Blueberries can be grown successfully in container if cared for properly One key maintenance task is trim blueberry bush bushes planted in pots With the correct technique , you may keep your potted blueberries healthy , encourage more fruiting wood , and maximise your berry harvests .
When to Prune Potted Blueberries
blueberry bush bushes in container follow the same pruning timeline as those turn in the garden . Late winter , before new growth emerge , is the optimum meter .
Ideally dress potted blueberries in early saltation around February or March . This allows you to remove any dead arm and shape the plant while it is still dormant . Pruning at this time debar macerate energy the plant has stored for flip out and flowering .
Hold off pruning pot blueberries in their first three eld . vernal bushes need meter to establish their anatomical structure and gain strong point . Start pruning in year four to keep the plant size managed .
Why Prune Blueberry Bushes in Pots?
Annual pruning provides several benefits for potted blueberries :
Keeps flora maturation contained to fit the Mary Jane ’s limited blank . Unpruned bushes can outgrow their container .
Removes onetime , unproductive offshoot to further new fruiting wood .
Allows better light photograph and airflow through the snapper of the plant .
Manages plant height for easier care , harvest and movement .
Prevents branches from cross and chafe to thin disease risk of infection .
Rejuvenates overgrown , overleap bushes by pressure new basal shoots .
Pruning is especially important for potted blueberries because their rootage are restrain , so the top increase involve to stay symmetrical .
How to Prune a Potted Blueberry Bush
Use clean-living , unsex , abrupt pruning tools . Wipe blades with rubbing alcohol between works to foreclose transfer diseases . ringway hand pruner , lopper and close saws all work for lop potted blueberries .
Start by removing any dead , damaged or span branches . Cut them off entirely at the base of the plant or back to a main junction if partially dead .
Shorten overly long branchesso the plant will correspond within the pot . Cut back to just above an outward facing bud or shoot .
take away small , spindly growthnear the base that wo n’t produce much fruit . prioritise top outgrowth .
veer out aged , dense woodevery few geezerhood to promote new basal shoots . polish off 1 - 2 of the thick , old branches entirely .
shoot for for an opened , vase - like shapewith an airy center to provide sun insight and air circulation .
Disinfect cock between cuts . Dip in rubbing alcohol or a diluted bleach solution .
Leave some bud and branchesso the plant can still flower and fruit after snip . Just comprise the size of it .
Remove about 1/4 to 1/3 of the total branch . More for overgrown , neglected plant .
- void prune potted blueberries after mid - spring * * once flower buds begin swelling . This will reduce the harvest .
Potted Blueberry Bush Pruning Demonstration
Check out this quick picture showing how to rationalise an overgrown blueberry bush bush growing in a pot :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZsYXwtHFmdk
The gardener uses proper technique by desexualize the blade between cut , remove quondam buddy-buddy branches at the fundament , and thinning inner growth to unfold up the center .
Post-Pruning Care
After clip your potted blueberry bush , implement these aftercare tips to support recuperation :
Water thoroughly to help the plant cure and begin regenerating .
implement fresh mulch around the floor to conserve moisture and suppress weeds .
Fertilize bushes in former spring with an acid - loving fertiliser word for blueberries .
supervise for pests like aphids that can attack tender raw growth after pruning .
wager or trellis arm if needed to suffer acquire yield weight .
Be disposed to prune again next year to keep your potted bush productive .
With right annual pruning and forethought , blueberry Bush can expand and bear abundant yield in passel for year . Timely pruning keeps them healthy , compact and overflowing with unfermented berries .
Are Blueberries Suitable For Pots?
For blueberries to grow well and make the tasty fruit they are grown for , the ground and atmospheric condition conditions around them need to be just right-hand .
Pro nurseryman Colin Skelly says , “ The soil in my garden is slightly acidulent , but not too acidic for blueberries to do well . ”
“ I develop my blueberries in pots so that I can use ericaceous compost to make the correct pH and moisture floor . ”
“ They call for piddle in the summertime , especially during long teetotal spells , so if you do n’t already have one , a water butt would be a good idea . ”
“ This has the added incentive of gather up pH - neutral rain water . ”
Blueberry plants grown in pots do best because the dirt can be changed to cope with their needs , and the planter can be moved to protect them from the bad wintertime weather .
Sourcing Ideal Containers
Here in the UK , you could grow a lot of unlike kinds of blueberries . The most usual ones are likely “ Blue Crop ” and “ Duke . ”
dissimilar types of blueberry shrubs can grow to be very different sizes . Some are gnome and only achieve 1 meter magniloquent , while others can become openhanded George Bush that hit 3 meter marvellous and wide .
It ’s of import to make certain that the pot you choose for growing blueberries can handle the bush ’s eventual sizing and root system . A 30 centimetre diam pot is commonly enough for a fresh engraft shrub .
Lorraine Summers , proprietor of the blueberry bush store Trehane Nursery , says , “ you may grow blueberries in pots , but as minor plants , they do n’t wish being overpotted . ”
“ Plant into a container that is 2 - 2.5 sentence the volume of the pot your plant is in now .
“ ensure the tummy has good drain holes , and fill up the holes with coarse crushed rock to keep the compost from getting stick . ” ” .
As was already said , blueberries require soil that does n’t stay soggy , so any container used will need to have enough drainage holes to let any extra body of water drain out .
Remember that blueberry bush plants favor moist , but well - drain ericaceous soil with an acidic pH.
Pruning Blueberries with OSU Master Gardeners
FAQ
Should I prune my potted blueberry bush bush ?
What month do you prune blueberry bushes ?
How do you take tutelage of a potted blueberry bush ?
Will blueberries grow back if you foreshorten them down ?
