Cranberries

[Amanda1]

I haven't been on the site for a while so I'm not sure if someone has already posted this question in the past - do cranberries need different varieties to bear fruit? I've just purchased 3 of the same kind and now I'm concerned they won't bear fruit as there will be no cross-pollination. Any healp gratefully received!

[pigletwillie]

No Amanda, they just need acidic soil and are great for underplanting blueberries with. They spread quite well and produce a carpet in time with the bonus that you get fresh cranberries for Christmas.

[Alison]

Have just bought some myself so am glad to hear that - will be planting them under the fruit bushes this weekend with the sole hope of one day being able to make my own, home grown cranberry sauce.

[running_muttley]

They do help keep weeds down under the blueberries but I'm thinking I'm not going to get much sauce for my Chritmas dinner from the 3 cranberries I produced this year.

[Don Vincenzo]

They do help keep weeds down under the blueberries but I'm thinking I'm not going to get much sauce for my Chritmas dinner from the 3 cranberries I produced this year.

It is the quality and not quantity that matters
Don Vincenzo

[Alison]

Tell that to the family on Chrismas day!!!!

[Birdie Wife]

If you want to make something to go with the turkey, how about rowanberry jelly? I made this for the first time this year and it's gone a lovely rich garnet colour, not like the pale orange stuff from the shops. Do you have rowans round you? Might be a bit late, ours have been completely stripped clean by the migrant thrushes.

Alternatively, buy some good cranberry sauce, heat gently, repot and label!! Sorry... no I never just wrote that, dearie me...

[Alison]

Will probably buy some berries from the supermarket like I usually do and make my own - so much nicer than most bought stuff.

[Sunbeam]

I thought cranberries had to grown in very boggy, acid conditions to be successful...don't know where this notion has come from though...

[Alison]

Think they do ideally but you can mimic the conditions sufficiently in your own garden - apparently, will let you know if this is true next year depending on how mine do!

[pigletwillie]

Cranberries, like Blueberries require acid soil but not necessarily boggy ground. That is a common assumption because in the US, the cranberries are cultivated on low lying ground which is flooded to assist in ther harvest of the cranberries. This works well as the cranberries float meaning that they can be just scooped up. The ground is not normally boggy but because of the flooding people assume that it must be..

That being said they dont thrive in dry conditions like you would have with perhaps sandy soil.

[shirlthegirl43]

I just received my cranberry plant (Pilgrim) from T&M - it was my mother's day pressie from the boys. It is in a 9cm pot - no growing instructions came with it. Can anyone advise how to treat it now? I guess harden off gradually then a pot with special compost (is ericacious the acid one?) - would that be okay? Don't want to kill it since it was so darned expensive (then 2 days after they ordered it, I saw them in Woolworth for 2.99 each )

Will I get berries this year from it?

[Flummery]

You can't whack sloe jelly with a turkey. So they tell me - I don't eat meat but I make a small batch every year when I've done the gin and wine. OH reckons it's also great with beef.

[SimonCole]

Cranberries, like Blueberries require acid soil but not necessarily boggy ground. That is a common assumption because in the US, the cranberries are cultivated on low lying ground which is flooded to assist in ther harvest of the cranberries. This works well as the cranberries float meaning that they can be just scooped up. The ground is not normally boggy but because of the flooding people assume that it must be..

That being said they dont thrive in dry conditions like you would have with perhaps sandy soil.

In the 'Self Sufficent Gardener' John Seymor writes that blueberries don't have root hairs, I believe, and that is why they need water around their roots.

[pigletwillie]

I am afraid he is slightly wrong in that they dont need water about their roots but indeed do have roots bereft of hair which is why you should NEVER apply any manure at all as it burns the roots, even well rotted stuff.

Shirl, they are great to underplant blueberries with and in time form a carpet. We harvested cranberries last year from 2nd year plants. They are planted in beds in a good helping of ericaceous compost and do very well.