Blueberry
Blueberries in our gardens are not yet as common as raspberries or currant. And in vain! We will tell you why it is worth planting this plant in your backyard and how to achieve high yields. Description of blueberry varieties will help you make the right choice.
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Seven Reasons to Grow Garden Blueberries
From one bush you can get up to 10 kilograms of berries
Homeland of this perennial deciduous shrub - North America. It grows wild in the eastern United States and Canada. Today, breeders have created many varieties adapted for cultivation in Europe, as well as in Australia and New Zealand.
In the European part, blueberries can grow not only in the northern regions, but also in areas with a warmer climate. You will not regret if you plant this plant on your site.
And there are good reasons for this:
- Blueberries produce amazing berries. They taste like blueberries, but are much larger, juicier and sweeter.
- The yield of blueberries is quite high. From one plant you can get up to 10 kg of selected fragrant berries.
- The fruits contain useful and biologically active substances.
- Berries are delicious fresh. They are also used for winter harvesting, baking and cooking.
- Blueberry is an unpretentious plant, resistant to diseases and pests.
- Frost resistance - Another argument in favor of blueberries. Most varieties can withstand temperatures as low as -30°C.
- Also worth noting decorative qualities of blueberries: the plant looks attractive throughout the growing season.
In spring, the bushes delight with beautiful flowering, in summer - with berries, and in autumn the leaves acquire a crimson hue. Blueberries can be successfully used in landscape design. She perfectly tolerates a haircut and can even be used as a hedge.
Read also: Raspberry: description of the 22 best varieties, characteristics and reviews of gardeners | (Photo & Video) Benefit for health
Blueberries affect almost all organs and improve the functioning of many body systems. First of all, it concerns vision. Berries help in the fight against various diseases, including diseases of the digestive tract, heart, blood vessels and nervous system.
Blueberries improve eyesight
Blueberries contain a significant amount of antioxidants, vitamins and trace elements. The fiber content has a positive effect on digestion.
Regular consumption of blueberries allows you to:
- improve eyesight
- normalize metabolism
- strengthen immunity
- reduce blood cholesterol
- remove harmful substances from the body
- strengthen the walls of blood vessels
The berries are best eaten raw. - so they retain the maximum number of valuable elements. Not only fruits are useful, but also blueberry leaves, from which decoctions are used, used in traditional medicine.
Read also: Currant: description of 22 selected varieties with a PHOTO + feedback from gardeners
A few agricultural secrets
When planting, it is important to choose a variety that suits your area and create all the necessary conditions. Landing is carried out in sunny, well-lit areas, protected from the winds. It is important to create the right acidity of the soil. It is to this factor that blueberries are most demanding.
Blueberries love the sun
If the site has alkaline or neutral soil, then preparatory measures must be taken before planting. The soil under blueberries will continue to be periodically acidified by watering the bushes with water infused with sorrel, rhubarb or with the addition of lemon juice.
Experts who successfully grow blueberries in the fields of farms note that the following fundamental factors affect the yield:
- competent landing
- correct substrate (acidic soil)
- sufficient watering
- timely meals
- correct pruning
Violation of at least one of the above factors significantly affects the yield. If the plants are planted in non-acidic soil or bushes during the formation of flower buds (in July previous year) experienced a lack of moisture and nutritional deficiency, then you can not expect a high yield.
Read also: Gooseberries: description of the 20 best varieties with photos and reviews of gardeners about them How to choose a variety
Low growing blueberry
To date, more than 100 varieties of this plant have been bred, which differ in:
- productivity
- size of berries
- bush sizes
- ripening dates
- fruit appearance
Based on the area of \u200b\u200bthe site and personal preferences, you can choose varieties with undersized or tall, sprawling or compact bushes, as well as with different fruit ripening periods.
With the right selection of varieties, you can enjoy delicious berries from mid-summer to the end of September. We have selected the best blueberry varieties worthy of taking their place in your garden.
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Early varieties
Early ripening varieties of blueberries in the conditions of the middle lane bear fruit, starting from the middle July. These include: Patriot, Duke, Northland, Spartan, River, Erliblu, Bluegold, Chentecleer.
Patriot
Patriot
- This variety is over 40 years old. The berries are beautiful, large, up to 4 grams. The pulp of the fruit is juicy, dense, greenish in color, with a pleasant taste. The crop ripens in mid-July. Fruiting is stable, begins in the 3rd year after planting.
- With proper care, you can get up to 10 kg of berries per season from one plant. The bushes are compact, erect, reach up to 1.2-1.8 m and have a decorative appearance. Frost resistance of a grade to -40 °C. A feature of blueberry Patriot is excellent disease resistance.
- Patriot blueberries produce the best yields in terms of quality and quantity in bright areas protected from the winds. However, shrubs can grow in damp areas and withstand harsher conditions. The variety is suitable for both manual and machine harvesting.
Duke
Duke
- This blueberry of American selection has been known for over 30 years. It is one of the popular crop varieties with a regular high yield. Differs in fast and friendly maturation. The bushes are tall, have a height of 1.2-1.8 m. Frost resistance up to -34 ° C, but blueberries of this variety will grow very poorly in cold areas with high humidity.
- The peculiarity of the Duke blueberry is that the early ripening of berries occurs with a fairly late flowering. This helps prevent spring frost damage. Duke holds the record for the longest harvest time, with just 45 days between flowering and fruit harvest.
- From one blueberry plant Duke you can get 6-8 kg of berries. Fruits with a pleasant tart-sweet taste, slight sourness and dense greenish flesh. The berries have a diameter of up to 2 cm and a weight of up to 2.5 grams. Manual harvesting is preferred. Fruits are well stored and perfectly maintain transportation.
Northland
Northland
- This blueberry has been cultivated in orchards and plantations for over 50 years. It is characterized by: stable fruiting and good yield, which is 4-8 kg. The berries are medium-sized, dense and very sweet. Plants are disease resistant.
- Northland is highly frost-resistant: plants withstand temperatures as low as -40°C. This variety has a relatively short growing season and, true to its name, is suitable for cultivation even in the northern regions.
- The berries ripen from mid-July and keep well. The fruits are great for making jams and homemade cakes. Blueberry bushes of this variety are low, grow to a height of no more than 1-1.2 m and are valued in ornamental gardening. Annual pruning required.
Spartan
Spartan
- This variety has been known to gardeners for 40 years. Spartan is an early blueberry variety that ripens in July. Berries are 1.5-1.8 cm in diameter and weigh up to 2 grams. The taste of the fruit is pleasant, tart-sweet. The pulp of the berries is dense, the fruits perfectly tolerate transportation and have a pleasant aroma.
- Plants bloom late, and this reduces the risk of damage to flowers by return frosts. The variety produces few shoots and multiplies rather slowly. Fully ripe berries do not hang for a long time and crumble. For this reason, harvesting is recommended to be done in a timely manner. The yield reaches 6 kg per bush.
- The bushes are tall, erect, grow up to 1.5-2 m. For higher yields, Spartan is recommended to be grown together with other varieties to ensure cross-pollination. Plants are resistant to many diseases. They do not like waterlogged soil.
River
River
- This blueberry of New Zealand selection is considered one of the valuable commercial varieties.. Berries ripen one of the very first and are distinguished by excellent consumer and commercial qualities. They are not too large, but this is compensated by their large number.
- Plants grow up to 1.7-2 m. Ripening occurs in mid-July. The fruits have a diameter of 1.5 cm, blue color, multifaceted dessert sweet-sour taste and excellent transportability. The yield is regular, 8-10 kg from each adult plant.
- In order to obtain high yields, frequent and competent pruning. Plants enter the fruiting period on the 3rd. Variety River is quite unpretentious and disease resistant. With a heavy load on the bushes, the berries become smaller and do not fully reveal their taste.
Erliblu
Erliblu
- This variety, bred in the USA, has been cultivated in garden plots and farm plantations for over 65 years. The bushes are medium-sized, erect, grow up to 1.2-1.8 m. They form a small number of shoots and therefore do not need frequent thinning. Plants are decorative.
- The berries are medium in size, 1.5-1.8 cm in diameter, light blue in color, have dense flesh and a pleasant taste. Fruit ripening occurs in mid-July. Each bush yields 4-7 kg. Until fully ripe, the berries do not fall off the bush. Fruits are not very suitable for long-term storage and long-term transportation.
- Basically, the variety is valued for its early ripening and ease of cultivation. Erliblu is resistant to diseases, frost resistance down to -37 ° C. Plants prefer well-drained soils and warm areas. For stable fruiting, proper pruning and acidity of the soil are necessary.
bluegold
bluegold
- This variety was created in the USA almost 30 years ago. Large berries have a diameter of up to 3 cm and a sweet and sour taste with a very pleasant aroma. The fruits ripen in July. Bushes begin to bear fruit in the 3rd year. From each plant of the Bluegold variety, you can collect up to 7 kg of berries.
- The bushes are relatively low, but powerful enough. Bluegold blueberry grows up to 1.2-1.5 m and requires regular thinning of the bushes. The variety is frost-resistant to -35 ° C and resistant to fungal diseases. Its feature is a more vertical growth of shoots compared to other varieties. Blueberry Bluegold is suitable for manual and mechanized harvesting.
chentecleer
chentecleer
- This is one of the early varieties, the fruits of which have an extraordinary sweet taste with pleasant fruity-wine sour notes. Upright bushes grow up to 1.4-1.6 m.
- The berries are collected in brushes, which are located, as a rule, on the outside of the bush, which greatly facilitates harvesting. Fruits have good keeping quality and high transportability.
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Mid-season blueberries ripen from the third decade of July to the first half of August. These varieties include: Bluecrop, Denis blue, Northblue, North country, Bluejay, Darrow, Pink lemonade, Bonus, Toro, Hardyblue.
Bluecrop
Bluecrop
- This is the most common and popular of the commercial blueberry varieties, which is considered to be practically the standard in the cultivation of berry crops. Bluecrop is a reliable, hardy, stable fruiting and unpretentious variety. Even novice gardeners can handle its breeding.
- The bushes are vigorous, 1.6-1.9 m high. The diameter of the berries is up to 2 cm. Fruits of a blue shade and pleasant taste, sweet with sourness, reach a maturity in the middle of July. Plants of the Bluecrop variety begin to bear fruit in the third year. Each bush gives 6-9 kg of fruit.
- Ripening of berries is uneven. The fruits are well stored, do not crack and tolerate transportation well. The Bluecrop variety is frost-resistant, the plants withstand temperatures as low as -34 °C. For better fruiting, substantial pruning is recommended.
Denis blue
Denis blue
- This variety was created by Australian breeders, but was highly appreciated not only in the Southern, but also in the Northern Hemisphere. It is successfully grown in Europe and North America. It has a friendly maturation. Harvesting starts at the end of July and continues at the beginning of August.
- The fruits are large, reach a diameter of 1.9 cm. Productivity - up to 8 kg from one bush. After harvesting, the fruits are stored in the refrigerator for 2 weeks. Denis blue blueberry bushes grow up to 1.5-1.8 m. They do not lose their attractiveness throughout the growing season and serve as a wonderful decoration of the garden plot.
- The yield is stable. Plants enter the fruiting period in the third year. Bushes are resistant to many diseases and fungal diseases. Frost resistance down to -34 °C. This is enough to grow Denis blue blueberries not only in Central, but also in Northern Europe.
Northblue
Northblue
- This is one of the shortest and most winter-hardy varieties.. It is a hybrid, a product of selection of tall and narrow-leaved Canadian blueberries. Bushes of the Northblue variety are undersized and powerful. They grow to a height of 60-90 cm and are widely used not only in fruit, but also in ornamental gardening.
- For such undersized plants, the yield is quite high - up to 3.5 kg. The berries are large, 1.5-1.8 cm in diameter, blue in color, have dense flesh and excellent taste. The variety has a short growing season.
- The lower yield, compared with tall blueberry varieties, is compensated by the compactness of these plants, their unpretentiousness and vitality. This is an excellent choice for sites located in the northern regions: the frost resistance of the variety is up to -40 ° C.
Bonus
Bonus
- This American hybrid is one of the largest varieties. If you have ever seen fruits of enormous size, most likely it was Bonus. The diameter of the berries of this blueberry reaches 3 cm! The pulp of the fruit is sweet and quite dense, the berries withstand transportation well.
- The yield of Bonus blueberry is 5-8 kg per plant. Berries collected in tight brushes reach maturity at the end of July. The bushes grow up to 1.6 m. The fruits are suitable for long-term refrigerated storage and for transportation over long distances.
North country
North country
- The bushes of this variety are powerful, but compact and undersized, from 45 to 90 cm high. The ripening of North Country blueberries occurs in July - early August. The fruits are medium in size, 1-1.5 cm in diameter.The yield is regular, from 1 to 2.5 kg of fruit from one bush.
- The taste of the berries is pleasant, sweet and fragrant. North country blueberries are frost-resistant down to -35 °C and are especially decorative. The variety has a relatively short growing season and is not too picky about soils.
Bluejays
Bluejays
- This blueberry has been cultivated in garden plots for 40 years. Powerful fast-growing bushes reach 1.6-1.8 m. Frost resistance up to -28 ° C. Plants begin to produce crops in the 3rd year. The yield is up to 6 kg.
- Large berries reach 4 grams. The pulp is dense, light, wine-sweet. The fruits ripen at the end of July almost simultaneously and do not crumble for a long time, so the entire crop can be harvested at a time. Blueberry blueberry variety is also distinguished by excellent decorative qualities.
Durrow
Durrow
- Darrow blueberry berries with dense pulp and a slight wax coating are more than 2 cm in diameter and weigh up to 4 grams. The fruits are sweet, pleasant to the taste, subject to cultivation in a sunny area. The berries ripen in July - mid-August.
- The variety begins to produce crops in the 3rd year. From one plant you can get from 4 to 8 kg. Bushes reach 140 cm and become more spreading in adulthood. The variety is disease resistant. Frost resistance down to -28 °C. Darrow blueberries bear fruit best when pollinated by other varieties.
Hardyblue
Hardyblue
- Blueberries of this variety ripen from the first decade of August. Mature bushes have a height of 1.8-2 m. This variety is suitable for machine harvesting, productive, unpretentious, characterized by friendly maturation and regular fruiting. From each bush of blueberries of the Hardyblue variety, from 7 to 9 kg of fruit can be harvested.
- The berries are medium in size, have a diameter of 1.4-1.6 cm, dark blue color, pleasant aroma and a slight wax coating. They are not too big, but very sweet. The variety is excellent for amateur gardening.
Toro
Toro
- This beautiful American dessert variety was bred over 30 years ago.. The bushes grow up to 2 m high. Blueberry Toro differs from other varieties in friendly ripening: harvesting can be done in two steps, while the first is recommended to be done manually.
- Toro blueberries are large, weighing up to 4 grams, pleasant in taste and beautiful in appearance. The fruits reach maturity in the first half of August. Plants begin to bear fruit in the 3rd year. The yield of the variety is high, it is up to 9-10 kg per bush per season. Frost resistance down to -28 °C.
pink lemonade
pink lemonade
- This unusual variety was introduced into cultivation in 2009. It is a complex hybrid that was bred by crossing several varieties. The bushes are tall, powerful, with branches directed vertically. Plants reach a height of 2-2.5 m and grow quite quickly.
- Pink Lemonade bears large sweet and sour fruits of an unusual bright pink color for blueberries, which reach maturity in July-August. Grade yield up to 4 kg. It is a self-fertile blueberry that can be an excellent pollinator for other varieties. With cross-pollination, the quality of the berries improves, and their number increases.
- An exotic variety with a unique fruit color is highly decorative and will be a wonderful decoration for your garden. In spring, Pink Lemonade blueberries attract attention with white and pink flowers, and in summer with bright pink fruits. In autumn, the foliage turns yellow at first, and then light orange.
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Late varieties are harvested from the second half of August until the end of September. It should be remembered that plants with late ripening periods are not suitable for areas with short summers. If the first frosts in your area can be observed already at the end of August, then the berries will not have time to reach maturity.
Elizabeth
Elizabeth
- Many experts rightly consider this blueberry variety to be one of the leaders in terms of aroma and taste. Its berries are large, firm and sweet.The variety was named after Elizabeth White, an American agricultural specialist who is considered the "ancestor" of garden blueberries.
- Elizabeth is a valuable dessert variety, despite the fact that due to the late fruiting period, part of the crop in some regions does not always have time to reach maturity. Ripening begins in early August. The bush is upright and sprawling, the shoots have a characteristic reddish color. In height, the bushes grow up to 1.6-1.8 m.
- The yield of the Elizabeth variety is 4-6 kg, which is slightly less than that of the most productive varieties. Fruiting lasts up to two weeks. Berries with a diameter of 2-2.2 cm are collected in loose brushes. They are easily torn off and practically do not deform during long-term transportation. Frost resistance down to -32 °C.
Nelson
Nelson
- In horticulture, both the earliest berry and the latest, which ends the season, are highly valued. One of the last among garden blueberries is the Nelson variety, and this is its advantage.
- It is valued both in amateur gardening and on farm plantations for its adaptation to the continental climate., high frost resistance and excellent quality of berries. Medium-sized sprawling bushes reach 1.3-1.6 m in height.
- Nelson belongs to the Canadian northern varieties. From one plant with proper care, you can get 6-8 kg per season. Berries ripen in mid-August.
- Fruiting continues for 3 weeks. Berries up to 2 cm in diameter, light blue in color, with a pleasant strong aroma and sweet wine taste. Frost resistance down to -28 °C.
Elliot
Elliot
- This variety was bred 70 years ago, but became widespread only in the early 70s.. Plants are not particularly demanding on watering and soil composition, but they painfully endure a humid climate and do not differ in particular frost resistance. The bushes are tall, 1.5-2 m tall, upright, the branches are directed vertically.
- Berries 1.1-1.5 cm in diameter, intense blue, with waxy skin. Overripe fruits do not crack, but are prone to shedding. With an abundance of precipitation or a decrease in temperature, a slight bitterness appears in the taste. The yield reaches 6-8 kg, subject to all the requirements of agricultural technology.
- The berries of this variety contain a large amount of anthocyanins, which help reduce inflammation in the intestines and improve its barrier functions. For this reason, Elliott blueberries are given special attention by gardeners, and even the emergence of more promising new products could not shake her position.
Chandler
Chandler
- This variety is distinguished by large fruits, which are second only to Bonus blueberries.. The berries have a weight of up to 5 grams and a diameter of 2-3 cm. The pulp of the fruit is light, sweet and dense. Blueberries of this variety ripen in August-September. From one adult plant per season, you can collect 8 kg. Fruiting occurs regularly.
- Plants form compact bushes up to 1.5-1.8 m tall. Frost resistance is high, up to -34 ° C. The Chandler variety is characterized by a long ripening period of berries - 4-6 weeks. It is thanks to this feature that the popularity of the variety in amateur gardening is constantly growing.
- Blueberry Chandler is suitable for growing in garden plots and for industrial horticulture, however, experts recommend picking the berries by hand. Fruits have low keeping quality and transportability.
Jersey
Jersey
- This variety has been cultivated for 90 years and is one of the best pollinating varieties. It blooms at the same time as Bluecrop blueberries and is excellent for its pollination. At the same time, the crop ripens later, only in mid-August.
- Bushes are vigorous, sprawling, reach 1.6-2 m. The berries are medium in size, light blue in color and taste great. For a season, from one plant of the Jersey blueberry variety, you can get up to 4-6 kg of berries. Frost resistance down to -29°C. This variety is also resistant to late spring frosts.
Berkeley
Berkeley
- The bushes of this blueberry are tall, fairly branched, reaching 1.8-2.1 m. Fruit ripening begins in the second decade of August. This variety bears fruit irregularly, the yield is 4-8 kg.
- The berries are medium in size. Even when they reach full maturity, they do not crack, but may crumble. Long-term storage and transportation withstand poorly. The main advantage of the Berkeley variety is unpretentiousness and the ability to endure temperature extremes quite stubbornly.
Brigitte
Brigitte
- The bush is tall, grows up to 1.8-2 m. The fruits reach maturity from mid-August. The variety gives regular yields of 4-6 kg from each bush per season. The berries are 1.5 cm in diameter, have a blue tint, dense flesh and a sweet and sour taste.
- Fruits have excellent keeping quality and transportability., ripen evenly and after reaching maturity do not crumble from the bushes.
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Excellent article, with excellent material on the description of varieties and wonderful photographs. I'm very pleased with how comfortable it is. The name of the variety, then a close-up photo of it, high-quality pictures. And the description is framed, short and about everything. Do not have to search in long articles for what you need. Everything is very beautiful, system characteristic and a huge amount of time saved! THANK YOU for your work. I know what I'm talking about. I will be happy to be your subscriber. Well done!
Thank you,
professional, knowledgeable, helpful
Explanatory.
thanks for helping me decide
You are welcome)
Tell me, will you add new varieties?
great site
Great article. I have never seen such a detailed description of blueberry varieties anywhere. Thank you very much for the help.
Thank you? We try to keep the material up to date. We follow the news.
Help identifying blueberries. Bought at a gardener about 15 years ago. Then it was sold as just a blueberry. The bush is 2 meters high, the shoots are powerful, rare, do not require thinning, the yield is high. A distinctive feature of large berries is that the place from which the flower falls off is closed (on all known varieties of the photo of the berry, if it matches, there is a round circle, like in blueberries). I have 13 varieties (bonus, spartan, boniface, river, herbert, etc. .d.) does not look like any. “Toro” for some reason, already having large green berries, bloomed additionally, like a remontant one)), in July. Maybe I have some kind of intermediate variety in the selection?
great stuff, thanks!