Content
- Cranberries thrive excellently even without much care
- How often do I have to water cranberries?
- When and how often should the bushes be fertilized? Which is the best fertilizer?
- When and how can I cut cranberries?
- Can I keep a cranberry spray on the balcony?
- What diseases are there and what can I do about it?
- Are cranberries hardy?
- Tips & Tricks
Cranberries thrive excellently even without much care
Cranberries, also known in this country as "cranberry" or "crane berry", are amazingly grateful plants. The creeping plant thrives best on nutrient-poor and acidic soil, requires little care 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 have to water cranberries?
Cranberry stews require a lot of water and should be kept moist. The plant is rooted only on the surface and not in depth, which is why regular watering is essential. Even weeds extract valuable moisture from the soil, so weeding is important. It is best to cover the floor with a thick layer of bark mulch, which protects against both dehydration and cold.
When and how often should the bushes be fertilized? Which is the best fertilizer?
Cranberries should not be fertilized, as they do not tolerate a nutrient-rich soil as a heather. It is sufficient to give some compost during planting as well as in autumn.
When and how can I cut cranberries?
A strong pruning is not necessary with cranberries, however, especially perennial plants should be lighted in the spring. Even very long shoots can be cut, otherwise they can grow over the hive and grow the garden quickly. Cranberries grow very fast. Be careful, however, to prune only older shoots. Young branches should not be damaged, because otherwise the plant develops significantly less berries.
Can I keep a cranberry spray on the balcony?
The Cranberry is very suitable for the planting of pots and window boxes. It is best to plant the shrubs in rhododendron soil, which you may want to mix with some peat. Cranberries should be watered regularly and repotted approximately every two to three years. Fertilization is not necessary with regular repotting.
What diseases are there and what can I do about it?
Diseases are rare, but the cranberry can be affected by the parasitic fungus Exobasidium perenne. An infestation can be identified by red and yellow spots on some leaves. However, this fungus is rarely found in our latitudes, its circulation area is more in Canada.
Are cranberries hardy?
In mild climates cranberries are hardy. However, both their flowers and their fruits tolerate no frost and freeze at temperatures as low as -4 ° C. For this reason, early flowering varieties such as Bergman, Black Veil, Searles or Bain McFarlin should be grown, especially in Northern Germany. In these varieties, the berries ripen earlier and are therefore not too frost-prone.
Tips & Tricks
You can cover the cold-sensitive flowers and fruits with a frost protection fleece and protect them from freezing.