Mummy Berry Interview With Bob

Last week’s blog was about how the mummy berry is a very destructive disease that can affect most species of blueberries. Berries attacked by the fungus are called mummies because they look like mummified berries. This week I interviewed Bob and asked him what he thought about the mummy berry, and if this disease ever affected his farming.  While interviewing Bob I learned that he did have a problem in the past with mummy berry. Bob was able to keep it under control and diminish the problem by using biological practices, such as compost tea, minerals, and inoculums.  Mummy berry starts affecting the blueberry plants in late March, depending on the year. Mummy berry spreads by spores in the air. The most common cause of this disease is a cool damp spring when the plants either has a shortage of, or an imbalance of minerals.  Bob says the best ways to avoid the mummy berry is the keep the plants healthy with minerals and keep the soil active with aerobic biology.

“From a biological view, diseases and insect infestation is a manifestation of a lack of a proper balance of minerals in the plant” said Bob. 

Mummy Berry On Right Side