Description
Blueberries are flowering plants of the genus Vaccinium (a genus which also includes cranberries and bilberries) with dark-blue berries. Species in the section Cyanococcus are the most common fruits sold as "blueberries" and are mainly native to North America. Wild blueberries are a smaller species also known as "lowbush" blueberries. The larger commercial species is known as "highbush" blueberries. The leaves can be either deciduous or evergreen, and 10-80mm long and 5-35mm wide. The flowers are bell-shaped, white, pale pink or red, sometimes tinged greenish.
The edible fruit is a false berry 5ââ¬â16 mm diameter with a flared crown at the end; they are pale greenish at first, then reddish-purple, and finally blueish-purple when ripe. They have a sweet taste when mature, with variable acidity. Blueberry bushes typically bear fruit in the middle of the growing season: fruiting times are affected by local conditions such as altitude and latitude, so the height of the crop can vary from May to August depending upon these conditions.
Sunlight
Fruit need plenty of sunlight, whenever it begins to branch or bramble.
bullet
Soil
Almost all fruits do best in slightly acidic soil, somewhere between a pH of 5.5 and 6.5. Blueberries prefer a soil of even greater acidity of between 4.09 and 5.0.
Pollination
Most fruit trees, including blueberries have both male and female organs on the same flower, but not all are self pollinating. The best bet for blueberries is to have different varieties of blueberries within 100 feet, so bees can travel and cross pollinate. Blueberries cannot be fertilized by their own pollen!1
Temperature
Must experience cold (< 2 degrees C) for at least 6 weeks annually
Water Use
Water heavily first 2 weeks. Adequate drainage is important. Find a suitable site, avoiding low lying areas the collect water or are slow to drain in the spring.
Nutritional Raw Blueberries, 100g
Nutrient |Units | per 100g
Proximates
Water |g |84.21
Energy
kcal
57
Energy |kJ |240
Protein
g
0.74
Total lipid (fat) |g |0.33
Ash
g
0.24
Carbohydrate, by difference|g|14.49
Fiber, total dietary
g
2.4
Sugars, total |g|9.96
Sucrose
g
0.11
Glucose (dextrose) |g|4.88
Fructose
g
4.97
Lactose |g|0
Maltose
g
0
Galactose |g|0
Starch
g
0.03
Minerals
Calcium, Ca
mg
6
Iron, Fe |mg|0.28
Magnesium, Mg
mg
6
Phosphorus, P |mg|12
Potassium, K
mg
77
Sodium, Na |mg|1
Zinc, Zn
mg
0.16
Copper, Cu |mg|0.06
Manganese, Mn
mg
0.34
Selenium, Se |mcg|0.1
Vitamins
Vitamin C, total ascorbic acid |mg|9.7
Thiamin
mg
0.04
Riboflavin |mg|0.04
Niacin
mg
0.42
Pantothenic acid |mg|0.12
Vitamin B-6
mg
0.05
Folate, total |mcg|6
Folic acid
mcg
0
Folate, food |mcg|6
Folate, DFE
mcg_DFE
6
Choline, total |mg|6.0
Betaine
mg
0.2
Vitamin B-12 |mcg|0
Vitamin B-12, added
mcg
0
Vitamin A, RAE |mcg_RAE|3
Retinol
mcg
0
Carotene, beta |mcg|32
Carotene, alpha
mcg
0
Cryptoxanthin, beta |mcg|0
Vitamin A, IU
IU
54
Lycopene |mcg|0
Lutein + zeaxanthin
mcg
80
Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) |mg|0.57
Vitamin E, added
mg
0
Tocopherol, beta |mg|0.01
Tocopherol, gamma
mg
0.36
Tocopherol, delta |mg|0.03
Vitamin D (D2 + D3)
mcg
0
Vitamin D |IU|0
Vitamin K (phylloquinone)
mcg
19.3
Lipids
Fatty acids, total saturated
g
0.03
04:00:00 AM|g|0
06:00:00 AM
g
0
08:00:00 AM|g|0
10:00:00 AM
g
0
12:00:00 PM|g|0
02:00:00 PM
g
0
04:00:00 PM|g|0.02
06:00:00 PM
g
0.01
Fatty acids, total monounsaturated |g|0.05
16:1 undifferentiated
g
0
18:1 undifferentiated |g|0.05
08:01:00 PM
g
0
22:1 undifferentiated |g|0
Fatty acids, total polyunsaturated
g
0.15
18:2 undifferentiated |g|0.09
18:3 undifferentiated
g
0.06
18:4 |g|0.00
20:4 undifferentiated
g
0
20:5 n-3 (EPA) |g|0
22:5 n-3 (DPA)
g
0
22:6 n-3 (DHA) |g|0
Cholesterol
mg
0
Amino acids
Tryptophan
g
0
Threonine |g|0.02
Isoleucine
g
0.02
Leucine|g |0.04
Lysine
g
0.01
Methionine |g|0.01
Cystine
g
0.01
Phenylalanine |g|0.03
Tyrosine
g
0.01
Valine |g|0.03
Arginine
g
0.04
Histidine |g|0.01
Alanine
g
0.03
Aspartic acid |g|0.06
Glutamic acid
g
0.09
Glycine |g|0.03
Proline
g
0.03
Serine |g|0.02
Other
Alcohol, ethyl |g|0
Caffeine
mg
0
Theobromine |mg|0
USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 22 (2009)
Something about blueberry, glutamine, arginine, lysine, glycine, and ornithine helps elevate IGF-1 (insulin-like growth factor-1), enabling a healthier, more active lifestyle^1. A study, done by researchers at the U.S. Agriculture Department's Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University in Boston found that those fed blueberry, spinach, or strawberry extracts improved short-term memory and blueberries enhanced balance and coordination as well. The rats were fed the blueberries at 19 months, the equivalent of ages 65 to 70 in humans. After eight weeks, the blueberry-fed rats' rod balancing skills actually increased--from five to 11 seconds, suggesting an age-reversing benefit. The researchers aren't sure which specific compounds in blueberries give them their punch, but they suspect that other foods may provide age-reversing benefits. Prunes and kale, for instance, are also extremely high in antioxidants but have not yet been tested. Suggested dose: Further studies in people are needed. Still, according to Dr. Shukitt-Hale, just half a cup of blueberries may help keep our mental and motor skills sharp.