One of the healthiest foods there is, Blueberries have been an important part of our diets for centuries. They are rich in antioxidants, low in calories and highly nutritious. Native to North America they can be found growing in many areas of Canada. There are 3 main types. The low bush are low, spreading plants that grow wild in Canada, and produce tasty, small to medium sized fruit. High bush are tall and grow in warmer climates and then there are the half high bush which is a cross between the high and low varieties, and these grow really well in colder climates including Prince George.
Blueberries are easy to grow, and require very little care once they have been planted in the right site. They need lots of sun, even moisture but more importantly a good draining, acidic soil with a pH of 4.2-5.5. Most soils are not this acidic unless they are peat based and so you may have to add peat moss, sulphur, or pine needles to the soil to lower the pH. A simple pH tester can be used to test the pH of your soil. If you are amending the soil you can dig a large hole and mix equal parts of sands and peat moss to put in the hole or you can go to a raised bed using a soil rich in organic matter, and peat moss and sand. Blueberries need water, especially when they are producing fruit. They have a shallow root system and so a mulch could help keep moisture levels even. When the right conditions are met the plants are rarely bothered by pests and disease and the largest problem would be trying to keep the birds from eating the berries before you do.
Pruning is done in the spring when it is needed. It is not always needed but spindly branches, branches that are broken or damaged should be removed. Plants are mature when they are 5 years old and to keep vigorous growth the older branches should be removed at ground level to promote new growth. When giving fertilizer use the 'Fruit and Berry 4-19-17 ' and sprinkle the fertilizer along the drip line of the plant. The drip line is the outer edge of the shrub where the water would drip off the foliage, as this is where the feeder roots are. Do not over fertilizer as blueberry plants can be sensitive to too much fertilizer. When planting blueberries the plants should be spaced 1 meter apart in rows that are 2 meters apart. Although many varieties are self pollinating blueberries will produce more fruit and larger fruit, if they are cross pollinated with other varieties of blueberries. There are a number of varieties that grow very well in our Prince George area. These include 'North Country', known for its small compact growth, and wild tasting berries. 'Northland' is a larger plant with similar tasting berries to North Country. 'Hardy Blue' has a sweet berry and the upright bush is able to handle a heavy crop. 'Chippewa', has been around for a while and is a good producer with large dark blue, tasty berries. 'Patriot' is very hardy and very productive producing large firm berries and 'Polaris', has very aromatic sweet berries but is not a self pollinator and will need another pollinator. Sometimes to help plants get established the flowers are removed from the plant in the first year so that the plants energy can go towards the plant and not fruit production.
The berries are produced in clusters and start off green and turn blue as they ripen. The blossom end of the berry has 5 points that resemble a star, which is why the Native Americans called them 'Star Berries'. Wait a few days after the berries turn blue to make sure that they are ripe enough so that you can enjoy the full flavour of them. Not all the berries ripen at the same time on a cluster so to pick the berries place your hand under the cluster and tickle the cluster. The ripe berries will fall into your hand leaving the unripe berries on the bush so that they can ripen later. If you want to grow blueberries but do not have room in the vegetable garden they are pretty enough to use in the landscape. Leaves are dark green and glossy, and in the spring the plant produces clusters of flowers that give way to clusters of pretty blue berries in August. In the fall the foliage turns different shades of reds and in winter varieties such as Hardy Blue have dark red winter wood. These are great flowering plants to use in an edible landscape because of their ornamental assets. Blueberries can also be grown in containers but the blueberry filled containers will have to be dug into the garden over the winter months to prevent the plant from freezing.
There are still lots of blueberry plants available and this is still a good time of year to be planting them. They are a tasty, attractive plant that can be added to any landscape.
