Blueberries: The Superfood!

Blueberries

Blueberries are one of the top Super foods to grow in your own garden, High in antioxidants; high in fibre and folic acid low in calories bush blueberry is an easy and very productive fruitier. Related to our native bilberry or ‘ frochan ‘ which grows on mountain heath land and woodlands.
Modern varieties have been bred for larger and sweeter fruit and are ideal for growing here in the West of Ireland.
Click here to view our Blueberries

Some of the best

Blueberry ‘bluecrop ‘is an excellent early variety with large fruit of excellent flavour. This variety is vigorous and ideal for the larger garden.

Blueberry ‘Berkeley ‘will give you mid season fruit of a super large size with matching flavour.
This variety will cover a larger area due to its spreading habit.

Blueberries love the mild wet weather in the west of Ireland and require a lime free soil to grow well.
Choose a site in full sun in a shelter section of the garden add plenty of farmyard manure and peat to create the ideal conditions.
Click here to view our Blueberries

Horkys tip: Feed blueberries throughout the summer with mir - acid liquid fertiliser to give larger fruit and keep the soil acid.

Plant two year old plants with good side branches once they begin to fruit feed every spring with sulphate of potash which is a lime free fertiliser and encourages fruiting in young and established plants.
Blue berries can be grown in larger containers in lime free compost, remember to feed in summer with mir acid and water throughout the summer.

Horkys tip: Use water retentive granules mix through the compost to store water and prevent drying out.
Click here to view our Blueberries

Pruning and after care

Young plants need only light pruning to develop a bushy full shape, once established the pruning of blueberries is similar to blackcurrants which consists of removing older stems right down to ground level, this encourages new growth from the base.

Remember blueberries fruit on younger wood. Regular feeding is important to encourage plenty of strong young growth.

Fruit picking starts in august and continues until late autumn. The fruit will keep for up to four weeks in a fridge and over a longer period in a deep freeze.