Overwintering Raspberries and Blueberries on Balcony

[Bill U.]

Hi everyone,

I finally moved into an apartment that has a balcony= grow space! I would love to do some raspberries (I was thinking Heritage) and maybe a blueberry bush (Top Hat and/or Bluecrop/Blueray) in containers. But thinking ahead before I buy any of them, does anyone have suggestions to overwinter them on the balcony? I'm in Chicago (Zone 5) where winters can get pretty brutal with wind and snow.

Would just keeping one of those foam rose bush covers over them work? Would it help to bubble wrap the pots for extra insulation to help prevent total freezing? Or bubble wrap the pot AND cover with the foam?
Unfortunately I don't have a garage to put them in, nor do I think my landlord would be happy if I dug them into the landscape for the winter! I really want to try growing some of my own fruit and figured these were good starter plants for a limited-space.

Thanks for the help!