There’s something different going on in many of our Blueberry fields this year. The new leaves should be green in the Spring, at least not as red as they are now. (This image was taken April 23.) According to experts, the most likely cause of this “red tinging” is the unusual lengthy cold temperatures during this year’s first four months.
The tinge is expected to fade into green as temperatures climb (unless there also is a disease, which does not seem to be the case). In the meantime, we’re enjoying a reminder that, in the Fall, the fields will (or should) turn even deeper reds than these, as the plants start to nod into dormancy and their pigments (anthocyanin and carotenoids) are synthesized. (Brooklin, Maine)