Not every fruit lover has his own garden with large beds for growing berries. All the better that many berry varieties can also be cultivated wonderfully in tubs and harvested on the balcony or terrace.

Strawberries also bear plenty of fruit in the tub

Basic rules for growing berries in containers

In principle, many berry varieties can be cultivated in a bucket without any problems. Popular berry varieties for growing in pots include (among others):

  • strawberries
  • raspberries
  • blackberries
  • cultivated blueberries
  • Goji berries
  • gooseberries
  • currants

While raspberries and blackberries usually need a climbing aid, currants and gooseberries in particular should be pruned very regularly and thus rejuvenated. The planters should be large enough for growing berries in the bucket and filled with humus-rich, permeable substrate. Since all berry bushes are sensitive to waterlogging, drainage holes and, if possible, a drainage layer should be provided in the lower part of the pot. Berry bushes are more exposed to the effects of temperature, sunlight and wind than outdoor specimens, so they also require a bit more maintenance.

Fertilize the berries in the pot sufficiently

Unfortunately, outside of the harvest season, it is often forgotten that the berry bushes depend on an adequate supply of nutrients for their growth and a rich harvest. The specialist trade has a large number of types of fertilizer that are specially tailored to the needs of berry bushes. However, the plants can of course also be supplied with nutrients through regular repotting and the addition of mature compost. As a rule, liquid fertilizer is used when growing berries in buckets, as this can be easily dosed via the irrigation water and ensures an even supply of nutrients.

Be careful in winter

Although berry bushes can usually be overwintered outdoors without any problems even in very cool locations, the winter time can become a problem for berries in pots. This is not only because all potted plants are more exposed to the winter cold in a pot than plants that are rooted in a protective layer of soil in the garden bed. Potted plants are also exposed to greater temperature fluctuations in their locations on the balcony or terrace, which can cause the new growth phase to start prematurely in spring. Strawberries in particular should therefore be in the semi-shade in the bucket if possible and thus protected from excessive temperature differences during the hibernation.

tips

Gooseberries and currants grafted on clear stems look particularly decorative as container plants, but they are also somewhat more sensitive than their natural shrub counterparts. In order not to endanger the harvest in the following year, these plants should be wrapped in a protective garden fleece in winter.

Category:

Vegetable garden