History Of Blueberry Plants
By: Pat Malcolm -
Very few historical records exist on ancient blueberry culture
in the Greek and Roman empires. Those cultures did use parts of the
blueberry plants and fruit to eat or to treat ailments. The size
and flavor of native blueberry plants was extremely variable, and
the USDA, modern, extensive research and development of choice
selections was judged on a basis of taste, yield of plants, aroma,
small berry seeds, and the lasting quality of the fresh berries
increased the popularity of this fruit in a period of fifty years
as one of Americas favorite agricultural products.
William Bartram, the early American botanist and explorer, reported
seeing various members of the native blueberry plant relatives,
Vaccinium varietas, as he and his father, John Bartram took an
inventory of plants to establish on Georgia farms in his book,
Travels, in 1773.
Luther Burbank was perhaps Americas most prolific hybridizer of
fruits, and he imported many native species of blueberries,
Vaccinium Spp., from other countries and reported in his book,
Small Fruits in 1921, that very little improvement had been made to
produce a commercially, improved blueberry bush. In recent years
the USDA has released excellent yielding blueberries that, when
fully ripened, are sweetly flavored, aromatically pleasing, and
easy to harvest. Some cultivars of blueberry plants can be machine
harvested. Fresh blueberries are available in United States
markets, beginning in April and extending until October.
Recent reports from health researchers have shown that blueberry
fruit is higher in antioxidants than any other fruit or vegetable.
These antioxidants block the presence of chemically charged
particles called, free radicals, that are believed to be the threat
that initiates disease problems. The antioxidants are believed to
be important in preventing cancer, stroke, heart disease, and loss
of memory resulting from Alzheimers disease. Chemically active
anthocyanin pigments found in blueberries can improve failing
eyesight and can prevent macular disintegration resulting from
aging.
According to the New England Journal of Medicine, blueberries fight
urinary tract infections and help to prevent eye macular
degeneration, says Dr. Ronald Prior, director of the USDA. Early
Indian culture in America taught that eating blueberries was good
for coughs, and the blueberry bush leaves were used as a tea and
health tonic. The North American Blueberry Council says that
blueberry juice has higher concentrations of antioxidants than any
of the 40 juices tested. Other health benefits from blueberries are
Vitamin A, Vitamin B1, Vitamin B2, Vitamin C, Niacin, and the
minerals calcium, phosphorus, potassium, and iron.
Blueberries are loved by animals, birds, and many types of
wildlife, such as deer, duck, and even bears. The berries provide
wildlife a source of food over a very long period of feeding, when
food is scarce at off season periods. Birds sometimes can be a pest
to the backyard blueberry gardener, but the birds appetite can be
overcome by either the use of a screen netting to protect and cover
the blueberry bushes, or a gardener can plant enough blueberry
bushes for his own growing needs and the birds as well.
Blueberries are expected to rapidly become the most sought-after
small fruit on the American market. Fifty percent of blueberries
are grown for the fresh fruit market and Canada grows 25% of the
world demand for blueberries. Growing blueberry plants is easy, but
the culture differs considerably from growing other fruits and
berries.
If a blueberry gardener understands the origin of wild blueberry
plant occurrence, it is easy to predict the soil requirements
necessary to successfully grow blueberries. The blueberry plants
are found in the wild, growing on very poor, sandy soil with roots
that surround the underground layers of decayed organic matter. The
acidity or pH level is very low for wild blueberry plants and the
bushes prosper in this acid environment. Fertilizer kills more
blueberry plants than any other single thing. Blueberry commercial
production is highest in Michigan, followed by Maine, New Jersey,
Oregon, and Georgia. It is truly amazing that the blueberry can be
grown in the South into Florida and then northwards to Arctic North
America. Most blueberries are cross pollinated by insects such as
bees and bumblebees. Most gardeners plant at least two different
cultivars of blueberry plants for the additional advantages of
extending the ripening season. Gardeners love planting a berry with
no thorns to prick fingers at picking time, the occurrence of tiny
seeds that aid in digestion, and the enjoyment of seeing the
kaleidoscope of rainbow colors during the winter after the first
freeze. Blueberry plants are among the most cold tolerant of all
the small fruits, and in the South, the plants often only lose the
leaves for a month, often blooming as early as January. Even if the
flowers of blueberries freeze, a second wave of flowering will
follow during later warm-ups in the weather.
Basically three types of blueberry are grown commercially in the
United States; the Northern Highbush blueberry, Vaccinium
corymbosum L.; the Southern Rabbiteye blueberry, Vaccinium ashei;
and the Lowbush blueberry, also called the Wild Lowbush blueberry,
Vaccinium angustifolium.
The Northern Highbush blueberry, Vaccinium corymbosum L., is grown
in zones 4 to 7. Much of the early production appearing at
blueberry markets came from native blueberry plants, but new
cultivars of Northern Highbush blueberry plants are very promising,
such as: Bluejay blueberry, Bluecrop blueberry, Blueray blueberry,
Jersey blueberry, and Patriot blueberry.
USDA blueberry releases for Southern Rabbiteye blueberry, Vaccinium
ashei, have been numerous. These include the older cultivars:
Southland, Woodard, Bluebelle, Blue Gem, and more recent blueberry
releases are Tiftblue, Climax, Delite, Brightblue, Brightwell,
Bonita, Powderblue, and Austin blueberry.
The Lowbush or Wild Blueberry, Vaccinium angustifolium, is the most
cold hardy type of blueberry, and commercially the plants are dwarf
and only grow 1 to 2 feet tall. Most are not improved varieties,
but variable native bushes. One modern Lowbush blueberry release is
Top Hat blueberry, and the state of Maine accounts for the largest
production of Lowbush blueberry bushes adaptable in zones 3 to
6.
In Florida and other various hot sections of the United States,
many of these blueberry species have been interhybridized and
complexly mixed to produce a wide array of plants adapted for hot
climates. These cultivars are Beckyblue blueberry, Aliceblue
blueberry, Sharpblue blueberry, Floridablue blueberry, Avonblue
blueberry, Blue Ridge blueberry, Cape Fear blueberry, Gulf Coast
blueberry, ONeal blueberry, and Georgia Gem blueberry. These
blueberry plants are best grown in zones 7 to 10.
Blueberries have many valuable gourmet food uses as in blueberry
pancakes, blueberry pies, blueberry jam, blueberry juice, frozen
and canned blueberries, and drying under vacuum, the blueberries
can last for years to be rehydrated to eat in cereals and other
things. These dried blueberries are especially promising for use in
Army K ration canning in foreign countries.
Patrick A. Malcolm, owner of TyTy Nursery, has an M.S. degree in Biochemistry and has cultivated berry plants for over three decades.
Article Source: http://www.articledashboard.com
Tags: blueberry
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