fruit harvest costs, is $1000 to $1500 per acre per year, depending on the farm size and the level of mechanization. During the first three years, weed control is the primary maintenance cost.

Figure 1. Southern highbush blueberry planting with overhead netting to control bird damage.

Despite the high cost of production, growing early-ripening blueberries for the fresh fruit market can be profitable in Florida. The major incentive for growing blueberries in Florida is the excellent market for fresh blueberries that ripen before May 20. Southern highbush blueberries from peninsular Florida are the first blueberries to ripen in North America. Currently the market period from April 1 to May 10 is available almost exclusively to Florida growers, and blueberry prices are usually high until mid to late May when the North Carolina blueberry harvest begins. Growers have access to a variety of marketing options, including cooperatives and independent brokers. For the last 10 years, fresh berries shipped from Florida before May 20 have averaged over $4 per pound.

Site Selection

Site selection is one of the most important decisions determining the success or failure of a blueberry enterprise. A comprehensive treatment of this topic is beyond the scope of this publication. Factors to consider in selecting a location include marketing plans, zoning, water quality, availability of labor, climate, and soil characteristics. Sites suitable for blueberry culture can be found over a wide geographical area in Florida. Generally, rabbiteyes do best in areas where mean winter temperatures are equal to or colder than in Ocala. Certain hilltop locations in the western panhandle, with excellent air drainage and reduced risk of spring freezes, may be good sites for rabbiteye u-pick enterprises. The southern highbush cultivars that are grown in Florida seem to perform best south of Gainesville. With current production systems, central Florida appears best-suited for southern highbush production during the best market window. Currently, highbush blueberries are not recommended for areas with mean January temperatures higher than those in Lake Placid or Okeechobee City because insufficient information is available on how plants perform in warmer climates.

Regardless of the region, it is important that the particular parcel of land, including soil and microclimate characteristics, be suitable for blueberries. Blueberries require acidic soils (pH 4.0 to 5.5) and higher soil organic matter content (2 to 3%) than is common in Florida. Late winter and early spring freezes have been a major production problem with early-ripening blueberries grown in Florida. Different parcels of land, even within the same area, vary greatly in temperature during radiation freezes. Sites that are higher than the surrounding land are usually warmer than lower sites during these freezes. Unfortunately, soils high in organic matter are usually located in low areas that are prone to late spring freezes and are appropriately termed frost pockets. These areas should not be used for blueberry production unless provisions are made for freeze protection. More information on freeze protection of blueberries is available at the UF/IFAS Extension publications Web site http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu .

Possible Trends for the Future

Variety selection. As Florida growers attempt to capitalize on early-season market prices, (early April through mid May), they will continue to grow new, improved, southern highbush cultivars. 'Sharpblue' and 'Misty', once the major southern highbush cultivars grown in Florida, have been replaced by newer southern highbush cultivars in most Florida production areas. Acreage of rabbiteye cultivars will probably remain stable or decline slightly as emphasis continues to be placed on fresh berries for the early season market.

Site selection. Site selection criteria have changed in Florida. With the advent of earlier-flowering cultivars, damage from late winter and early spring freezes has been severe. Some new plantings have been established on warm (elevated) sites along the central ridge of Florida, as opposed to traditional blueberry sites in Florida which were on low-lying, flatwoods soils that are usually high in soil organic matter but are subject to spring frosts. Soils on these upland sites are predominately deep, well-drained sand, and usually require the addition of large quantities of organic matter and sometimes adjustment of the soil pH. One relatively new system adopted by many growers on high, well-drained, ground is to spread a layer of ground pine bark about 6 inches deep on top of the soil and plant directly in the bark ( Fig. 2 ). When properly done, plants have grown well. However, the cost of pine bark is high and irrigation and fertilization must be modified to suit the bark medium.

Figure 2. New southern highbush blueberry planting with bark beds and overhead irrigation.

High-density plantings. The high costs of establishment per unit area due to preplant soil preparation, bird netting, and overhead irrigation for freeze protection has stimulated interest in high-density blueberry plantings. Ultra-high-density plantings using multi-row beds have been tried and determined to be impractical. Current planting densities for southern highbush cultivars range from about 1500 to 2000 plants per acre. Both single and double row configurations are used with single rows being most common.

Conclusions

The Florida blueberry industry has developed despite production problems because Florida growers can produce high-quality fruit when few fresh berries are available. High prices received for this fruit have made some farms profitable even with relatively low yields. However, high prices encourage competition. If berry prices remain high, competition from Central America, Mexico, and the Caribbean may eventually develop. The best long-term defense for Florida growers is through higher yields per acre, lower production costs, and development of currently under-exploited markets for blueberries. Improved southern highbush blueberry cultivars have recently been released by the University of Florida. These cultivars represent significant improvements over 'Sharpblue', and 'Gulf Coast' and 'Misty' in terms of earliness, berry size and quality, and yield. Improved cultivars and cultural practices have increased grower production efficiency during the last several years. Acreage and production continue to increase and fruit prices have remained strong to date.

Footnotes

1. This document is HS 742, one of a series of the Horticultural Sciences Department, Florida Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida. Publication date: April 2004. Please visit the EDIS Web site at http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu.

2. J.G. Williamson, professor and P.M. Lyrene, professor, Horticultural Sciences Department, Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, 32611.

The Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) is an Equal Opportunity Institution authorized to provide research, educational information and other services only to individuals and institutions that function with non-discrimination with respect to race, creed, color, religion, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, national origin, political opinions or affiliations. For more information on obtaining other extension publications, contact your county Cooperative Extension service.

U.S. Department of Agriculture, Cooperative Extension Service, University of Florida, IFAS, Florida A. & M. University Cooperative Extension Program, and Boards of County Commissioners Cooperating. Larry Arrington, Dean.


Copyright Information

This document is copyrighted by the University of Florida, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) for the people of the State of Florida. UF/IFAS retains all rights under all conventions, but permits free reproduction by all agents and offices of the Cooperative Extension Service and the people of the State of Florida. Permission is granted to others to use these materials in part or in full for educational purposes, provided that full credit is given to the UF/IFAS, citing the publication, its source, and date of publication.