How to Grow Bilberry in Containers

Select a site for growing bilberries in spring after the last frost. Choose a spot with dappled shade in warm areas or full sun in cooler climates. Avoid deeply shaded areas.

Position a half-barrel planter at the chosen growing site. Fill the planter with a mixture of 3 parts garden soil, 2 parts compost, 2 parts milled peat moss and 1 part sharp horticultural grit.

Run water into the planter for five minutes or until the soil mixture is saturated at a depth of 5 inches. Let the planter drain for a half hour before planting the bilberry shrub in the container.

Plant the bilberry shrub in the center of the planter. Position it so the soil is flush with the base of the main stems. Press the soil firmly around the base.

Mulch around the base of the shrub with a 1-inch-thick layer of shredded pine bark to regulate the soil temperature and moisture content, as well as to impart acidity to the soil during the growing season.

Water the bilberry shrub regularly to keep the soil moderately moist. Water only when the soil dries out at a depth of 2.5-to-3 inches to keep the roots from becoming waterlogged.

Secure bird netting over the bilberry shrub as soon as is sets fruit to discourage birds and foraging critters from feeding on the berries.

Harvest the berries as soon as they ripen to a uniform purplish-black color and feel firm yet slightly soft. Eat the berries immediately or store them for up to seven days in a refrigerator.

Prune the bilberry shrub after harvesting all the berries. Cut back each stem by half. Use pruning shears with very clean blades to prune the bilberry shrub.

Cease watering container-grown bilberry shrubs in early autumn to prepare them for winter. Provide no supplemental water over the winter unless little or no rain falls for more than three weeks.

Top-dress the soil in the container the following spring once temperatures reach 65 degrees Fahrenheit. Replace the top 2 inches of soil in the container with a fresh batch of the mixture created in Step 2.