Short on space? Grow fruits and vegetables in galvanized buckets! Laura from Garden Answer shows you how to plant the perfect companion plants for containers. Try zucchini, peppers, tomatoes and marigolds or raspberries with strawberries.
Strawberries are a favorite summer fruit. Yet store-bought berries can’t come near the intense and fresh flavor of those picked right off the vine from your very own garden.
Packed with Vitamin C and fiber, strawberries make a great nutritious and delicious snack. Eat them alone or add to jams, pastries and smoothies.
Find out how you can get the most out of this year’s strawberry harvest.
Stop the Runners
Runners are long stems that “run” off the main strawberry plant to create new plants. Some are good but too many left unkempt will draw nutrients from the main plant and cause it to stop producing fruit.
Snip excess runners off at the base of the plant. Encourage wanted runners to root by gently pressing the end of the runner into the soil.
Beware of Mold
Strawberries are especially susceptible to a gray mold known as Botrytis that makes berries rot. Remove affected leaves and fruit ASAP to prevent further spread.
Keep fungi at bay by planting strawberries in a sunny spot and only watering at the base of the plant in the morning. A layer of straw mulch will also reduce fruit rot.
Temperature
Strawberries love warm weather, but berries suffer once temps rise above 85 degrees. Give them some shade by using row covers that can be found at your local garden center.
Fertilize
Encourage strawberries to grow by adding Espoma’s Holly-tone, an organic plant food perfect for these acid-loving plants.
Check the soil to make sure it’s loose and at an ideal pH of 5.5 to 7. If the pH level is too high, add Espoma’s Soil Acidifier for ideal soil conditions.
Now just sit back and wait to enjoy the harvest!
Espoma products to help you grow your best strawberries yet:
There’s nothing like fresh-picked blueberries to add to a smoothie, salad or dessert. Rich in many health-benefiting nutrients, anti-oxidants, and vitamins, blueberries don’t just taste delicious, they’re also nutritious.
The secret to grow delicious, thriving blueberry plants: feed them, a lot.
Maximize your blueberry bushes’ health, help it resist insects and diseases, and boost your harvest by providing the right kinds of soil amendments.
When to Fertilize Blueberries
Fertilizing is recommended in early spring before the leaves have grown in. This gives the fertilizer time to be absorbed by the roots of the blueberry before it enters its active growth stage during summer.
Feed new plants once in early spring and again in late spring. Healthy, established plants should not need to be fed more often than once a year.
Photo courtesy of Bushel and Berry™
The Best Fertilizer for Blueberries
Blueberry bushes respond best to acid fertilizers such as those for rhododendrons and azaleas. Holly-tone has long been used by professional gardeners as the best source of food for berries.
From blocking weeds to conserving water, mulching goes hand in hand with fertilizing and is also very important for blueberry bushes. By feeding as it decomposes, mulch helps to maintain soil acidity. The best mulch options are oak leaves, pine straw or pine bark. Gardeners should spread it in a 3-4” thick layer.
How to Fertilize Blueberries
For established plants, spread one cupful of Holly-tone per foot of branch spread. Double the quantity if branch spread is 3’ or larger.
If the area to be fed is mulched, remove as much mulch as you can, feed, and then restore the mulch on top of the plant food. If you can’t remove the mulch, just double recommended feeding rates.
To lower the pH of soils for optimum growth of acid-loving plants such as blueberries, you can also mix in Soil Acidifier as needed.
Always water well after fertilizing.
Sun-kissed, slightly tart blueberries. Sweet, juicy raspberries. Scrumptious strawberries as sweet as candy. Sugary, tart blackberries.
Who can resist such delightful, fresh flavors right from the garden?
Certainly not local birds! Crows, blackbirds, robins, jays and more swoop in and eat your berries right from under you!
If you’re growing blueberries (or any berries!), you want to make sure you get to enjoy them, not the birds. Here are our tips for protecting your berries from those hungry birds — while still being kind.
If you’re growing blueberries, make sure you get to enjoy them, not this sparrow. Here are our tips for protecting your berries from those hungry birds — while still being kind.
Take Back the Patch — How to Protect Fruit from Birds, Naturally and Organically
1. Location, Location, Location. Plant or move berries away from hedges and larger shrubs since birds like to rest there.
2. Take Cover! When your berries are immature, add a row cover or bird netting. Make sure the netting is secure, so the birds can’t undo it. This is, hands down, the best way to protect berries.
3. A Sprinkle of Sparkle. Tie a shiny bird scare tape, or foil tape, around your berry bushes or plants to deter birds. Birds don’t like the movement or the tape’s bright reflection.
4. A Dash of Pepper. Sprinkle cayenne pepper around your berry plants as they begin to ripen. This method is super easy, but makes it hard to enjoy eating berries as you pick! You have to wash off the berries before eating to remove any remaining pepper.
5. Snack Attack! Install a few bird feeders to encourage birds to eat there — and not your berry bushes!
Victory! Now, make sure your blueberries continue to thrive by feeding with Holly-tone. Keep the soil acidic, too, with Espoma’s Organic Soil Acidifier.
When it comes to choosing which berries to add to your organic garden, you can’t go wrong with summer’s favorite fruit — strawberries.
Packed with Vitamin C and fiber, strawberries make the perfect nutritious and delicious snack. Eat them alone or add to jams, pastries and smoothies.
Nothing says summer like the sweet taste of homegrown strawberries. So, let’s get planting!
Choose Wisely
The first step in planting strawberries is choosing the right variety.
Ask an associate at your local garden center for recommendations for the best variety for your region.
Start Planting!
Strawberries need lots of sun, so choose a spot accordingly. Soil should be loose and fertile with a pH of 5.5 to 7. If the pH level is too high, add Espoma’s Soil Acidifier for ideal soil conditions.
Plant strawberries in the spring as soon as the ground is workable. Space plants about 18″ apart. Dig holes deep and wide enough to accommodate the entire root system without bending it. Bury the roots, but not the center crown – it requires lots of light and fresh air.
Mix in an organic starter plant food, such as Bio-tone Starter Plus, to keep roots strong.
Encourage growth by adding Espoma’s Holly-tone, an organic plant food perfect for acid-loving plants such as strawberries.
Expect ripe berries about four to six weeks after the plants blossom.
Small Space Strawberries
You can still have delicious strawberries if you garden in a small space. They make perfect container plants! Hanging containers add aesthetic value and are a conversation starter. When plants are off the ground, there is also a decreased risk of pests and disease.
Simply fill a container with Espoma’s Organic Potting Mix and follow the same instructions above for planting strawberries in containers. Water plants well. Set the container in an area where it will receive at least 6 hours of sun. Rotate the container regularly so all sides receive equal light.
Whether you’re planting large beds of strawberries or starting with one small container, these tips will ensure success.
Grow blueberries in your garden, on your patio or balcony in containers. They don’t take much space or effort. And, once you know the basics, you are good to grow.
Native to North America, blueberries grow well in acidic soil and in areas with at least 140 frost-free days per year. They’re also perfect for organic gardeners since they can easily be grown without pesticides.
Below are our favorite picks for beginners to grow.
Photo courtesy of USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / Britton, N.L., and A. Brown.
Jersey Blueberry – One of the classics in the blueberry world. This reliable plant is super easy to grow and produces pounds and pounds of blueberries.
Blueberry Type: Northern Highbush
Light: Full sun
Size: 6-8’ H x 5-6’ W
Zone: 4-7
Chill Hours: 800-1,000
Ripening Season: Late: End of July-End of August
Taste and Size: Medium blueberries that taste rich and super sweet
Yield: High yield, 7-10 pounds of blueberries
Features:
Photo courtesy of Robert H. Mohlenbrock, hosted by the USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database
Emerald Blueberry – These berries are so enchanted you’ll think they’re from the Emerald City of Oz. This new blueberry variety is one you can count on. Year after year, it produces some of the biggest blueberries you’ve ever seen.
Blueberry Type: Southern Highbush
Light: Full sun
Size: 5-6’ H x 5-6’ W
Zone: 7-10
Chill Hours: 250
Ripening Season: Mid-season: End of May-Mid-June
Taste and Size: Enormous blueberries with a sweet flavor
Yield: High yield
Features:
Photo courtesy of Bushel and Berry™
Pink Icing – With breathtaking spring and fall foliage and large, sweet berries mid-summer, this gem makes small spaces shine. Plus, these bushes are self-pollinating, so only one bush is needed to produce fruit.
Blueberry Type: Dwarf
Light: Full sun
Size: 3’ H x 4’ W
Zone: 5-10
Chill Hours: 500
Ripening Season: Mid-summer
Taste and Size: Large blueberries with sweet, robust flavor
Yield: Moderate yield
Features:
Laura from Garden Answer shows how to plant blueberries in containers and fertilize with Espoma’s Holly-tone. Watch the video below to see just how easy it is!
Blackberry cobbler, fruit salad, pie, and muffins – oh my!
These yummy berries are loaded with antioxidants and Vitamin-C, which help promote healthy skin and improve memory.
So maybe, it’s ok to have that second slice of cobbler after all?
We’re getting ahead of ourselves, though. Let’s get those blackberries planted first.
Grow Bliss in the Garden! Plant Blackberries
1. Just in Time! The best time to plant blackberries is early spring. If you’re feeling eager, plant them a month before winter’s last frost if the ground is workable. Planting in late fall works, too – as long as winters temps aren’t especially
2. Here or There? Plant blackberries in full sun. Also, blackberries don’t play well with others. Choose a spot that hasn’t had blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, tomatoes, potatoes, eggplants, or peppers growing there in the last few years. Otherwise, leftover diseases or pests from those plants could spread to your blackberries.
3. Testing, Testing. Once, you’ve found the prime spot, test the soil. Blackberries prefer well-draining, acidic soil. Add a handful of compost and Espoma’s Organic Soil Acidifier, if needed.
Growing, Growing, Gone! Plant your blackberry 1” deeper than it was growing in its pot. Plant upright varieties 3’ apart and trailing varieties 5-8’ apart. Then, water.
Ready, Set, Wait! Blackberries don’t produce fruit their first year, but they still need TLC to establish. Give them 1-2” of water a week, and organically feed throughout the season with Holly-tone.
Blueberries are nutritional powerhouses packed with high concentrations of antioxidants that help guard against cancer and heart disease. Just one serving of blueberries serves up almost 25 percent of the recommended daily intake of Vitamin C.
Growing blueberries maximizes small spaces and keeps fresh, nutritious fruit nearby. Even if space is limited, you can still grow blueberries at home. Some blueberry shrubs are the perfect fit for containers on the porch, patio or balcony.
Ought to Pot: The Best Blueberries for Container Gardening
Photo courtesy of Bushel and Berry™
Bushel and Berry™ Pink Icing – With breathtaking spring and fall foliage and large, sweet berries mid-summer, this gem makes small spaces shine. Plus, these bushes are self-pollinating, so only one bush is needed to produce fruit.
Blueberry Type: Dwarf
Light: Full sun
Size: 3’ H x 4’ W
Zone: 5-10
Chill Hours: 500
Ripening Season: Mid-summer
Taste and Size: Large blueberries with sweet, robust flavor
Yield: Moderate yield
Features:
Patriot Blueberry – The Patriot puts on a show each season – from striking white blooms in spring to warm, vivid foliage in fall. During summer, you’ll be busy munching on up to 20 pounds of blueberries!
Blueberry Type: Northern Highbush
Light: Full sun
Size: 4-8’ H x 3-5’ W
Zone: 3-7
Chill Hours: 800-1,000
Ripening Season: Early: Mid-End of July
Taste and Size: Large blueberries that taste classically sweet
Yield: High yield, 10-20 pounds of blueberries
Features:
Photo courtesy of Bushel and Berry™
Bushel and Berry™ Peach Sorbet – Full of charm, these compact blueberry plants are four-season showstoppers with stunning leaves ranging from peach to pink to orange to emerald green. Spring’s white, bell-shaped flowers will give way to an abundant summer crop of healthy, sweet blueberries mid-summer.
Blueberry Type: Dwarf
Light: Full sun
Size: 1½’ H x 2’ W
Zone: 5-10
Chill Hours: 300
Ripening Season: Mid-summer
Taste and Size: Medium blueberries with a sweet, tropical essence
Yield: High yield
Features:
Photo courtesy of Doreen Wynja for Monrovia
Sunshine Blue Blueberry – These berries are even more nutritious than other blueberries because they’re high in Vitamin P. Another fun attribute of the Sunshine Blue is their hot-pink flowers in spring and blazing red leaves in fall!
Blueberry Type: Southern Highbush
Light: Full sun
Size: 3-4’ H x 3-4’ W
Zone: 5-10
Chill Hours: 150
Ripening Season: Mid-season: End of May-End of June
Taste and Size: Medium blueberries that taste opulent and sweet
Yield: Moderate yield, 5-10 pounds of blueberries
Features:
Northsky Blueberry – Meet the most cold-hardy blueberry out there. The Northsky can withstand temperatures of -45° and can even bear snow on its branches. In spring, the Northsky produces lots of sweet, white blooms that look absolutely darling.
Blueberry Type: Half-high
Light: Full sun
Size: 2-4 H x 2-3 W
Zone: 3-7
Chill Hours: 800+
Ripening Season: Mid-season: Mid-End of July
Taste and Size: Small, firm blueberries that taste fresh, wild and free
Yield: Small yield, up to 2 pounds of blueberries
Features:
Photo courtesy of Bushel and Berry™
Bushel and Berry™ Jelly Bean – This blueberry is prolific – producing a bumper crop of large, flavorful blueberries mid-summer with a super sweet flavor like homemade blueberry jelly. Brilliant green new foliage emerges in spring which gives way to darker greens with red hues throughout the summer and fall.
Blueberry Type: Dwarf
Light: Full sun
Size: 1’ H x 2’ W
Zone: 4-8
Chill Hours: 1,000+
Ripening Season: Mid-summer
Taste and Size: Medium to large blueberries with homemade jelly flavor
Yield: High yield, bumper crop
Features:
Looking for more options? To learn more about blueberries, the best tasting berries, how to plant, care for and grow, visit our Organic Blueberry Growing Guide.
