Gardening expert Simon Akeroyd has shared the one reason you don’t need to buy blueberries from the supermarket anymore as this little tip can save you plenty of money
Alice Sjöberg Social News Reporter
14:44, 16 Mar 2026
Blueberries can get quite expensive at the supermarket(Image: Getty Images)
Blueberries thrive in the UK climate and are celebrated as a superfood, brimming with antioxidants, vitamins C and K, plus fibre. Yet a punnet can prove costly, particularly during off-peak seasons.
Garden specialist Simon Akeroyd has revealed how you can economise by extracting more value from your shop-bought blueberries. “Blueberries are one of my favourite crops to grow and eat,” he stated, while the footage captured him selecting a punnet in the supermarket. Simon proceeded to demonstrate a straightforward technique for transforming the berries into bushes, suitable for cultivation in containers or garden borders.
The initial step involves placing the punnet of blueberries in your freezer for several weeks. Simon clarifies that this stratifies, or chills, the seeds.
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This method subjects the seeds to particular conditions that replicate winter – cold temperatures and moist surroundings – breaking dormancy and consequently enhancing germination success rates for indigenous plants.
Once frozen, simply thaw the berries and then extract the seeds by squeezing them out from the remaining fruit. Simon is shown using a kitchen knife to transfer the seeds onto a plate. Following this, allow the seeds to dry overnight.
The following day, fill a receptacle, such as the plastic container the blueberries arrived in, with ericaceous, or acidic, compost. Subsequently, scatter the seeds across the compost surface.
Then position the container on a bright windowsill and allow the seedlings sufficient time to develop. Once they’re established, you can transfer them outdoors into your garden.
“Here are some of my older blueberry bushes cropping in my garden (last summer),” Simon wrote on the video as he proceeded to showcase the bushes laden with blueberries ready for harvesting. He added direct ground planting isn’t essential, explaining that blueberries can equally thrive in pots if that’s your preference.
According to the RHS, blueberries can be planted while dormant, between mid-autumn and early spring, though this can also be undertaken at any time of year, provided the ground isn’t hot and dry, or frozen.
They also recommend watering the blueberry plants thoroughly immediately after planting and during any dry periods in their first year. Once established in soil with good organic matter content, they’re only likely to need additional watering during extended dry spells, particularly when the fruits are developing.
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