How to Grow & Care for Blueberries in Containers

Growing blueberries in containers is so easy and productive that you might want to try it even if you have enough in-ground garden space for this antioxidant-rich fruit. Blueberries grow well in pots and are a great solution if you do not have optimal garden soil.

Blueberry plants will thrive and bear fruit in containers if given full sun. However, growing blueberries in pots (or anywhere else) requires patience since most fruit-bearing species grown from seed can take a few years to produce fruit.

How to Plant Blueberries in Containers

When to Plant

In most areas, plant blueberries in containers in the spring or late fall. Wait to plant the bushes in containers until early to midspring in the coldest zones.

Selecting a Planting Site

Move your containers around during the day to ensure the plants get ample sun. With big pots, putting the containers on rolling casters makes it easier to follow the sun.

Spacing, Depth, and Support

For pollination to occur, you'll need more than one blueberry plant. Replicate the spacing, depth, and support for all of them—plant one blueberry bush per pot. You can start one plant in a 5-gallon bucket, but it will eventually need repotting.

Put it into its container, burying it as deep as it was in its nursery pot. If necessary, top with additional soil, leaving the top inch or so of the container empty. Immediately water the pot thoroughly to settle the soil and eliminate air gaps around the plant's roots. The bushes will not need support to grow.

Blueberries in Containers Care

Birds love blueberries just as much as people do. The best way to protect your fruit from feathered poachers is to surround your bushes with bird netting a few weeks before the berries are ripe. While the process may be cumbersome, it works.

Light

Blueberry plants need six to eight hours of sunlight per day. It's easy to overestimate how much sun an area gets, so measuring the sunlight in your garden accurately is essential. A straightforward method is to use a watch to time the hours of full-sun exposure on a typical day during the growing season.

If you live in an area with hot afternoon sun, be aware that blueberry plants can overheat. They likely will appreciate some light shade during this part of the day.

Soil

Blueberry bushes like very acidic soil; a pH level between 4.0 and 4.8 is required for the plants to absorb water and nutrients and produce berries. Because most garden soil is not naturally this acidic, planting in containers enables you to control your soil's acidity levels better. You can buy or create an acidic blueberry-friendly potting mix to ensure your plants will thrive.

To get started with the right soil mix, fill your pots two-thirds full of regular potting mix and add a potting mix designed for acid-loving plants (such as rhododendrons, azaleas, and camellias). You can find this mix at most nurseries and garden centers and in the houseplants section of some home centers. If you can't find a high-acid potting mix, add a fertilizer blend designed for acid-loving plants to a third of the soil instead.

If you have trouble finding commercial potting soil for acid-loving plants, consider using a recipe of equal parts peat moss and vermiculite, then add a granular 11-5-11 fertilizer. Test the soil's pH level using a test kit, and adjust the pH level if necessary by adding limestone to raise the pH or iron sulfate to lower the pH.

An equally effective potting mix uses equal parts garden soil, well-rotted compost, and coarse sand. Test the mixture's pH balance and add iron sulfate to increase acidity.

Water

Blueberry plants have shallow roots that dry out fast, so they need a lot of water. However, they also like sandy, well-draining soil. They do not like sitting in water, so keep the soil consistently moist but not soggy.

Don’t assume that you don’t have to water your plants when it rains. The leaves of the blueberry plant can act as an umbrella, preventing water from reaching the base of the plant and into the container. Always check the soil with your finger to see whether it’s wet an inch or two below the surface—potted blueberry bushes like 1 to 2 inches of water a week.

If you cannot water your blueberry plants for a week or more, move them to a more shaded area to conserve water. To retain some moisture, it can also be helpful to add a layer of compost with a topdressing of pine bark.

Temperature and Humidity

Containers of blueberries need to be placed in a sheltered spot between December and March when winter winds are at their worst. Blueberries do not like overly dry conditions, and that includes dry winds in addition to cold winds.

Consider the chill factor or chill hours when planting blueberries in containers. Every cultivar has a different chill factor requirement. Blueberries usually need between 450 and 800 hours, depending on the type.

A chill hour is the time the temperature outside stays between 32 and 45 degrees Fahrenheit. Inadequate chill hours can result in poor fruit development, reduced fruit size, and decreased fruit yield.

Fertilizer

Blueberries don't like too much fertilizer, so a single feeding in the early spring typically works well. Opt for organic fertilizer, like cottonseed meal or a blend for acid-loving plants.

Furthermore, don't just fertilize and forget. Test the soil's pH regularly to ensure it is between 4.0 and 4.8. Because acid washes out of the soil over time, you may find that it's more effective to start with a half dose of fertilizer in the spring and then add a light monthly dose throughout the growing season.

Pollination

When choosing blueberry plants, be aware that they need other blueberry plants nearby. To produce fruit, at least two plants of two different varieties are required for cross-pollination—three plants are even better. Place the pots reasonably close together, about 2 to 3 feet apart.

Most importantly, choose two to three varieties of blueberries that bloom simultaneously or overlap so that bees can easily cross-pollinate the plants. Choose varieties within the species, however. You can't cross-pollinate a variety of rabbiteye with a variety of highbush, for example.

Types of Blueberries

Moreover, choosing a blueberry species and cultivar that's right for your climate is essential. The four main blueberry species (highbush is one species divided into northern and southern) and a few of their popular cultivars include:

• Northern highbush (Vaccinium corymbosum): The most popular and productive blueberry shrub for cold areas. Popular cultivars include 'Bluecrop,' 'Blueray,' 'Herbert,' 'Jersey,' 'Meader,' 'Berkley,' 'Coville,' and 'Darrow.'
• Southern highbush (hybrid Vaccinium corymbosum x Vaccinium darrowii): Grows in the South; 6 to 8 feet high; Popular cultivars include 'Golf Coast,' 'Misty,' and 'Ozarkblue.'
  
• Lowbush (Vaccinium angustifolium): Best for cold climates, native to the northeastern United States and known as wild blueberries; no named lowbush cultivars exist.
• Rabbiteye (Vaccinium virgatum): The bush grows to 15 feet tall and is mainly grown in the south. Popular cultivars include 'Powderblue,' 'Woodard,' 'Brightwell,' 'Pink Lemonade,' and 'Delite.' 
• Half-high (Vaccinium angustifolium x corymbosum hybrid): A newer hybrid of highbush and lowbush that is a bit less sweet. Popular cultivars include 'North Country,' "Northblue,' 'Northland,' and 'Top Hat,' which was bred to be especially ideal for container growing.

Many cultivars exist within the species. Contact a local farmer or nursery professional to learn which will thrive in your area. You may also choose a variety based on the desired fruit size. Larger specimens are great for eating berries from the bush, while small berries are usually preferred for cooking things like pies, crisps, and preserves.

Blueberries vs. Bilberries

Blueberries and bilberries look nearly identical; they are both edible and related. Bilberries, sometimes called European blueberries, are smaller than blueberries and dark blue to almost black. You will rarely find a bilberry bush elsewhere in the woodland wilds of Northern California and the Pacific Northwest. A raw bilberry will taste tart and acidic with a hint of sweetness, almost like a sour cherry.

Harvesting Blueberries in Containers

You likely won't have to harvest blueberries within the first or second year of planting them in your containers. You should expect to be able to harvest a whole crop of potted blueberries between three to five years. Pick them between June and August, but they should be easy to harvest as they fall off the bush and into your hand.

How to Grow Blueberries in Pots

If you've grown other fruit-bearing plants, you know you have to sit tight for the long haul. With little care, your plants can happily produce fruit for years, but you'll want to start them right. So, opt for the largest pot possible for blueberry plants and plant one plant per pot.

Choose a container at least 18 inches deep with ample drainage holes. For even better drainage, place pots on top of bricks. Wooden half-barrels and other deep, wide, weatherproof containers work well for keeping blueberry plants in for the long term.

Pruning

Blueberry bushes can grow large but won't need pruning until their fourth year in the pot. Pruning will stimulate more growth. Prune the bushes before they begin their new growth phase. Use sterilized, sharp garden tools to cut dead, weak, low-growing, and unruly branches in the late winter or early spring. Pruning thins out the old growth, allowing light into the middle of the bush.

Propagating Blueberries

Growing blueberries in containers may be so much fun that you may want to propagate a plant to continue growing in pots or in the ground. This woody shrub is easily propagated by rooting cuttings.

Take softwood cuttings (which may wilt faster because they are from fresh new growth) in the early spring and hardwood cuttings (which are firmer and more mature) in the late winter. Here's how to propagate with cuttings:

1. Remove the last 5 inches of growth from a healthy branch with a sharp, sterilized garden-cutting tool.
2. Remove most leaves from the branch, leaving the top two or three. Dip the cut bottom of the branch in the rooting hormone.
3. Set the cutting in moist, soilless potting mix in a small pot that is then placed in a consistently warm space.
4. The pot should stay in bright but indirect light, and the soil should remain moist but not waterlogged.
5. New leaves should grow in a few months, and the roots should settle enough to transplant the seedlings into a larger pot.
   

Growing Blueberries From Seeds

Blueberry seeds are hidden inside the fruit and need coaxing to separate them from the interior pulp. You can grab seeds from existing fruit or buy them for your container garden. Just make sure you are buying or taking seeds from pollinating varieties. You will want to start the process in the fall in warm regions and the spring in cool climates. Once you have the seeds, take these steps:

1. Put the seeds in the freezer for 90 days.
2. Take them out of the freezer. Use a flat tray filled with moist sphagnum moss. Sprinkle the seeds on the moss and lightly cover them with more moss.
3. Cover the tray with newspaper.
4. Put the tray in an area that consistently stays between 60 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit.
5. Keep the moss consistently moist; you will see seedlings in about a month.
6. Remove the newspaper, but keep the tray in bright, indirect light until the seedlings are a few inches tall.
7. Plant seedlings in a moist mix of peat moss, sand, and soil until they can be placed in larger containers.
   

Overwintering

Once your growing season is over, you'll want to protect your blueberry plants for the winter season. Blueberries are tough plants and can survive the winter outdoors in pots, but if you live in a cold winter climate, you should move your containers against the side of your home or into a protected area to keep them out of the wind.

Mulch your plants with straw or wrap them in burlap. In the winter, while the plants are dormant, they don't need much water, but you shouldn't let them dry out completely.

Common Pests and Plant Diseases

Insect and fungal problems can sometimes occur on blueberry plants. If you need to treat your plants, use a fungicide or pesticide safe for edible plants. Blueberry maggots and cherry fruit worms can also be occasional problems. While these pests are treatable with systemic pesticides, be wary of their use, as many are toxic to pollinating insects.

If yellowing of the leaves occurs, it's probably a sign that the soil pH is too high and is causing chlorosis. To rectify the issue, acidify the soil with fertilizer for acid-loving plants.