How much does temperature affect blueberry growth?
How does temperature affect blueberry growth? What temperature is suitable for blueberries? We ask fellow growers to help share guidance on the suitable temperature for blueberry growth: during the growing season, blueberries can tolerate high temperatures of 40°C to 50°C in the surrounding environment. Above this temperature range, poor water uptake by the root system leads to stunted growth and development...
How does temperature affect blueberry growth? What temperature is suitable for blueberries? Please help share your guidanceSuitable temperatures for blueberry growth:
During the growing season, blueberries can tolerate high temperatures of 40°C to 50°C in the surrounding environment. Above this temperature range, poor water uptake by the root system leads to stunted growth and development. Lowbush blueberries produce more rhizomes and grow faster at 30°C than at 18°C.
In lowbush blueberry production areas, low summer temperatures are the main limiting factor for blueberry growth and development. When soil temperature increases from 13°C to 32°C, the growth of highbush blueberries increases proportionally.
Effects of temperature on blueberry growth:
Temperature affects photosynthesis in blueberry leaves. Photosynthesis in lowbush blueberries increases with temperature from 13°C to 29°C. In the Bluecrop variety, the leaf CO2 (carbon dioxide) absorption rate increases with rising temperature from 20°C to 30°C.
Low temperatures in early spring are unfavorable for blueberry growth. In the Changbai Mountain area, after blueberry leaves have unfolded, if they suffer frost, the leaves do not fall off but turn an abnormal red, thereby affecting photosynthesis. After the leaves turn red, it takes about one month for them to turn green again as the temperature rises.
Temperature also affects flower bud formation and fruit development. The number of flower buds formed by lowbush blueberries at 25.6°C is far greater than the number formed at 15.6°C. Therefore, low temperatures during flower bud formation in the growing season often cause severe yield reductions in lowbush blueberries the following year.
The fruit set rate of highbush blueberries at 16-27°C is nearly double that at cooler temperatures of 8-24°C. Moreover, at high temperatures, the fruit develops very quickly, the fruit is large, and the ripening period is on average 2-5 days earlier than under low-temperature conditions.
Blueberry seed development is also affected by temperature. During the seed stratification process, if the temperature is constantly alternated (0.5°C and 20°C), the germination rate is much higher than with treatment at only 0°C. During seed germination, alternating temperature treatment (10°C to 32°C) also gives a higher germination rate than treatment at only one constant temperature (17°C or 24°C).
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