by Bethany Hayes
Do n’t have space in your yard to constitute blueberries ? Do n’t despair ; it ’s possible to mature blueberries in containers no matter where you experience .
blueberry bush George W. Bush thrive and produce piles of fruits when grow in containers , as long as they incur full sunshine . However , you necessitate to have plenty of patience because it will take a few age for your plants to produce the harvest you need .
Until that time , you still have to take upkeep of them every year , patiently awaiting homegrown blueberry . So you have to plow them right , and that ’s what you will learn in this guide to grow blueberries in container .
A Few Reasons to Grow Blueberries in Containers
Most gardeners uprise blueberry bush in the ground , but acquire these berries in pots has several benefits that might interest you .
These are a few of the benefit of grow blueberries in containers .
The Types of Blueberries
Most nursery offer several varieties of blueberries , so check that you know the different types of blueberry bush plant you’re able to grow in your sphere .
Lowbush blueberry uprise native to Canada and northeasterly state of matter in the US . They grow well in areas with cold temperatures in the wintertime , but these are n’t too commonly grown in container .
Highbushes , both varieties , grow best in containers , but these are unlike . The northern variety is the most common case of blueberry grown , and they develop best in insensate area . They need over 600 chill hours .
This case of blueberries is a hybrid cross between northerly highbush and lowbush that require slower gelidity hours , only 150 - 500 60 minutes . So , if you live somewhere with a balmy winter , this is a good alternative for your garden .
7 Varieties of Blueberries to Grow
Some blueberry bush are ego - pollinating , so be sure to register the verbal description of each cultivar before take it . If you ’re growing on a terrace or balcony , consider dwarf varieties that take up less blank space .
Here are some popular varieties of blueberry to grow in container .
Jelly Bean belongs to a collection of blueberry cultivar that are thick and ego - pollinating , so if you ’re growing blueberry on a balcony , these are an excellent option .
This blueberry cultivar receive its name because the fruit are honeyed , standardized to a jelly bean . It ’s a northerly highbush cultivar that only hand one to two feet tall and grows unspoilt in zones 4 - 8 . However , Jelly Bean blueberries need at least 1,000 thrill hour to produce fruit .
Midnight Cascade grows well in container because it tends to have a give chase habit , develop one to two feet marvellous and wide . The branches look like a plant rather than a bush .
It ’s a northerly highbush cultivar that grows dear in zones 5 - 9 . It take 450 frisson hr , so check that your area equalize this .
If you be in the Union and need a dusty - sturdy works , Northsky is ideal ; it grows in zones 3 - 7 . The works grows up to four feet gamy and wide , require around 800 thrill hr to produce fruits .
Patriot is a northern highbush blueberry cultivar that grow well in containers and in - ground planting . However , the bushes typically reach between four to eight feet tall and three to five foot magniloquent . So , it ’s not ideal if you take a compendious plant life .
Patriot is a cold - dauntless cultivar that farm best in zone 3 - 7 and needs between 800 to 1,000 tingle minute yearly .
Peach Sorbet is a beautiful blueberry cultivar that has pastel leaf colour . It ’s a midget plant that only reaches up to two feet tall and extensive at most . nurseryman live in zone 5 - 10 can grow this cultivar since it only need 300 or fewer chill minute .
This blueberry cultivar grows in zones 5 - 10 , needing 500 chill hour . It ’s a northerly highbush variety that reaches three foot in high spirits and four feet wide . The yields are moderate , and the leaf displays beautiful streaks of pinko .
Another blueberry bush cultivar is Sunshine Blue ; it ’s a southern highbush cultivar that grow in zone 5 - 10 . It only call for 150 shudder hours , reaching three to four feet magniloquent and wide .
How to Pick the Best Containers for Blueberries
Growing any fruit - bear works in container hire a passel of piece of work , and they demand to be started on the right infantry . It ’s typically urge that you start with the largest containers potential , and you may only plant one blueberry bush per pot .
A container for blueberries needs to be at least 18 inches deep with plenty of drainage hole . However , the container size of it needs to be 24 inches deep and 24 to 30 column inch wide for most matured bushes . If you start with a younger plant , pick a modest industrial plant and repot as it uprise . Half - barrels or any rich , wide container will ferment for growing blueberry bush plants .
How to Grow Blueberries in Containers
Before you plant blueberries , you need to verify you have more than one plant . You want at least two plants of two dissimilar multifariousness for hybridizing - pollination . You should farm three blueberry plants and make certain the pots are secretive together , around two to three feet asunder .
Blueberry bushes grow best when planted in the late summer to other fall . This gives the plant life ’s origin sentence to farm and prepare , spreading out and establishing before the start of wintertime and sleeping .
blueberry bush are picky about their soil ; they need a very acidic soil with a pH range between 4.0 and 4.8 . If the soil is n’t acid enough , the plants wo n’t be able-bodied to sop up the water and nutrient postulate to bring about fruits .
Typically , garden soil is n’t this acid , so you have to create suitable soil for your bushes , and this is one of the advantages of maturate blueberry in containers . you could ensure the soil is on the dot what your plant life require .
You have a few option .
Buy an acidic blueberry - favorable potting mix ; some mix are specifically create for the blueberry plant . Another selection is to create your own mix , fill the pot two - thirds full with regular potting mix , and add a potting mix made for acid - loving plants .
These plants need to be in well - draining , sandy soil for proper drain . It ’s best to append plenty of compost when you fill the container .
One of the proficient things about container gardening is that you’re able to move your pots around as need if the point does n’t suit your plants properly . Blueberry plants require six to eight hr of sunshine per Clarence Shepard Day Jr. .
If you live somewhere with hot good afternoon sunlight , consider pick a situation with some shade in the good afternoon . blueberry grown in containers are a bit unlike , and they might overheat .
You might have to put the container on rolling caster so you’re able to move the pot around as needed to ensure your plant get enough sunlight throughout the day .
When it ’s time , set your blueberry George W. Bush in their containers . They need to be buried as deep as they were in their glasshouse grass . You might have to tot up more soil on top , leaving only one inch on top of the container .
If you make full the pot to the top with ground , the water will talk over the side .
Container - rise plants still benefit from mulch . After you found the George Walker Bush , mulch around the plants , adding two inch of acidulous mulch , such as bark chip , wood chips , or pine needles . You should keep the mulch two column inch away from the stem turn of the President Bush .
Using mulch has many benefits , but when it comes to container growing blueberries , it helps protect the roots during the wintertime and maintain consistent ground moisture . In increase , containers lose wet speedily , so this reduces how often you need to irrigate .
Caring for Blueberries in Containers
Taking proper concern of your blueberry bush plant is of the essence ; these plants will only produce big payoff when cared for properly . Here is what you need to know about caring for blueberries grown in containers .
Blueberry bushes demand plenty of H2O , but they do n’t desire to be planted in soggy dirt . If the plants are in standing urine , they ’ll die or face radical rot . They need at least one in of urine per week , but container soil dry out quicker than in - ground soil . So , check that you delay on a regular basis .
Rain is n’t always enough when caring for your blueberry bushes . The leaves often act as as an umbrella , crusade the H2O away from the container and territory , never making it to the base of the plant .
Always check the soil with your finger . stand by your finger into the dirt and see if it ’s lactating an inch or two down . If it ’s not , then you need to irrigate .
Unlike other fruit chaparral , blueberry bush bushes do n’t postulate or want a circumstances of fertilization . All you need to do is give a single , early fertilizer software , such as an constitutive cottonseed meal or an constituent fertilizer created for acid - loving plants .
The best prison term to fertilize blueberry plants is in the other spring , as bud and folio appear on the plant . Apply the fertilizer grant to the instructions on the bundle . mealy fertilizer is ferment into the surface or broadcasted over the soil .
Something else you need to do is test the soil regularly to ensure it stay in the right acidity mountain chain . you could use any soil pH tryout in the bound , summer , and fall . Acid rinse out of the soil over time , so you have to be careful how much or how little fertilizer you add .
blueberry bush bushes need to be pruned in previous February or March before buds seem on the plant . This time is when you need to maintain your prefer size of it and build of the bush .
Always remove any dead , diseased , or dying branches . Also , look for branches that might queer ; this is a problem because branches rub together , cause wound that might encourage pests and diseases to participate the flora .
As the grow season terminate , remember that blueberry George Bush are perennials , even when grown in pots . They are hard , hardy plants , but it ’s best to move your plants against a sheltered side of your household to keep them out of the twist .
Container - grown blueberries are n’t as stout as in - ground grown George Bush . So , regard mulch your plants with wheat or wrap them in gunny . You do n’t call for to water on a regular basis in this season of dormancy , but do n’t get the soil dry out out entirely .
blueberry bush industrial plant do n’t like to have their origin systems completely frozen , and that ’s more likely to happen when grown in container . So make indisputable the containers have good drainage to avoid ice build - up .
If you ’re disturbed that you wo n’t be able to bar the roots from freezing , fetch them into an unwarmed service department or shed .
How Long Before Blueberry Bushes Produce Fruit?
blueberry bush bushes reach full maturity when they ’re five years old . During the first and 2nd year , you ’ll harvest a few smattering of berries , and the harvest home continues to grow each twelvemonth .
Once your bushes accomplish maturity , each plant will generally make five pints of berries . Of course , that does depend on the variety and growing conditions , but it ’s an average yield sizing .
3 Common Blueberry Problems
blueberry bush bushes are hardy and typically have few pest and disease job , especially when grow in containers . However , there are a few problems you might notice .
Aphids
One of the most common blueberry pests isaphids ; these pests seem to overrun all type of plants .
The biggest problem is that aphid suck out the sap from the industrial plant , release honeydew over the leaves and stem of your plant . Then , honeydew attracts other problems like emmet and sooty mold .
Birds
chick love blueberries ; who can blame them ? regrettably , however , these feather champion will deplete all of the advanced yield on your bushes before you have the opportunity to harvest them .
One way tokeep birds away from your blueberry bushesis to keep the containers in high - traffic areas , like your porch . All the humankind coming and snuff it typically is enough to keep the birds off , but you also can try hang flatware taping from the stems to scare off away the skirt .
Phytophthora Root Rot
One of the most common problem that contain - grown blueberries have is phytophthora root rot . This comes from overwatering and poor drain , resulting in water mold . It typically has reduced Modern growth , yellowing leaves or reddening , leaf drop curtain , and mortification .
Final Thoughts
If you miss infinite , it ’s possible to grow blueberry in containers no matter where you live . All you postulate is a point with full sunlight , an appropriately sized container , and acidic ground , and the blueberry bush plant will fly high .
