Slightly sweet, the blueberry is a dark red to purple fruit that stands out for its richness in vitamins including vitamin K, trace elements and mineral salts. Indeed, this small fruit contains significant quantities of magnesium, potassium, calcium, iron, zinc or even vanadium. Derived from the blueberry tree, a shrub in the Ericaceae family, blueberries are tasty and low in calories. To harvest blueberries, you can learn how to plant the shrub at home.
In various sweet preparations such as cakes, muffins or juices, blueberries retain their taste while offering a series of benefits to the body. Cultivated for its fruit, blueberries can grow in the garden or in a large pot placed on the balcony. To be successful in your gardening and grow this fruit tree, here are our tips.
The blueberry: two species to distinguish
Blueberry – Source: spm
There are two species of blueberries:
- Vaccinium myrtillus , a wild blueberry that measures between 20 and 50 cm in height and has evergreen foliage. The latter is generally grown on heathlands on moors, or in woodlands and clearings.
- Vaccinium corymbosum , a shrubby blueberry 1.5 to 2 meters tall that is easily grown in pots, in garden soil or in the vegetable patch.
From May, clusters of white bells appear on the shrub.
Clusters of white bellflowers – Source: spm
In summer, the berries appear and ripen for consumption. Some blueberry trees pollinate themselves, and you can simply plant them to fruit.