Current review of bilberry varieties – the sweetest, most profitable and most productive

Ingrīda Neusa-Luca / Practical Latvian

Most read

A cocktail

7 Surprising Things Your Clothing Color Reveals About You

Many do not know this! Top 15 mistakes women make in sex

Kadyrov does not have much left – he is dying. The death of the Chechen leader may drag Putin into a new war

Read other posts

Almost all blueberry varieties available today are species hybrids created through selection, adapted to consumer preferences in terms of yield, taste and berry size.

It is important to choose varieties that are suitable for Latvia’s climatic conditions, because not all of the varieties established in the world grow well, overwinter and are able to produce successfully here. “When buying imported blueberry plants in supermarkets, you should pay attention to the name of the variety and find out which region it is suitable for. However, it is better to buy seedlings from one of the nurseries in Latvia, where you can get all the necessary information about varieties and cultivation,” says Māra Rudzāte, grower and owner of SIA Arosa-R.

Most blueberry varieties are self-fertile enough that just one bush is enough. However, planting multiple varieties with early, mid-early and late maturing times, such as ‘Duke’, ‘Patriot’ and ‘Bluecrop’, can allow you to harvest over a longer period of time.

If site conditions are suitable, well-rooted blueberry bushes will produce five or more kilograms of berries in one season.

The choice of varieties will be facilitated by a visit to the large blueberry orchards, where you can taste the berries and hear the opinion of the growers.

The most commonly grown variety in Latvia. It has a long and gradual onset period. The berries should be picked as soon as they are completely blue. If left on the branches for a long time, they become soft and fall off. Do not pick too early, when the stem is still light red. The variety is not suitable for very hot weather. The crop can be harvested in three or even four weeks. In autumn, the leaves turn bright yellow to bright red, so they can be planted in greenery.

Early variety, blooms late, but berries ripen early. They arrive from mid-July, the crop can be harvested for three weeks. Shrub up to 2 m high. The berries are large, in bunches, light blue, very tasty, and they store very well in the refrigerator when cooled. Suitable for freezing.

The most widely grown variety in Europe, produced in August and early September, arrival time is long – two to three weeks. Berries do not tend to crack, are very sweet and tasty. The bush can reach a height of up to two meters, tolerates a lack of moisture in the soil.

Famous as the world’s largest huckleberry berry. Extremely sweet desserts, firm. One of the longest harvest periods: up to a month of regular and abundant production. The bushes are spreading, with medium frost resistance.

A winter-hardy and stable producing variety, but the berries are small. Due to their compact size, they can be planted more closely than other varieties of shrubs. Grows up to 1.2 m high. Berries firm, sweet.

An early, medium-yielding variety. One of the rare cross-pollinated blueberry varieties that should be planted next to any other variety that blooms at the same time. Berries are small, strongly aromatic, firm, pale blue. A very hardy blueberry variety.

Medium early, with very sweet medium sized berries. Very productive variety with high frost resistance.

Medium late variety. It is believed that the berries of this variety are among the tastiest in the world. The taste is soft, rich, with an aftertaste of grapes. Berries are medium-sized, store well. About 7 kg of berries can be obtained from a bush. The harvest takes about three weeks.

Medium early variety. It grows slowly, matures well for the winter season, the shoots do not need to be cut often. Production starts relatively late, 5-6. year. Berries are large, firm, aromatic, sweet, ripen evenly. The shrub has good frost resistance.

The very latest variety suitable for Latvian conditions. Branches wildly and forms shoots. During the season, the shoots grow up to 1.2 m long, but a part must be cut, otherwise they will not mature.

Varieties with extra sweet berries are ‘Elizabeth’, ‘Spartan’, ‘Blue Gold’, ‘Blueray’, ‘Toro’ and ‘Bluecrop’.

Themes