This guide provides tips on growing blueberries in containers, including the best pots and soil to use, as well as how to care for them. Blueberry bushes require plenty of water but don’t want to be planted in soggy soil. To ensure proper watering, cover the drainage hole in the new pot with crocks, add 4in of ericaceous compost, and gently firm more compost around the roots until it is 2in below the pot rim.
Once the blueberries are planted, water them deeply once or twice a week, depending on the weather and the size of your pots. To determine when to water, stick your finger to the pot rim.
Blueberries must be kept moist throughout the growing season, even daily in hot weather. Use rainwater from a butt instead of tap water, unless you have no alternative in a drought. Keep the soil consistently moist but not soggy.
Watering potted plants daily is crucial, and a good way to gauge your watering is to water until you see runoff coming out of the drainage holes. Blueberries grow well in pots due to their need for good drainage and acidic soil. Keep the soil moist to a depth of 2,54cm and water evenly on all sides of the plant.
To minimize shock after transplanting, give your plant a drink of water to help minimize shock. If you have hard water, 1-2 oz. (2-4 tbsp) of vinegar per gallon of tap water should help a lot.
📹 How to Grow Blueberries in Pots |Simple and Easy Care Tips|
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Can you use vinegar to acidify soil for blueberries?
To improve the pH of your soil for blueberry planting, mix acidic elements like peat moss, wood chips, or Tiger Sulfur into your planting hole. Once established, add apple cider vinegar to your irrigation water, about 1 tablespoon per gallon. Plant highbush blueberry varieties in early to mid-fall, with December and January being ideal months for winter dormancy. Water wisely, as blueberries have shallow roots that don’t like to sit in water.
Choose a planting site with excellent drainage, especially if the soil is heavy clay or under any conditions. Building a raised bed or berm for your plants can help drain water out through the pathway.
What is the best fertilizer for blueberries in pots?
Blueberries require annual nitrogen fertilizer to support their growth, with the best fertilizer being ammonium-based. Blueberries are sensitive to nitrate, so use a fertilizer derived from urea, sulfur-coated urea, ammonium sulfate, or cottonseed meal. Fertilizers formulated for acid-loving plants, such as 7-7-7 or 4-3-4, are suitable for blueberry plants. Cottonseed meal is also suitable. However, fertilizer alone won’t yield a bumper crop of blueberries. To ensure healthy growth, add organic material like aged manure or compost to the soil. Time the feeding around the plant and berry growth cycle and feed the blueberry plant three times a year.
What not to plant next to blueberries?
Brassica vegetables like broccoli, cabbage, and kale are not suitable companion plants for blueberry plants due to their high nutrient and water requirements and soil preferences. Instead, blueberry companion plants like herbs and wildflowers can help promote growth by attracting pollinators, retaining soil moisture, and providing essential nutrients like nitrogen. By strategically selecting plants to grow alongside blueberry shrubs, you can maximize space, create visual appeal, and maximize the benefits of companion planting. In summary, blueberry companion plants can be a beneficial addition to your garden.
What is the best irrigation for blueberries?
Drip irrigation represents a more efficient method of watering plants, as it directly delivers water to the roots, thereby reducing the amount of evaporated water that is otherwise wasted in other irrigation systems.
Do blueberries like big pots?
Blueberries, like all ericaceous plants, require ample moisture and a large, deep pot with a 45cm diameter diameter. They thrive in acid soil and small gardens, even in shady conditions. They can be picked fresh in the first year, making them perfect for breakfast cereal or deserts. Some blueberry varieties are self-fertile, requiring a second plant to cross pollinate with. Some varieties, like ‘Bluecrop’ and ‘Sunshine Blue’, require a compatible variety growing in another pot.
Container-grown plants can be planted all year-round, but autumn, winter, and early spring are the best times to plant, as they are often on sale. It is essential to choose a lime-free growing medium and a compatible variety for optimal growth.
Which blueberries grow best in containers?
The Bluecrop variety of container gardening is distinguished by a shallow root system, which allows it to produce large, juicy berries. It is self-fertile and exhibits high fruit yield, which is a result of its high fruit production.
What is the fastest way to acidify soil for blueberries?
Elementsal sulphur is an economical method to lower pH in slightly acidic soils. Its effectiveness depends on the presence of active sulphur bacteria, which convert sulphur to sulphate, SO 4 2-, and the time it takes to complete. The amount of elemental sulphur needed depends on soil texture, and the OMAF and MRA guidelines list the required amount for lowering pH. For instance, lowering a pH of 6. 0 to 5. 0 in loam soil would require 1, 100 kg of elemental sulphur per ha.
What is good to put around blueberry bushes?
Blueberry plants require a mulch to prevent weeds and competition, and should be freshened each year. Spring is a good time to loosen the mulch and add a new layer. Watering should be provided 1-2 gallons per week for weeks without rain. If unattended, the plants may bear fruit this year, but remove the blossoms in the first two years (2012 and 2013) and allow a light crop in year three. This ensures the plants are healthy and can thrive in their new environment.
What is the best fertilizer for blueberry plants?
Blueberries require ammonium-based fertilizers over nitrate-based ones due to their sensitivity to nitrate and potential injury. A 7-7-7 or 4-3-4 fertilizer is recommended for acid-loving plants. Three to four weeks after planting, apply 1 ounce of a 7-7-7 or 2 oz (4-3-3) acidifying fertilizer per plant, spreading it evenly around the plant. Lightly scratch in and water, repeating the process every 4 to 6 weeks. In the second year, apply 2 ounces of a similar fertilizer in April and again about 4 to 6 weeks later, lightly scratching in and watering.
How much water is in blueberries?
Blueberries, which are rich in fiber, vitamins, and minerals, have gained popularity as a health food due to their high water content.
What is a natural acidic fertilizer for blueberries?
Down To Earth’s Acid Mix 4-3-6 is a fertilizer designed for plants that thrive in low pH soil, such as blueberries, raspberries, rhododendrons, azaleas, hydrangeas, and evergreen trees and shrubs. It encourages lush flowers and fruit growth by applying it in early spring and again when blooms appear. Fall applications promote root growth and boost resistance to extreme winter temperatures. To prepare new gardens, apply 2.
5-5 lbs per 100 linear feet and mix thoroughly into the top 3 inches of soil. For established berries, apply 1 cup per plant in early spring and repeat application when blooms appear and in Fall at half the recommended amount.
📹 Growing Blueberries in Containers! 💙🤤 // Garden Answer
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Laura, I work for a third generation berry farm in the Willamette Valley, Oregon. Blue Crop variety is our best mid-season wonderfully flavored and large blueberry variety. For an earlier variety, plant some Duke Blueberries. You’ll have blueberries for at least two straight months if you plant just those two varieties. Blue Crop are hearty, but all blueberries do need enough daily water in heat but will suffer from root rot in water is allowed to pool in the root system.
I like the trough idea. Lots of deep root space in those. I live in Colorado where we also have very alkaline soil. I grow my blueberries in half barrels that have been placed in the middle of 15 inch tall, 4’x4′ raised beds. I fill my half barrels with a mixture of peat moss and perlite, then I add some greensand, soil acidifier, and espoma berry fertilizer, fish bone meal, and kelp meal for nutrients. The raised beds are filled with regular raised bed potting soil and planted with strawberries. To winterize the blueberries I have PVC pipe arches in the beds, then I wrap the blueberries lightly with burlap, and drape Dewitt Ultimate 2.5 oz plant frost protection cloth over each raised bed, attaching the frost cloth with pvc clips. This system protects the blueberries for the extreme temperature shifts that we have here in the Front Range region of Colorado. Before I started using the Dewitt frost cloth I would loose most of the branches the first two years that I grew them. Now I have thriving plants that are about 3.5 feet tall. One other note. I put back, perforated plastic weed block on top of the blueberry barrel soil, and then cover that with a mulch of compost to keep their roots moist and cool. I hope this helps anyone who wants to grow blueberries in the mountain west region.
Laura, I thought I had strong hands, but you proved me wrong. The ease you have putting those couplers in, my word! I have 1/2 inch and they are SO hard to get in. Maybe it’s the brand difference, but holy moly you’re strong! My family has been wanting blueberries for a long time. I think I want to plant them just like you did because it’s perfect for our situation as well. Thank you!! I’ll go back to last years article to find the troughs. Keep up the great work!
Good morning from Windermere, Florida zone 9b We grew blueberries in North Florida zone 9a several years ago and loved picking from our 16 plants. Now that we are in Central Florida we have several upicks to choose from in April and May. They do make a pretty little shrub that drops it’s leaves in the winter. I think planting a couple might be in my future. Thanks for the inspiration, Laura 💕
Do you need to drill holes in the metal containers? I would like to purchase 1 from a farm feed store. I just bought 2 varieties of blueberries and 2 varieties of strawberries. I thought originally I would inner plant in my hydrangea bed but I saw this article and love it. Hoping you see my question or somebody else can inform me whether I need to drill holes in the metal containers. Thank you 😊
Love seeing how your place is coming together! Always so inspirational to watch your website. Question: Do you ever have to contend with bird pressure with your berries? I did a couple of small strawberry containers this year and can’t keep the birds away. I ended up making a cage to put around each. Just wondering if you have to contend with this issue and what your approach is.
I was able to get strawberries to produce well interplanted with blueberries in 4.7 ph soil. The problem, according to a blueberry expert, was that the strawberries almost did too well and competed with the blueberries. I also have mixed feelings about using peat moss, though I have found that it works better for the ph.
Hi Laura; you have inspired me previously with berry articles and I have planted a strawberry patch in an elevated garden bed and I have purchased two blueberry plants. We are so excited! I have been warned that crows and squirrels will demolish the whole crop once they become aware of the berries. Have you ever had this problem? I have purchased some bird netting and chicken wire in anticipation of this happening. I’m wondering whether I should place the netting on now before the berries start producing? Benjamin made my heart smile!
We have raspberries that grow wild on our hill, we have been here now for over 30 years and we now get quite a lot of berries and my grandchildren eat them almost as fast as the bush can grow them. This year, the crop looks even bigger. I am hoping to at least get enough to make some pies, jelly or ice cream, but alas, my grandchildren are quicker then I am. LOL! Your son is so cute, he reminds me of my 6 year old grandson. They would have a ball together! LOL! Love love your blueberries, I think I may go and get a few. Thank you for showing me and I love the way you teach. God Bless you and yours. Have a wonderful day.
Berrie sweet article and info, they all look fabulous in their galvanized tubs next to the black fence! Benjamin’s reaction eating blueberries and sharing with you is priceless, little man is so sweet! Soon he will be snacking on those favorite strawberries he finds all over the property, none will escape his keen eyes! 😍🍓
Wanted you to know because of your articles I have fantastic window boxes and containers. I get so many compliments. Last year I was unable to do my containers and I actually had people asking if I was ok because they missed seeing my containers. I have to say it makes such a difference on how my home looks in the summer.
Thanks for the education on blueberries. I never paid attention to the pH before listening to you in prior articles. In my area the soil tends to be acidic. But this spring I added soil acidifier to both my blueberry shrubs and they are LOADED with berries. The most we have had in the 17 years we have been here. Thanks for helping me grow as a gardener! I continually learn from you!
Thank you for posting this article in particular. I have about three blueberry bushes, two of which I bought last year and *still* have not planted them. 🙁 I’m in SW Wa though, and in our area we have a LOT of blueberry farms around here, so they do very well. I’m growing mine in containers, so the info on the planting and care of blueberries was appreciated. They do like their water, and one of my bushes was dead (or so I thought), but I watered it some and started seeing new growth, so I thought maybe I’ll just start watering it. And it survived! I was amazed. I have a large container I’ll be planting them in soon, and now that I’ve seen you do it, I feel fairly confident in transplanting mine too. Cheers!!
I just love the way everything is coming together, what a perfect use (that water system in the orchard really caught my eye) and the look with the galvanized troughs even with the one decal still😉 and Ohh my goodness, if Benjamin is not just the cutest most precious little guy I don’t know what is🌿🍓🌿
So looking forward to the Garden House you have planned for the center of the orchard. The new property is so vast, I think something of larger scale would be so complimentary to the property. The views of this area from the house and around the property will be gorgeous. Are you planning to paint it the same color as the house? A pitched roof (like the Hartley) would make it so easy to add great farmhouse lighting. What a pleasant destination for dinner parties and events. Excited for you guys!
These articles couldn’t have come at a better time for me. I’m in Queensland Australia 🇦🇺 and have literally had my 1st raspberry’s this last week and the 1st flowers on my blueberries. There are very few YouTube websites for Australian gardens so I eagerly watch yours and just try and tuck all the info away for when it’s my time to do whatever it is… or you get plenty of rewatching’s from me. Thanks so much, you break it down and make even me think it’s all possible. THANK YOU LAURA, AARON, BENJAMIN & SAMANTHA-GRACE. And Benjamin I hope my Blueberries taste just like Blueberry too 🙋♀️
Hello! And good morning! 🌞 I love that you’re doing so many different things! The diversity of your articles are wonderful! I am very interested in your food production articles. Although I LOVE them all! Through the lock down my husband and I took our 3 acre property and built a 28- 8’x4’ raised bed garden and have been trying out strawberries and different fruits which is new to us. I would love to see a care article on strawberries and how to care for them and pruning etc. I can grow veggies but thanks to your website I have become a flower lover and berry farmer; and now all of my friends come and ask questions because my garden does so well! Thanks Laura! I love this website!!! Those blueberries ARE “wonderful!” Sweet boy.
All of the new areas are starting to look connected by the mulch trails and black fencing. It is really its own special place now with the orchard and the berries. Sort of the fruit corner, then you will have the pumpkin watermelon corner, Cabbage Way, Sweet pea alley and Dahlia drive. I already feel quite at home there. Good job on organizing ‼️
When did you put in your picket fences?! They look perfect! I love how everything in this large space is coming together step-by-step and we get to come along on this journey. This is helping me see how the ultimate vision for a space morphs into an intentional and beautiful landscape! It is so much fun‼️ Patience and hard work really do yield huge dividends!!
Oh my word Benjamin melts my heart!!! What a kindhearted little boy!! And those blueberries look delicious!! I actually planted three Proven Winner strawberry plants this year! It is so fun perusal them grow and the blooms are amazing. I’ve gotten a few strawberries but I think something keeps beating me to the harvest!!! Either birds or squirrels, not sure yet! But it is still fun to try something new!! As always, love your articles!!! Thank you!!!
okay, I’m excited! I got two tanks similar to the Behlens. I bought a lot of miracle gro potting mix that was on sale, sorry, going inexpensive. to fill tanks, but adding the organic land and sea and the acidifier and buying a new drip system, I was using a sprayer for my garden before. I had 1 blueberry plant from last year that did absolutely nothing but did stay alive. I bought 4 more blueberry plants from SAMS Club and now will see if they all will thrive and grow. I didn’t use any acidifier in the blueberry plant from last year, just a fresh potting mix. This year praying that since I’m listening to you, something great will happen. Oh, I will also be planting strawberries with the blueberries 🙂
I don’t know if they grow in your area, but mulberry trees are wonderful! Kind of a cross between a blackberry and a blueberry. We had multiple old ones along our property in PA. They would produce so many berries they would just drop to the ground. Which made our Rottweilers extremely happy as they walked around like vacuum cleaners sucking them up off the ground to eat😍😍 We picked a bunch for our niece and she made some amazing jam with them. And some mixed berry pies💕💕 I would grab a bunch every morning and add them to yogurt.
Last summer, we planted a few different varieties. To control the soil Ph, we put each one in a huge black nursery pot and sunk them into the ground for added protection during our zone 5 winters in Spokane. (Fortunately, my 2 brothers and 1 brother-in-law were visiting, so were recruited to do the digging…still hearing complaints this year!) Our huge challenge was making sure we had at least two varieties that bloom simultaneously to maximize production while still spreading out the harvest times. Despite just being 1gallon bushes, Chandler produced the most berries and they were huge! Looking forward to many more this year.
Thanks for posting Laura. I love your articles and I’ve been perusal for a few years now 💛 Your articles are how I start my day and I’m so inspired to have a beautiful garden of my own one day. I hope you have a June garden tour comming up. I’d love to see how everything is progressing! 🙂 Have a great weekend!
Oh my gosh Benjamin’s reaction was so precious 🙂 it’s great when kids love to eat the fruits from the garden. We went and picked Blueberries a couple of weeks ago and oh boy they taste amazing:) it made me want to plant some in my garden and then I see you planting them and hearing all about them makes me wanting to go and buy some plants tomorrow:) thank you for sharing:) Have a blessed week:)
We have a Blueberry high bush in a 12 inch pot and it’s absolutely thriving. Heading towards 7ft in height, it must be happy but a bigger pot might be needed soon. Looking forward to the pruning episode, our Blueberry is growing really well and we’ve never cut it back in all the years we’ve had it! Frightened to cut back a plant that looks really healthy!😬 🫐 🪴 🫐
Wonderful is right buddy! I have 5 blueberry shrubs (low and high) I’m in MA and they grow wild along the rivers here but I have NO idea how to prune them. I’ve tried in the past but they don’t fruit as well so Laura I’m VERY much looking forward to the follow-up! Fingers crossed they like their spot!
Oh I love seeing Benjamin’s sweet reaction to finding berries he can eat! Too cute!! I was just noticing that none of the orchard trees are staked. I live in a similar climate (high dessert valley with lots of wind in zone 4 – Colorado) and have just planted a new honey locust. It’s about 15 feet tall and we did stake it. Most informational articles I’ve found on tree planting say to stake them for 2 years. That seems ridiculous to me. I know there are tons of variables but would you please discuss your experience with staking and not staking trees in your windy valley? And update us on how you think the staking of the maples along the lane has done so far? Thanks so much for all you teach us!!
These look awesome. If my container blueberries go well this year, I’m going to be very tempted to make a hedge with them. Even with raised beds and purchasing acidic soil, it’d be cheaper and more useful than a privacy fence. If I ever move to a larger property, I have a feeling your orchard is going to be a huge inspiration.
Oh Benjamin, could you get any sweeter🥰 Laura how will the zone 5 berries do over winter in containers? I lost so many plants this year, we had a fluctuating winter, and bitter cold snap. I lost all my roses, only 2 roostocks came up. Waiting to see what their flowers look like, to decide if I’ll keep them🙄
So exciting to have your own crop of blueberries. I live in MI where we have acidic soil and the blueberry fields are so abundant and produce the most delicious and huge blueberries ever! I have never grown my own because there is something about tradition of going picking berries with my kids. Benjamin must be in heaven!! How will you be treating them to prevent the yucky caterpillar/ worms they can get?
Have you found that the Berried Treasure Pink strawberries out grow the white ones? We bought our first 4 plants this spring (2 pink and 2 white). The pinks are covering the whites and totally turning the whites into berried treasure. We were curious if that is common or just a random thing that happened with these. Thanks… we really enjoy our daily dose of Garden Answer!
This article was helpful and I can’t wait to see how these blueberries do, I haven’t been able to grow blueberries because our high ph soil too. Question: I’m on my 3rd year for Quinalt Strawberries and there are many on the plants but why would they be really small. Can I prune them to get bigger strawberries and should I add compost to them each year? I adore the way Benjamin LOVES reaping the rewards of gardening! Yay!
Laura…I live in Utah and have very similar growing conditions to you so I learn so much that is relavant to us here along the Wasatch Front. I’ve all but given up on the idea of growing blueberries, but this article has got me thinking that maybe I could do it. When you water the blueberries do you ever treat the water to make it less alkaline? If you do, how do you treat the water? Would adding ACV help? Or do you add soil acidifier from time to time?
Hi Laura, I put in my first crop of blueberries this month (March 2023) and followed all of the basics about soil composition, but I didn’t hear you address first year fruiting. Many experts say to prevent first year fruiting to get larger crops and healthier plants the following years. What is your recommendation?
I just have to say, I’m living my dream life through your articles. We are a military family and have to move so much. It’s disheartening to put all this work into a place just to never have the chance to really enjoy it. We currently have a blank backyard. I would love to plant like you but my husband keeps saying to leave it bc we don’t know what the next family who buys our house will want. I did finally talk him into small raised beds for vegetables so at least it’s a start 🙂
Looking forward to your pruning article! This is my third season with blueberries in containers and they are loaded this year. I have to net mine or the birds would make short work of stripping every last one. Their fall color is so gorgeous I might grow them even if I didn’t get berries! Btw the troughs look fabulous against the black fence.
Great article. Thanks for sharing your experience. I just planted 3 blueberry bushes, each into 24 gallon container, 24 inches diameter each. I provided them with special slow release 90% elemental sulfur soil acidifier as per product instructions (300 ml per square meter in order to lower pH from 7 to 4 ). I watered them well and keep them moist. After 7 days I took pH reading for every container and I’m still seeing the result of pH 7, that is pH has not changed a bit. Would you have any suggestions on why that can be and what else I should do. Much appreciated.
Benjamin at 12:40 steals the show. He is adorable!! His speech is becoming much clear. He points his finger right to the lips just like you do, Laura. How cute and well behaved he is!! 🤗🌾 No Russell today!!🐈😏 At first, I did not like those galvanized containers; but, slowly I am getting to like them. I hope to try one next year.
Thank you for all the hard work you put in to create content to inspire us. I learn so much from you. Benjamin is going to love all the strawberries, he is going to be in strawberry heaven…. looking forward to your home improvement website. Did you come up with a name yet and how are you going to keep us updated regarding the info for the new website?
ahhh, aren’t they fun? i have a couple of varieties i can grow down here in socal, and have already been enjoying them! they freeze so well, and are just so yummy… ok, questions: 1) no biotone at planting? 2) i see one of the containers raised a bit with blocks or something underneath, will you do the others, too? just curious…3) do you have to use bird netting? i have a couple of birds that visit my bushes but i’m ok sharing, lol… Benjamin’s reaction is priceless… what a sweet boy… i’m very interested in your pruning article so will look forward to that one, too… blueberries and strawberries are nature’s pb&j! just a perfect match! yummy!!! 🙂 ❤ thanks for the article!! 🙂 ❤ ps.. am i the only old person here who starts singing the “four tops” song: sugar pie, honey bunch, you know that i love you??? every time she talks about her honeyberries??? lol….
The little happy jig he did is gosh-darn so adorable! 😀 Even your reaction, Laura, is adorable, “Ah, yum!” 😀 How do you keep the birds from eating your fruit? It is my first time growing figs in containers and the birds are having a picnic. I don’t want to use netting or sticky spray. Just wondering what is your solution.
Omg Benjamin is so stinking adorable. I wanted to get a blueberry bush this year, sadly, I could not find one for my zone when I was looking in the spring, super weird how so many places have the zone 5 bushes in a zone 4 state…. sigh. I learned a bit more about them today so thank you 🙂 I will be looking again next year! Have you ever thought about trying a Food Forest type of thing? Google it! Its super cool! I want to do one super bad, but I don’t know if that is something I can do in my current yard, its not very big 🙁
Thanks for the helpful info! And I’m looking forward to hear what you have to say about pruning the blueberries. So do you not do anything to protect the fruit from birds. We have lots of birds and squirrels that have feasted in past years on ours. This year we’ve put up a makeshift netting…not perfect but letting the critters know the all-you-can-eat buffet is not available this year.