Tips on Growing Small Fruits

Credit: Brand X Pictures/Home and Garden/Alison Miksch

How to grow fruits in containers

Currants and gooseberries are easily grown in containers

Blueberries also do well in containers, as it is easy to provide them with the acidic soil they need for optimal growth. (While soils on B.C.’s coast are naturally acidic, some areas of the interior have soils with higher pH levels.) Even grapes can be grown in containers (check with your nursery for a grape suited to your area). Give all your potted fruiting plants a good layer of mulch for winter protection.

Strawberry plants are shallow-rooted and have minimal soil requirements, so they thrive in hanging baskets, barrels and pots. A planting of strawberries can last up to four years if well maintained. Day-neutral varieties of strawberries, which produce fruit at six-week intervals during the summer, are best for container plantings.