Blueberries and blueberries are similar berries. They belong to the same heather family. A person without experience will not be able to immediately determine which berry is in front of him.
And experienced gardeners do it without difficulty. There is a big difference between blueberries and blueberries. We will tell you how to distinguish these two berries in this article.
External difference between blueberries and blueberries
Blueberry bushes are much taller than blueberry bushes. They can be up to 1.5 m in height. The direction of growth of most bushes is vertical. Blueberry is a creeping plant.
The stem stiffens along the entire height, and blueberries have green, not stiff shoots. The stem is lighter than blueberry. Their leaves are also different from each other. Blueberry leaves are ovoid with a sharp tip and slightly serrated edges. The foliage on the bushes is slightly wider and with blunt tops.
The berries on blueberry bushes are arranged individually. On blueberry bushes, the arrangement of the berries resembles bunches. Blueberries are slightly smaller than blueberries. They are round in shape. Blueberries are slightly elongated and pear-shaped. Blueberries are dark blue in color, almost black, with a slight touch.
Blueberries are blue-gray in color. The flesh of blueberries is dark blue in color, and blueberries are greenish. Blueberry juice instantly paints your hands in a persistent dark blue color. It is often used as a colorant. Blueberry juice is colorless and not easily soiled.
Blueberry berries have a distinct and rich flavor. Blueberries are sour and watery.
Blueberries are not included in the list of cultivated plants and are not used for cultivation. It requires wild conditions of nature. Breeding work is carried out mainly with blueberries.
Composition and useful properties
Berries differ in many ways. To determine which of them is more useful, you need to consider their composition.
Composition and properties of blueberries
Blueberry is a low-calorie berry. It has only 57 kcal. 100 fresh berries contain 1.1 g of protein, 0.6 g of fat, 7.6 g of carbohydrates, 87 g of water and 0.4 g of ash. Blueberries are rich in a variety of ingredients. It contains tannins, organic acids, vitamin C, vitamin B, carotene.
Blueberry leaves are also enriched with valuable components.
The berry has medicinal properties. It is used to prevent visual impairment. Plants are added to pharmaceutical formulations. The plant has astringent properties. Therefore, it is taken for diarrhea. Berries are rich in antioxidants and help in the prevention of malignant tumors.
Systemic use reduces the risk of developing pathologies of the heart and blood vessels, diabetes. Supporters of treatment using folk methods use it for purulent wounds on the skin, burns, and pathologies of the bladder. The pulp is added to facial masks.
In addition to berries, blueberry foliage is also considered healing. Decoctions are made from it.
Blueberry is contraindicated for people suffering from constipation, diseases of the pancreas and duodenum.
Composition and properties of blueberries
100 grams of fresh berries contain 1 g of protein, 6.6 g of carbohydrates, 0.5 g of fat. The berry is 88% water. It also includes pigments, fiber, sodium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, carotenoids, provitamin A, vitamin C, PP, K, vitamins of group B. Calorie content - 39 kcal.
Thanks to anthocyanins, blueberries are able to resist cancer. Pectins included in berries remove radionuclides and heavy metals. Vitamin P, which the berries are rich in, helps in the prevention of varicose veins and increases vascular elasticity.
The berry is recommended for diabetics. The berry normalizes metabolic processes, lowers blood sugar and enhances the effectiveness of medications. Blueberries have a tonic effect. Polyphenols dilate blood vessels. Vitamin A helps to relieve tension and restore vision. Berries are useful for normalizing the functional activity of memory.
Teas and decoctions from dry berries are used as anti-dysentery and antidiarrheal agents. Blueberry leaves are used as raw materials for healthy drinks.
Growing conditions: how to distinguish two berries?
Many northern berry lovers are concerned about whether it is possible to grow blueberries and blueberries at home. Compared to blueberries, blueberries are not domestic or industrial crops.
Features of growing blueberries
Blueberries are a lover of the forest environment. For cultivation in a home garden, you should first prepare planting material and create the most similar soil conditions. It is necessary to select a suitable site a month before planting and organize it. Blueberries prefer sunny or partial shade areas.
The soil must be dug up 0.6 m deep. It is advisable to add sulfur in the form of a powder, oak foliage and coniferous needles to the soil. This is necessary to regulate the required acidity.
Under each blueberry bush, a hole should be dug with a diameter of 0.5 - 0.6 m and a depth of 0.5 m. Peat crumbs mixed with earth are added to the hole. The same mixture is poured into the hole from above.
It is better to take seedlings in the forest. They should be dug up with a lump of native land. Give preference to short and young bushes. In their absence, you can take mature ones, and after disembarking, shorten the upper part.
Planting material can be grown from seeds. To do this, knead the ripe blueberries and transfer them to a container. Pour water into the blueberry mass. Low-quality material will float up. Remove the pulp and seeds remaining at the bottom, spread on a cloth towel and dry.
Then sow a few seeds in a pot of wet peat and sand. Close the top of the container with a film or glass and place it in an illuminated place with temperature indicators from 5 to 10 degrees above zero. If all recommendations are followed, the first shoots appear in a month. After 14 days, they are transplanted into larger pots and grown in them throughout the year. Next, blueberries are planted on the site.
When planting, they take seedlings with a lump of their native land. The edges of the root system are moistened with water and placed in a depression. The earth should be loosened, and the roots should be straightened. Fill the groove with soil, compact, moisten and mulch with needles, dry oak or maple leaves. In compliance with all the rules of cultivation and care, blueberries bear fruit for 20 years.
Inexperienced gardeners should know that blueberries are not classified into varieties. In the market, unscrupulous sellers can sell blueberry seedlings as planting material.
Growing blueberries
Blueberry prefers to grow in swamps, rocky tundra, forest thickets and taiga. The best varieties for growing at home are "Patriot", "Iksinskaya", "Blue Ray", "Taiga beauty".
Blueberries prefer acidic drainage soils and mineral fertilizers. Organic additives negatively affect the plant.
The planting technique differs from the cultivation of blueberries in that the diameter of the holes is smaller. Also, before planting, it is necessary to destroy a clod of earth with your hands and place them in warm water for 20 minutes. After this time, place the seedlings in the earthen hollows.
The berry prefers moderate watering. With a low acidity in the soil, acidification is carried out. During winters with little snow, blueberry bushes insulate.
Difference in storage and transportation
Blueberries, unlike blueberries, are more demanding in terms of storage and transportation. Berries picked in a warm season spoil quickly. The optimal storage temperature is considered to be a temperature from 0 to 4 degrees above zero. In such conditions, the berry is stored for 14 days.
In frozen form, blueberries are stored for a year.
Blueberries, unlike blueberries, are very demanding in terms of collection, storage rules and transportation. In order to preserve its presentation, fresh berries should be transported in large volumes in a special refrigerator in compliance with the required temperature standards. It is also recommended for amateur gardeners to carefully collect and carry berries.
Bilberries and blueberries are stored frozen, canned, and dried. They are suitable for compotes and preserves.
Knowing all the differences between blueberries and blueberries, you can safely and confidently harvest yourself or purchase it on the market. And which berry to prefer is an individual choice of everyone. After all, each of them has many of its own characteristics.