The cold weather in November followed by a warm December has caused some blueberries in Georgia and Florida to start blooming well ahead of when they usually do. Some growers estimate that up to 30 percent of their fields are already blooming, which may make them vulnerable to the cold weather we are having this week.
The predicted warm February will bring out even more blooms, which could be bad news if freezing weather returns to the region. Last year, a warm March was followed by a cold April with two separate freeze events that caused big losses for some producers. At this time there is no way to predict whether or not that would occur again this year, but the early blooms are a concern because even with an average last frost date, the plants would be very susceptible to damage. You can read more in Specialty Crop Industry.
