- How often do I need to water cranberries?
- When and how often should the shrubs be fertilized? Which is the best fertilizer?
- When and how can I cut cranberries?
- Can I keep a cranberry bush on the balcony?
- What diseases are there and what can I do about them?
- Are cranberries hardy?
- tips and tricks
Cranberries, often also known as "cranberry" or "crane berry" in this country, are surprisingly grateful plants. The creeping plant thrives best on nutrient-poor and acidic soil, requires little maintenance and rewards its gardener with juicy, red fruits. These can be wonderfully processed into jams or juices or dried like raisins.
How often do I need to water cranberries?
Cranberry bushes need a lot of water and should be kept constantly moist. The plant roots only on the surface and not in the depths, which is why regular watering is essential. Weeds also draw valuable moisture from the soil, so weeding is also important. It is best to cover the ground with a thick layer of bark mulch, which protects against both drying out and the cold.
When and how often should the shrubs be fertilized? Which is the best fertilizer?
Cranberries should not be fertilized because, as a heather plant, they do not tolerate nutrient-rich soil. It is enough to give some compost when planting, as well as in the fall.
When and how can I cut cranberries?
A strong pruning is not necessary with cranberries, but perennial plants should be thinned out in spring. Even very long shoots can be cut, otherwise they will grow over the edge of the bed and quickly overgrow the garden. Cranberries grow very quickly. However, make sure to only prune older shoots. Young branches should not be damaged, otherwise the plant will develop significantly fewer berries.
Can I keep a cranberry bush on the balcony?
The cranberry is very suitable for planting in tubs and window boxes.(109.00€) It is best to plant the shrubs in rhododendron soil, which you can possibly mix with a little peat. Cranberries should be watered regularly and repotted about every two to three years. Fertilization is not necessary with regular repotting.
What diseases are there and what can I do about them?
Diseases are rare, but the cranberry can be attacked by the parasitic fungus Exobasidium perenne. You can recognize an infestation by red and yellow spots on some leaves. However, this fungus hardly occurs in our latitudes, its distribution area is more in Canada.
Are cranberries hardy?
In mild areas, cranberries are hardy. However, neither their flowers nor their fruits tolerate frost and freeze to death at temperatures from - 4 °C. For this reason, early flowering varieties such as Bergman, Black Veil, Searles or Bain McFarlin should be cultivated, especially in northern Germany. With these varieties, the berries ripen earlier and are therefore not too vulnerable to frost.
tips and tricks
You can cover the flowers and fruits, which are sensitive to the cold, with an anti-freeze fleece to protect them from freezing.