Blueberry Bushes - Vaccineum corymbosum - 2 litre

Blueberries have delicious fruit, very attractive bell-like white flowers in spring and glorious autumn foliage colour. More and more research studies are showing blueberries to have amazing health giving properties, one of the so called 'superfoods'. They are perfectly frost hardy, and provided you follow a few simple rules, they are very easy to grow. Blueberries are partly self fertile and you will get a crop even if you have only one plant, however, commercial growers have noted that you get the heaviest yield by growing two different varieties in close proximity

Supplied in a 2 litre deep plant, two year old bushes Minimum order 2 plants, please state the varieties you want in the Special Instructions box at the Checkout (photo shows actual plants being sold) with small branches off a main stem/s, ht 35 - 45cm, spread 10 - 15cm. They may produce a few berries this year but will need take one or two more years to get a decent crop (beware of newspaper special offers and mail order companies selling very young plants in 1 litre or smaller pots, as you may well be waiting a few years before you get a worthwhile crop). Shipped in 1 - 3 days

Care
They must have moist acid soil, ideally below pH 5.5 which can't be provided in most gardens so provide similar conditions by growing in a large pot of ericaceous compost. Place the pot in full sun or partial shade. Water with rainwater (but in drought conditions use tap water if necessary rather than let them dry out) and feed spring and summer with ericaceous feed. When the berries are swelling try alternating this feed with tomato food to get a heavier crop. The crop does not ripen all at once so you can be picking berries for a few weeks. There are also early, mid and late season varieties which will help you extend the time you can eat your own berries to months rather than weeks. Blueberries only need light pruning to thin out overcrowded bushes and crossing stems.

Health benefits
Packed with vitamin C and in the past two years one study has shown they can reduce cholesterol and another shows an anti-ageing effect. Blueberries are also high in anti-inflammatory compounds called anthocyanins, which help ease the pain of gout. Click on these links for more information

Reducing cholesterol

Anti-ageing

By planting varieties which crop early, mid-season and late you can be picking blueberries for 100 days! These varieties are some of the best Northern Highbush blueberries available. All are wideley grown in the Northern United States and Canada, so they are ideal for the British climate