In your zone you may need some winter protection like an unheated but well insulated garage.

I've had several in 12-15 gal containers for six years without repotting and they are still doing great. I continually need to prune back or they would be way too big.

My new ones will be in 3-5 gal pots no bigger. I can get several lbs off a plant like that and they are much easier to handle. When it's time to harvest put them up on a bench and no bending over.

The key to potted bb is to have the planting media at pH ~4.5 prior to planting. You'll lose plants trying to correct pH after planting. You'll still lose some plants just not as many if my experience is any guide. I've killed more bb than everything else put together. But every year there is a great crop, just keep trying.

You also need good drainage and decent water holding capacity. I use a coarse compost because it is free and light weight. A mix that is mostly spaghnum peat moss will work.

fruitnut, i take it you're somewhere in northern tx? Do you ever add anything to your bb containers to keep the soil acidic? I take it you have certain amount of peat moss in those pots?

Blueberries are well suited to container gardening. I recommend using half high varieties as they tend to be smaller in stature. Good half high varieties to try are St. Cloud, Polaris, Northsky, North country, Chippewa and others. For best results purchase at least 2 varieties for cross pollination. This will result in better fruit set and increased berry size. The University of Minnesota has been very active in the development of half high varieties. More info. on them is available on the Minnesota Extension Service website.

A potting mix of 2 parts sphagnum peat to one part sand should be suitable. Some perlite can be added for drainage. You don't want the pots to become too dense or water logged.

Use soluble fertilizer formulated for Azaleas sparingly, especially the first 2 years.

Water with rainwater collected from a rain barrel if possible. Rainwater is naturally acidic and ideal for blueberries. If you have treated city water or a water softener it may cause problems. Well water can also be too alkaline for blueberries.

During the winter you should protect the pots in some way to keep them from turning into a frozen block. Roots do not tolerate extreme cold. Remember plants in containers frequently have most of their roots near the surface of the container. Sometimes called cage rooting.

You can overwinter them in an unheated structure but make sure to water them occasionally. Better yet dig a hole in your garden and place the pots in the ground for the winter. When spring arrives move them to the desired location or repot to larger containers if necessary.

Blueberries grow best in full sun but keep a close eye on soil moisture. Pots can dry out quickly and the plants will suffer. Larger pots provide the most protection.

Blueberries can be a little fussy but they are worth the effort. Good luck.

I've got "Northland" in a pot right now and it fruited last summer. Keep them in a garage or shed. Make sure you feed them with acidic fertilizers. Growing in pots is a good option for blueberries because they really like very acidic soil conditions, something not normally found in many gardens.

charleslou:

I'm in SW Texas at 4500ft elevation. I water with rainwater and use ammonium sulfate or complete controlled release fertilizer for acid loving plants. That is all that is needed after the media is 4.5 to 5 pH. My last bb had no peat moss, just the compost. I'm going to harvest several lbs off some plants in 4 gal pots at one year age. The plants were little sprigs when I bought them last April.

I won't put sand in my pots. It's too heavy and adds nothing but weight. My compost is coarse and drains very well. I also think it will be good for years of high production.

For three years I have had a couple Reka, a couple northcountry, and two Chippewas in pots. I used a mix of fir bark and peat in some of the pots and pure peat in others. The plants are doing well altho the northcountry seem to just sit there and not grow much. This winter the soil in the pots was frozen hard as a rock but they seem to be doing fine......so far.

They take more water than you might think, make sure you give them a good drink when they need it.

RM