Blueberries

As children and adults alike we love picking fresh fruit from the trees and bushes in our gardens.

The delicious and versatile Blueberry can be grown as a hedge surrounding your living spaces, in containers or in the garden. Wherever you grow it you will create the luxury of being able to pick a handful of delicious berries and enjoy a healthy snack as you go. Blueberries are the queen of the berryfruit as they have no thorns, are not invasive, and have no need for support or spraying. They are easy to pick and last well.

Native to North America and Canada Blueberries have been collected by native people for thousands of years and later by Europeans. They were used in a wide range of foods including drying the berries for use during the long cold winters.

Blueberries are part of the Ericaceae family, includes azaleas, rhododendrons, heaths and heathers. Cultivation started seriously in the 20th century and this is now world wide. Blueberries are separated into three species - Lowbush, Highbush and Rabbiteye. Rabbiteye varieties are not worried about drought, heat and soil type. Varieties in the Incredible Edibles range are all Rabbiteyes and Kings also has both Lowbush and Highbush varieties available.

LANDSCAPE VALUE:

Blueberries make an ideal hedge or stand alone specimen. Perfect for growing in a container. Attractive for their foliage, flowers and autumn colour.

NUTRITIONAL VALUE:

High in antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties which is enhanced the longer the fruit is left on the bush. Reasonable levels of vitamin C, A, E & several B, they are also a good source of dietary fibre. Studies have showed this berry is also anti-aging, a cup of blueberries a day enables people to be 5-6% better at motor skills.

HOW TO EAT:

The fruit can be eaten fresh or mixed with other fruits to make delicious fruit salad, cooked deserts, muffins, cakes, ice-cream, sauce, yogurt, preserves & chutney.

200gm in the first year growth doubling each year until fully grown, producing up to 8-10kg of delicious fruit. Cross pollination improves yield.

GENERIC FRUITING TIME:

December through to April

GROWING TIPS:

Sun Plant in full sun though they will handle some afternoon shade.

Wind Not effected by wind.

Climate Blueberries are cold hardy and require chilling hours to set fruit and leaves. Chilling hours required for Rabbiteye varieties are sufficient in Auckland. Blueberries can be grown from Kaitaia to Invercargill.

Soil Blueberries like acid soils and Rabbiteyes are not too fussy. Blueberries have a shallow fibrous root system and thrive on moist, free draining acid soils with a high proportion of organic matter. Well drained peat soils are ideal, but mineral soils such as sandy or silt loams are also suitable, provided peat moss is added during planting and on a regular basis afterwards. Heavy clay soils which crack in summer and become waterlogged in winter are generally not suitable for blueberries unless heavily worked with organic matter, sand and gypsum. A raised bed will help with drainage. Mulch blueberries with a 15-20cm mulch of bark or compost over the roots to conserve moisture, prevent weeds and over time increase the soil organic matter. Grass clippings are okay if supplemented with some fibrous organic matter such as sawdust and nitrogen to replace the nitrogen lost as the sawdust and grass clippings decompose.

Fertiliser Blueberries require only light applications of nitrogen, phosphate, and potash in the first three or four years. Continual addition of compost and mulch will generally supply their needs. Slow-release complete nutrient fertilisers can be used at the beginning of the growing season.

Pruning Flower buds are formed on the outer parts of the current season's growth in late summer as the stems mature. Fruit is borne on last season's wood, and vigorous wood bears the largest fruit. Minimum pruning consists of removal of dead or diseased wood, weak growth, and old twiggy branches. After 4-5 years some of the oldest branches may need cutting back to the crown to encourage vigorous new growth. Pruning to shape may be done at any time but if heavy pruning is best done in winter dormancy.

Pests Blueberry plants are naturally resistant to many common pests and diseases. Phytophthora root rot is the most serious disease and can be a problem on waterlogged soils; ensure you plant in ground with good drainage. Birds can cause serious damage to fruit so netting is advised.

Hardiness -4