Blueberries in containers info?

[edweather]

Anybody know a good source for info on growing blueberries in containers? There used to be some great threads/forums on this a few years ago, but they seem to be gone or inactive. Thanks.

[AKgardener]

I’ve tried 3 times every year I fail !!

[worth1]

@edweather

I found this and it explains it better than I can.

[AZGardener]

I grow mine in containers. Soil is too alkaline here to grow in ground.
I don't do anything special growing them other than using a citrus or acid loving plant food.
Since you're in the south, look for varieties that grow in warmer climates.
I grow Misty and O'Neal here in the desert. HTH

[Tormato]

Very large pots, good drainage, acidic growing medium, minimum two varieties (O'Neal is basically a must, for flavor) that correspond to chill hour requirements where you live (extremely important, but my guess is that nurseries in Georgia know what they are doing).

I recommend about 4-5 inches of mulch to retain moisture and to try to keep the soil cool. Some people do doubled containers to help keep things cool.

If not using mulch, do not have peat or coconut coir at the soil line, as it would dry out too fast. The top 1-2 inches should be just garden soil.

When buying plants, a larger root system to top growth ratio is better than getting a large plant in a small container. If they are small to medium-sized plants, it's best to remove all flowers for at least the first year. But, few do that.

[davood]

I grow mine in containers. Soil is too alkaline here to grow in ground.
I don't do anything special growing them other than using a citrus or acid loving plant food.
Since you're in the south, look for varieties that grow in warmer climates.
I grow Misty and O'Neal here in the desert. HTH

I do pretty much the same thing and use whiskey barrels as containers for Liberty and Reka blueberries.

[rossomendblot]

I am growing a Bluecrop in a 20 litre pot. The growing medium is composted bark with added sulphur chips, and I feed with ericaceous liquid fertiliser once or twice a month. The top of the growing medium is mulched with bark. The plant is doing really well, though I will probably need to move it in to a bigger pot next year.

It was previously in a peat-based medium but wasn't do well at all and in fact nearly died. When I removed it from that pot the root ball hadn't got any bigger. Then I read some advice on transplanting potted blueberries which said to tear the root ball at the bottom to spread it apart and make it wide and flat.

[Tormato]

I am growing a Bluecrop in a 20 litre pot. The growing medium is composted bark with added sulphur chips, and I feed with ericaceous liquid fertiliser once or twice a month. The top of the growing medium is mulched with bark. The plant is doing really well, though I will probably need to move it in to a bigger pot next year.

It was previously in a peat-based medium but wasn't do well at all and in fact nearly died. When I removed it from that pot the root ball hadn't got any bigger. Then I read some advice on transplanting potted blueberries which said to tear the root ball at the bottom to spread it apart and make it wide and flat.

Yes, that's the way to go. I cut four vertical slits into to the root ball, basically spaced evenly apart. Then the root ball is spread flat into an X pattern, and planted at the right depth.

As for fertilizing, here in the northern US, it generally should end in June. Too much new delicate growth is not desired approaching heavy frost time. It is easy to see the damage on that new growth as the ends of branches will get shriveled. That weak growth should be pruned off in early spring.