Content
- The different types of blueberry
- The different types of blueberry on the market
- Growing forest blueberries in the garden
- The high-yielding varieties of cultivated blueberries
- Tips & Tricks
The different types of blueberry
The blueberries available in the food trade differ in color and size significantly from the wild blueberries that can be picked in the forest. This is because they are not botanically derived from the same or similar shrub species.
Early article planting blueberries in your own garden Next articleThe different types of blueberry on the market
The confusion caused by different fruit sizes around blueberry varieties is due to the difference between the forest blueberries ripening here in summer and the cultivated blueberries. Nowadays you can only seldom buy real wild blueberry berries from gardening supplies. These were largely superseded by the more vigorous and unequally vigorous fruiting cultivated blueberries, which are descended from American blueberry varieties and have been produced by breeding selection.
Growing forest blueberries in the garden
If you decide to cultivate the naturally occurring blueberry species in this country, you should not expect a very large yield first. Since the bushes of the forest blueberries have only a few berries per plant at harvest time, a bowl of ripe blueberries often requires clearing of a whole clearing. If you still prefer the bushes, which are only about 40 centimeters high, because of the more aromatic fruits, you may want to go for long walks to collect in the wild. However, if you do not care so much about the amount of yield, wild blueberries of the genus Vaccinium myrtillus are a good choice for easy planting of embankments and beds of acid soil in your own garden.
The high-yielding varieties of cultivated blueberries
The earliest varieties of cultivated crops produced by breeding and selection arose in blueberries at the beginning of the 20th century in the USA. Since then, more than 100 cultivars have been developed worldwide, of which about 30 have been able to establish themselves permanently on the market. Vaccinium Bluecrop is considered the world's most important variety due to its low temperature, drought resistance and resistance to diseases and pests. In addition, the following varieties also deliver excellent harvest results in professional agricultural cultivation and in the private garden:
Tips & Tricks
You can extend the harvest time of the already spiked blueberries even further if you plant early, mid-early and late varieties mixed in your garden.