Focus on... Blueberries

Lush berry harvests guaranteed with Lucy

- Lucy Chamberlain

WE’RE spoilt for choice when it comes to blueberries: there are dozens of types and varieties available. Tend to their needs in the right way, and you can get up to 5kg of antioxidant-packed fruit from just one mature plant.

Blueberries are a diverse group of plants, within the genus Vaccinium. Highbush blueberries (V. corymbosum) are large plants, growing to around 5ft (11⁄2m) tall. Northern highbush blueberries (such as ‘Chandler’ and ‘Duke’) are deciduous and need a winter chill (over 800 hours below 7°C/45°F). Southern highbush varieties (like ‘Sunshine Blue’ and ‘Ozarkblue’) require very little winter chill; these are better suited to milder UK locations with little frost, and they often remain evergreen.

Lowbush blueberries (V. angustifolium) tend to be knee-high and hardy, so this is where many of the compact varieties like ‘Top Hat’ originate from. Half-high blueberries (‘Northland’ and ‘Northblue’) are fairly compact, hardy hybrids of the two species.

Months of superfruits