Choosing the Best Soil for Potted Berry Plants: 5 Expert Tips
You don’t need a massive garden to grow berries! If you choose the right soil and containers, you can easily grow berry plants in pots. Garden expert and former organic farmer Logan Hailey has all the details you need to choose the best soil blend for potted berries.
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From blueberries to blackberries to strawberries, there are so many decadent fruits you can cultivate in a container garden. Like their in-ground counterparts, potted berries require species-specific soil conditions to thrive. While some need highly acidic soil (hello, blueberries!), others appreciate loamy, compost-rich blends.
Let’s dig into how to choose the best soil for your potted berries so you can enjoy juicy, sweet snacks straight from your container garden.
What is the Best Soil for Potted Berry Plants?
Once you have chosen the best container for growing berries in your conditions, it’s time to fill it with a species-appropriate soil blend. Berry plants have a wide range of requirements depending on the type and variety. General guidelines are as follows:
Blueberries
Acid-loving blend with pH between 4.0 and 5.5, containing ingredients like peat moss or sawdust; often labeled for rhododendrons or azaleas.
Cranberries
Acid-loving blend similar to blueberries.
Raspberries and Blackberries
Well-drained, sandy loam soil with lots of compost, peat moss, and a slightly acidic pH between 5.6 and 6.2.
Strawberries
Rich loam or standard vegetable potting mix with compost; strawberry-specific soil blends are available.
Native Berries
Elderberries, wild cranberries, huckleberries, salmonberries, and other wild types typically require special treatment based on their native region; check the standard habitat of these species (often acidic forested environments) and adjust the soil accordingly.
5 Expert Tips for Choosing the Best Soil for Potted Berries
Whether you’re a small-scale balcony grower or a large-scale fruit and vegetable farmer, potted berries require a bit more special treatment than their in-ground counterparts.
When I managed an organic farm in frigid New Hampshire, I started loads of strawberry and blueberry plants in the greenhouse to ensure a head start on spring. However, I had to ensure that the hanging strawberry baskets were filled with a completely different soil blend than the 2-gallon blueberry starts I prepared for our plant sale.
Use these expert tips to fill your containers for maximum berry fruiting success!
Blueberries Need An Acid-Loving Mix
Blueberries (Vaccinium spp.) are widely known for their love of acidic soil. Like their Ericaceae family relatives, rhododendrons, cranberries, and azaleas, these shrubs demand a pH between 4.0 and 5.5. Low pH soil is common in the forested areas where Vaccinium species grow wild beneath a thick mulch of fallen pine needles and decomposing wood.
Since your potted berries won’t have access to their natural forest habitat, it’s crucial to provide them with soil that already has a low pH. The easiest way to do this is by purchasing pre-blended potting mix labeled “acid-loving plants” or “rhododendrons.”
If you decide to make your own mix, try a blend of ⅓ peat moss, ⅓ compost, and ⅓ pine bark. You can also acidify existing potting mix by adding peat moss and agricultural sulfur. However, it takes time for the soil pH to adjust, so you would have to modify your mix in advance.
Strawberries Thrive in Loam
Fortunately, growing strawberries in pots is almost as easy as planting them in the ground. They practically take care of themselves as long as you provide a well-drained loamy soil mix and ample water. I prefer to plant one or two crowns in a hanging basket so the berries can cascade over the sides.
You can fill the basket with the same standard potting mix that you use for vegetables. I always add an extra handful of compost and perlite to increase the aeration and drainage in the container. Some potting mixes are specifically labeled and formulated for strawberries, making for a super-easy filling process.
Raspberries and Blackberries Like Depth and Sturdy Support
Whether growing in containers or beds, vining berries require well-drained sandy loam. Blackberries and raspberries are particularly prone to root rot in pots, so I prefer to amend with extra horticultural sand or perlite. They also appreciate a slightly acidic pH (between 5.5 and 6.5), which can be achieved with peat moss additions to a standard raised bed loamy soil blend.
Keep in mind that these vining berries typically require a deeper pot and sturdy trellis support systems. Ideally, you should have a 1-3 gallon pot for young plants and a 10-15 gallon pot for mature plants. Some people grow them in half whiskey barrels or moderately deep raised beds. Dwarf varieties can mature in 10-gallon pots or grow bags as long as they have a solid trellis.
Don’t Be Afraid to Customize
Don’t panic if your garden store doesn’t offer bagged mixes that are specifically labeled for your fruit species. You can easily customize any blend by adding the extra ingredients needed for drainage, proper pH, and organic matter.
All berries benefit from microbial-rich compost, aged manure, or worm castings. You can use pine bark, pine needles, untreated sawdust, or peat moss to acidify standard blends. Perlite is a great addition to enhance drainage.
Ensure Proper Drainage
Root rot is a major problem in potted plants in general when there is a lack of airflow in the root zone. Containers are inherently restrictive for plant roots, and medium-to-large perennial crops like berries require a lot of space and drainage for their roots to thrive. Waterlogged soil, a lack of drainage, and overwatering are the key causes.
Luckily, it is easy to prevent this infection by incorporating extra drainage materials into your container mixes. Perlite, vermiculite, peat moss, compost, horticultural sand, and shredded bark are all great options because they improve overall airflow. Some add organic matter to the soil as well. The oxygenation between soil particles allows moisture to flow through rapidly without becoming stagnant or soggy. This keeps your potted berry roots “breathing” and thriving for long-term yields.
