Container blueberry bushes

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Good spring everyone.

This is my second year seriously gardening. I have a duplex without much landscape that I can work with so everything is in containers. I am gaining as much knowledge as I can right now before I buy a house and have actual land to work with.

I have been told blueberry are pretty difficult to take care of in the ground let alone in containers. So I never expected much, but it looks like it Might be a good harvest this year. I planted 2 different varieties next to each other in the same peat moss and soil mixture. I have added soil acidifer and mulch to the top and I'm 99% I have river pebbles at the bottom. I also have hopes drilled into the sides to help with drainage. Last year I watered them with pretty much only fish tank water with a good ph and nutrient value. I switched to tap water before letting them go dormant in my in heated garge over what was a pretty warm winter (sw Missouri zone 6.) I brought them out of dormancy not really expecting much but so far they look pretty healthy and with lots of buds. I mean tons of buds.

So my questions are...

Should I expect every bud to turn into a cluster of blueberries as long as birds, Japanese beetles or other pests leave them alone?

Should I aerate the soil to promote new root growth? I'm sure the roots are bound pretty tight in the smaller containers. I think they're 12inch containers. It makes them semi portable so transplanting them doesn't sound like something I'd want to do especially if that will stunt the harvest this year.

I haven't pruned or trimmed them in any way what so ever? Should I wait to prune them until later in the season or do it now to promote growth for next year?

What do you guys think? I'll take any opinions or advice. I just really really really like blueberries. And strawberries but thats a different post.
 

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Logan

Logan
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Hi, I'm in the UK, so some of the answers i won't know.
1, if the buds are swollen there should be flowers
2, the size of pot should be 20 litres.but i wouldn't do it if they're in bloom because you could knock the flowers off. I'd do it next year before they start to grow in spring.Just take some of the soil on the surface and replace with some new.
3. I'd only cut the dead wood and feed with a furtilizer for blueberries.
4, I'd use rain water if you can they do better with it.
 

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