Here’s what you better know to grow cranberry plants in your backyard.
Cranberry plants form mats about eight to 18 inches tall with small dark evergreen leaves.
Cranberries need pollination to produce decent sized fruit, says Sandler.
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Get them in before the weather gets too warm so that new roots develop before summer.
In warmer regions, they can beplanted in the fall.
Cranberries do best in full sun.
In warmer regions, theybenefit from a little afternoon shade.
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 its alkaline, it will continuously raise the soil pH, making it near-impossible to grow cranberries.
Its worth finding this out before you plant.
Prepare and Plant
Before planting, prepare your soil.
Cranberry plants don’t like wet feet, so thesoil needs to be well drained.
Sandler recommends amending soil with sand to help with drainage.
“If the soil structure is very poor, one could also add other amendments, such as compost.
But, nottoomuchcranberries like it nutrient-poor,” says Sandler.
Depending on your soil test results, you may need to add sulfur to acidify the soil as well.
Supplement with a fertilizer for acidic plants.
Set them at the same depth as they were growing in the nursery pot.
Be sure to keep the beds evenly moist,watering every few days as needed.
Adding a layer of mulch on top helps vines retain water.
While consistent moisture is important for the plants, don’t overdo it.
Temperature
To produce a crop.
your cranberry plants need at least three months where temperatures fall between 32-45F.
Once the vines cover the planting area, cut back on fertilizing.
The best time to prune cranberry plants is in late winter before new growth starts.
Protection
It’s not only people who enjoy eating cranberriesbirds do too.
As plants mature, you may want to protect your berries with some bird-safe netting.
Though the berries are smaller, they have a sweeter flavor and bright red color.
Another older variety from 1843, ‘Howes’ fruit ripens about three weeks later than ‘Early Blacks’.
The large, firm berries are tart and store well.
