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Grow Blueberries In Containers the RIGHT Way!

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Rating: 4.5; Vote: 2

Blueberries are an intimidating plant to grow due to some of their 'unique' growing requirements. But today, all of that goes away, because meggrowsplants is joining the Epic Ecosystem to drop her expert blueberry knowledge so you know exactly what to do So, in today's video, we have a grower in the epic gardening ecosystem all the way over in North Carolina, meg, who has grown fantastic container, blueberries. She's going to take you through the way she does it from start to finish. And a huge, thank you to Bushel and Barry, for sponsoring today's video. I've been growing not only they're blueberries, but they're blackberries, raspberries, and everbearing strawberries for about three or four years. Now, some awesome container varieties that do really well, and they're available nationwide. So, check them out in the video description, and let's get over to Meg. Hello, everyone and Kevin, thank you so much for having me back on the epic gardening channel. I'm so excited to be here. And today, I'm going to tell you guys about all the failures that I've had over the years trying to grow blueberries. Why Blueberries There's been a lot of them, you will have learned from them too. And you guys are going to be growing the best blueberries around in containers. Yeah, I said in containers. Blueberries are definitely something that you should be growing in your home garden. One, because they are delicious and nutritious. Unless you're allergic two, they're actually native to North America. So, if you live in North America, you automatically have the perfect environment for growing blueberries. Although there aren't many places that you can't grow them either. And three, they're perennials So, you only have to plant them once, and they come back year after year and with proper care, blueberries can live 50 plus years, although the ones, I'm going to tell you about today, lived much shorter than that, but that was my bad. Varieties Now, that I've hopefully convinced you to grow blueberries, it's important to talk about what kind of blueberries to grow, because there are hundreds of different varieties. Remember, when I said almost everyone can grow blueberry plants, no matter where you live. It all boils down to the variety. Some varieties are more suited to colder climates. Some are more suited to warmer climates. It all depends on how many chill hours that variety needs. And chill hours are simply the number of hours per year that the temperature drops below 45° F. And if your blueberries, don't get those required amount of chill hours in the winter, they're not going to bloom in the spring. And you're not going to get any blueberries. So, that's why it's so important. So, for instance, one of the blueberries, I'm going to plant today. This variety is called berry books. And everything that I need to know is right here on the label. So, the chill hours that are required for this variety are 600. And so, it's suited to zones 5 through 8. I'm in zone 7b, kind of right on the cusp of zone 8. So, I know that this variety is going to perform well in my area. The good news is, if you're shopping in your local garden center, you don't have to worry about all this, because they're going to be carrying varieties that are suited to your area. Anyway, most modern blueberry varieties are self-fertile. They're self-pollinating. This variety is self-pollinating, and that just means that they don't need another plant to cross pollinate with in order to bear fruit. Some varieties do require cross-pollination, which means that they require that you get a different variety of blueberry plant and plant them next to each other. So, that's something to look out for, especially if you're a balcony gardener, and you just want one plant, make sure that you're getting one that is self-fertile. Because the more cross pollination you have, the bigger your harvests are going to be, the more fruit you're going to get. When To Plant Now that we know how to choose a variety, let's talk about when you should plant them. We've basically got two prime times for planting blueberries. We've got spring and we've got Fall and I've planted at both of the, these times. And I'm going to say that Fall is by far my favorite time to plant them. Because I just feel like it gives you a little bit of a head start. Right now. It's mid-November, and in my zone, it's still the perfect time to plant blueberries. Because we haven't had any really hard freezes yet. Our soil is still very loose. It's very workable, and it'll probably be that way. Well into December, planting in the fall allows your plant to establish a really good root system, right? Before it goes into that winter dormy, it goes ahead and gets those chill hours, that needs out of the way. And it will be ready to rock and roll, come springtime. When the plant regrows all of its foliage and it blooms and starts creating those berries. Blueberries are long-lived perennials So, with each passing year, as your plant matures, you're going to get bigger and better harvests every year. To explain to you how containers became my preferred method of growing blueberries. Why In Containers I have to tell you a story about a funeral that I had for four blueberry plants. This was my very first year of gardening. I'd never grown blue berries before, and I tried to grow them in the ground. And let's just say they passed very quickly. I was devastated, I was heartbroken and most of all, I was really confused, cuz, I had no idea what happened. And back in my beginner gardening days, I had absolutely no idea that blueberries thrive in an acidic soil. They prefer a soil ph of 4.5 to 5. And that very specific ph can be very hard to obtain and control in an inground environment. I ended up going to the hardware store, I picked up an atome soil test kit, and I tested the soil, and the soil was actually alkaline. So, those blueberries were definitely not happy at all. And unfortunately, before I realized what was going on, it was too late, and I opted to try to grow my blueberries in containers. This time, I picked up some more blueberries, some large terracotta pots, some organic, potting soil, some compost, and I got some soil acidifier. This way. I had total control over the soil that my blueberries were growing in, and it worked. I got a bumper crop. The next year. I was so happy. I was over the moon, and it's really what made me fall in love with growing, not only my blueberries, but fruit trees, and other fruit bushes in containers. But I still made a tiny mistake in choosing the right containers, which would eventually cause another blueberry tragedy. The next year, these terracotta pots that I chose were much too small. I mean, this is like a 5-gallon container, if that. And while it did, okay, the first season that the plants were in, there, got lots of berries. As the next season came around, they started to quickly decline, and, it got zero berries. Terracott-a is a porous material that very quickly dries out, especially in the Southern heat. And, at first, I could get away with watering these every few days or so. But, the problem came when the plants started growing more and more, they very quickly became rootbound in these really small containers. And when a plant becomes rootbound, this happens because the pot is too small, and the roots keep growing and growing, and they run out of room. So, they just start wrapping around and around and around in the pot. And this can actually start to make your plants hydrophobic, because the roots are taking up all of the room. There's little to no soil left. And what soil is left is really compacted. And so, it starts to not hold water. Well, at all. And event, ev, your plant really starts to suffer because it's not getting enough water. It doesn't have the space that it needs to grow and they'll die. And, that's what happened to a few of my blueberry plants. I was able to save some of them by repotting them in the right container. So, today we're going to plant a few blueberries. And I'm going to show you what I learned and how to choose the right container. When you're choosing a container for blueberries, you want to go for something that is fairly large, cuz. Container Requirements Keep in mind, this is a perennial that can live for over 50 years. So, it needs all the space that it can get. So, we're going to go with something that is 20 gallons, at least at the very least. And don't forget to keep those varieties in mind, because while you can grow any variety of blueberry in a container that you want, it's always best to go for those container-specific varieties, because they have been bred over time to perform well in containers. So, that's always better if you can get your hands on some. I'm going to be using these 20 gallon-lined, grow bags from epic gardening, and I have become a huge fan of growing pretty much anything in grow bags, because they have this permeable fabric, which allows the plant to breathe and allows for better water drainage. But, they're also lined with this extra material that keeps the moisture in at the same time, but not too much. And these bags allow your plants to air-prune, meaning when the roots grow and they reach the-edge of this bag, they just prune themselves off, instead of becoming root-bound and wrapping around and around and around. And, that makes for a much healthier plant. We're just going to fill this growbag up with this organic potting soil. This is a locally-made potting soil that I really like. Planting And then I'm going to add in a bit of compost as well. Just for a little boost. Most fruit trees or bushes, really enjoy a healthy dose of compost, at least once a year. Then, we're just going to plant our blueberry. Then we're going to add in some soil acidifier to bring that ph down. And, this is organic, and it's made for acid-loving plants like blueberries and hydrangeas. And you just follow the package instructions to make the proper amendment. And it's going to bring that ph down to the acidity. That blueberries love. I'm going to top it with some mulch. I love a good weed, straw, mulch, but any mulch will work. We just want to make sure that we're giving it a nice 2 to 3 in layer. So, the soil will stay cozy over the winter, and it's done easy. You might want to pick up an at-home soil testing kit and just test the soil every once in a while, just to make sure that the ph remains at the preferred level of blueberries. You can always use more of that soil acidifier if necessary. You might also want to consider a raised bed for your blueberries, which still counts as a container. And here, some that I planted earlier, this fall in this patio birdies bed. This is a great idea. If you have some more space, I also really like the look of these berries in here. I feel like it's kind of elevating my patio a little bit. I've also made sure to add some irrigation to my patio. And most of my containers have a little drip line going to them. And another thing I really like about these grow bags is that they come with this little sleeve on the side, that you can put your drip line through to hold it in place. And to kind of hide it as well. Blueberries need about an inch of water per week. Whether you're hand watering, or you're using drip irrigation, but they like to stay consistently moist. Watering They don't like to dry completely out, but they don't like to be sing wet, either. So, you just kind of have to play around a little bit and find that, right. Balance of watering. And it really depends on what kind of drip system you have going on. But for instance, I run my entire container garden, drip, for about 10 minutes every day in the peak of the summer. And that seemed to really work well for me, last year. Blueberries also love sunlight. They can tolerate part-shade, but they really prefer more full sun. About 6 to 8 hours per day. And blueberries are deciduous. So, if your blueberry drops, all of its leaves, don't freak out. It's totally, and completely normal. Sunlight The leaves of your blueberry plants will start to change color with the rest of the leaves in the fall, like you see this one doing here. This one actually has some really, pretty, really beautiful coloring going on over here. They're actually really pretty bushes in the fall, and it'll eventually drop all of these leaves with the rest of the deciduous trees. So, just nothing to be align. Alarmed about, in very early spring, right before these leaves start to grow back. That's when I like to fertilize, and blueberries really only need fertilizing once a year. In the spring. I really like to use an organic fruit tree fertilizer, like Espoma has one called berry Tone. I really like that one. Some compost would work nicely as well. Fertilizer I always like to add some compost in the spring, and then the plants will come out of their winter slumber. They'll start to grow those leaves back, they'll start budding up, then they'll flower and form those berries. And usually the harvest window for blueberries is anywhere between April and september. It really just depends on what variety you plant. Some are early bloomers, some are late bloomers, and you'll know, your blueberries are ready to harvest when they've swelled up. And they've developed that really deep blue color that we all know and love. Harvest And they'll go from being very firm to just a little bit squishy, but, you don't want to let them get too squishy, because that's a little bit overripe, but they'll also be very fragrant, and they'll just kind of pull off the plant very easily. That's how, you know, when they're ready to harvest. Blueberries. Do have some pests to look out for. Pests And in my experience, the main pest is birds, love blueberries, and sometimes they can just gobble up every single blueberry before you even get a chance. But, there are a few things you can do to deter them. The first one is bird netting. This just kind of creates a physical barrier between your blueberries and the birds. And that seems to work well for a lot of people. I've tried this method, and I definitely have had my issues with birds. And I found that bird netting didn't really help that much. This is what I like to do, and this is what has pretty much protected my entire garden from birds. I just feed them. I have multiple bird feeders set up throughout my entire property. I put most of them in the front yard. So, basically, instead of going to battle with the birds, I just kind of gave into their antics and started to spoil them and keep them constantly fed. So, I really hope that me sharing my failures with you, has given you some valuable insight, and you feel prepped and ready to grow the most amazing blueberries in containers next year. So, if you haven't grown container blueberries, guys, I actually think you're really missing out.
Date: 2024-01-07

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Comments and reviews: 20

Blackavian
Thank you for this information. I have watched many videos on container blueberries and this was a good one. However, not one video so far has mentioned how to overwinter container blueberries in a cold climate. It gets down to -20 degrees F, sometimes for several days. Will that kill my blueberries? What kind of protection should I give them? Should I put straw bales around them? I m going to put them in 50-gal containers, so moving them into an unheated garage (that also gets pretty cold) would be difficult and would displace a car. And how about a snow load? We don t get the four feet of snow we used to (climate change) but we can still get a foot or two. How will that affect container blueberries? Is wind chill an issue? We get blizzards that could make a yak shiver. I know that is a lot of questions, but I haven t been able to find the answers to them, so I m hoping you can help. Thank you for your time.
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LittleKi1
Good video! Ok, so here's the deal about pH. Most of the plants in our vegetable gardens take up the nitrate form of nitrogen. Not blueberries. They only take up the ammonium form of nitrogen. In blueberries' native environment, the soil is so acidic that bacteria are not converting ammonium to nitrate so ammonium stays present in the soil. At more neutral pH levels, bacteria convert ammonium to nitrate, making it unavailable for fertilizer. Adding a lot of compost provides great organic matter and other nutrients but can raise the pH back out of where the plants can actually be fed and mainly nitrate is available. So, be careful with the compost levels. Commercial growers use sawdust or wood chips as mulch and then make sure they are providing enough nitrogen to counteract any being tied up while the sawdust breaks down. Just remember, if the pH gets too high, blueberries starve!
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epic_gardening
I first got the idea that blueberries would be a good idea to plant when I saw numerous wild blueberries growing everywhere around here. Apparently, they just love the native soil that also has a ton of red oaks growing nearby. Two years after planting to large bushes that were suited towards our zone 6A (Now 6B) climate, the became flush with blueberries! The first year I learned just how much birds and deer love them too, because despite the flush, I must have only had a few off of the bush! Every June I apply some netting and it seems to solve the pest problem!
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kyzmaztic
I used a mixture of 1 part each of sphagnum peat moss, pine bark, and fox farm happy frog for my container blueberries. Have them in 5 gallon fabric pots for now. Was concerned about the pot being exposed so I built an enclosure with scrap wood on the northern side of my house. So far all 4 are still alive. I have since bought four more plants for next season. I haven't had any blooms yet but I am looking forward to when they do. Also check your local stores for plants on clearance. I was able to find 3 blackberry bushes for only 21 for all of them!
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siobhanmacleod7957
My mom bought two blueberry plants 2 years ago cause she loves them, I do not. Well my mom promptly forget about them and it fell to my responsibility to care for them. I managed to get them in large containers and they have survived, but barely produced. Probably because after watering them and giving them soil acidifier and berry tone stuff, I promptly ignore them to take care of the plants that are for me. With this video, I have a better understanding on how to care for them, and I will try to be better at taking care of them.
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ChameleonGraphics
This has been the most informative video I have seen on Blueberries. I do have a question. I live in Zone 3B in Saskatchewan Canada, and I was wondering, would I have to bring the berries indoors for the winter? Or can I leave them out in my yard for the winter? And would this method also work for Elderberries? I have some struggling Elderberries and Haksup berries and would like to help them out but not sure how. Any ideas and help would be much loved. Thank you and Cheers!
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Thingys-Jill
My story is just like yours! Four dead bushes. So they were felled and I added soil acidifier. I have a 6' x 3' raised bed that I will plant two bushes in. Until they fill the bed I will plant some other things with them. Great video and very informative. I will say that irrigation is very important and, in my 6B-7 zone I might actually need shade cloth during the harshest of the summer sun.
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bradhines4137
Perfect timing. I have become obsessed with blueberries. My two cattle troughs, along with the raised beds, will be dedicated to blueberries this year. My current in-ground plants were started using sphagnum peat as a base. It sounds like
better control of soil condition can be achieved in a raised bed type environment. Thank you for the great information. The fuse is lit.
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ArcadeAndrew.
one of the things you can do to grow blueberries in ground is interplant them with grass. even lawn grass. part of the reason they NEED acidic soil is because they dont leech chemicals to chelate iron in the soil in a useable from for the plant. Grass does leech those chemicals and has been shown to not compete with blueberries in a significant way.
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peggyharrison5377
I planted my blue berry bush in a wine barrel. It held too much water ( we forgot to drill holes ) the leaves turned red and then it lost its leaves so sad. The next year after we fixed the water issue it started to grow again. We did not get any berries. We are hoping for berries this year.
Thanks for this content!
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ColeSpolaric
So. My pH was too high for blueberries. 6. 5. I added sulphur. Dropped to 6 after a month. Added more. 5. 8. added more and kinda ignored it. All of a sudden they are looking very sick. Checked the ph again. 2. 5. Well below the 4. 5 target. They didn't make it. The sulphur was bound to gypsum and I think it reacted slower.
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BoneFrossil
2 years ago I bought a Pink Lemonde and another variety that are both hardy in my zone. The pink lemonade took off but the other which started as two branches I had to prune to one and never grew. It is the oddest thing as it does not die, it leafs out and the small leaves are green but the tree never grows.
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Mrs. Patriot
I had blueberries in containers, doing great, but then every time I watered them, they developed more brown leaves and eventually died. I planted them in acidic soil. So what did it? My water. It's alkaline. Now, i live in bear country, and cannot grow any fruit. But I still very much enjoyed the video!
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Zoeybeau_1
I tried a plant last year, it went to blueberry bush heaven very quickly, so said nope never again now I know putting it in the ground wasn't the right call. I will have another go this year in containers. I'm in the UK so I'll start looking soon for the right one for my area and try a couple, thank you!
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ahnanda68
That so adorable! I wouldn't think to put in a container! My grandma always went across the street to pick them with her friend. More content like this was very informative and relaxing to actually feel good about the truth of gardening as with the other straight up honesty in every video
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veena4245
If we plant them about 1 foot from other plants and acidify the soil where they are planted, will the acidic soil spread around to the other plants? They will be in a separate bed, but practically attached to another bed. Thanks for a great video!
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margaloone7970
I have blueberries in the ground and most in containers. I get more blueberries from the containers. However my in ground blueberries bushes are beautiful bushes but less productive. Most years the birds eat half of the blueberries
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Ashas. Garden
Thank you!
This is so timely for me. I was wondering just this morning if my blueberry plants were really okay (they look okay, for now) and what I could do to ensure they stay healthy. Thanks for reminding me to test the soil.
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rhondawilson3861
That was a great video and I love every thing I see with Meg because she is in my zone and she makes everything so easy to understand! I might just try my hand at container blueberries this year! Love those containers too!
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ralphsenter6987
I love Meg! I am currently only able to container garden and Meg has helped me so much over the years. I don t know why I haven t grown any blueberries yet but this has me planning on starting some in the spring! Thanks! :)
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