Can Blueberries Be Grown in a Container?

Varieties

• Four main types of blueberries are available for home gardeners -- highbush, half-highbush, rabbit-eye and southern highbush. Rabbit-eye and southern highbush grow best in warm temperatures while highbush and half-highbush thrive in cooler climates. Dwarf cultivars, as well as small growing half-high bush blueberries, are successful in container plantings. Horticulturists from the University of Wisconsin recommend the following cultivars for container planting: Top Hat, Chippewa, and St. Cloud. Be aware that smaller dwarf varieties also produce smaller fruit.

Potting Mix

• Blueberry plants prefer acidic soils that measure within 4.5 and 5.0 ratings on the pH scale. In-ground gardeners amend their soil with granulated sulfur or peat moss in order to lower their soil's pH levels into an environment suited for blueberry production. Container gardeners do not have to amend their soil, but must provide their containerized blueberry plants with an acidic growing medium. Rather than filling containers with potting soils or garden soil choose a soilless mix. A mix containing 1 part shredded pine bark and 1 part sphagnum peat moss is recommended by University of Wisconsin growers. They also suggest an alternate mix of 2 parts coir, 2 parts sphagnum peat moss and 1 part perlite.

Containers

• A 5-gallon container is suitable for a new blueberry plant, especially the dwarf varieties. As the plant matures, repot into 16- or 20-gallon containers. Ensure the container has drainage holes and insulate containers over winter with bubble wrap or hay. Above-ground containers do not provide roots with the same amounts of freeze protection as in-ground soil. Although most blueberry varieties are self-pollinating, you may choose to plant more than one container of differing cultivars to ensure optimum fertilization and harvest.

Considerations

• Another advantage to a soilless medium is it's ability to provide plant's with adequate moisture. Blueberry plants are shallow rooted and require frequent watering but they also do poorly when soil is saturated and consistently damp. Soilless mediums allow blueberry plants to receive optimum moisture levels with adequate drainage.