You can grow your own delicious blueberries in the garden or on the patio. It’s super easy and you can do it all for just a few pence per pound!
Blueberries are the original ‘super berry and are now one of Britain’s most fashionable (not to mention expensive) fruits. They are deliciously sweet whether eaten raw on their own, with yoghurt, in fruit salads or cooked into pies, preserves and even muffins and pancakes!
Those little berries are also jam-packed full of health benefits, being very high in vitamin C, rich in antioxidants and containing numerous trace elements.
Originating from North America, blueberries have only been cultivated for a few decades, yet they are remarkably easy to grow. Best grown in a large pot with an established bush producing up to 10lbs of delicious fruit every season!
Simple Steps to Blueberry Success
- Choose a large pot about 12 inches in diameter as a minimum as this is less likely to dry out during warm weather.
- Fill with ericaceous compost to about 3 inches from the rim. This is specially blended for acid-loving plants like Blueberries. It’s a good idea to include Gel & Feed as this will reduce the need for feeding and improve the water-retaining capacity of the pot.
- Start with a good-sized plant as Blueberries grow quite slowly. If you want fruit in the same year then go for a 2-litre potted specimen roughly.
- Keep your plant well watered as blueberries favour moist conditions.
- Pale pink bell-shaped flowers form in spring, later developing into blueberries, ripening in late summer.
- Lightly prune the plant in winter to retain its shape.
- Birds also love blueberries so protect the plant with a net as the berries ripen. This will help save your crop.
- After the fruit is picked in autumn, the leaves turn a very attractive copper colour.
To get you started growing blueberries, check out our growing kit which includes 3 x 9cm potted blueberries and 3 decorative pots to plant them up in. The collection comprises 3 varieties, selected for their wide continuous harvest period and ease of growth in home gardens.
For more information on how to grow your own fruit bushes, Click Here.
