11 Best Containers and Pots for Growing Berries
Do you want to grow juicy and delicious berries this year? Try growing these nutritious and easy-to-grow plants in your favorite containers. In this article, plant expert Matt Dursum dives into the best containers and pots for growing berries.
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Berries are tiny fruits that are full of flavor and nutrients. Botanically, a berry is any fruit that develops from a single ovary, such as blueberries and currants. Under that classification, cucumbers, grapes, and citrus are technical ‘berries.’
In the culinary and gardening world, we consider berries any small, juicy fruit that has seeds. They don’t have a pit or stone and are usually brightly colored, sour, and full of tannins in their skins. These include popular edibles, such as blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, and gooseberries.
The best thing about growing common berries, other than their supreme deliciousness, is their easy-to-grow nature. They’ll flourish in several types of containers, even the most surprising ones. Below are the 11 best containers and pots for berries and which species work best in them.
Grow Bags
Grow bags are the perfect portable containers for growing berries in small spaces. They come in several sizes, from 5 gallons to 65 gallons. No matter what species of berry you want to grow, grow bags will provide the perfect growing environment.
Small berries such as strawberries will thrive in 5-gallon bags. Raspberries and gooseberries in 15-gallon sizes. The 65-gallon sizes will hold the largest blackberry blushes or several smaller species together.
High-quality grow bags are made from BPA-free materials. They are lined to keep moisture in the soil while providing plenty of aeration. Place larger sizes in one location in your garden. With smaller bags, you can relocate your berries easily if they need more sun or if you don’t like their location.
Hanging Baskets
Hanging baskets are perfect vertical gardening containers for strawberries. These sweet and nutritious perennials are easy to maintain and produce tons of bright red fruit. They grow best in well-drained soil that’s slightly acidic and rich in organic material.
Once they mature in hanging baskets, they’ll shoot out long branches like vines. You can let them hang or train them on other baskets, shelves, or trees. Hang your baskets outside to create a beautiful edible garden above your porch or indoors in a well-lit kitchen area.
Hanging baskets come in a huge variety of sizes and designs. Most are made from UV-resistant plastic and have clips that make them easy to hang. Find baskets with drainage holes and a design you love.
Contemporary Planters
Contemporary planters are go-to pots for any type of berry. They come in an enormous variety of sizes, from 100-gallon or more goliaths to small, elegant containers you can move around.
Most high-quality, contemporary planters are composed of plastics or recyclable rotation-molded polyethylene. You can use them indoors for strawberries and blueberries or outdoors for rugged blackberry bushes.
These modern pots can come with self-watering features and add-ons. These helpful tools make it easier for you to monitor your berry’s watering needs. Some contemporary planters come with warranties that ensure they’ll last for over a decade.
Vertical Planters
Vertical planters come in diverse styles with many functions, such as self-watering trays and UV-resistant planting pockets. They rise above your garden, freeing up space, and putting you at eye-level with your plants.
These planters work well with strawberries and compact species such as ‘Bushel and Berry® Raspberry Shortcake®’ and ‘Heritage’ raspberries. These plants will produce foliage that will drape over the tiers of planting pockets.
Move your vertical planters anywhere in your garden or use them in a greenhouse. These planters won’t work with larger species of common berries.
Terracotta Pots
Terracotta pots are the classics that most gardeners are familiar with. They’ll work with all varieties of berries. They come in all sizes and shapes and can last for decades. They’re incredibly sturdy and breathable, which helps prevent root rot.
Plant large blackberry bushes in larger containers for elegant centerpieces in your garden or yard. Plant small plants in smaller terracotta pots and move them to window seals or balconies. These containers look incredibly romantic, especially with juicy and colorful berries growing out of them.
They tend to be quite porous, and soil may dry out quicker than you want. Plan on watering your plants a little more to balance the moisture levels in the soil.
Ceramic Pots
Ceramic pots are clay pots with glazed exteriors. They can have simple or intricate and colorful designs that can elevate your garden’s aesthetics. If you’re looking for long-lasting and beautiful containers for your berry plants, ceramics are a good choice.
These containers hold their shape in any environment. They hold moisture, which is good for water-loving species such as blackberries, strawberries, and blueberries. Their sealed glaze makes them more mold-resistant than terracotta pots.
They work great in a variety of climates and help regulate the temperature of your soil. They don’t lose or absorb heat as fast as other container types. The only downside to ceramic pots is their fragility, especially during periods of freezes and thaws.
Outdoor Plastic Containers
Plastic containers are the cheapest option. They usually don’t last as long as ceramic pots or terracotta. They’re also usually thin and can warp in the sun. However, if you’re looking for something cheap and effective for your berries, plastic works fine.
Their benefits include being shatterproof and being easy to replace. They come in all kinds of shapes, colors, and designs. Some even look like other materials such as terracotta, clay, or stone. Some plastic containers look like tree trunks or even animals and characters if you’re into that.
The main downside to using plastic containers is their tendency to leach chemicals into the soil. Having BPA and other hazardous compounds absorbed by your edible berries is not ideal for your health. If you go the plastic route, look for BPA-free plastic planters whenever possible.
Strawberry Jar
Strawberry jars come in a variety of shapes and styles. They’re usually ceramic, plastic, or terracotta. They contain several open pockets in which individual strawberry plants can grow. They look incredibly adorable indoors, on countertops, or outside in your garden beds.
Fill your jar with your favorite soil mixture and plant your strawberry plant at the top. Its runners will grow downward and root in the empty pockets of soil, producing new growth. Within a few months, your jar will be full of delicious berries.
When choosing a strawberry jar, try to find one with the design you like. You can decorate it the way you like. You can even grow miniature varieties of raspberries out of them if the pockets are deep enough.
Railing Planters
Railing planters work for strawberries and miniature varieties of blueberries and raspberries. They attach to balcony railings and save space. If you live in an apartment, these containers may be your best option.
Look for railing planters with plenty of drainage holes. The deeper they are, the larger the berry plants you can grow.
The downside to railing planters is that they’re often made from plastic. Choose a BPA-free container from a reputable source if you can.
Recycled Wooden Crates
Wooden crates make exciting DIY containers for your berries. They’re usually free if you find a good source and are as sustainable as you can get. Depending on their size, they are perfect for any species.
The most exciting thing about wooden crates is their adaptability. You can stack them, use them to create beds, or combine them into a work of art.
They’ll also last a long time, especially if they’re made from new wood. Make sure they aren’t treated with harmful chemicals and paints. Watch out for loose nails, especially in older recycled crates.
Wooden Barrels
If you live in wine country or the bourbon trail, you’ll probably have access to used and broken wooden barrels. These large containers make excellent containers for large berries like blackberry bushes.
They’ll bring a rural aesthetic to your garden and are usually deep enough for the largest plants. Use them upright or lay them on their side to create a rustic bed for smaller plants. You can even cut them in half to create two stylish planters.
These containers will last for many years if you take care of them. The downside to using them is they’re hard to clean and change their soil. However, if you’re up for the extra labor, they’ll be impressive additions to your garden.
Key Takeaways
Common berries come in all kinds of varieties and are usually easy to grow and highly productive. Choose a container that you like the best and works for your plants.
Consider the location and size of plants you want to grow. Make sure your berry containers have enough drainage holes to keep the moisture from getting waterlogged. Try sticking with BPA-free and chemical-free containers whenever possible.
