Job title
This creeping shrub grows in wet, acidic peat soils. Without providing the plant with a constantly moist and acidic substrate, there can be no success in cultivation. It also requires a sunny position, as the shaded fruit will remain green despite reaching maturity.
To grow cranberries, you need to remove a 20 cm layer of soil with a spade and replace it with acid garden peat (pH 3.0-4.0) or a mixture of peat and sawdust. If we have alkaline soil on the plot, we should line the hole with a slightly perforated black foil and then cover it with peat. For even better acidification of the substrate, you can sprinkle potassium sulfate or superphosphateat a dose of 1.5 grams per 1 m².
Planting and care
The best time to plant cranberries is in early spring. Place the purchased plants in a shallow distance of about 20 cm. It is very important to cover the substrate with acid bark, sawdust or coarse sand. It is important that it does not have calcium. Also, water for watering should not contain it. The substrate will be de-acidified quickly and the plants will start to get sick. Rainwater is best for this.
Cranberries are successful in our climate with high air and soil humidity. He hates drought and long-term heat. The most important care treatment is watering. I irrigate my bushes every day during dry periods.
In the spring I feed the cranberries with fertilizer for acidophilic plants. During the season, I weed gently. For winter, it is good to cover it with a green shade net or a thin layer of leaves. In early spring, it protects the shrubs from freezing, when the plants come to life and the roots cannot take water from the frozen ground yet.
Jerzy Jaworski
