Using pots to plant berries can give you the most tasty and healthy berries if you do this:
Pots Protect Strawberries
Strawberries have shallow roots. They are also compact and they love rich, fertile soil which makes them ideal for planting in pots. If you invest in a self-watering pot, you can store water at the base, and the roots will pull up the water using capillary action.
Get the best results with a premium potting mix mixed with chicken manure. Chicken manure will help provide the strawberry plants with extra nutrients.
Plant seedlings 30cm apart and gently tease each root as you plant. Straw mulch will help retain moisture in the soil and keep the fruits clean.
Pots keep strawberries safe from slaters, snails, and slugs that would have attacked them on the ground.
Pots keep Blueberries in Check
Blueberries flourish in larger pots. They need a lower pH to flourish. Buy a potting mix for azaleas which prefer acidic environments.
With a good potting mix, you only need to boost them with some fertilizer every couple of months. The best place to put your pot of strawberries is somewhere sunny where it doesn’t get too hot on summer afternoons.
With pots, you have more control over the condition of the soil and you can move the plant around to find the best lighting conditions for a bumper crop.
Taming Blackberries
Blackberries have a way of taking over a space with their runners. A larger pot as well as a climbing support will give them a little room to expand and grow. You can also pull out runners and plant them if you want new plants.
Pots are excellent for blackberries because they keep them from expanding uncontrollably. A 32-litre pot is perfect. Fit in a tall wieldmesh so to support them as they grow.
Add some chicken manure (pelletised) to the potting mix to keep the plants well fed. Place the pot in a sunny spot and water generously.
