Growing blueberries in containers

Steve and Val Bradley reveal their top tips for growing this popular ‘super fruit’

- Steve and Val Bradley

BLUEBERRIES are not only extremely tasty, but they have also been dubbed one of the best ‘super fruits’. They contain antioxidants, vitamins and minerals that are claimed to have great health benefits, and are at their best picked straight from the plant rather than shipped halfway round the world.

Acid lovers

While blueberries are widely available and very popular to grow at home, wonderful as they are, the problem is that these plants have very specific growing requirements. In order to thrive and crop well, they must have acidic soil/compost conditions and a pH between 4.5 and 5.5.

pH problems

As most gardens in Britain have neutral to alkaline soil with a pH much higher than 5.5, very few are suitable without some help. Changing the pH of the soil can involve a huge amount of preparation and the big problem is that if the surrounding area is still alkaline, the selected area will gradually become alkaline again due to a combination of rain and lateral water movement. This means the root zone of these plants will need to be treated with yellow sulphur on an annual basis to keep the pH at an acceptable level. In addition, they need regular feeding with the type of ericaceous fertiliser recommended for camellias and rhododendrons.