ABSTRACT
Blueberry plants (Vaccinium corymbosum L., Vaccinium ashei Reade) used to establish commercial fields in North Carolina are most often propagated by the grower or by local nurseries, using hardwood or softwood cuttings stuck in outdoor ground beds with or without shade. Beds are filled 15-18 cm in depth with pine bark, sawdust, peat: sand, or combinations of these well-drained media, then watered as needed with sprinklers or mist nozzles. Hardwood ‘whips’ have traditionally been taken in early spring, cut into 10-13 cm lengths, and refrigerated until stuck in April (Mainland, 1966). Softwood propagation consists of collecting semi-hardened leafy shoots in August for propagation under intermittent mist (Mainland and Bland, 1993; Spangler and Sneed, 1973). Once rooted, both types of cuttings are usually left in the rooting bed until February or March, then transplanted directly to the field.
