Blueberry and blackberry production in Oklahoma has been set back due to unseasonably cool temperatures which slowed the ripening process, according to the Tahlequah Daily Press.
Typically, blueberries are picked as early as May and blackberries peak during June. Despite adequate rainfall, picking conditions for blueberries won’t be ready for another two weeks, according to Charles Denton, Owner and Operator of Blueberry Acres which cultivates about 3,000 plants.
“At this point, I’m looking at having ripe berries around the first of June,” he said. “We have a fairly good set of berry bushes set, but we’re down in terms of numbers of live bushes. We’ve lost probably about more than a third to drought and age. They’ve been stressed over the past three years.”Stay tuned for updates on the status of the harvest.
Berry Report
