"Growing cranberries at home"
They are known to have been part of Thanksgiving festivals in the early seventeenth century and later bacame a traditional accompaniment to turkey and other poultry dishes. Cranberries are used in many types of recipes; sauces, juices, fruit pies and puddings. They have also been proven to have many healing qualities including problems with urinary tract and kidneys.
Buy your plants from a reputable nursery or garden centre. Thompson and Morgan in the UK deliver to UK addresses -
And in the US, Nature Hills is a good place to start...
Cranberries are a ground-cover plant and will happily cover a fairly large area in 2-3 years. The plants produce flowers and fruit after three years. When planting young plants, allow space for them to spread. The plant sends out runners, a bit like strawberries, and each one of these will grow into an upright plant that eventually produces cranberries. Cranberries like an acid soil and will benefit from being close to water, but the ground should never be water-logged. They also prefer a sandy soil - add a layer of sand to the bed every couple of years in the spring. This also helps stop weeds germinating. Grow on an open site so pollination is easier. If you want to grow just a couple of plants, allow a 2ft.(30cm) by 2ft.(30cm) growing area for each plant. Otherwise prepare a bed and expect about 1lb of fruit per square foot of land covered. Plants can be grown indoors but they tend not to produce fruit because the plants need sunlight to develop.   Plant in autumn or spring. Watch out for frosts... sprinkle plants and soil with water as soon as possible after a frost, or the plants will be damaged, and the harvest will suffer.As with many perennial plants, once the initial work is done, they will pretty much look after themselves. Keep an eye on them for any viruses or insect attacks though. Protect the low growing plants from the cold by covering with plastic and mulching but watch out for garden pests... mice love to nest under your carefully applied layer of mulch - mice are a pest in the garden and will devour all your fruit before you've even realised it's there... When your bed has been producing for three years, cut away the old shoots, tidy runners and generally straighten up the bed. You will get a larger crop from your plants if they have space to grow and develop. Pick cranberries by hand when red, from September to October depending on your climate. Pick all fruit before any hint of a frost. Happy Gardening! Grow Your Own Winter Food: A good diet incorporating plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables is a must if you want to stay fit and healthy and keep the bugs at bay during the cold winter months. Growing your own winter food is just one way of ensuring you get the freshest, tastiest produce packed with goodness straight from the garden to the kitchen table. This easy-to-follow self-sufficiency book shows you how to grow your own fruit and vegetables for winter use and includes facts on each fruit, vegetable or herb as well as nutritional value, recipe ideas and storage suggestions.  Grow Your Own Winter Food is perfect for those with limited gardening experience, with gardens big or small who are looking to become more self-sufficient. Order it now direct from the publisher... Grow Your Own Winter Food Grow It, Cook It!: Many crops, including herbs, can be produced in a relatively small space with a little pre-planning and organizing: in containers, on a balcony, and indoors. Herbs are perfect for enhancing the flavour of cooking, treating minor ailments, and preventing colds and flu. Your own back garden will not only produce the best food on the planet for you and your loved ones, it is also economical, environmentally friendly and more fun than shopping. Gardening is more than a hobby; it's a way of life. .  This book provides all the information you need to keep your family and friends healthy, fit and enjoying life to the full. Order it now direct from the publisher... Grow It, Cook It! Grow Your Own Pharmacy: If, like me, you want to be able to eat the best food on the planet, grow your own!  • Clear instructions on planning, planting, growing and harvesting the fruits, vegetables and herbs required for a healthy vitamin intake. • Recipes and menus to help incorporate the fruit and vegetables into your daily diet. Grow Your Own Pharmacy Herbs and Spices: Some herbs grow vigorously, some are tender and need special growing conditions, some are annuals, some perennials, some you can grow indoors, all can be grown in pots or directly into the ground. There are also certain spices, such as chillies, that can be grown in temperate climates.  This clear and concise directory of herbs and spices provides all the essential information to help you grow a selection of these flavour-enhancing foods in small or large spaces. Ideas for which herbs and spices go best with which foods also accompany each description, so that you can really enliven your repertoire of recipes. Order it now direct from the publisher... Herbs and Spices Granny's Book Of Good Old Fashioned Common Sense is packed full of great ideas and tips. Granny brings traditional home-making up to date with cooking, gardening, needlecrafts and even games to play with the kids...Click on the link below to order your copy.  Cooking doesn’t have to be a chore and preparing nourishing home cooked meals for the family will certainly keep them away from the goodie shelf. Gardening encourages physical exercise and a good healthy dollop of fresh air. And you can get the kids involved too. Before the days of computer games and electronic pets, children used to have fun without rummaging about in the fridge every five minutes. Enjoy a few rainy-day games and crafts of yesteryear with today’s kids. They’ll love it and so will you! Granny's Book Of Good Old Fashioned Common Sense Back to Fruit Page Back To Flower and Garden Tips Homepage Click here to subscribe to "Creative Gardening" - Your FREE monthly ezine! www.flower-and-garden-tips.com/cranberries.html |
