Not every fruit lover has their own garden with large beds for growing berries. All the better that many types of berries can also be cultivated wonderfully in pots and harvested on the balcony or terrace.
Which berries can you grow in a container and how do you care for them?
Berries in pots thrive if they have sufficiently large planters with humus-rich, permeable substrate. Popular varieties include strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, cultivated blueberries, goji berries, gooseberries and currants. Make sure there is sufficient fertilization and protection in winter.
Basic rules for growing berries in containers
Basically, many types of berries can be cultivated in pots quite easily. Popular berry varieties for growing in pots include (among others):
- Strawberries
- Raspberries
- Blackberries
- Cultivated blueberries
- Goji Berries
- Gooseberries
- currants
While raspberries and blackberries generally need a climbing aid, currants and gooseberries in particular should be cut back very regularly and thus rejuvenated. The planters should be sufficiently large for growing berries in buckets 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 pot area. Berry bushes are more exposed to the effects of temperature, sunlight and wind than specimens planted outdoors, so they require a little more care.
Fertilize 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. Specialist retailers stock a variety of fertilizer types that are specifically 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 a bucket, as this can be easily dosed into the irrigation water and ensures an even supply of nutrients.
Be careful in winter
Although berry bushes can generally overwinter outdoors without any problems, even in very cool locations, the winter period can be a problem for berries in pots. This is not just because all potted plants are more exposed to the winter cold in the 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 lead to a premature start to the new growth phase in spring. That's why strawberries in the pot in particular should be placed in partial shade if possible and thus protected from excessive temperature differences during winter rest.
Tip
Gooseberries and currants grafted onto standard stems look particularly decorative as potted plants, but they are also somewhat more sensitive than counterparts in natural bush form. In order not to endanger the harvest the following year, these plants should be wrapped with a protective garden fleece in winter.
