How To Grow And Care For Blueberries In Containers For Sweet, Homegrown Fruit

If you think you don’t have enough yard space to commit to growing fruit for sweet summer harvests, consider growing the berries in containers that can be placed on a porch, balcony, or patio. And they’ll be within easy reach when you want to top your yogurt or cereal with a juicy handful. Blueberries thrive in containers, but you’ll need more than one plant for a successful crop. Growing more than one blueberry bush allows the plants to cross-pollinate, resulting in bigger, juicier berries and larger harvests. Here’s how to grow blueberries in pots and how to care for them for maximum yields.

What Types Of Blueberries To Grow In Containers

When choosing blueberries to grow in pots, look for Southern highbush or compact varieties that don’t mind the smaller space but still produce plenty of fruit. For the best results, you should also choose two different cultivars of blueberries that bloom at the same time instead of two of the same plant. Some blueberry varieties self-pollinate and don’t require being grown with other bushes, but growing different blueberry varieties alongside each other will give you better fruit, regardless of whether they self-pollinate or not. Look for these varieties:

• ‘Sunshine Blue’ (Vaccinium x ‘Sunshine Blue’) is a Southern highbush that matures at 3 to 4 feet. It has a low chill requirement and is self-fruiting, but planting it with another cultivar results in better fruit.
• ‘Peach Sorbet’ (V. corymbosum ‘Peach Sorbet’) is a compact blueberry that thrives in warm climates, needing less chill time. It’s great for pots and yields a good amount of fruit.
• Rabbiteye blueberries (V. corymbosum) won’t pollinate on their own, so they need to be planted with others for pollination. These are native to the Southeast and do well in warm regions.
• ‘Top Hat’ (V. angustifolium ‘Top Hat’) is a dwarf hybrid variety bred specifically for container growing. It matures at 2 to 3 feet tall with full-sized berries. It self-pollinates but pairing it with another blueberry variety will increase mid-summer yields.

How To Plant Blueberries In Containers

You can start blueberries from cuttings, or you can buy them from a local nursery if you don’t already have blueberry bushes. Plant them in spring or late fall, or in mid-spring in colder climates. Here’s how:

1. You’ll want to plant your blueberries in separate pots. Choose a small pot for small blueberry plants and increase the size as your bush grows, repotting in late summer or early fall. A mature blueberry bush needs a container that’s 24 inches deep and 24 to 30 inches wide.
2. Fill the pot with potting soil designed for acid-loving plants, or mix your own using equal parts of potting soil and peat moss. A little perlite or sand can also improve drainage. Dampen the peat moss before adding it to the soil to rehydrate it.
3. Gently loosen the roots of the blueberry plant and transfer it from its nursery pot to the soil, planting it at the same depth as it was in its nursery container.
4. Water the plant well and keep the soil consistently moist. Add a layer of mulch over the top of the soil to keep moisture from evaporating quickly.
5. Place it in an area where it will get at least six hours of full sun each day. Make sure to move the pot to a shady area or use a shade cloth to protect it from intense afternoon sun if needed.
6. As the berries begin to ripen, cover the pots with netting to keep birds and other animals from stealing your harvest.

How To Care For Blueberries In Pots

Light

One benefit of planting blueberries in containers is that you can move them out of intense afternoon sun. While they like at least six full hours of sun each day, extreme heat can cause leaf scorch, shriveled berries, and plant stress.

Soil

Blueberries prefer acidic soil with a pH of 4.5-5.5, and peat moss’s natural acidity helps lower soil pH. Peat moss also helps retain moisture since it absorbs and holds water, and aerates the soil to improve drainage. Check your soil’s pH periodically, and amend it with elemental sulfur if needed.

Water

Keep potted blueberries consistently moist but not soggy, supplementing any rainfall so the plants get 1 inch of water each week in the first year. They don’t like dry soil and the shallow roots can dry out quickly. To improve drainage and keep the roots from rotting in a soggy container, set the pot on bricks or a wire plant stand to lift it off the ground. Add 2 inches of bark to preserve moisture. Collect rainwater in containers and use it to water your blueberry plants, especially if you have hard water.

Temperatures

Blueberries thrive in warm temperatures between 60ºF and 85ºF. During winter months, move potted blueberry plants to a sheltered location to protect them from cold winter winds. Blueberries need a chill period with temperatures between 32ºF and 45ºF to initiate dormancy. Check the chill hours needed for your specific cultivar since each type can vary.

Fertilizer

Use a fertilizer for acid-loving plants, and avoid any that contain nitrates or chlorides, which can kill the roots. Fertilize the plant when potting and early each spring before the leaves fully develop. Container plants lose nutrients faster than plants grown in the ground because they wash out as water drains from the pots, so you’ll need to fertilize them more often. Apply fertilizer every four to eight weeks during the growing season, stopping in late summer to avoid encouraging new growth that can be damaged over the winter.