Hi, Groem - neat forum name. ;o) Lots of people have grown BBs in the 5:1:1 mix, and it does work very well. BBs are like potatoes - they like lots of moisture, but don't tolerate wet feet. I would probably use the gritty mix and plant them in very large containers, but that's just my personal preference. If you wanted to change it up to benefit your plants more, you could use a 5:2:1 mix of PBFs:Turface:peat, which would offer better water retention with no sacrifice in aeration/drainage or the ht of the PWT. The gaps in the boards won't do much to help drainage or aeration, but it won't hurt anything, either. It might be a good idea if you didn't let the roots escape into the surrounding soil through the container bottoms because it SOUNDS like there would prolly be some significant pH issues involved if that occurs, in your area. I've never heard that BBs don't like their roots being mauled. I don't grow them, but I have a lot of friends that do, and I've helped them (and a lot of others) manage their bushes. To date, it's the first time I heard that comment. *Root pruning is what it is, and WHAT it is, is a way for you to eliminate the crowded conditions and root problems that reduce growth/vitality/yields in your plants. There is no such thing as 'going to a bigger pot so I don't have to root prune". You HAVE to root prune to maintain plant health/growth in containers. There is no way around it, unless you ALWAYS pot up before roots get so tight the root mass & soil can be lifted from the container intact. Mess up once & ignore potting up, letting roots get tight beyond that point, & you need to go back to the asterisk above & reread. ;o) Here's how I would manage the Ca/Mg thing. Add gypsum when you make the soil. Then, include 1/2 tsp Epsom salts to the fertilizer solution each time you fertigate. If you leave the plants in the same soil for more than 2 years, reapply 1 tsp gypsum per gallon of soil in each subsequent year & keep using the Epsom salts. I would also get a pH test kit and determine how much vinegar or citric acid it takes to lower your tap water to a pH of about 4.5. Don't worry, as the water gives up it's CO2, the pH will rise by about .5 to around 5.0. You'll have really nice plants then. The 30-10-10 is much higher in N than it needs to be, so you might consider reducing your application rate & adding in a K supplement like Pro-TeKt 0-0-3, essentially turning your 3:1:1 fertilizer into a 3:1:2 ratio. Alternately, just use 24-8-16. The acid reaction in Miracid or azalea fertilizer (30-10-10) comes from the fact that the N source is urea. As urea breaks down, it releases H gas (the 'H' in pH) which lowers the pH of the soil solution and soil. 24-8-16 is ALSO an acid-forming fertilizer - they just don't put it on the label because they want you to think that 30-10-10 is essential to plants that do best at lower pHs - the dirty tricksters. Don't use fertilizers that get their N from nitrate sources, including FP fertilizers, (I hope our fertilizer watchdog heard that) and please don't add fertilizers that contain urea at mean temps below 55* - to guard against ammonium toxicity. Lol I don't particularly like adding S to container media to reduce pH because there is already enough S in the soil. All proteins contain SOME S, many fertilizers contain sulfates, and acid rain also provides it. You'll probably be using MgSO4 (Epsom salts) which also supplies sulfate. Sulfur under anaerobic conditions produces H2S (hydrogen sulfide) gas that is toxic to plants. It's better to manage pH by managing the pH of the soil solution - which is the most important consideration for container culture. Ruth - the soil (gritty mix) will assuredly hold up for 3 years or longer. Let root congestion be your guide to when repotting is appropriate. Click me to go to another good thread about blueberries. .... and if you're still interested, you can click on me, too. Al

Same here. I've got 2 bluecrop in containers and they are abotu 3ft or more tall now, they were little sticks this spring. I'm either burying mine in the ground and mulching or putting them in the garage. I don't trust leaving them outside unprotected. I did this once with container strawberries and ended up killing them.

Here in Madison, Wisconsin, where I live, our blueberry shrubs are all in the ground. We have a wide range of temperature, across the seasons, and I suspect that potted shrubs would be subjected to multiple freeze/thaw cycles, in the fall, during the winter, and possibly in the spring. I don't think this would be good for the health of the shrub. In the ground, at least the roots are kept on a more even temperature, since the ground temperature does not swing back and forth as much as the atmosphere. Also, the blueberry shrubs don't have to be watered as often. During drought conditions, typically August, I will water them twice a week if the drought is severe(the lawn is brown, not green).

I'd bring it indoors. Give it a sunny spot and keep it watered, including misting it once or twice a week, and it'll do just fine. Take it back out after last frost.