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Blueberry stem canker? #259364
Asked July 05, 2015, 4:28 PM EDT
Josephine County Oregon
Expert Response
It looks like blueberry stem canker and the symptoms sound like it. The following website has information for you http://pnwhandbooks.org/plantdisease/blueberry-vaccinium-corymbosum-bacterial-canker
To summarize its suggestions:
"Plant resistant cultivars. Prune out all diseased wood as soon as it is noticed and especially before fall rains. Avoid late-summer nitrogen fertilizer applications, which can lead to winter injury.Prune susceptible cultivars during dry weather if possible."
The link goes on to suggest copper spray in the fall and spring. So do what you can now with pruning back dead and diseased tissue, then spray in the fall and spring. Or remove the plant and plant instead one of the canker resistant varieties listed in the above link.
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