The first thing a potted blueberry needs is an acidic mix.
After that you need a big pot, a second variety for a better crop, a steady watering habit and a sheltered spot for winter.
For one or two bushes on a patio, pick a small type, a pot of 10 gallons or more, and an acidic mix.
Why blueberries need an acidic mix
Blueberries want a soil pH in the range of 4.5 to 5.0, according to Wisconsin Horticulture. pH is a scale of how acidic a mix is, where lower means more acid. Oregon State allows up to 5.5.
Many soils in its state are too alkaline for that, Wisconsin points out. Its answer is to grow blueberries in a container filled with an acidic soilless mix (a mix with no soil in it).
Fill the pot with an acidic soilless mix, never garden soil.
Two recipes work:
- One part sphagnum peat moss and one part shredded pine bark.
- Two parts coir (shredded coconut husk), two parts sphagnum peat moss and one part perlite.
Either way, the mix should not contain lime or a high proportion of compost.
Garden soil is the one to avoid in any pot. It compacts and holds more water than roots can use, as the potting mix guide explains.
To see what is sold for blending your own, you can compare sphagnum peat moss on Amazon.
Heads up: some links on this page are affiliate links. Buying through them supports the site with a small commission and does not raise your price.
How big the pot needs to be
Half-high types (the shorter blueberry bushes) perform best in a 10-gallon or larger container, Oregon State says. The pot should have drain holes at the bottom.
You can start smaller, with a single bush in a five-gallon container. Move it to a 16 or 20 inch pot or a barrel as it matures.
Plan for a 10-gallon pot or bigger once the bush is established.
Avoid black pots, which absorb heat and lose moisture faster.
Types that stay small
Low bush and half-high types are the ones to look for.
They stay far shorter than the northern highbush type, which grows 6 to 7 feet high at maturity.
Swipe to see every variety →
| Top Hat | Northblue | Northcountry | Sunshine Blue | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Type | Low bush | Half-high | Half-high | – |
| Height | Up to 12 inches | Up to 3 feet | Up to 3 feet | 3 to 4 feet |
| Hardy to | Zone 5 | Zones 3 to 5 | Zones 3 to 5 | – |
Top Hat is the smallest at 12 inches, and Sunshine Blue is the largest at up to 4 feet.
A hardiness zone is a map rating of winter cold, and it describes a plant in the ground.
Plant two varieties
Most blueberries are self-fruitful, which means one bush can set fruit alone. Even so, growing more than one variety improves pollination and enhances yield and berry size.
Half-high types do not produce much fruit with self-pollination, so choose more than one half-high cultivar. A second variety in a separate container encourages cross-pollination, as long as both bloom at the same time.
Two varieties in two pots give a better crop than one.
Expect no berries the first year, and a full crop only after about five years, per Maryland.
Water the mix, ideally with rainwater
Blueberries are very sensitive to dry conditions, Maryland says, so keep the mix evenly moist: moist but not wet or soggy.
Pots dry out fast on a patio in summer. Where pots sit on hard surfaces, put them on bricks for drainage.
Collected rainwater is the best water for a blueberry pot. It typically isn’t as hard as well water and doesn’t have as high a pH.
Winter care
Blueberries go dormant in winter, and a pot needs more protection than the same bush in the ground.
Maryland says containers should sit in a sheltered location, protected from winter winds, from December to March.
An unheated, attached garage also worked for one Illinois Extension author. The pots were watered about every other month, the leaves dropped, and the plants came back in early spring.
If a pot can’t go in a garage, the guide to potted plants outside in winter covers wall placement and mulch.
Whichever route you take, keep the pot out of the wind until spring.
What to check in spring
Fertilize in early spring before leaves expand, with an acidic-based fertilizer and no nitrates or chlorides, Maryland says.
In early to mid-spring, check each bush for new growth as the weather warms, then move the pot into full sun.
