Newbie, Container blueberry questions

8 years ago

Hi :)

Hoping I can get a few newbie questions answered for my blueberries.

I planted a Emerald and a Duke blueberry bush in a 18" container and they have so far been doing well. I discovered today that the Emerald blueberry is a zone 8 and I live in zone 6. Should I remove the Emerald blueberry plant from the pot? I was planning on leaving the pot outside all year long. Or should I just leave it alone and then just bring the pot inside for the winter? Also, I have no idea how old they are, should I be pruning or something? Sorry for the lack of knowledge, I did search around the forums for knowledge, but age seems to be a factor. The one on the left is the Duke and the right the Emerald. birds I think, ate all the blueberries from the Duke :(

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (5)

fruitnut Z7 4500ft SW TX
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
You won't be able to bring it inside where it's warm. Duke requires a lot of chilling that it won't get inside the house. But the pot could be kept in an unheated garage provided it stays in 30s and 40s all winter. In fact Emerald will need that protection. Outside all winter in a pot and it will probably be damaged.

They don't need pruning right now but will later. Emerald is a spreading vigorous plant and if it gets going will try to crowd out Duke. But Duke does have a big head start.
joni thanked fruitnut Z7 4500ft SW TX
joni
Original Author
8 years ago
Thank you for your reply. It does get pretty cold here in Cleveland during the winters. Our garage most likely gets colder than 30 to 40. Will covering with a blanket help if it gets below those temps? Last question, sorry. Do you think I should replant them in a bigger container or will the current pot be sufficient? I don't really want something so big that it will be hard for me to move for winter. Thanks again for your advice and help!!
Related Discussions
Blueberry in container - some questions
Q
Comments (1)
Repot next spring while still dormant. Prune in late winter or before buds move - about the time you repot. Al
...See More
newbie potted blueberry question about fertilizer
Q
Comments (24)
Wow... good point Al. I totally forgot about that. *whoosh* OW - Don't you mean.. lower to 6? If you have a way to directly measure the pH, then it doesn't really matter what kind of water you use. Just add the vinegar or acetic acid until you get the desired pH for the irrigation water. If you don't want to mess with the irrigation water, and you're okay with an imprecise change, you could use acidified cotton burr compost. It contains sulfur that is at least partially metabolized, and is often used as an acidifying soil amendment for Roses and Azaleas. It's commonly used both in the ground, and in containers. I don't know much about it, but you can find plenty of information online. I'm confused, are soil from your land in the containers? Or do you also want to try growing blueberries in the ground, and want to acidify the soil quickly? If you're using raised beds and adding a lot of new soil / amendments, most good nurseries sell an Azalea or Rose bedding mix that is fairly acidic. The quick fix is ammonium sulfate, but it's extremely hard for the non-professional to use properly, and is very detrimental to your soil biology. No amendment or product can really change your soil's pH permanently - you have to keep treating it at least every season.
...See More
[Newbie] Container Soil Question [Newbie]
Q
Comments (6)
Check out the earthtainer construcion guide for some mix info for a self watering planter, or just search container mix. Most will be a soil-less mix, there are a ton of great threads on here regarding container mixes, fertilization, and also water movement/retention. The poster above "Al" has some very informative and detailed explanations. It seems like gardening is such a varied and expansive topic that searches very rarely yield a simple, direct clear answer to a question. The answers I have found have been partly from searches, partly from posting a question, and partly from reading older posts ( sometimes not directly related to my original question ). There is an enormous wealth of knowledge here, take advantage of it, I did and have learned alot.
...See More
couple more blueberry container questions
Q
Comments (23)
JAG, can you elaborate on the idea that pH is not as important for blueberries in pots as in the ground? Al, do you concur? Yes - I do. Mineral soils in general hold nutrients much more tightly than the highly organic soils we grow in. If you'll consider: Even the gritty mix I often use is still highly organic at 2/3 inert ingredients: 1/3 (33%) bark as compared to the sandy soils the BBs are usually grown in with an extremely low organic component (usually Fertilizers affect media solution pH and make it easier/more difficult for certain types of plants to extract nutrients from soil solutions. Often, the plants themselves add ions to the solutions to actually change solution pH and make it easier for the plant to take up ions. The fertilizers we would want to use for blueberries will have an acidifying effect due to the ammonium nitrogen content. Fertilizers that form acids will be high in ammonium, ammonia, and urea. During nitrification, ammonium is converted to nitrate in the media, and in the process H is released which lowers pH. Plants also secrete H into the media whenever they absorb ammonium. Fertilizers containing nitrate in the form of calcium/potassium/magnesium/sodium nitrate all tend to cause an alkaline reaction and raise container solution pH. Although the most important factor in where media solution pH will fall is the alkalinity of the irrigation (which includes the fertilizers added) solution, it's not the only factor. We need to not only consider the fertilizer, but also the pH of the medium components, the liming materials used in the medium, and the pH/alkalinity of the irrigation water before adding fertilizers. Finally, the gritty mix should be fine for BBs if you use gypsum as a Ca source. You'll need to water fairly frequently if you use it, though. Turface and granite are both mildly acidic, and the bark will be around pH 4.5-5.0. Al
...See More
drew51 SE MI Z5b/6a
8 years ago
You can leave them in that size container, but I would get another so one plant per container.
Put them as far in the garage as possible, near a house wall. All you can do. A blanket will not help. Keep them moist, not wet during the winter. The plants will not drink much, so you end up watering about once a month. Yes Emerald is not a good choice for your location. If you lose it Cara's Choice, or any blueberries in the brazel berry series make good plants for pots.
http://www.raintreenursery.com/BrazelBerries/
Although you can grow any cultivar in a pot.
joni thanked drew51 SE MI Z5b/6a
fruitnut Z7 4500ft SW TX
8 years ago
joni:

Your garage should work fine. They'll get enough chilling in there. And I'd agree one per pot would be easier. You really need two plants that will bloom together. Emerald will bloom much earlier than Duke and both probably need another variety for pollination. Emerald sets almost nothing unless pollinated via bees and another variety. That could be why it didn't fruit this yr.
joni thanked fruitnut Z7 4500ft SW TX
joni
Original Author
8 years ago
Thanks for the advice everyone. I have been reading on a and off all day about blueberries, strawberries and raspberries. Its all so overwhelming, lol. I'm taking the advice and splitting the bushes into separate pots within the next few days. The garage is not connected to our house, so no house wall available. I do have a 3 season room with no heat that might work better so they don't get too cold.

@fruitnut..the Emerald did fruit this year (on right side of pic) but the berries are still green, The berries on the Duke (on the left) disappeared. Woke up yesterday morning and my grandson went out to check on the plant and all the ripe berries were gone. From reading in these forums, I assume the birds got them.

Thanks again :)

Newbie, Container blueberry questions

Comments (5)

fruitnut Z7 4500ft SW TX

joni
Original Author

Related Discussions

drew51 SE MI Z5b/6a

fruitnut Z7 4500ft SW TX

joni
Original Author

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

Newbie, Container blueberry questions

Comments (5)

fruitnut Z7 4500ft SW TX

joniOriginal Author

Related Discussions

drew51 SE MI Z5b/6a

fruitnut Z7 4500ft SW TX

joniOriginal Author

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

joni
Original Author

joni
Original Author