Growing Blueberries in Your Garden

These shrubs tick all the boxes with their pretty flowers in spring, delicious fruit in summer and good autumn foliage colour.

If you have acidic soil (ericaceous) then plant them in the ground. Many blueberries are self-fertile but benefit from bigger fruit if two or more plants are grown. If not, they make great container plants – use a loam-based John Innes ericaceous compost and incorporate controlled-release fertiliser pellets such as Miracle-Gro for acid loving plants (or alternatively use a liquid fertiliser for ericaceous plants) to feed them during the growing season. Keep the compost moist but not waterlogged. It is best to grow blueberries in a sheltered position in sun or part shade, and protect the container over winter by wrapping with bubble wrap. Late spring frosts can damage the flowers so it is beneficial to wrap horticultural fleece around the plant for protection.