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I would like to plant raspberries, blackberries, and blueberries in containers. I have lots of sun and mild climate. Would love some advice from successful berry growers. How long before I can expect some berries?
How about strawberries? They do very well in containers and here in Wisconsin will produce all summer until frost. They will produce fruit generally 5-6 weeks after planting bare root stock.
I would think in the California climate they would do well.
I didn't get to finish my post above so will continue. The strawberries I am referring to are called Day Neutral. They are a form of Everbearing but the Day Neutral produce all summer long (not just in Spring and Fall) and really take off in August. I'm getting 2 quarts every other day from 60 plants. I have my plants in 4'x4 containers (5 containers containing 12 plants each) about 3' off the ground, so weeding and picking is enjoyable and the critters (except birds) don't bother them.
The kind of Day Neutral I am growing are called Sea Scape. My neighbor, after seeing my berries took some of my runners and is going to grow them this winter, hydroponically, in his greenhouse.
And you treat these Day Neutral's like an annual and plant new ones each Spring.
Raspberries probably won't do well in containers. The plant bears fruit on it's second year then dies, or can do more but short lived. What keeps you in berries are the new shoots that could me up then produce on their second year. Pruning out old shoots as they die.
Raspberries are pest, you want them in containers, I have not been successful with strawberries, something always eat them, but have lots of blueberries and blackberries, they ate huge and. Dry tasty.
Thanks for everyone's input. I have grown strawberries before but want to branch out to other berries. Any special soil utilized for containers? Do you fertilize? I planted some thornless blackberries and it looks like they are growing very quickly. Wasn't sure if they grow bushy or grow up a trellis so I decided on a trellis hanging on my fence.
I didn't get to finish my post above so will continue. The strawberries I am referring to are called Day Neutral. They are a form of Everbearing but the Day Neutral produce all summer long (not just in Spring and Fall) and really take off in August. I'm getting 2 quarts every other day from 60 plants. I have my plants in 4'x4 containers (5 containers containing 12 plants each) about 3' off the ground, so weeding and picking is enjoyable and the critters (except birds) don't bother them.
The kind of Day Neutral I am growing are called Sea Scape. My neighbor, after seeing my berries took some of my runners and is going to grow them this winter, hydroponically, in his greenhouse.
And you treat these Day Neutral's like an annual and plant new ones each Spring.
Oh wow, I am envious! The squirrels decimate my strawberries every year. I’ve pretty much given up on harvesting any to eat myself.
Op, I’ve had some success growing thornless raspberries in a raised bed, but I do have to keep an eye out for runners and pull them before they can establish.
While I certainly understand the drive to grow things, I feel sorry for people with such limited space and soil that they need to turn to container gardening for food plants--They can hardly expect to have enough containers to get more than a few servings at most....Is it worth it?
Blueberries, being a bush, would need a fairly large container, but at least each plant can produce many fruits. Raspberries & blackberries don't root deeply, but each can only produces a handful of berries.
While I certainly understand the drive to grow things, I feel sorry for people with such limited space and soil that they need to turn to container gardening for food plants--They can hardly expect to have enough containers to get more than a few servings at most....Is it worth it?
Blueberries, being a bush, would need a fairly large container, but at least each plant can produce many fruits. Raspberries & blackberries don't root deeply, but each can only produces a handful of berries.
Blueberries need a second, different variety nearby for best pollination.
All three of those plants need acidic soil (pH ~5) to do well.
I wouldn't count on a crop the first year after planting. Some varieties of raspberries produce on the first year cane, some on the second year cane.
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