Blueberries are notoriously fussy about soil pH. While most garden works favor a achromatic or slenderly alkalic soil , blueberry bush like acidic grime . One way around this is to farm your blueberry bush in containers . you could work up the soil from scratch to provide good drainage and the right pH. Blueberries grow in container will need special winter protection . blueberry are mellow in vitamin and antioxidants , and can be made into toothsome jams , jellies , PIE and more .
Step 1
Choose a dwarf variety of blueberry . Standard - sized blueberries are too big to be grown in containers , but dwarf blueberries line up well to life in pots . Patriot and Elliot are blueberry cultivars that raise well in containers .
Step 2
rule a turgid container in which to rise your blueberries . A large container will avail keep good drain and will give your blueberry room to overspread out its root . The extra soil will also help insulate it from cold temperatures in winter . A half whiskey barrel is a good size for blueberry bush . attempt to bump a container that will hold at least 8 cubic feet of land . Make indisputable the container you habituate has hole in the bottom for drainage .
Step 3
opt a location for your blueberries where they will get close to a full daytime of sunlight . Prepare the container in its destine locating , since it may be too heavy to move once it is full .
Step 4
Fill the container with an acidic potting mix , such as one designed for azalea or rhododendron . you may also make your own potting blend by mixing equal parts all - purpose potting mix , peat moss or sphagnum moss , and compost . Blueberries like a in effect amount of constitutional material , and they do advantageously with a pH around 4.8 . Do not add up crushed rock or stone to the bottom of the container , fill it all the direction with potting mix .
Step 5
Plant the blueberry at the same profundity they were in the first place develop . If your blueberry transplants are bare root , look for a change in bark grain or gloss to indicate planting depth , or plant the blueberries so that their roots are cut through with about 1 column inch of soil . water system well .
Step 6
Apply mulch to a profoundness of 3 to 4 inch . Good mulches for blueberries include peat moss , bark or pine needle .
Step 7
Fertilizer your blueberries once or twice in the early spring with an battery-acid - producing plant food , such as one designed for azaleas .
Step 8
Water your blueberries regularly to keep the dirt evenly moist but not waterlogged .
Step 9
Move your blueberries into an unheated garage in the winter to protect them from dusty if you are locate in zona 5 or low-spirited . Use a dolly to transport the wakeless containers . Water your blueberry infrequently during the winter – once every four to six weeks – just enough to keep the roots from drying out .
Step 10
Move your blueberry bush back outdoors once temperature are lead off to warm up up . Container - uprise blueberries can usually defy wakeful frosts , but not hard freezes .
Tip
flora two or more blueberry bushes to check adequate hybridizing - pollination .
