Topic: Cranberries

[Tin Shed]

Calling all cranberry growers - I have three small plants which I am ready to plant out, but do not know
how big they grow.
 I was thinking of planting them in a large container with a water reservoir at the bottom so they will not dry out too quickly - will this be big enough?

[star]

Im afraid Im not sure how big they get, am I right in thinking they like ericacious compost. Not sure though ;)

[jennym]

Don't think they get much more than about 2 ft diameter, and about 9 inches high - I think this is after about 3 years. I was told to plant 2 ft apart, to keep them moist, in an ericaceous compost and also keep them frost free.

[GrannieAnnie]

I ordered a low growing cranberry, which hasn't arrived yet, but there is also a Highbush cranberry.

[Garjan]

The Christmas before last I got three cranberry plants as a present. The plants were small and I planted them about 40 centimetres apart as was advised in the box.

Last year they didn't fruit, but I assume that they needed to settle first.
What they did do, however, was grow runners. Long branches that grow about 30 cm long and make roots where they touch the soil. Not unlike strawberries.

So mine are a low growing variety that is easy to propagate and needs quite some space if you don't want a thick layer of entangled cranberry branches.

BTW I planted them under the blackcurrant bushes. The soil csuits them well and the bushes provide some shade.

Keep us posted.

[Tin Shed]

Thanks for all the advice. I was going to put them together in a long planter, but maybe they need a big pot each.
It sounds as if they make good ground cover -perhaps semi sunken pots filled with the ericatious compost would work.  Do they mind shady areas or prefer sun?

[Isleworth]

Hi,

Not sure if this helps but I found this on the BBC Gardening Site:

Cranberries - The plants are low-growing, creeping shrubs that grow best in damp, acidic soil and make ideal ground cover between other acid-loving plants such as rhododendrons. If you don't have naturally acidic soil, try digging a sunken bed in the garden, lining it with perforated black plastic and filling in with ericaceous compost. These are shallow-rooting plants, so you don't need to dig deep. Cranberries can even be grown as trailing plants in hanging baskets - just four plants will provide a family with a year's worth of berries, and the delicate spring flowers and colourful autumn foliage ensure year-round interest. They will need plenty of water, but don't require any pruning, and only a pinch of food every month during the growing period. When buying plants, make sure you buy mature plants: most varieties won't produce a good crop of berries until they are at least two years old.

~

Lawrence

[Tin Shed]

Ooh - even more choice now!!! Hanging baskets, in pots or in the ground - quite like the idea of hanging baskets now ;)