I recently bought six blueberry plants from Amazon, and I'm a bit unsure about their care. Our soil is heavy clay, and the only available spot for planting is on the north side of our house, which isn't ideal for sunlight. However, I do have blackcurrants and gooseberries in that area. I'm planning to put the blueberries in pots with a peat-based compost mixed with clover and a bit of sharp sand. Our water has a moderately hard pH of 7.5, and apart from collecting rainwater, I don't really want to invest in a reverse osmosis unit. The varieties I have are New Hanover, Ozark Blue, and Blue Ray. Can anyone reassure me that these blueberries will do well in tubs? Should I plant them directly in their pots, or is it better to start them in slightly larger plant pots in my greenhouse?
3 Answers
You'll be totally fine with blueberries in the right-sized pots! Just make sure to use ericaceous soil for the best results.
I've got mine in large pots and they're thriving! Make sure to use ericaceous compost and feed them regularly, and they'll do just great. Keep in mind, they might be sensitive to your tap water but they should bounce back well, especially with some UK rainfall. They don’t need to be soaking wet, just well-drained. You could even look into adjusting the soil pH over time with elemental sulfur if needed.
Those pots sound perfect, especially if you don’t mind going a bit larger next year! My blueberries are in generous pots too and they look amazing this year. Plus, your UK weather should help quite a bit with natural rainwater.