Blueberries.

Blueberries are an excellent source of vitamin C and K, fibre, manganese and contain a number of flavonoids.

They love acidic soils that are friable and well-drained which are situated in semi shade position. During summer months, I found that my blueberries required a little more water as the summer went on. It may have been a particularly dry summer but I installed a small water tank to capture the rainwater so I didn’t rely too much on town water, which can be more alkaline.

If you are interested in getting blueberries but have no room for them in the garden, try them in a large pot. It will be easier to keep the soil to their liking and you can move it into  and out of the sun during the year.

I suggest having two different varieties purely to increase your crop. The increase in crop size is due to cross pollination, same can be done for other fruit.

Blueberries have three common varieties, lowbush, high bush and rabbiteye.

Rabbiteye Blueberries.
This bush is a late season variety, which can endure the warm, dry and humid climatic conditions often seen in Australia. this variety suits the Queensland and Northern New South wales regions best. the name is derived from the calyx on the fruit, which when ripening looks like a rabbit eye looking at you.

Highbush Bluebrries.
This bush is the most common variety in Australia and has two popular cultivars; the Northern Highbush and the Southern Highbush. The Northern Highbush grows from Tasmania to Southern New South Wales. And the Southern Highbush grows from Northern New South Wales and Southern Queensland. You can see many blueberry farms popping up around the Coffs Coast on the New South Wales North Coast.

Lowbush Blueberries.
This variety produces a decent sized crop which is full of flavour and prefers the cooler climates, preferably in the Northern Hemisphere.

Reinhard, T. 2010 ‘Superfoods. The healthiest foods on the planet’
Yates Garden Guide 43rd Edition
Australian Blueberries, sourced http://www.australianblueberries.com.au/, July 2015