The Sweet Fruit You Can Grow Indoors For Delicious Produce All Year

If you've ever wondered whether it's possible to grow your favorite product indoors, even in the wintertime, there is some good news for you. It is possible. From strawberries and figs to cape gooseberries and blackberries, you can actually grow and harvest your very own berries in containers, right from the comfort of your own home. Blackberries (Rubus fruticosus), in particular, can be easy to grow, as long as you have the correct conditions. Whether you enjoy snacking on the sweet fruits or plan to incorporate them into your cooking throughout the year, growing fresh fruit indoors can be a fun and simple project. 

It doesn't need to be spring or summer in order for you to grow fresh blackberries. These plants typically only require the basics: water, sunlight, and your attention. You can also apply these same indoor gardening tactics to most other berry varieties. Note that this won't be a quick process; blackberries usually take about two to three years to produce a full harvest. You can purchase blackberry plants that are already grown in pots at your local nursery, or grow the fruits from seeds through the process of propagation. 

Before you start planting, you'll want to choose your blackberry variety. There are three main types of blackberries: erect, trailing, and semi-erect. For indoor planting in a pot, you will want to choose the erect versions. Inside those three categories, there are numerous other types of blackberries to choose from, but just a specific few tend to work better when planted indoors. It's recommended to opt for dwarf varieties, like Baby Cakes (Rubus fruticosus) or Dwarf Red Blackberry (Rubus pubescens). Since blackberries require pollination and indoor gardening restricts that process, you will need to pollinate your plants by hand, which requires taking a Q-tip and touching each flower multiple times every day to mimic pollination. 

When looking for containers to plant your blackberries, make sure to pick ones with a diameter and depth of at least 12 inches. This will give your fruit plenty of room to grow. Note that you should only grow one blackberry plant per container. For soil, blackberries tend to prefer a slightly acidic soil in the range of about 5.5 to 7.0 pH, as well as a well-draining container. To support healthier blackberry plants, you can add amendments to the soil, such as compost, sand, peat moss, or manure. Berry plants prefer indoor temperatures of around 60 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit during the day, and a lower 40 to 50 degrees at night. You should ensure these plants receive at least six to eight hours a day of sunlight. If you have a new plant, you should water it consistently, ensuring the soil stays moist. After the plant is rooted, you can water as needed.