Blueberries are vitamin packed fruits which are very popular in the supermarkets and the trend is catching on in the fruit garden too.

Blueberries are delicious to eat, make an attractive garden plant and are classed as a “superfood”.They contain antioxidants which keep your eyes healthy, have anti ageing benifits and can help protect against cancer.

Whats more apart from the loss of berries to birds the blueburry plant is relatively pest and disease free.

When growing blueberries it is important to remember that they need an acidic soil with a PH between 4.5-5.5 to thrive.If you discover that your soil is naturally alkaline dig a hole where you want the blueberry plant to be situated, and add a mixture of “sulphate of iron” with home made or multi purpose compost.

If you are planting blueberries in the ground dig in some composted bark first, then trim off the tips of the branches and remove flower buds so that the plant establishes strong roots in its first year.Space the blueberry bushes 1.5 metres (5 ft) apart, once you have planted the blueberries sprinkle a handful of “sulphate of iron” around the plants, water in well and add a mulch of leaf mould.

Alternatively you can grow blueberries in containers filled with ericaceous compost. Position the container in a shelterd position in full sun or partial shade to encourage pollinating insects to the vicinity.

Although some varieties are self fertile introducting another type as a pollinating partner will help to increase the yield.So it is worth including as least two blueberry bushes in your garden.Blueberries need to be kept moist throughout the growing season, so water them little and often with rainwater if possible ( its naturally acidic).

Varietities to try “Bluecrop” clusters of white flowers are followed by juicy fruit from late July onwards has a good resistance to drought. “Earliblue” the earliest ripening blueberry produces light blue sweet fruit which hang in medium size clusters from mid July onward.”Sunshine Blue” a dwarfing self fertile variety which is ideal for growing in containers and small gardens.

Here is another great post on planting blueberries called Blueberry season! by Amy Stewart on her blog called Dirt

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