Keeping with the dwarf fruit and vegetable theme started Tuesday, I came across an article in the Seattle Times about dwarf blueberry varieties well suited to being grown in containers.
The first variety mentioned is ‘Sunshine Blue’ and grows up to 4 feet tall and produced 10 pounds (!) of fruit when mature. In May it produces a profusion of hot pink flowers, and is followed by ripe fruit in July and August.
Even smaller than Sunshine Blue is a variety called ‘Top Hat,’ which grows to be only 18 inches high, and is covered in fruit all summer long.
Blueberries are sold bare root in the Spring and some mail order nurseries will also ship them in the fall.
Most varieties need to be near another blueberry plant to cross-pollinate in order to do their absolute best. They also like acidic soil with actively decomposing matter, so an Azalea potting mix with a little bit of wood mulch mixed in would be perfect. Do not use fertilizer with nitrate in it, as it is deadly to blueberries. For more complete blueberry care instructions, click here.
Here are more balcony-sized plants:
Photo by Shelly & Dave
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Great tip– I had no idea blueberries could be container plants. (though I’m not sure I could successfully keep container watered in rain-free L.A….)
Liz–Many varieties of blueberries actually do better in pots than in the ground!
I am looking for those varieties. It will be great to have fresh blueberries in the summer.
Jen
I wish I could grow them here!
Eric–There are varieties of Blueberries that were specifically bred to be grown in the South. I remember reading about them when I was researching this post. If I remember correctly, they have been bred to withstand hot, humid summers and don’t need as cold a chilling period as most Blueberries.
Hold on…let me google for a sec, I bet I can find them again…
Okay, according to this article from the University of Florida, two varieties of blueberries are well suited to Florida, Southern Highbush (interspecific hybrids of V. darrowi, V. ashei and V. corymbosum)and Rabbiteye (Vaccinium ashei). The article says that the best time to plant them in your region is mid-December to February, so I bet good local nurseries would carry cultivars well suited to your location during that time.
Thanks for the azalea mix tip! We planted some bare roots in our school garden in May and they’re still really puny. I probably didn’t help with the fertilizer that I just learned they don’t like! Oh well, there’s always next year