There is nothing quite like picking a ripe blueberry or two , pop a quick berry into your mouth , and enjoy the moment when it bursts onto your tongue with that distinct , sweet-scented , sun - ripened , homegrown flavor .
peradventure your mouth is watering while you ’re reading this .
But for those of you who only have a balcony or a small patio , or maybe the wrong soil character or garden plots that are already full to the brim , the dream of acquire your own blueberry can seem out of orbit .
Photo via Alamy.
Until now ! Blueberries will grow , blossom , and yield fruit quite happily in a container .
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You just need to know how to treat them right . In bout , your container - grown plant will treat you with a encumbrance of sweet fruit .
Photo via Alamy.
In ourguide to growing blueberrieswe enshroud how to cultivate these shrubs in your landscape .
Below we share everything you need to bonk to grow these delicious berry in container in whatever outdoor space you have .
Here ’s what ’s ahead :
What You’ll Learn
Getting Started
Why Grow in container ?
choose the Right Container
How to maturate
Cultivars to Select
Maintenance
Pests and Disease
Best Uses
You ’ll believably happen several type of blueberry while looking for a bush to put in a container .
Thelowbush or crazy blueberry bush , Vacciniumangustifolium , is native to Canada and the northeastern US , while the Vaccinium ashei , V. virgatum ( akaV. ashei),is native to the southeastern US .
The type most commonly grown in container , though , is the highbush .
The northern highbush , V. corymbosum , is the most usually embed type in the world .
Southern highbush is a crossing between northern highbush andV. darrowii , which is a southeastern US native .
There are a variety of dwarf highbush cultivars specifically originate for growing in containers , and we ’ll cover some of the best in the Cultivars to Select section below .
When choosing between northern and southerly highbushes for your own terrace , you ask to keep in idea that blueberries have specific chill requirements .
This means they require a sure number of iciness minute ( or the turn of hours per yr with temperature of 45 ° F or below ) for the bush to leaf out , bloom , and fruit the right way .
Northern highbushes ask over 600 chill hours , while southern highbushes are considered “ low-down chill ” and , depending on the cultivar , may require only 150 to 500 chill 60 minutes .
If you experience in a warmer mood , say in Zone 9 or higher , downhearted chill varieties are for you !
If you are itching to develop your light-green ( berry tarnish ) ovolo but do n’t have any more outer space in your garden , only have space on your patio , or are limited to a balcony , there ’s your why !
It ’s promiscuous to control and pull wires both the wet and pH level of the potting mass medium in container than it is in the ground , primal factors in grow blueberries because they are particular about make acid grime , and are sensible to excessively stiff or dry precondition .
Growing in container is also a salutary option if you do n’t have naturally acidic soil , or fight with waterlogged soil .
Plus , birds are less likely to point good berries that are safely positioned on a patio than ones raise out in the serenity of a garden .
Not only are the Chuck Berry delicious , but blueberry bush bush are beautiful ornamental plants . Think loading of sweet-flavored ashen - pink blooms in the spring , green foliation and purple - dust-covered dreary fruit in the summertime , and a riot of red or orange foliage in the crepuscle .
size of it and drainage are the most authoritative considerations when choosing a container to house your blueberry bush .
Pick one that has drain holes and is weatherproof . For example , a large wooden barrel makes a perfect plantation owner .
Keep in mind , though , that the larger and heavier the container is the harder it will be to move around . Either peck a perfect permanent spot , or choose a littler pot that will be easier to move when necessary .
For most mature cultivar , the container size should be about 24 in bass and 24 to 30 inches all-inclusive . If you purchase a young plant , you may take up with a smaller smoke and plan to repot as it grow .
No patio or balcony blank space leftat all ? Trying a nanus variety in a hang basket is n’t as unhinged as it sounds . We ’ll talk about this in the cultivar division below .
Planting
Plant or repot your bushes in the late summer or early fall , so the roots have time to develop and scatter into the new soil before the winter .
Prepare your container by filling with a 50 - 50 premix of azalea or hydrangea potting soil andpeat moss . Wet good .
make a hole in the potting medium that ’s double the size of the original pot . If your shrub is pot bound , gently bait out the etymon to encourage them to grow into the new medium .
Plant so the surface of the dirt is at the same depth on the stem as it was originally . weewee in well , and continue to water regularly as needed while your plant is becoming lay down .
Unlike most plant , blueberries do n’t have root fuzz , which increase root open area . This is why they are very sensitive to changing filth and body of water stipulation .
These pubic hair need acid land , with a pH of 4.3 - 5.5 . Considerdoing a soil testannually to trail pH , since these plants are particularly sensitive to changes .
Acidic fertilizer canhelp keep the filth pH lowand nutrients useable while feeding the plant , but the source of nitrogen and other element that make up that NPK proportion in your chosen fertilizer can also make a difference , if you take a blended mathematical product .
Urea fertilizer is half as acidifying as ammonium sulphate , so use a urea- free-base merchandise if the soil pH is less than 5.0 .
A plant food such as blood meal ( 12 - 0 - 0 ) , which you canfind at Arbico Organics , is also a dear alternative .
Down to Earth Blood Meal
seek to forefend fertilizer that are in high spirits in chlorides or nitrates , with N sourced from ammonium nitrate or atomic number 19 nitrate , for example .
Fertilize in the other spring as the leaves get down to come out . use plant food consort to the package instruction . you may act grainy fertilizers into the surface of the medium or just broadcast on the aerofoil .
Be careful not to over fertilise , as this can burn the foliage and roots , do fallible growth that is more prostrate to insect and disease harm , and encourage the emergence of leave at the expense of fruit .
Get more tips on fertilizing blueberry Vannevar Bush here .
blueberry do effective infull sunlight , but providing some late afternoon shade is a serious thought in hot climates . Place on a patio or balcony , or in a cheery fleck in your garden .
Keep the soil moist but do not allow it to become waterlogged . Shrubs growing in the ground need about aninch of water per calendar week , but container soil tends to dry out quicker , so keep an oculus on them .
If you only desire one terrace blueberry bush , ensure to ascertain whether the cultivar you are purchasing is ego pollinating .
While most northern highbush and some southern highbush cultivars are ego productive , placing another variety nearby that blooms at a similar time allow for hybrid pollenation . This usually results in bigger fruit , and great yields .
Dwarf varieties make for majuscule as terrace and balcony container plants , but if you have a little more room or require to produce a hedgerow or CRT screen , tall varieties work well too .
Jelly Bean
The Bushel and Berry ™ collection of Chuck Berry cultivar are compact , and self pollinating , so they make cracking container choices .
refer for the fruit that tastes as if it ’s been dulcorate , ‘ Jelly Bean ® ’ is a gnome northern highbush cultivar that develop to one by two feet and is hardy in Zones 4 - 8 , but remark that it requires over 1,000 chill hour .
‘ Jelly Bean ’
From the Bushel and Berry ™ series , ‘ Jelly Bean ® ’ ( akaV. corymbosum‘ZF06 - 179 ’ ) produces in high spirits proceeds and feature year - bout leaf .
you could find flora in one- or three - Imperial gallon containersavailable at Nature Hills Nursery .
Midnight Cascade
Remember that brainsick hanging field goal idea I mentioned earlier ?
‘ Midnight Cascade ’ ( V. corymbosum‘FC12 - 187 ’ ) is the staring cultivar for it , another northerly highbush option from the Bushel and Berry ™ series .
It has a unique trailing and spilling habit and grow to only one and a half to two feet magniloquent and wide-cut .
‘ Midnight Cascade ’
Hardy in Zones 5 - 9 , this variety require 450 pall hours , and is a high yield cultivar .
get yours in a one - gallon basketat Nature Hills Nursery .
Northsky
As its name suggest , this variety , a hybrid ofV. corymbosumand the gaga lowbushV. angustifolium , is very cold hardy and will grow happily in Zones 3 - 7 .
‘ Northsky ’ grows from two to four metrical foot high and wide and need over 800 pall hours .
‘ Northsky ’
Though yields can be quite small , the taste of these berries is reminiscent of the waste variety .
‘ Northsky ’ is usable in one - gallon containersat Nature Hills Nursery .
Patriot
Another northern highbush eccentric , ‘ Patriot ’ is a popular selection for both container and in - solid ground plantings . It grows from four to eight infantry tall and three to five feet wide .
‘ Patriot ’
And , hardy in Zones 3 - 7 , ‘ nationalist ’ ask 800 to 1,000 chill hours . It ’ll bring forth a lot of delicious berries for you .
Find dormant bare roots as well as unrecorded plant in three- or six - congius containersat Nature Hills Nursery .
Peach Sorbet
This northerly highbush cultivar ( also live as ‘ ZF06 - 043 ’ ) , also from Bushel and Berry ™ , displays pastel leaf colors and is very little , only originate to one and a half foot gamey and two foot wide .
‘ Peach Sorbet ’
It is unfearing in Zones 5 - 10 , requires only 300 or less chill hour , and is high yielding .
Find ‘ Peach Sorbet ® ’ in one - gallon potsavailable at Nature Hills Nursery .
Pink Icing
Hardy in Zones 5 - 10 and requiring 500 chill hours , ‘ Pink Icing ® ’ ( aka ‘ ZF06 - 079’),another northerly highbush variety from the Bushel and Berry ™ series , will grow three invertebrate foot gamy and four feet wide .
‘ pinkish Icing ’
It produce a restrained issue , and feature colourful foliage with streaks of pinko in the springtime for tot ornamental value .
you may find ‘ Pink Icing ® ’ in one - congius containersavailable at Nature Hills Nursery .
Sunshine Blue
On the diametric end of the spectrum from ‘ Northsky , ’ this southerly highbush cultivar is hardy in Zones 5 - 10 and needs a bare 150 chill hr . It grows three to four feet tall and broad , and has moderate yields .
‘ Sunshine Blue ’
Also well key , ‘ Sunshine Blue ’ loves the sun and heat of southern California , so this is an excellent option for lovesome climates !
you could find ‘ Sunshine Blue ’ in one- or two - congius potsavailable at Nature Hills Nursery .
Prune ripe plants in late February or March to sustain the everlasting shape and desired size . Remove any idle or diseased sprig and branches .
In accession to fertilizing , discussed above , every two to three long time you’re able to scrape up out a third of the old potting grease , and supervene upon it with fresh acidic potting soil or compost to keep up the miserable dirt pH that ’s required .
Mulch pot in the downslope with two inch of an acidic mulch , such as pine needles , conifer Grant Wood chip , or bark chip , to protect the source during the wintertime and maintain soil moisture .
Keep the mulch two inch aside from the theme .
blueberry bush bushes are quite springy and even if pests do appear , often it get five to eight old age for population to prove richly enough to cause significant damage .
Below are a few pests that can affect your container blueberry bush .
Birds
Notorious Chuck Berry lovers , hoot are enough of a problem to incite commercial-grade growers to wholly hatch their piece in bird netting .
These feathered Charles Edward Berry gobblers have a knack for spy and gulping any ripe fruit before you’re able to get to it .
place container in high dealings expanse , such as on a front porch , might be enough to keep the birds aside from your cute fruit .
shining silver tape recording wound around industrial plant stems and flutter in the picnic can also help to deter winged visitant .
you’re able to acquire more about how toprotect your blueberry from boo in our guide .
Insects
Keep an eye out for the following insects in your container blueberry .
Aphids can cause leaves , especially new growth , to coil and become deformed , their honeydew exudates can feedsooty moldon yield and leaves , and they can convey viruses .
Luckily , aphids have many natural enemies , from tiny wasps to predatory ladybugs , so nature may take care of biological control for you .
Organocide Bee Safe 3 - in-1 Garden Spray
If population carry on growing you could prove applying a product such as Oganocide Bee Safe 3 - in-1 Garden Spray , available at Arbico Organics .
This Cartesian product is safe for humans and their pets , pollinator , and good insects , and can be used right on up until harvest .
Learn to supervise aphids in our guide .
Drosophila suzukii(aka SWD ) is a serious agricultural yield pest , a tiny vinegar rainfly ( or fruit fly ) that lays its testis inside yield .
Oviposition leaves scars on the yield surface and the larvae feed inside the fruit , causing it to go mushy . This also increase susceptibleness to fungal and bacterial infections .
Learn aboutorganic way to see patched wing Drosophila melanogaster here .
Disease
The principal cause of disease in container - grown shrubs is piddle related .
Overwatering and poor drainage can ensue in the H2O clay sculpture ( oomycete),Phytophthora cinnamomigetting the upper hand in the roots .
symptom such as reduced novel growth , leaf yellowing or redden , eventual leaf pearl , jacket and root reddening , and necrosis may take year to become obvious .
A more subtle but immediate sign of root rot can be reduced vigor during hot full point .
source guff symptoms can mimic iron deficiency , which causes leaf yellow known as greensickness . Iron deficiency is common when the soil pH is too high .
Before treating or fertilizing , do a grunge test to determine if nourishing lack could be a concern or if the symptom are related to root rot .
genus Phytophthora cinnamomilives in the grease and only becomes a problem when soil wet is high enough that specialised spores can drown to and infect the theme .
you’re able to preclude this exit by making sure the potting mass medium is well run out and the container has drain holes .
Lift pot off of hard smooth airfoil that might impede drainage and dress them on some bricks or risers instead . Try not to water when the soil is red-hot .
Find more tips on distinguish and control blueberry bush pest and diseases here .
What are the best uses for container - produce blueberries ? Eating ! That ’s all I call for to say , right ? I wo n’t stop there , though .
Edible landscape gardening is in . raise your blueberry President Bush in container opens a macrocosm of possibilities , especially when it comes to placement .
you may arise them on a cheery patio , porch , or balcony and just reach out the room access or window for a toothsome bite .
Not only do they produce tasty treats , they are also highly ornamental . Surround your seat area with interest and gloss throughout the season with these potted shrubs .
Thanks to their small , pretty blooms in spring , juicy berries in summer , and the brilliant red-faced leafage of autumn , they are a delight to lay eyes on . Some cultivar will even keep their leaves over the winter .
Beautiful Balcony Berries
You do n’t have to go on without ever having tasted your own homegrown , sun - warmed blueberries . Just protrude them in a big pot and commence popping them into your oral cavity !
Growing your bushes in containers is an selection for anyone who does n’t have a garden , enough liberal space , the right type of grunge , or whoever wants to sum a pretty , tasty plant life to their terrace .
go away us a remark with any questions and share your experiences growing blueberry bush in container . We would n’t take care finding a few yummy recipe below either ( suggestion breath ) !
And for more information aboutgrowing blueberry bush , check out these guides next :
See our TOS for more details . in the first place published April 15th , 2021 . Last updated : May 6th , 2025 . ware photos via Arbico Organics and Nature Hills Nursery . Uncredited photos : Shutterstock .
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Sylvia Dekker
