Blueberry season feels too short. Yes, berries from other countries are kept in stock for a few more months, but nothing beats the fresh ones from your own area. If you enjoyed tasting blueberries straight from the bush, you know there’s no comparison. Fortunately, you can have that experience from the comfort of your own home. Growing blueberries indoors may sound like a pipe dream, but it’s actually easier than you think. You don’t have to go to a farmer’s market to get fresh, local berries. All you need is the right variety, soil, and lighting, as well as some time and care.
The Complete Guide to Growing Blueberries Indoors
For berry lovers without ample backyard space, growing blueberries indoors provides a novel solution to enjoy fresh homegrown berries year-round. With the right variety, conditions, and care, blueberries can thrive indoors as compact fruiting plants. This article covers everything you need to know about successfully growing blueberries as houseplants.
Choosing a Variety for Indoor Growing
Not all blueberry varieties are well-suited to indoor cultivation. The large highbush types can reach 6 feet tall and wide, making them impractical for most indoor settings. Lowbush, wild blueberry varieties and dwarf cultivars are more compact choices ideal for indoor growing.
Some top indoor variety options include:
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Top Hat – A dwarf variety under 2 feet tall perfect for containers
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Northsky – A lowbush type that grows just 1-2 feet tall. Extremely cold hardy.
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Northblue – Another small lowbush variety that yields well. Grows around 3 feet tall.
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Sunshine Blue – A semi-dwarf cultivar reaching about 4 feet tall.
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Jelly Bean – A dwarf variety under 2 feet tall. Produces petite, sweet berries.
When selecting plants, choose those that are at least 1-2 years old to speed fruiting. Growing two varieties close together improves pollination and fruit set.
Preparing the Right Potting Mix
Blueberries need acidic, well-draining soil with a pH between 4.5-5.0. Create an ideal potting mix by combining equal parts peat moss and acidic potting soil formulated for azaleas or rhododendrons. Or use a premixed ericaceous potting media tailored for acid-loving plants like blueberries.
Choose a container at least 12-15 inches deep. Shallow pots dry out too quickly. Make sure the pot has drainage holes. Place crocks or stones in the base before filling with potting mix to improve drainage.
Caring for Indoor Blueberry Plants
To keep indoor blueberries happy and productive, attend to these key care needs:
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Light – Blueberries require at least 6 hours of direct sun daily. Provide ample sunlight by a bright window or with grow lights.
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Water – Keep soil consistently moist but not saturated. Blueberries are prone to drying out.
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Fertilizer – Feed monthly with an acidic fertilizer made for blueberries. Avoid over-fertilizing.
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Temperature – Some chilling hours below 45°F are needed to initiate flowering and fruiting.
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Pruning – Remove low, dense growth to open up the plant and promote air circulation.
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Pollination – Hand pollination with a small brush may be needed to maximize fruit set indoors.
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Pest control – Inspect regularly for common pests like aphids, scale, and mealybugs.
With proper care, indoor blueberry plants will reward you with an abundance of antioxidant-rich, super sweet berries! Tending to blueberries as houseplants does require diligence, but the payoff of homegrown berries makes it worth the effort.
Tips for Getting the Best Yields
Here are some additional tips to maximize fruit production from indoor blueberry plants:
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Choose early season varieties as these tend to be the most productive as container plants.
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Renew potting mix annually or use slow release fertilizer to maintain fertility.
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Provide maximum sunlight exposure and proper lighting to encourage flower bud development.
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Prune judiciously to open up interior branches and increase air flow for better pollination and disease resistance.
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Control pests promptly to prevent damage to buds and developing fruit. Sticky traps help monitor for pests.
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Hand pollinate using a small brush to transfer pollen from flower to flower if fruit set seems low.
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Add mycorrhizal fungi to the potting mix to boost root health and promote bigger, tastier berries.
Enjoying the Fruits of Your Labor
One of the best perks of growing blueberries indoors is having access to fresh, ripe berries whenever you crave them. Here are some ways to make the most of your indoor berry harvest:
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Snack on berries straight from the plant for a sweet burst of flavor. Ripe berries will easily detach when gently pulled.
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Freeze excess berries to preserve them for smoothies, pancakes, muffins, and other baked treats.
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Blend berries into homemade jam, sauce, or syrup to enjoy year-round. Blueberry chutney also pairs nicely with meats.
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Mix fresh blueberries into yogurt, oatmeal, or cereal for a nutrition-packed breakfast.
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Whip up blueberry lemonade, margaritas, or mocktails for a fun, fruity beverage.
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Make antioxidant-rich face masks and hair treatments using pureed blueberries.
With proper care and patience, you can succeed in growing bucketfuls of flavorful blueberries indoors to enjoy fresh or preserved in sweet and savory dishes all year long.
How to Grow Blueberries Inside Your House
For indoor gardens, choose a smaller variety like lowbrush or dwarf blueberries. Their size makes them easy to grow in pots. Still, make sure the pots are big and at least 18 inches deep so the roots have room to grow and spread. Popular choices include:
- Northern highbush (Vaccinium corymbosum): This is the most common and useful shrub for cold places. Some cultivars are “Bluecrop,” “Blueray,” “Herbert,” “Jersey,” “Meader,” “Berkley,” “Coville,” and “Darrow.” ’.
- Half-high: As the name suggests, this is a cross between highbrush and lowbrush, with slightly less sweet buds. Cultivars include: ‘North Country‘, ”Northblue’, ‘Northland,’ and ‘Top Hat. ’ .
- Rabbiteye bushes (Vaccinium virgatum) can get up to 15 feet tall and usually grow in warmer places. Cultivars include: ‘Powderblue’, ‘Woodard’, ‘Brightwell’, ‘Pink Lemonade,’ and ‘Delite. ’.
- The southern highbush is a hybrid of Vaccinium corymbosum and Vaccinium darrowii. In warmer places, it can grow up to 6 or 8 feet tall. Cultivars include: ‘Golf Coast,’ ‘Misty,’ and ‘Ozarkblue. ’.
- This type, called lowbush (Vaccinium angustifolium), grows best in cold places and is also called wild blueberry. (There are no named cultivars. ) [1].
When you go garden shopping, look for soil that is very acidic. If you want to use regular potting soil, you should add acidic things like peat moss. You may also find soil mixes made specially for blueberries. The best time to plant is in the spring or late fall. Read: People Are Floored After Figuring Out What the White Dots on Strawberries Are.
The tricky part of growing plants indoors is ensuring the containers get enough sunlight. Also, blueberries need about 6 to 8 hours of sunlight every day, just like other fruits, so you might need to keep moving the containers around. Don’t have a sunny spot in your house? You might want to get a grow light. Inadequate lighting is a common reason why blueberry plants fail. So, if the plant seems healthy but shows no flowers or berries, it probably needs more sunlight. Additionally, these bushes can overheat, so you may want to remove them from direct sunlight during hot afternoons.
Insufficient light isn’t the only common mistake that comes with growing blueberries. If you want these plants to be healthy and produce lots of fruit, you need to give them a lot of water. Keep the soil moist but not too wet. To maintain this balance, ensure the soil and container drain well. To help the water drain, you can also put a few inches of pebbles on the bottom of the basket. Meanwhile, check the soil every few days. The top section of the soil should feel moist but not drenched. But if it feels dry, add some water. Check frequently to prevent the soil from becoming too dry. Blueberries are sensitive to their water levels, so they often need more supervision than other plants. [2]Read: 8 Gardening Hacks That Will Help Flowers, Veggies, And Fruit Flourish.
If you want to grow blueberries, remember this simple fact: they only need to be fertilized twice a year, in the spring and the fall. Use a fertilizer intended for berries or fruits, or dilute a regular fertilizer to half of its potency. You don’t want to overdo it.
To bear fruit, grow at least two blueberry plants next to each other so they can pollinate. Remember to put separate plants into separate containers so that they can all grow evenly. In general, the more the plants, the bigger the harvest. If you do decide to plant different kinds, make sure they can cross-pollinate with each other and bloom around the same time.
If you put the plants outside, just keep them close together. The bugs and weather will take care of the rest. But if they are inside, you must cross-pollinate manually during the growing season. First rub the flower of the first plant with a Q-tip or something similar. Then rub the flower of the second plant with the same tool. Do this frequently to increase the likelihood of a good haul at the end of the season. You should know that some types of plants can pollinate themselves, so ask the botanist at your local garden center what kind you are buying.
In general, blueberry plants need a few months of cooler weather to rest before they bloom again. (However, this preference depends on the variety, so do your research before adjusting their temperatures and locations. For blueberries grown inside, this could mean moving the pots to a room that is a little cooler, or even to a garage or cellar. Some types can make it through the winter outside as long as they are protected from the wind. In either case, monitor the plants closely to ensure they aren’t suffering from the temperatures. Read: 5 Reasons You Should Start Freezing Blueberries.
How to Grow Blueberries Indoors
FAQ
Do blueberries grow well in pots?
How many years does it take for a blueberry bush to produce fruit?
Can I bring my blueberry plant inside for the winter?
Can you grow blueberry bushes in the house?
Can blueberries grow indoors?
“Top Hat” varieties are the most popular options for indoor growing since it’s a dwarf blueberry bush that only reaches a height of 24 inches. It works well in warm climates. “Northsky” is a lowbush blueberry variety that can grow in the cold and reaches a height of 18 inches. “Northblue” is another is a lowbush blueberry.
Can you grow blueberries in containers?
There are even dwarf cultivars that are meant to live in containers. Can you grow blueberries indoors? You can grow blueberries indoors as long as you are able to meet the needs of the plant. The two most important factors are the getting enough chill hours for your chosen cultivar and providing lots of direct sunlight every day.
Can you grow Dwarf blueberries indoors?
Here are some of the most common dwarf blueberries you can grow indoors: “Top Hat” varieties are the most popular options for indoor growing since it’s a dwarf blueberry bush that only reaches a height of 24 inches. It works well in warm climates. “Northsky” is a lowbush blueberry variety that can grow in the cold and reaches a height of 18 inches.
Can a blueberry plant grow in a window?
The best location is usually a south-facing window that receives as much direct sunlight as possible. A blueberry plant may survive indoors without receiving enough sunlight, but it will most likely not produce fruit. If your home does not have a sunny location, consider using a grow light for your blueberry plant.
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