Blueberries (bilberries)
Bursting with nutrients and flavour these tasty dark purple to light blue fruits are rich in anti-oxidants and have a superfood reputation. If you have the room and a free-draining acid soil then they are easy to grow, but on neutral or limey soils you will struggle to grow a decent crop.
If your soil is not acid then you need to grow them in patio pots filled with ericaceous compost. Although many blueberries are self pollinating, it is best to grow two, or perhaps three, different cultivars to ensure cross pollination and a good crop.
Blueberries make very attractive patio plants, with white bell-shaped flowers in spring and often attractive autumn foliage. Mature plants will produce 2kg to 4kg of fruit each year.
Soil and compost for containers
These plants need a well-drained acid soil or compost in which they can thrive. If your soil is not naturally ideal for rhododendrons then you need to create a raised bed or fill patio pots with a mixture of John Innes Ericaceous Compost and course grit. Find a sunny position that is sheltered from winds.
Planting
You can plant container grown shrubs at any time of the year, although autumn is best. Use the compost mix recommended above to improve existing soil or when planting in patio pots. Patio pots should be at least 20 to 25 litres in size. Water in well using collected rainwater.
| Crop type | Suggested varieties |
|---|---|
| Early crop | Duke (tall), Patriot (tall), Earliblue (tall) |
| Mid Crop | Ivanhoe (tall), Bluejay (tall), Northcountry (compact) |
| Late Crop | Bluecrop (compact), Coville (self pollinating), Chandler (tall) |
| Container grown | Bluegold (compact), Sunshine Blue (self pollinating), Chandler(tall) |
Care
Feed the plants each spring with Azalea, Camellia & Rhododendron Continuous Release Plant Food. One application applied in March will feed for the whole growing season. If your soil is not naturally acid, then a dressing with Sequestrene Granules will supply the chelated iron that helps to prevent chlorosis and plant failure.
Plants will need watering in the summer to produce a good crop. Wherever possible use collected rainwater and keep the compost at the roots evenly moist at all times. Only use hard tap water when drought conditions give you no alternative.
Harvest
Pick fully ripened blueberries in stages. Most plants will ripen from mid summer to early autumn when the fruits will turn completely blue and carry a soft white bloom. Pick every week and store in the fridge until you have enough for a meal. If you have more than you can eat, blueberries freeze well.
Pruning and training
The main annual pruning should be carried out in winter when plants are dormant. Just cut back some of the oldest branches to stimulate fresh young fruiting growth. Cut them back to side shoots of young wood. In summer pinch the tops out of strong young shoots to encourage more side shoots.
When your plant only bears fruit at the top of each branch, it’s time to hack back old woody stems so that new growth will rejuvenate them.
Pests
In most areas garden birds will eat nearly ripened fruit before you can pick them. In that case you will need to net the crop carefully so your family can enjoy the fruits of you labour.
