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 will also grow very happily and healthily in a container, making them perfect for smaller gardens or yards.
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 huge 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, 40cm in diameter or above. I think terracotta pots look nice while not costing the earth like glazed ceramics can do. I am also trailing some in air pots, a fancy pot designed to air prune the roots of the plants, and they seem to be working well!
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 that is ideal. But if not, they will do fine out in the open, as long as high winds do not constantly batter them.
Birds can also be a problem, so when deciding on a position, remember that you might have to net your berries during fruiting time.
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. So, having more than one plant is always a good idea, plus more berries - winner winner!
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. This allows water to flow out of the pot without taking all of your soil with it!
Use ericaceous 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. Tap water is alkaline by nature, whereas rainwater isn't. Always use rainwater to water blueberries if you can.
Top Tips
Blueberries like acidic soil, so use mulch like woodchips or pine needles to help preserve the soil's acidity.
Wherever possible, use water from rainwater rather than tap water. Tap water is alkaline, and over time, it will reduce the acidity of the soil.
Use a blueberry fertiliser to maximise your crop. Never use a fertiliser with lime in it, as this will reduce the soil's acidity. Blueberry fertilisers will often include a soil acidifier as part of the mix.
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 into 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 ericaceous soil (which blueberries love) while also allowing the roots to grow out if they choose.
So, rather than trying to make the perfect soil in your entire planting area, you just 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.
Paul McCluskey says
Very interesting and helpful. I have 4 blueberry in tubs in my garden which are about 7 years old. This year 2 of them appear to be infected, they have lost most of their leaves and the fruits are very small and withered. Is there any treatment for this? Any advice you can give will be appreciated.
Daniel says
Im not sure on any blueberry diseases, as far as I'm aware there arent too many things that affect them. How well were they watered throughout the dry days weve been having? And did you use tap water?
RG says
The only problem I have had to deal with during the three years since purchase was three ant nests appearing in my 18" diameter pot this Spring.
Have always used rain water and a recommended ericaceous soil from a well known garden centre - that appears at every annual Chelsea show. Not sure how much root damage caused by ants and their eggs.