Here ’s what you need to know to acquire cranberry industrial plant in your backyard .
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Sure , you could reach for the bagged or canned berry at the market store , but imagine how much more particular yourcranberry saucewould be when made with fruit from yourhomegrowncranberry plant . These gloomy , woody , vine - like berries grow easily in the right conditions : They postulate acidic soil , nerveless temperatures , and circumstances of moisture .
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The gimmick ? “ These are likelynotthe weather condition that most home gardeners would have , ” enunciate Hilary Sandler , Director of University of Massachusetts Cranberry Station . However , with a bit of preparedness and some cubital joint grease , you’re able to make a bed for growingthese tasty , healthful Charles Edward Berry right in your own backyard .
How Cranberries Grow
The American cranberry ( Vaccinium macrocarpon ) is native to temperate region of northeastern and central United States and southern Canada ( USDA Hardiness zone 2 - 6 ) . It belong to the same plant family asblueberries , azaleas , andrhododendrons , and like these species , cranberries require anacidic grunge to thrive .
Cranberry industrial plant sort felt about eight to 18 in grandiloquent with small dark evergreen leaves . Stems grow horizontally six to eight foundation , developing vertical shoots along their length that produce clump of small pinkish flowers follow by shiny red fruit — as long asthere are pollinators around . “ Cranberries need pollination to produce decent sized fruit , ” say Sandler .
When to Plant Cranberries
cranberry are usually implant in spring when nights are still nerveless but not so cold as to cause damage to young plants . Get them in before the weather generate too lovesome so that unexampled solution develop before summer . In warmer regions , they can beplanted in the fall .
How to Plant Cranberries
Unless you have a sandy bog in your backyard , you will probably demand to put some effort into preparing a bottom for your cranberry .
Choose a Spot
For cranberry planting to be worthwhile , you need a proficient amount of distance : A game or raised layer of about four pes square produce around a exclusive pound of cranberries . Cranberries do best in full sun . In warmer regions , theybenefit from a small afternoon shade .
Test the Soil and Water
Before anything , do a stain testin the expanse you ’d like to imbed in . If the pH is above 5 , you ’ll need additives to make it more acidic . It ’s important to test the pH of your water as well . If it ’s alkaline , it will ceaselessly raise the grunge pH , making it almost - impossible to grow cranberry . It ’s worth finding this out before you plant .
Prepare and Plant
Before planting , prepare your filth . Cranberry plants do n’t wish “ wet feet , ” so thesoil needs to be well run out . Sandler recommend amending filth with backbone to help with drain . " If the ground structure is very wretched , one could also contribute other amendments , such as compost . But , nottoomuch — cranberries like it nutrient - poor , " enunciate Sandler .
Depending on your soil trial results , you may need to supply S to acidify the land as well . add on with a fertilizer for acidulent plants .
When you ’re ready to implant , place cranberry engraft about two to three feet aside in the bottom and water well . Set them at the same profundity as they were growing in the baby’s room pot . Be indisputable to keep the beds equally moist , water every few days as needed . Adding a layer of mulch on top helps vine continue water .
Cranberry Care Tips
Give your new institute cranberry plants the fear they demand , and you ’ll start to see the plants word form blue runner , short upright stalks , and eventually , fruit .
Water
Cranberries are bog plants with roots that only extend into the upper six inches or so of grime . While reproducible moisture is important for the plant life , do n’t overdo it . ( commercial-grade cranberry raiser often flood their plain in the downslope to alleviate mechanically skillful harvest , but that ’s not recommended for home nurseryman — cranberries do not grow in water supply . )
Temperature
To bring forth a craw . your cranberry plants need at least three months where temperatures fall between 32 - 45 ° F . If this is n’t the case in your climate , you may still grow cranberriesas an evergreen ground cover .
Even if you did a grease trial at planting metre and amended your planting bed accordingly , you ’ll desire to retest it every few age , Soil ’s composition changes over clock time and you should verify it ’s still acidic enough to corroborate cranberry plants .
Fertilizer
Use a slow - release fertiliser supplemented with periodicapplications of a liquid fertilizersuch as Miracid for the first twelvemonth after planting . Once the vines cover the planting area , reduce back on fertilizing .
Pruning
“ If [ cranberry ] are fertilized moderately , pruning could be once every three to five years , ” enunciate Sandler . She also observe that if youfeed them too much atomic number 7 , “ they will yield less fruit and need more frequent pruning . ” The best metre to prune cranberry plants is in late winter before new growth starts .
Protection
It ’s not only citizenry who enjoy eating cranberry — birdie do too . As plants mature , you may desire to protect your berries with some bird - safe netting .
Harvesting
Be patient : “ cranberry typically take three to five years to reach what we would consider full production , ” says Sandler . When Berry do appear , harvest them when they turn dark crimson , which usually happens in mid or former descent .
Types of Cranberries
According to the Cranberry Marketing Committee , more than 100 varieties of cranberries are grow in the U.S. For backyard nurseryman who are “ planning to harvest fruit , they may favor native kind such as ‘ Early Blacks ’ or ‘ Howes ’ , which are traditional varieties farm here in Massachusetts , ” says Sandler .
A variety find in 1852 , ' former Blacks ' cranberry mature in September , allowing them to be harvested before fall hoar . Though the berries are smaller , they have a gratifying flavor and bright red color .
Another former variety from 1843 , ' Howes ' yield ripens about three hebdomad later than ' other Shirley Temple ' . The large , fast berries are tart and store well .
