How to grow cranberries at home?

Growing cranberries in the country has always attracted gardeners. After all, you must agree that it is convenient to pick berries on your site, and you do not need to go to the forest for this, wade through thorny thickets and be attacked by insects. Garden cranberries are a great choice for berry lovers. Large-fruited varieties reach the size of a cherry, with a diameter of 2 cm, a dark red color and a high content of benzoic acid, thanks to which cranberries are valued. An 8-10 year old plantation with an area of ​​3 square meters can yield 15 liters of berries per season.

Growing large-fruited cranberries on an industrial scale and at home

Large-fruited garden cranberries are in high demand in the market and are always in price. Needless to say, what benefits this marsh berry has! Its healing properties have been known for a long time. It is successfully used for the prevention and treatment of vitamin deficiency, for vascular and gastrointestinal disorders, to increase the protective properties of the body, removes heavy metals, toxins, and stops aging.

Cranberries are native to North America. It has adapted well to harsh climates and acidic soil. In the USA and Europe, it has been grown for more than 200 years on special plantations, creating conditions for it that are as close to natural as possible.

Video about growing cranberries

In Russia, the industrial cultivation of large-fruited varieties of garden cranberries has also recently begun to be practiced in Karelia, the Leningrad region and Kostroma. The yield under favorable agrotechnical conditions reaches 11 tons per hectare. On personal plots, amateur gardeners can also get a good harvest of this berry, provided that they are properly managed and well maintained.

The main parameters of the requirements of this plant are soil pH from 3 to 4.5 and sufficient moisture. Careful preparation of the landing site will help to ensure such conditions. But the laboriousness is worth it. After all, you get a unique opportunity - to provide your family with high-vitamin berries directly from your own plot. This is still a good earning opportunity, income for those looking for a small business idea. And you can sell not only berries, but seedlings, which are in no less demand.

The main parameters of the requirements of this plant are soil pH from 3 to 4.5 and sufficient moisture

And although cranberries are frost-hardy and unpretentious, growing them at home is laborious in terms of providing a microclimate.But one indisputable advantage - the ability to use the plantation in the same place for several decades, makes it attractive for home gardening. This fact must be taken into account first of all when you plan your landing.

Cranberry is a moisture-loving plant. Therefore, if the level of groundwater is raised on your site, then this will be a big plus. For garden varieties, the presence of groundwater at a depth of 40-45 cm will be sufficient, and for a swamp variety - 30-35 cm. The berry grows well and bears fruit on loam, sandy loam and even acidic poor soil.

The cranberry area should be sunny but well sheltered from the wind. Garden glades among trees or shrubs, well lit by the sun, are suitable. Even in winter, the plantation will delight the eye, because it is an evergreen plant.

Plantation site preparation

Growing a cranberry plantation in the garden begins with careful preparation of the garden

Growing a cranberry plantation in the garden begins with careful preparation of the garden bed. This process depends on what type of soil you have on the site. Peat soils with a shallow groundwater table require a minimum application of forces. In this case, you can do with the usual loosening with the introduction of river sand and cleaning the beds from weeds.

If the soil in the garden is not suitable for cranberries, the general procedure for the preparatory work is as follows:

• the optimal size of the cranberry is 140 cm x 400 cm or more, but you can also be guided by your own conditions, the main thing is to provide access to the plant without trampling around the garden;
• remove the top layer of fertile soil, 30-40 cm thick;
• on 2 parts of the land we add 1 part of high-moor peat, you can mix high-moor peat with low-lying peat;
• we deepen the pit to a depth of 50 cm, if the soil is heavy clay;
• we install wooden or plastic boards protruding 20-25 cm above the surface;
• on the bottom of the pit we lay drainage, with a layer of 10 cm, then the film in the holes made in it for the drainage of excess moisture;
• on it - in a layer of 15-20 cm we put chopped branches, leaves; the remains of grass, sprinkle with humus from horse manure, moisten;

Soil acidity is the main requirement for good yield beaks

• then fill the pit to the top with sour peat with the addition of sand (3 to 1);
• it is good to add another 1 part of horse manure compost and 1 part of semi-rotted pine sawdust;
• the top layer is soil mixed with peat and fresh sawdust of coniferous species;
• we use sand, sphagnum moss, pine needles, coniferous sawdust (depending on your capabilities) as mulch.

Soil acidity is the main requirement for good beak yields. Therefore, annual fertilization (sprinkling, mulching) with peat and pine sawdust, together with regular abundant watering, will become a natural factor supporting the fertility of the berry.

Growing large-fruited cranberries from seedlings

There are 4 types of cranberries, among which 2 are large-fruited and marsh, grown in conditions of industrial and home farming. Recently, early ripe large-fruited varieties of American, Polish and Belarusian selection have been popular among amateur gardeners.

Cranberry seedlings are best purchased from specialized farms

Cranberry seedlings are best purchased from specialized farms, where advanced technologies for obtaining clean planting material are applied. They can be with closed and open root systems. They can also be of 3 age categories:

• seedlings in cassettes for growing, young, aged from 7 to 9 months;
• seedlings planted in small pots, aged from 1 to 1.5 years;
• adult seedlings from 2 to 2.5 years old.

The older the seedlings, the more expensive the planting material. If you are not ready to wait 3-4 years for a harvest, try to find 4-5 year old planting material with a closed root system.

Planting seedlings and caring for them

We plant cranberry seedlings in May, in loose, airy, slightly moist and very acidic soil. We prepare the hole a little larger than the planting pot in which the young plant is located. We take out the seedling from the pot and, without breaking the coma, set it in the hole. Sprinkle with water, sprinkle with soil, mulch. Usually, the plant takes root well with such a transplant.

The watering rate for cranberries is high, the soil under it should always be moist. At least once a week, it needs to be poured heavily, and a good layer of mulch will keep the humidity for several days before the next watering. In the heat, cranberries are watered daily.

During the growing season, once every 2 weeks, cranberries are fed with solutions of complex mineral fertilizers and poured with water acidified with citric acid (1 teaspoon per 3 liters of water), table vinegar (100 ml per 10 liters of water). But you can not do this in the first 2-3 years, when there is still a sufficient amount of acids in the soil.

In the heat, cranberries are watered daily.

In the first 3 years of plant life, only weakly developed shoots are removed. When the planting is compacted, it becomes multi-tiered, we begin the thinning haircut. The main rule for the formation of a cranberry plant for better fruiting is to remove the creeping horizontal shoots and stimulate the vertical ones. Such procedures are carried out in spring or autumn. This will give more nutrition to the fruit buds and form large fruits.

If your climatic zone is characterized by winters with little snow, after abundant watering in late autumn, the cranberries are covered with a loose layer of peat. This will be both a reliable shelter and food for the next year. It is not necessary to rake the covering layer in the spring. Plants will sprout themselves through the peat.

There is another interesting way to protect the plantation from freezing of the soil - layer-by-layer freezing. At an air temperature of -5 ° C, the bed is poured with water in a layer of 2 cm and ice is allowed to form. After a while, the pouring procedures are repeated until the vegetative part of the plants is completely covered. Under such a shelter, the plants overwinter well. In the spring, excess moisture will need to be drained so as not to provoke the formation of mold.

At an air temperature of -5 ° C, the bed is filled with water with a layer of 2 cm and ice is allowed to form

Propagation of cranberries by cuttings and seeds

Cranberry is a low-growing creeping shrub whose shoots root well on their own. Such rooted young can be separated and grown in containers or in a permanent place.

Also, this culture is excellent cuttings. For this purpose, cuttings are cut and planted in moist soil mulched with a layer of sand. To maintain sufficient humidity in the environment, the planting is covered with foil and watered regularly. After 20-25 days, the cuttings will take root and give lateral shoots.

Cranberry video

Growing cranberries from seeds is only justified if you want to get plants for decorative purposes. Varietal properties during seed reproduction are not always preserved, besides, the harvest will have to wait long enough, about 5-6 years, and even then with good care. Cranberry seeds should be refrigerated for 3 months at + 3 ° C. But even with such preparation, do not expect that they will give amicable shoots. In the first year, seedlings will require a lot of your attention. And if you don't have the time and patience, seed cranberries are not for your case. It is much easier to grow it from a cutting or buy a ready-made seedling.

Grow your cranberries by following these simple rules and they will reward you with a generous harvest of vitamin berries.

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An unpretentious and viable large-fruited cranberry is a godsend for owners of small plots. Plants annually give a bountiful harvest of large, cherry-sized berries. It is worth following only the simple rules of agricultural technology.

I have been dealing with cranberries for about 30 years. I'll tell you how to grow it without problems.

1. Site selection

Many are sure: cranberries live in a swamp, therefore, in the country for planting it, you need to choose lowlands or create conditions with increased soil moisture. Big mistake! In the swamps, cranberries grow on high bumps (more than 40 cm).

And always on sunny (!) Glades (there will be no harvest in the shade). Therefore, keep cranberries in moderately moist soil. The soil should only be acidic (pH - 4.5-5).

2. Cranberry seedlings

For planting, it is better to buy seedlings with a closed root system. Plant with a lump of earth in holes up to 10 cm deep and 8-10 cm in diameter at a distance of 20-30 cm from each other.

3. Wind protection

break a row among trees or other plantings (but so that they do not shade the cranberries!). This measure is useful for efficient pollination and reducing water evaporation in summer and in winter to maintain snow cover.

Cranberries begin to bear fruit in the 2-3rd year after planting; 1 square meter of cranberry yields about 1 liter of berries

4. Preparing the soil

The earth should be loose, breathable.

I advise you to prepare a bed based on high-moor peat. Remove the topsoil (20-25 cm deep) and fill the trench with clean high-moor peat. It can be replaced with a mixture of any kind of peat, sawdust, fallen needles and rotted forest litter (in approximately equal parts). Sprinkle the surface of the bed with gray (40-60 g per 1 sq. M). Mix the substrate, compact and sand with a layer of 4-5 cm.

5. Watering

Overdrying the beds is unacceptable! The thin hairy fibrous roots of cranberries in the first two years of life are not able to endure drying out for more than one week. If there is no rain, I water young plants at least 1 time a week. Mulching with peat and sawdust will help to preserve moisture in the soil.

6. Weeding

In the early years, do not let the weeds drown out the cranberries. Then the berry will grow into a dense carpet - and the need for weeding will disappear.

7. Top dressing

It is better to use ready-made complex mineral fertilizers for weed plants (according to the instructions).

See also: Cranberries at home and in the garden

Important! Cranberries do not like organic matter - manure, bird droppings, etc.

8. Sanding cranberries

I mulch cranberries with sand - once every two years I sprinkle it over the surface with a layer of 2-3 cm.On large areas, this can be done in winter, on compact plots - in early spring (before the beginning of the growing season).

9. Pollination

Cranberry pollen is heavy, so it is not the wind that carries it, but insects - bees and especially bumblebees. They need to create conditions for work: do not mow part of the grass around the plantation, as bumblebees nest in tall grass in the ground.

10. Disease prevention

Weakened plants can infect fungal diseases. Treatment with fungicides will help. For example, in March, I carry out an eradication treatment with Bordeaux liquid (100 g per 10 liters of water). After the start of growth, 3 times with an interval of 7-10 days, I spray the bushes with a solution of any fungicide (20 g per 10 l of water). In the fall, after harvesting the berries and reddening the leaves, I repeat the treatment with Bordeaux liquid (100 g per 10 liters of water).

FACT: CRANBERRY BERRIES ARE Pouring Gradually. BLINDED AT THE END OF AUGUST. AND THERE IS POSSIBLE IN ANY STAGE. EVEN IN WHITE, UNRUPE CRANBERRY CONTAINS A WHOLE STORAGE OF BIOLOGICALLY ACTIVE ELEMENTS FOR HEALTH, YOUTH, LONGEVITY.

CRANBERRY IN ... APARTMENT!

Large-fruited cranberries can be grown in a city apartment. To do this, stock up on sour peat with a high organic matter content and volumetric capacity. The bush will grow rapidly and fill the entire space. In summer, indoor cranberries can be taken out to the balcony or taken to the site. Before frost, you need to arrange a dormant period - bring it to a cool, dark place where the temperature does not exceed +4 degrees. And in early February, put the plant in the light and water abundantly. The berries will ripen at the end of August.

Instead of snow - peat

To prevent the cranberries from freezing, I water the beds abundantly in late autumn. If there is not enough snow in winter, I must cover the plants: I used to use spruce branches for this purpose, and now I use loose peat, which I lay out in a layer of several centimeters. I don’t remove it in the spring. It does not interfere with the growth of bushes, but it provides additional nutrition.

Nadezhda ZAKHARENKO, Mogilev region

Cranberries under ice

Cranberries can withstand frost down to -20 degrees without consequences, and if the temperature is lower, flower buds begin to be damaged. To protect the plantation from freezing, I fill it with water. If severe frosts are predicted, I pour water from a hose onto the cranberry with a layer of 2 cm. I leave it until it freezes. Then I pour the next layer - and so on until the plants are completely frozen in ice.

Galina PRISCHEPOVA, Smolensk

THE BENEFITS OF CRANBERRY

Cranberry juice with honey (1: 1) I take 1 tablespoon 4-5 times a day between meals for colds with coughs, bronchitis.

Valeria LYSENKO, St. Petersburg

For angina, I mix cranberry juices, beets, honey and vodka (in equal parts), insist in a cool dark place for 2 days, sometimes shaking. I drink 1 tbsp. 3-4 times a day one hour before meals. Store in a cool place.

Vera LIPAY. Uzda

2 tbsp I rub cranberries and squeeze the juice through cheesecloth. I mix it with lanolin and petroleum jelly (50 g each). I get an ointment, which I use for purulent wounds, rashes, itching on the skin.

Irina CHEREMKHOVSKAYA. Zhmerynka

See also: Growing cranberries right in the garden

Growing cranberries in the garden - video

CRANBERRY ✅ Growing cranberries in the garden

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The berry has a rich chemical composition. An excellent source of vitamins, it is an antioxidant tonic. Has anti-inflammatory antiseptic properties, helps in the treatment of colds, tonsillitis, rheumatism, heart disease.

Fruits of most varieties keep fresh well until next year.

Varieties and types of garden cranberries

The culture is distinguished by the size of the fruit, the place of growth. Large-fruited varieties are native to North America. The distribution area is very large. They are grown in Canada, Western Europe, China, Japan, Western Siberia, and the Far East. Creeping shrubs, reaching a length of one and a half meters, have erect stems up to 20 cm high, large berries.

1. Loves moist peaty soils. The shrub blooms 2 weeks later, and the berries have less ascorbic acid than the marsh plant common in Europe and Asia.
2. Marsh cranberries are creeping bushes with leaves, the back of which is white.
3. In the tundra, forest zone, mountainous regions of the northern hemisphere, small-fruited cranberries grow, in which the fruits are smaller than those of the bog bush. This species is not of commercial interest.
4. Two species grow in Russia: ordinary cranberry and small-fruited. These species inhabit lowlands, swampy forest areas of the northern, northwestern regions. They grow in Kamchatka, Sakhalin, Siberia.

Large-fruited cranberry

Large-fruited varieties are of the greatest interest to breeders and gardeners. Since this culture blooms later, less frost-resistant than ordinary cranberries, they grow mainly early varieties. Consider the characteristics of some of them:

Red Star... High frost resistance. Reaches technical ripeness by mid-September. Fruits up to 2 cm with a waxy coating, sweet and sour taste. Due to its unpretentiousness, high yield (up to 2 kg per 1 sq. M), it is considered one of the best varieties of the world selection.

It is also used as an ornamental crop.

Ben Lear... The fruits are large, up to 2 cm in diameter, ripen at the end of August. The plant is early maturing, medium-sized, yield up to 1.6 kg per 1 sq. m. Burgundy berries with a waxy coating, juicy, sweet and sour taste.

Due to the short storage time (14 days), it is used in processed or frozen form.

Stevens... Oblong red fruits with a waxy coating reach a diameter of 2.4 cm. Ripen from late September to early October. Bushes are vigorous, erect stems. They are consumed fresh, processed. Shelf life up to a year. Average yield up to 1.3 kg per 1 sq. m.

Common cranberry

Frost-resistant species with evergreen creeping shrubs, spherical fruits. The most popular varieties include:

Scarlet Reserve... Late variety. Fruits are light red in color, round in shape with a smooth surface, ripen by mid-September. Fruiting begins 3 years after planting. Productivity up to 1.5 kg per 1 sq. m. The advantage of the variety is one-dimensionality of berries, long shelf life, resistant to transportation.

Disadvantages - small fruit size, drought tolerant.

Gift of Kostroma... Early variety. Shoots reach a length of 7.5 cm. Large round-shaped fruits ripen by the end of August, have a sour taste. Color from red to cherry color, sour taste. The yield reaches 1.6 kg per 1 sq. m. The advantages of the variety include early maturity and large-fruited. The culture is not susceptible to disease, damage from pests.

The disadvantage is the small number of ovaries.

Beauty of the North... Late grade. Ripening of large oval fruits of all shades of red occurs in the second decade of September. The length of the shoots is 7 cm. The yield is 1.6 kg per 1 sq. m.

The disadvantage of the variety is the direct dependence of the size of the berries on watering.

Small-fruited cranberry

This type of heather plant differs from the rest in its small size.

The shrub is up to 50 cm long, with pointed leaves with curved edges. Fruits reach a size of no more than 1 cm, ripen in September. It grows in the same place as the marsh species, and a little to the north. Loves tundra, peat bogs, swampy forest, mountainous regions of the northern hemisphere.

In Russia, small-fruited cranberries are listed in the Red Book as an endangered species. This species does not arouse interest among breeders due to the lack of use of fruits in practice.

Where does garden cranberry grow?

Summer cottages usually do not correspond to the natural growing conditions of berry crops. But since the plant is attractive to gardeners with extremely useful properties, the conditions are created for it artificially.

The shrub needs high humidity. This can be the occurrence of groundwater not lower than 40 cm, or the presence of any water source nearby.

The attractiveness of a crop for horticultural cultivation lies in the fact that once having prepared a plot for it, it can be grown in one place for up to 60 years. It is also well suited for decorative purposes.She can decorate the shoreline of a garden pond or an alpine slide.

For good fruiting, the bushes need good lighting. If this condition is not met, the yield is reduced.

Demanding ground

The best option for preparing the soil for planting would be a dug hole filled with peat. Peat is diluted with coarse river sand in a ratio of 1: 5, a couple of buckets of needles and forest humus are added. If the site is located on natural lowlands, peat extraction, fields bordering a forest, then soil adjustment is not required at all, or insignificantly.

Since the crop will have to be constantly irrigated, there must be good drainage on the site. In order for the site to keep its shape, it is advisable to enclose it with bumpers. The soil should be sufficiently loose, permeable to oxygen and moisture.

The acidity of the soil is of great importance. For large-fruited varieties, a soil with an acidity of 3-5 pH is suitable, a marsh and small-fruited culture grows well on a soil with a wider range of acidity from 2.5 to 6.5 pH.

Determination of soil acidity

To create optimal conditions for growing cranberries, you need to prepare a soil of a certain acidity. To do this, you need to know how to define it.

The most accessible are methods in which the indicator is:

1. Litmus paper. Strips of paper treated with natural dyes that change color when immersed in an acidic environment. A small amount of earth is placed in a container with distilled water. If the blue indicator turns red, it means that the soil is acidic.
2. Test strips. The principle of operation is the same as that of litmus paper, but more accurate. The packaging shows a color scale that has indicators with which you can compare the result.
3. Vinegar. A simple common way. The earth is placed in a glass jar and covered with vinegar. If there is no foaming, then the earth is acidic.
4. Weed grasses. On acidic soils, field horsetail, sedge, nettle, clover, chamomile, cornflowers grow.
5. A device for measuring soil indicators. A more costly but reliable method for determining acidity. The kit consists of a set of reagents, test tubes and a scale for verifying the results obtained. The device additionally determines humidity and temperature.

The most reliable soil acidity test will be a laboratory analysis of a soil sample.

Where to get planting material

The best places to buy crops are nurseries, large cranberry farms and horticultural associations.

You can be sure that the planting material will have varietal qualities and will take root well. It is important to know the age of the plant. Saplings take root better at 2 years old, and a four-year culture bears fruit faster.

For planting, you can use bushes growing in their natural habitat. Healthy plants with the largest fruits are selected. Cuttings about 20 cm long are cut from them, which are dug into wet peat, and in spring they are transplanted to a permanent place.

Landing dates

The most suitable time for planting is from the beginning of April to the end of May. The soil must thaw at least 10 cm in order to be able to dig a hole.

You can plant cuttings and seedlings in the fall from October to early November. In this case, there is a possibility of freezing due to the fact that the culture does not have time to take root. But if the wintering was successful, then the next year the plant will develop faster than those planted in the spring.

When you purchase an adult three-year-old culture with a closed root system, it can be planted on the site in the summer.

Planting rules for garden cranberries

Planting the plant should take place in the soil prepared in the fall in a well-lit, fenced area.

Holes are dug 10 cm deep. The distance between the rows is maintained at 20 cm, in the row between the seedlings 15–20 cm.Before planting, the wells are moistened with warm water.

If the planting material is represented by cuttings, they must be deepened, leaving up to 3 cm on the surface with a growth point. Place 2-3 pieces in the hole, compact the earth, water it again. The length of the cuttings can be from 5 to 20 cm.

The seedling is immersed to the same depth at which it grew before planting. If it is transplanted from a different container, it is very important not to damage the root system. To do this, the roots are dipped into the hole along with a lump of earth.

The seeds are sown in peat or moss to a depth of 5 mm. Watered, covered with foil. The sprouts will appear only after a month.

Gardeners will see the first berries only in the third year after planting. A full harvest will be harvested only in the fourth year.

With the correct selection of the variety, good care, you can collect up to 3 kg from 1 sq. m.

Cranberry care

In the spring, closer to May, pruning is done on the bushes. Before fruiting, the first 3 years of growth are recommended to form compact bushes, from which it is easier to harvest. To do this, trim the side shoots. If you cut off the vertical stems, then a spreading creeping bush is formed. Such pruning is more suitable for decorative purposes. With any pruning method, weak, diseased shoots are removed.

The soil must be regularly loosened, weeds removed. When tying buds, after harvesting for the prevention of diseases, the culture is treated with fungicides.

In preparation for winter, the garden bed can be covered with peat or covered with spruce branches. They also use the method of phased freezing. At sub-zero temperatures, planting is watered, waiting for freezing. This is repeated several times until the bushes are covered with a layer of ice. In the spring, excess moisture is removed.

For better pollination, it is recommended to plant honey plants in the neighborhood.

Frequency of watering and feeding

The main agrotechnical works in the care of the crop are watering and fertilizing with mineral fertilizers.

The soil on the site must be constantly moist. The plant does not tolerate drought. If possible, you need to organize drip irrigation. But it is impossible to swamp the soil, since putrefactive processes will begin to develop, the taste of the fruits will worsen.

In drought, watering is necessary daily. If it is not possible to visit the summer cottage every day, you can water abundantly once a week and mulch the soil.

3 weeks after planting, fertilizing is carried out with a complex mineral fertilizer (Universal, Kemira) at the rate of 20 g per 1 sq. m. Such feeding should be carried out every 2 weeks until the end of July. In late August and mid-October, the bushes are fertilized with the Osennee mineral complex - 10 g per 1 sq. m.

To maintain the acidity of the soil, 2 years after planting, acidify the water for irrigation. To do this, make a solution from a teaspoon of citric acid and 3 liters of water. You can make acidic water by pouring 100 g of vinegar into a bucket of water.

For the same purposes, a mixture of peat with sawdust of coniferous trees is poured into the garden every year.

Manure, chicken droppings, compost are not suitable as fertilizers.

Propagation of cranberries by cuttings and seeds

The most productive are the methods of propagation by seedlings and cuttings. A crop grown from seeds loses its varietal qualities. Most often they are used for the purpose of landscaping. Let's consider the features of each method in more detail.

Propagation by cuttings

To obtain a varietal culture, it is better to propagate the plant by cuttings. To prepare them, last year's horizontal shoots are cut into 10–20 cm segments in April. They are placed in a bucket filled with water up to the middle of the planting material, the reconciliation is covered with a damp cloth.

In this way, they can be stored for several days. If there is a need for longer storage, the cuttings are wrapped in moist moss and kept at a temperature close to 0 ° C.

For rooting of cuttings, a greenhouse is not needed, they are planted immediately in the ground.When planting, they deepen by at least 2/3, while the growth point should be in the upper ground part. Up to 3 cuttings can be planted in one hole. The planting scheme depends on the variety, the amount of planting material. On average - after 20 cm in a row and between rows. The survival rate is at least 95%. Rooting takes place after 3 weeks.

You can plant the cuttings in peat pots. After 1.5-2 months, they are transplanted to a permanent place.

Seed propagation

After harvesting, the seeds are kept in a refrigerator at a temperature of 3-4 ° C to obtain more friendly seedlings until spring. In April, they are sown over peat in pots or containers. Sprinkle on top of 2 mm with sand or moss, watered, put in a warm place.

A month later, with regular watering, seedlings appear. When 4–5 leaves are formed, the plants dive. They are seated in separate pots or in greenhouse soil. By the end of summer, they remove the film from the greenhouse, cover the planting for the winter. In the spring, they are transplanted to a permanent place. It will be possible to get the harvest for 5 years.

Harvesting and storage

You can harvest at different times. In the spring, fruits are harvested that grow in the natural environment. After overwintering, they become sweeter.

If cranberries are needed for long-term storage, they are harvested when they are fully ripe. Technical ripeness lasts from late August to early November.

An unripe berry, lying down, will acquire the color of ripe fruits.

Harvesting can be done manually or with scrapers. The second method is easier, but injures the plant, which is undesirable. In order for the berry to survive longer without processing, it is better to harvest in dry, sunny weather, after the morning dew has dried.

Large farms harvest in a different way. Checks are filled with water, fruits float to the surface. After that, it's pretty easy to assemble them.

Until the next harvest, ripe fruits can be preserved by flooding it with water, then put into a cellar. It turns out the cranberries are soaked, and if you also add sugar and a little vinegar, you get a pickled berry. This will increase the shelf life.

Cranberries can be stored for up to 3 months without water. At home, it is placed in plastic containers and placed in the refrigerator or stored in wooden boxes in the cellar at a temperature of 0-8 ° C.

Fruits harvested in spring are best processed or frozen. Before freezing, the fruits are washed and dried.

When frozen, the berries are laid out in containers or bags, taking into account their use at a time. Re-freezing leads to a decrease in quality and loss of useful properties.

Frozen berries are used to make desserts, compotes, jelly, added to sauerkraut.

Jam is made from fresh fruits, ground with sugar.

Diseases and pests

Failure to comply with preventive measures such as weeding, thinning of crops, adherence to the rules of agricultural technology leads to diseases. Cranberries are susceptible to diseases of fungal and viral origin. Let's consider the most common ones.

1. Snow mold... The disease begins to develop in March, when the plant is still under snow. The leaves acquire a brown color, turn gray by summer, then die. Not only leaves are affected, but also the buds of the plant. As a result, the ovary does not form, the yield decreases. They fight the disease by spraying with foundation or a harmless method of freezing the culture in layers.
2. Phomopsis... The disease manifests itself in hot, dry weather. Gray spots and ulcers form on the stems, because of this, they gradually dry out. The leaves first turn yellow, later turn orange, but do not fall off. The berries rot, change color, and swells appear on them. The method of combating the disease is treatment with fungicides, spraying with Bordeaux liquid.
3. Monilial burn... In damp weather, the stems are covered with a yellow coating, the tops turn brown and dry. Mushrooms are gradually spreading to the rest of the culture. Rot can manifest itself during the growing season, storage.The most dangerous time of infection is considered the period of budding, the growth of new shoots. Fungicides help to defeat the disease.
4. Terry... Viral disease. It manifests itself in the deformation of leaves, shoots. The bush becomes like a broom. Fruiting stops. There are no cures. The diseased plant is removed from the site and disposed of.

The most dangerous insect pests that feed on all parts of the plant, including the root, include the following species:

1. lingonberry leaf roll;
2. cabbage scoop;
3. caterpillar weevil;
4. heather moth.

Weeds are a breeding ground for pests. Therefore, regular weeding will help fight them. It is also necessary to monitor the amount of applied mineral fertilizers, especially nitrogen.

If a plant grows in favorable conditions, it becomes stronger, more resilient, less susceptible to diseases and pests.

When the soil is mulched, the focus of infection is isolated, and it dies under a layer of mulch.

If only agrotechnical methods do not help, then insecticides are used.

The properties of cranberries and their health benefits are simply priceless. Growing up in a summer cottage or a personal plot is exciting and interesting. With a little effort, you can get a good harvest of medicinal berries.

3 parts: Planting cranberries; Caring for cranberry plants; Harvesting cranberries

Cranberries are a tart, red berry that is most commonly used in a variety of sauces, pies, and juices. It is also a popular addition to salads and is eaten dried as a snack. In recent years, cranberries have become well known for their medicinal properties, thanks in large part to their high concentration of vitamin C and antioxidants. Most commonly grown commercially, cranberries can also be grown at home. Start with step 1 to learn how to grow cranberries.

Part 1 Planting cranberries

1. Choose cranberry varieties.

   There are several varieties of cranberries that can be used at home. The variety you choose will depend on what you are going to use the berries for.

   • Hoves cranberries are small, red berries native to Massachusetts. They are easy to grow and will stay fresh long after harvest when stored properly.
   • Stevens Cranberries are a hybrid cranberry designed for performance and disease resistance. These are large berries, bright red in color.
   • Two more varieties are Ben Lear (large, burgundy berries) and Earley Black (small, dark red berries). However, these varieties are not recommended for beginner growers as they are more difficult to care for and more prone to disease and insect attack than other varieties.
2. Plant at the right time of the year.

   Cranberries are best grown in cold climates, in zones 2-5. They can be planted at different times throughout the year, depending on the age of the plant.

   • Cuttings and seedlings can be planted throughout the fall, from October to early November. They can also be planted in the spring, from mid-April to late May.
   • 3-year-old rooted plants that are still actively growing can sometimes be planted in summer if purchased in pots.
3. Prepare the soil.

   When it comes to soil, cranberries have unique requirements - they must be planted in soil with low pH and high organic matter. As a result, it is often necessary to replace existing soil rather than adjusting it.

   • The average size of a cranberry patch is 1.20 meters by 2.4 meters. However, if you are only growing one plant, an area of ​​60 cm by 60 cm will suffice.
   • Dig the existing soil in the cranberry patch to a depth of 15-20 cm. Fill the patch with peat, then mix with 225 grams of bone meal and 450 grams of blood meal.
   • If desired, you can add 1 cup Epsom salt and 450 grams of phosphate rock. (This is the amount for a plot of 3 sq.m, so make the necessary changes).
   • Before planting, thoroughly moisten the soil (but do not flood it). You can do this by spraying the area with a garden hose, mixing the soil periodically to encourage absorption.
4. Plant cuttings or seedlings.

   Cranberry plants are not grown from seed, but from annual cuttings or 3 year old seedlings.

   • It is important to know that cranberry plants do not begin to bear fruit until the third or fourth year, so whether you choose to plant cuttings or seedlings will depend on how quickly you want to fruit.
   • If you choose to plant cranberry cuttings, plant them in prepared, moist soil, leaving approximately 30 cm of space between each plant. The root ball of each plant should be 2 cm below the soil surface.
   • If you choose to plant 3 year old seedlings, leave approximately 90 cm of space between each plant.
5. Alternatively, grow cranberries in a container.

   Cranberry plants grow best in the garden, where they have plenty of room for whiskers to spread. However, it is possible to grow a single plant in a large pot if you prefer.

   • Fill the pot with peat and plant a 3 year old seedling. Let the plant put the whiskers in the pot (these will take root and form fruiting shoots), but trim off any whiskers that extend beyond the pot. You can also fertilize the soil with a low nitrogen fertilizer, as this will limit whisker growth.
   • Indoor cranberry plants need replacing every couple of years (unlike those that grow in plots and support themselves indefinitely).

Part 2 Caring for cranberry plants

1. 

   Be vigilant against weeds. Cranberry plants do not compete with weeds, so it is very important to weed the garden regularly, especially during the first year. Fortunately, the peat moss used on the cranberry plot will inhibit the growth of many common garden weeds.

2. Keep cranberry plants well watered.

   For the first year (and beyond), cranberry plants need constant watering to keep the soil moist. If the roots dry out, the plants will die.

   • A common misconception is that cranberry plants need to be soaked or submerged in water while growing. Although the soil should always be wet (or at least damp) to the touch, it should not be saturated with water.
   • Too much water can slow down root growth and the roots will not reach the required depth.
3. Fertilize the soil.

   Soon, your cranberry plants will start to produce tendrils (strawberry-like) that will fill the garden bed before rooting and sprouting, they are part of the plant on which the flowers and fruits grow. In order to stimulate the growth of these tendrils, the cranberry bed must be well fertilized.

   • For the first year after planting, fertilize your cranberry bed with a high nitrogen fertilizer that promotes tendril proliferation. Fertilize the soil three times - once at the beginning of growth, the second time when the flower buds appear, and a third time when the berries begin to form.
   • To keep the tendrils from spreading within the cranberry area, you can use wood or plastic restraints around the perimeter of the garden.
   • After a year, you need to shut off the nitrogen supply to the antennae - this will help them stop spreading, instead the antennae will root and form vertically. Use a nitrogen-free fertilizer from the second year onwards.
   • At the beginning of the second year (and every few years thereafter), you will need to cover the soil with a thin (1.2 cm) layer of sand. This helps the tendrils to take root and prevent weeds.
4. Control pests and diseases.

   Cranberry plants are susceptible to certain pests and diseases, but they are relatively easy to deal with if you know what to look for.

   • The cranberry pest caterpillar is a common problem where gray butterflies lay their eggs inside the berries themselves. If you spot gray butterflies around the cranberries, you will need to spray the area with insecticides to kill the eggs.
   • If you don't catch the cranberry pest caterpillar in time, the eggs will hatch and the worms will eat the cranberries from the inside out. When this happens, the infected berries will turn red before they are ripe. You can deal with this by picking prematurely red berries (in addition to the surrounding fruits) and getting rid of them.
   • Two other common diseases are red spot (when bright red spots develop on the leaves of a plant) and anthracnose. The treatment for both of these diseases is the same - spray the cranberries with an organic, copper-based fungicide in late June and early August, according to label instructions.
5. Trim the antennae from the third year of growth.

   From the third year of growth onward, you will need to prune your cranberries every spring to control the tendrils and encourage sprouting.

   • You can do this by combing the cranberry patch with a landscape rake until all tendrils are pointing in the same direction. This makes it easier to identify the longest shoots and cut them off. Do not trim existing shoots.
   • Over time, your cranberry plants may begin to spread out of the field. If this happens, you can prune each of the plants back in the spring until they are only 5 cm above the soil line. The cranberries will not bear fruit this year, but normal production will resume next year.

Part 3 Collecting cranberries

1. Harvest cranberries.

   If you have planted three-year-old seedlings, the cranberry plant can produce fruit the following fall. But if you've planted annual cuttings, you may have to wait three to four years for the plant to bear fruit.

   • Once the plant is producing fruit, you can harvest the berries in September and October each year. When the berries are ripe, they will be bright or dark red (depending on the variety) and the seeds inside will be brown.
   • Although commercial growers harvest cranberries by flooding the fields to make the cranberries float (and therefore easier to harvest), this is not necessary for home growing. The cranberries can simply be picked by hand.
   • It is important that you pick all the berries before the first severe winter frost, as cranberries will not survive temperatures below -1 ° C.
2. Store berries.

   Once harvested, cranberries will stay fresh for up to two months if stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator - much longer than most fruits.

   • Cooked cranberries (or cranberry sauce) will keep in the refrigerator for up to a month, while dried cranberries (which have a similar texture to raisins) will last for up to one year.
3. Protect your cranberries in winter.

   It is important to protect the cranberries during the winter months to prevent them from freezing and drying out. You can do this by covering the cranberry area with a heavy layer of mulch (such as leaves or pine needles) before winter sets in.

   • You can open the cranberries during springtime (around April 1st), but you must be prepared to cover them at night when frost is expected, as a frosty night can kill any new shoots and prevent fruit from emerging this year.
   • However, never cover the cranberries with clear or black plastic as this can raise the temperature of the garden and potentially kill the plants.

Advice

• Cranberry plants usually produce about 0.45 kg. fruits for every 0.09 square meters of planted area.

What do you need

• Shovel
• Peat moss
• Cranberry plants (or 1 or 3 year olds)
• Blood meal
• Bone flour

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