Where does blueberry grow?

Blueberries are a very popular berry, as they are used both as food and as a healing agent.It is possible to grow this plant in artificial conditions, although for most people the only source is still the fruits from the wild.

The habitat of the plant is quite large, so try it in our area is not so difficult. As part of the berries there are many beneficial vitamins, macro-and micronutrients. They make jams, tinctures and more.

Blueberries are a small shrub whose height can rarely exceed 30 cm, depending on the variety. Belongs to the cowberry family. The berry of black or purple color has a small size and is characterized by juicy taste characteristics - sweet and sour. When eating a fruit, small grains are practically not felt and do not affect the taste sensations of a person.

The plant blooms from May to June. But it all depends on the variety, climatic and weather conditions. In July, the early blueberries ripen, which begin to gather somewhere towards the end of the month. It gains taste qualities later, by August, when it is saturated with all useful substances. The harvest period also depends on the weather throughout the season and the amount of moisture in the soil.

The lifetime of a single blueberry bush can reach 40 years. But they begin to bear fruit only 4-5 years after germination. In old bushes, the berries do not so absorb useful minerals.

Bilberry is a unique plant, it grows only in swamps or in coniferous forests, where there is a large amount of moisture and shade. Sometimes you can find it in mixed stands. Therefore, to grow at home the plant is very difficult. Berry grows only in the northern hemisphere of our planet. Often here can also be attributed, and the temperate zone, where there are forests.

Locations:

• Russia (Karelia, Siberia, the northern territories of the Urals and Trans-Urals, Tyumen region);
• North America;
• East Asia;
• Northern Europe, etc.

Plant growth is possible only on soils where there is moderate and high humidity. In such circumstances, the blueberry areola can be very large. There are territories where it is met for only a few dozen kilometers.

Since the beginning of the last century, the plant began to grow in nurseries. Appeared many domesticated varieties of healing berries. Now only in the Moscow region there are about two dozen varieties.

In order to increase the volume of the crop, two particularly effective species, differing from each other in the size of the bushes, were developed. Medium - from 60 to 120 cm and large - up to 2 meters in height. All varieties are adapted for growing in their climatic zone, resistant to sub-zero temperatures. The only restriction for their breeding in suburban areas is the high level of groundwater.

Many people like to eat blueberries, but they rarely think about the composition of the product. After the fruits ripen, they are saturated with many useful components:

• organic acids - citric, lactic, malic, etc .;
• macro- and microelements - iron, potassium, copper, sulfur, chromium, and many others;
• vitamins - A, B, C, PP;
• flavonoids;
• anthocyanides are powerful antioxidants.

The healing properties of plants have many uses. A popular component of decoctions and infusions are the leaves that need to be collected during the flowering period of the plant. Infusions are choleretic, and also help with bleeding. Find recipes for the prevention of certain diseases can be on specialized sites.

Blueberries are also very useful and are used extensively in traditional medicine.

1. To normalize digestion and treatment of various diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.
2. To reduce the inflammatory processes of the urogenital system. This is achieved by the bactericidal effect of blueberries on many types of microorganisms.
3. To reduce blood sugar. Therefore, many doctors recommend to use fresh berries in diabetes. Bilberry also qualitatively fights cholesterol in the blood, strengthens the walls of blood vessels.
4. As a tonic. The product restores the lack of the human body in many nutrients.
5. To improve vision. Useful substances that make up the berries, have a good effect on the stabilization of blood circulation in the eye area, saturates the cells with the necessary microelements. This leads to faster retinal regeneration. Used blueberries and as a prophylactic agent.
6. For the prevention of Parkinson's and Alzheimer's. For this, doctors recommend eating about half a glass of berries a day.

The blooming of blueberries is very attracted to bees. Therefore, many beekeepers who live near forests take out the hive especially during this period to the places where the plants germinate. Insects collect useful and tasty nectar, processing it into a unique honey. Externally, it has a reddish tinge.

Ripen fruit in the middle or end of summer. But under optimal conditions, they are not showered even in the beginning of autumn. During this period, it was recommended to actively collect. The fruits of the plant are small in size, making it difficult to collect them in the forest. Another disadvantage is the low height of the bush, which forces a person to constantly bend over.

To simplify the collection of berries, you should follow a few simple recommendations.

1. Use plastic containers instead of metal buckets or glass jars. To do this, cut a 5-liter plastic bottle and attach to it a kind of loop. By attaching it to the side or hanging it around your neck (only small containers), this will simplify access to the container and allow you to use both hands for picking.
2. Prefer only round fruitson which there is no visible damage. In the future, such selectivity will relieve the excessive effort of sorting through a large mass of berries during harvesting.
3. Blueberries are also grown in industrial quantities. To collect use special combines. They have small bowls with handles. At one end of the element, there are peculiar combs that allow you to “comb” the berries and accumulate them inside the container. This approach allows you to speed up the collection several times, but damaging the leaves.

Drying the leaves is carried out only in a dark and ventilated place, occasionally mixing material. When everything is dry, the leaves are separated from the stem and crushed.

Prepare the fruit for the winter period in several basic ways.

• Drying. One of the most ancient ways to keep all the beneficial substances inside the berries. Before drying, all fruits should be carefully selected to exclude the presence of twigs, leaves, or spoiled fruit. Then blueberries are distributed in a thin layer on a baking sheet and put in the sun. It is important to mix it only periodically to prevent mold and premature rot.

• Frost. You can use it if you have enough space in the freezer. Thus, the fruits retain much more vitamins and are as useful as fresh berries. Wash and dry them thoroughly before shipment so that they do not stick together too much. Some housewives recommend immediately grind the product, which in the winter will already be immediately ready for use. Please note that after several cycles of defrosting and freezing, the blueberry will lose its beneficial properties.Therefore, it is desirable to initially form the berries into the dishes in small one-time portions.
• Jam. Perfect for lovers of yummy. Blueberry jam will make your pancakes or pancakes more delicious and enjoyable. There are many recipes for the preparation of such a product that everyone can choose for themselves to taste.

How to prepare blueberries for the winter, see the following video.