VEGETATION-FREE AREA INFLUENCES GROWTH AND ESTABLISHMENT OF RABBITEYEBLUEBERRY

'Tifblue' and 'Brightwell' rabbiteye blueberries (Vaccinium ashei Read e) were planted in 1992 in a tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.) sod. Vegetation-free areas of various sizes were maintained around pl ants to determine the area's influence on establishment and growth of young plants. Vegetation-free circles 0 (control), 0.6, 0.9, and 1.5 m in diameter were maintained from 1992 to 1994 by a combination of com mercially recommended herbicides and hand-weeding. The treatments resu lted in vegetation-free areas of 0, 0.3, 0.6, and 1.8 m(2). Fall growt h index values (derived from canopy height and width measurements) inc reased with size of vegetation-free area in each of the three years. T he response was positive linear and negative quadratic, with little di fference between the 0.6- and 1.8-m(2) vegetation-free areas. Average shoot length in Fall 1992 showed a response similar to that of the gro wth index; total shoot count per plant was not affected by the treatme nts. Percent fruit set was not influenced by treatments; however, the number of flower buds per plant in Spring 1994 was correlated positive ly with size of vegetation-free area. The cultivars responded similarl y. Thus, vegetation control seems to be important in establishing youn g rabbiteye blueberry plants, with the optimum vegetation-free area be tween 0.6 and 1.8 m(2) during the first 2 to 3 years after planting.