Focus on…Blueberries

WE’RE spoilt for choice when it comes to blueberries: there are dozens of types and varieties available. If you tend to their needs in the right way, you can get up to 11lb (5kg) of antioxidantpacked 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 be around 5ft (1½m) tall.

Northern highbush blueberries (such as ‘Chandler’ and ‘Duke’) are deciduous and need a significant winter chill (over 800 hours below 7°C/45°F). Meanwhile, southern highbush varieties (like ‘Sunshine Blue’ and ‘Ozarkblue’) will require very little winter chill; these are better suited to milder UK locations with little frost, and they often remain evergreen. Lowbush blueberries) tend to be knee-high and very hardy, so this is where many of the compact varieties like ‘Top Hat’ originate from. Half-high blueberries (‘Northland’ and ‘Northblue’) are moderately compact, very hardy hybrids of the two species.