Blueberries seem to have everything going for them. The plants look
beautiful, the fruit tastes delicious, they're almost always near the top
of the superfood list for health and nutrition… and the cool thing is
that you can grow them fairly easily in your back yard here in central
Texas.
Southern rabbit-eye blueberries are the type that we have in the South
because they require much less cold to set fruit than the highbush varie-
ties popular along the east coast.
The big hurdle that blueberry growers face is getting the pH right. To
be successful, the plants require very acidic soil, and our soil naturally
is alkaline.
To be more specific, blueberries require a pH of between 4.5 and 5.5.
Neutral is 7, and we are higher, between 7.8 and 8.2. With the plants
in containers, you have much more control over their conditions, and
the pH of the soil.
I am into my fourth season of growing them in pots and have had some
amazing crops during recent years. My tricks?
Use the right size containers and growing medium, correct watering
routines and fertilization, and making sure they have enough sun.
Blueberries need 8-10 hours of direct sun to grow properly, so a good
south or west exposure is best. Plant your new berries in a good soil-
less mix (I use Metro Mix) in at least a 20 gallon container. I use plastic
because it does not dry out as fast as clay and is easier to move when
necessary, although blueberries can stay out year round unprotected.
Water regularly, but do not overwater. Rain water is best, but I have
been able to get away with tap by keeping the soil very acidic. Because
blueberries don't have root-hairs they are sensitive to water fluctuations
and also to high nitrogen, fast-acting fertilizers.
Use only slow-release fertilizers for acid loving plants. I like Holly-
Tone, an organic fertilizer and have had great results with it.
Many southern rabbit-eye blueberries need a pollinator plant (different
variety) to set fruit successfully, but if you only have room for one,
Tifblue is your answer. It's reliably self-fruiting, tasty and performs
well in a container. Fruit ripens from May to July. Try tasting a berry
or two before harvesting because under-ripe fruit can be really tart.
Other varieties commonly found in the Austin area include Brightwell,
Climax and Austin. Tifblue is an effective pollinator for these blue-
berries because of its long bloom season and the others will also pollin-
ate each other since they bloom at roughly the same time. (These are
all in-stock at the nursery this week.)
Brightwell produces in June and July and has a heavy production. It
grows to a height of 6-8 feet and has good, quality fruit.
Climax is another popular variety. It's also a large producer, with
smaller berries arriving all at once near the end of May. I've been grow-
ing this one along with Tifblue for years with great success. I was able
to harvest several quarts from just a few plants last year and froze them
for use later in the year (what I didn’t eat harvesting that is!).
Lastly, Austin is one I have added to my collection this year. It's a
smaller blueberry, 4-5 feet instead of the normal 6-8, so it will be
happy with a slightly smaller container. Austin produces large blue-
berries and ripens a week or two before the others.
With a little work, blueberries can become one of your favorite back-
yard berries. They're thornless and easy to harvest, and are a good
beginner crop for everyone from adults to kids just getting into garden-
ing. I have enjoyed mine over the last several years and am looking
forward to another great crop this spring . . . with all of the wonderful
rain we have received. Happy Gardening Everyone!
Visit the website: