Containers
Choose and plant a container
Match the container’s root space to the crop and its mature size.
When to do it
Within the plant’s local window, when you have a suitable position ready.
What you need
- Stable container with drainage holes
- Mix labelled for container growing
- Plant, trowel and water
How to do it
- Match the container’s root space to the crop and its mature size. Use a stable pot made from a material safe for growing food; reject containers that held hazardous chemicals.
- Check open drainage holes. Choose a suitable potting mix, including an acidic mix for blueberries. Garden soil and home compost alone are not substitutes.
- Moisten dry mix as its label directs. Fill enough to position the plant at its correct depth, leaving space below the rim for watering.
- Ease the plant out, place it centrally and fill around its roots. Add supports now if needed without damaging the root ball.
- Water slowly until the mix is evenly moist and surplus drains. Position for the crop’s light needs and check the pot more often than an established bed.
What success looks like
- Water drains freely and the plant is firmly held at the correct level.
Watch out for
- Adding gravel and expecting it to fix a pot without holes.
- Combining plants with incompatible moisture needs.
Related help
Water and feed container plants
Feel below the surface and compare pot weight where safe.
Arrange an edible garden in a small space
Observe where sun falls across the day.
Sources and review
Checked 24 September 2026. Source-checked editorial guidance; not field-tested or independently reviewed by a horticulturist.