What a year.
We were all introduced to a brand new expanded vocabulary, you know, words such as Coronavirus, PPE, social distancing, flattening the curve, Moderna, and we experienced closures, isolation, quarantines shortages, escalating prices, and unfortunately for some of us, illness and worse. . but spring is here, a renewed beginning, and the belief that the worst is behind us.
Just a few weeks ago buds were opening, blooms were out and the bees were busy at work. As April shuffled in, the blueberry bushes appeared to be completely blanketed with blossoms, but as spring in Kansas does, the temperatures took a nose dive. Days and nights dropped to well below freezing, 26, 28 degrees and colder.
If you look closely at the blooms in the photo below, towards the top of the branch you can see some of the leftover blooms damaged by the freezing temperature. The blooms lower on the branch came on after the freeze and are set to produce good healthy berries.
The damaged blooms have mostly fallen off, replaced by new, and the first signs of berry production can be seen below.
Stay tuned, we’re getting all the rain we need, but the sun will come out, and the large sweet blueberries will follow.