Blueberries collected in the forest taste delicious, but are often a very expensive taste pleasure to collect. The cultivated blueberries, which come from North America, deliver high yields in the garden in a small space.

The right varieties for the garden

Even if you really appreciate the fruits of the local blueberries that grow in the forest, they are only suitable to a limited extent for cultivation in the garden. On the one hand, the expected yield at harvest time in July would not justify the effort involved in planting the forest blueberries. On the other hand, these blueberry varieties also make demands on the location, which can usually hardly be achieved in the garden or only with great effort. The varieties of the genus "Vaccinium", originally bred from North American blueberries, are not only larger and more robust, but also deliver a relatively high yield in a small area. The most popular varieties for growing in the garden in this country include:

  • Reka
  • Northland
  • pilot
  • SunshineBlue
  • Bluecrop

Proper preparation for growing garden blueberries

Blueberry species cultivated for the garden also need soil that is not too calcareous and rather acidic with a loose substrate for healthy growth. If you have a rather loamy and calcareous soil in your garden, you will probably not be able to avoid the planned location of the cultivated blueberries. However, since blueberries do not root very deeply, the bed prepared with peat or rhododendron and azalea soil should be equipped with the acidic substrate more wide than deep. The location itself may well be in full sun for cultivars of the genus Vaccinium. However, due to the relatively dense fruiting of these high-yielding varieties, care must be taken to ensure that the plants are adequately watered during dry summer periods.

Enjoy and store blueberries fresh from the garden

Fresh blueberries taste best when picked straight from the bush. However, they only keep for a few days in the fridge. The advantage, however, is that blueberries, raspberries and blackberries do not allow all fruits to ripen at the same time. You should always only pick the really fully ripe fruits from the branches, as blueberries do not ripen after harvesting. Boiling or freezing blueberries is a good way to store them.

tips and tricks

A so-called blueberry comb is only suitable to a limited extent as a harvesting aid for harvesting cultivated blueberries, as it is very easy to accidentally tear off unripe fruits with it.

Category:

Vegetable garden