Each spring I look for blueberry flowers and monitor their progress. The timing of their bloom can determine the abundance of blueberries each summer, and a late frost can do serious damage and even completely destroy an entire year’s worth of the delectable crop. In the past dozen years, there has been a late frost at least four or five springs, resulting in stunted berry growth, with one or two years of no berries at all. This year, based on my observations, I am expecting an abundant and healthy crop of wild blueberries in Burnett County.
A recent walk around Wildwood Glen ensured me that there is no poison ivy on the landscape, but plenty of blueberry bushes. My past blueberry experiences have made me wary, as I am highly susceptible to the rash that results from contact with poison ivy, and it enjoys the same habitat/soils as lowbush blueberry. I am excited for a good harvest on my land. If I get time, I also plan to harvest in other areas of the county too, as there are thousands of acres of public lands that are covered with blueberry bushes between my home in Grantsburg and the Wildwood Glen.
The Wildwood Glen 