Sounds like a good idea. I amended my soil before planting a bunch of blueberries with peat. I replaced more than half of ph 7.5 soil. A year later, just recently, I tested the ph and it's now 7. I've considered digging them up and putting them in containers but they would freeze over winter from what I've read, as I do not have room in the garage for a dozen blueberry plants. I guess you lose 1 to 2 zones when potting a plant.

Ah fireduck, lol! That's an image off of google to use as an example of what I would like to do. Not my garden, though I wish it was!

cody, I believe that is the case if you have them in containers above ground (since the roots can freeze). I don't think it is the same if the pots are buried under the ground, so it should be ok.

As long as your soil drains reasonably well, that ought to work just fine. Alternatively, blueberries do very well in raised beds (or mounds) filled with a pine bark fines or a blend of bark and peat.

I have had three plants in raised beds for 4 years and they are exploding. Although even the ground pH reaches up into the beds, it's easier to knock back down, and stays low a long time.

How do you knock yours down? I added around 4 cu ft. of peat moss, along with a 6lb bag of soil acidifier by Epsoma, and a bag of cottonseed meal. I think I will have trouble because it is bordered by sidewalk and edger stones, and there are rocks mixed in the soil as well that I am trying to pick out O.o. On the up side it is a smaller area to work with, but I am just wondering how possible it is, and I will check the soil in the spring to see how much it all helped. I will be planting dwarfs.

i use every tool in the box. Sulfur, sulfuric acid, iron, and ammonium sulfate. All acidify soil. I would not even attempt it in ground. In ground is like adding 100 pounds of salt to Lake Michigan and expecting salt water. Hydrogen ions will be pulled out of the mix constantly by the basic surrounding soil.

Ahhh, I see. So if I do the containers in ground, How big/small a container would I need for a dwarf shrub? Can I make my own soil to go into it?

They will grow in any size, the bigger the better, but use what works for you. I'm a bad person to ask as my container blueberries are in 30 gallon pots. 15 would be good. Try to go 15.

Yes make your own soil, i do. You need peat and pine bark fines with some perlite. The 5-1-1 would work. No lime. I myself made mine with 3 parts pine, 1 part peat, 1 part perlite and 1 part diatomaceous earth (particles same size as perlite.

The potting mix ingredients that Drew mentioned are ideal for blueberries -- you're unlikely to find a premade mix that's even close to being appropriate, so I highly recommend making your own. As for container size, I have a few bushes in 15 gallon pots, but most are in 10 gallon pots (and those are full size highbush and rabbiteye bushes). Given your space constraints (that bed looks narrow in the photo) and the fact that you'll be growing a dwarf variety, you'd probably do just fine with something in the 7-gallon range.

Thanks all! This is very helpful! Can I add composted leaves to the soil mix too, and/or sand for drainage?

You can but light in the composted leaves, as they are tend to drive soils to neutral. The plants have to eat though Cottonseed meal, or any organic fertilizer is good too. I buy this compost in peat moss and I use that to top dress in the fall or spring. I also use Holly-Tone, and once a month give them some ammonium sulfate. I sometimes use AS more if a plant is stalled in growth.

Here are some of mine in pots

Southmoon

Blueberries · More Info

Sweetcrisp

Blueberries · More Info

Legacy

Blueberries · More Info

And in a raised bed

Chandler

Blueberries · More Info

Wow, those guys look so lush and green! Is Holly tone by Epsoma?

Another question is chill hours. I have had a hard time finding what mine are, I live in 5a, SE Wisconsin. I went to getchill.net, and entered in the data, and the results were even more confusing. Like which model should I follow?

Below 45 Model: 3995 chill hours
Between 45 and 32 Model: 1514 chill hours
Utah Model: 1438 chill units
Positive Utah Model: 1612 chill units
Dynamic Model: 100 chill portions


The variety I saw at my garden center I liked was Peach Sorbet and Jelly Bean.
I also was looking online at Top Hat and the Northblue dwarf.

The Peach Sorbet chill hours say 300 or less. Does that mean I can't grow this variety?
http://www.brazelberries.com/varieties/peach-sorbet

I think the problem with low chill plants in a high chill climate like yours is they will flower earlier and you will possibly lose those flowers to colder temperatures. Northern highbush are supposed to taste very good. I would just go with those types for your location.