In fact, blueberries are highly valued for its high antioxidant value among fruits and vegetables. They contain anthocyanins, which are part of a sub-class of flavanoids and give bluberries their blue color.
These antioxidants help to counter the buildup of plaque, fight free radicals and improve cardiovascular health. Long-term intake of high Anthocyanin is associated with a reduced risk of Myocardial Infarction (heart attack) in young and middle-aged women
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Another study by Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics found that “Daily blueberry consumption improves blood pressure and arterial stiffness in postmenopausal women with pre- and stage 1-hypertension.”
These antioxidants are also said to:
- Improve memory
- Reduce risk of developing Alzheimer’s and dementia
- Help digestion
- Prevent cancer
Nutritional profile of blueberries
Thanks to their rich nutritional profile, blueberries are the ideal snack. They are full of fiber and essential vitamins and minerals which can improve your digestion and metabolism and help you lose weight. A cup of blueberries has about 25% of the RDA of manganese, which most people lack.
Manganese is important for our musculoskeletal system, blood clotting and sex hormones, and plays a big role in calcium absorption, carb metabolism and glucose levels as well. The mineral is also important for our brain.
Family: Ericaceae
Genus: Vaccinium
Subgenus: Vaccinium subg. Vaccinium
Synonyms:
Myrtillus niger Gilib.
Myrtillus sylvaticus Drejer
Vaccinium oreophilum Rydb.
Vitis-idaea myrtillus
How to grow blueberries at home
Blueberries are cheap and easily available, but there’s no sure way to tell if they’re organic. You can benefit from organic blueberries only, but even better, you can easily grow them at home.
If you decide to try it, get the “top hat” blueberries which can easily grow in pots. Make sure the soil you buy has a pH of 4.5-5.0, and get a short and large container.
Fill two thirds of the container with acidic soil, then put the bush in the center of the pot and fill in the edges around it with more soil. Tap the soil with your hands, then add as much as you need and water it in the end.
Pour 1-2 inches of acidic mulch (pine needles) on the top, then leave the bush at a sunny spot in your home.
To make sure your plant doesn’t drown or begins to grow mold on its roots, plant it in a pot with drainage.
- Fill the container two-thirds full with an acidic soil mix.
- Gently wiggle the plastic grower’s pot it came in to release the plant from its pot.
- Center the blueberry bush in the container, filling in the edges between the plant and the pot with more soil.
- Use your hands to apply firm pressure on the soil to prevent it from loosening up when you water your plant.
- Water well and add more soil if necessary, do not “choke” the base of the bush with dirt.
- Spread 1 to 2 inches of acidic mulch like pine needles on top of the soil.
- Place in a sunny location with at least six hours of sun a day.
- Harvest your berries and enjoy!
Treating Blueberry with Leaf Spot Disease
It is interesting to learn about the causes of spots on blueberry leaves. However, the real question that gardeners want answered are about what steps they can take to treat the problem.
First, you should try to prevent your shrubs from getting attacked. If you think about this sufficiently early, you can purchase blueberry plants that are resistant to blueberry leaf spot diseases.
A second important step is to remove all plant debris from your berry patch after harvest every year. The fungi live in soil but also on fallen leaves beneath the plants. A good clean-up can go a long way to preventing this.
If the fungus causing blueberry leaf spot diseases has found its way into your berry patch, tread carefully. Take care not to spread the fungus yourself when you are working in the garden. Disinfect your tools each time you use them.
Finally, treating these shrubs with the correct fungicide early can help your blueberries remain vigorous. Take in a sample of leaf spots on blueberries to your garden store and ask for a fungicide that will work. Use it according to label directions.
