Blueberries make the perfect container plant. They like acidic, well-draining soil, which is hard to find in the garden but can be easily created in a pot.
They are also beautiful bushes, even without the harvest. In springtime, the leaves are bright green and soon followed by delicate white blooms.
Then the good part comes, and you get your blueberry supply. But even after the fruit has been picked, your blueberry bush isn't done, as the leaves turn a beautiful red colour heading into autumn.
How To Grow Blueberries in Pots
Blueberries require a little special attention, so be sure to follow these instructions carefully.
Pot Size
You will need a reasonably substantial pot to grow blueberries. But they don't need to start in a vast pot, depending on the size of the plant you bought.
You can pot them on for a few years before they make it into their forever pot.
I like to plant them into a large terracotta pot, roughly 15" in diameter or above. I think terracotta pots look nice while not costing the earth like glazed ceramics can do.
Position
Blueberries like a sunny, sheltered spot.
If you have a wall in your garden that gets a lot of sun, then placing them against it is ideal.
Birds can be a problem, so remember that you might have to net your berries during fruiting time when deciding on a position.
How Many?
Some varieties of blueberry are self-fertile and can be grown as a singular bush, but most aren't. "Bluecrop" is a popular self-fertile blueberry.
Ideally, you want three plants if you don't go for a self-fertile type.
Even self-fertile types will produce a bigger harvest when grown in groups rather than on their own.
Potting Up
As you should with almost anything growing in a pot, add some drainage to the bottom. This is usually broken-up bits of an old terracotta pot, but it could be large rocks, etc.
Use acidic compost; blueberries need acidic soil to grow. Pot your plant up with its crown just a little below the surface of the soil.
Then give it good water. If you have rainwater stored anywhere, use that rather than tap water. Right now would be a great time to add a little Espoma Berry Tone or similar product to your soil mix.
Top Tips
- Blueberries like acidic soil, so use mulch like woodchips or pine needles to help preserve the soil's acidity.
- Wherever possible, use rainwater rather than tap water. Tap water is alkaline, and over time, it will reduce the soil's acidity.
- Use a blueberry fertilizer to maximise your crop. Never use a lime fertilizer, as this will reduce the soil's acidity.
Pots In The Ground
I recently came across this interesting image from a commercial blueberry grower where they are growing blueberries in pots, but have the pots buried in the ground.
Now, I don't know for sure, but I imagine the bottoms of these pots have been removed.
This would allow you to fill the pot with acidic soil (which blueberries love) and let the roots grow out.
So, rather than trying to make the perfect soil in your entire planting area, you have to get it right in the pot. This saves a lot of time and effort, and the plant can also access extra nutrition from the ground if needed.
Fertilizing Blueberries
Your blueberries will need a lot of feeding when growing in containers.
We all want more blueberries. A simple way to get healthy plants and big harvests is to feed your blueberry bushes. In this quick and concise guide, I show you exactly how and when you want to feed your blueberries.
When To Feed
The best time to feed blueberries is in early spring, as they are just beginning to open their buds and grow again.
Feeding them now gives a great boost for the growing season. This helps you get the best harvest.
It is also a good idea to give them a repeat feed roughly six weeks later. This helps the plants as they are getting ready to produce those tasty berries.
You can also feed them once again after they have finished fruiting. This is when they will be mainly putting their effort into root development and green growth. A good growth spurt here will set them up nicely for the following year.
What To Feed With
Blueberries are acid-loving plants, so you will need to use an acidic fertiliser. You can buy special blueberry fertilisers. However, Azalea, Camellia, and Rhododendron feeds are good options too. They are also easier to find.
I use a chemical blueberry fertilizer because I find it hard to get organic ones in the UK.
This one, I found on Amazon.com, is the closest product I can find to what I get in the UK.
This is an affiliate link. If you make a purchase, I will receive a small commission for recommending you!
I usually garden organically, and this is not an organic fertilizer. But I have it, so I use it. Some people hold on to one idea, like organic versus non-organic or till versus no-till. I find a pragmatic approach is often your best bet. My blueberries are in pots, so I need to feed them a lot. Since they’re in pots, I don’t have to stress about the soil health as much. Plus, I have a lot of this fertilizer and can’t find a good organic option. So, I might as well use what I have instead of buying more!
For those of you in the USA, you’re lucky to have Espoma Berry Tone. I've heard great things about it!
If you haven't got any, then you can find it here on Amazon.
This is an affiliate link. If you make a purchase, I will receive a small commission for recommending you!
How To Feed Blueberries
This depends on what feed you have; the one I have is a water-soluble feed. If yours is too, then follow these instructions. If not, then skip ahead for the right ones!
With a water-soluble feed, you need a watering can and some water. You want the water to be rainwater if possible and not tap water. This is because tap water is alkaline - the exact opposite of what your blueberries need!
If tap water is all you have, fill the watering can and leave it out for 24 hours. This will allow the chlorine to off-gas. As chlorine is alkaline, this will help drop the pH of your water. Obviously, it won't change the fundamental level of your pH, but it can help. If you live in a hard water area, then be particularly careful when using tap water on acidic plants, as the normal pH of your water will be high.
I will be using these to feed my blueberries: my trusty 10L watering can and my blueberry fertiliser.
This is a powerful fertiliser and you really don't need much at all. The cup above is all I need for the entire 10L watering can! You can see why this is going to last me a while.
I am going with the lower dose here, which is 0.5g per litre; you can go up to 2g per litre at the max dose. So I have 5g of fertiliser to dissolve in my 10L watering can.
I am going with a weak formulation because this is the first feed of the year. I don't want to overdo it! I will increase the dose to a maximum of 2g when I feed them again in 6 weeks.
I add the fertiliser to my can and then fill it from my water butt. This just helps ensure the feed is properly dissolved by the time the can is full.
After that, all there is to do is to feed the plant, just give it a good watering as you would normally, and you're done!
Using Espoma Berry Tone
This is a very simple fertilizer to use as it is a granular fertilizer which you just need to mix into the top inch or so of your soil.
There is a quick video below showing you how:
Using A Soil Acidifier
The chemical fertilizer I used on my blueberries is also a soil acidifier, whereas Espoma Berry Tone is not. So, it would be advised to use a soil acidifier every few years just to ensure the pH stays correct for your blueberries.
Again, Espoma has an organic soil acidifier you can find it here on Amazon.
This is an affiliate link. If you make a purchase, I will receive a small commission for recommending you!