Cranberry Growing Guide

Vaccinium subg. Oxycoccus

Crop Rotation Group

Miscellaneous ●

Soil

Moist, boggy, acid soil. Ideally, a mixture of sand and acidic organic matter.

Position

Grow in prepared beds that can be kept very moist or flooded. Bushes can be grown along the pond’s edge in sun or partial shade.

Frost tolerant

Cranberries tolerate extreme cold, but blossoms are subject to cold damage in spring.

Feeding

Mulch with acidic compost to keep soil constantly moist. For the first three years after planting, topdress the root zone with a balanced organic fertilizer in spring.

Spacing

Single Plants: 1' 11" (60cm) each way (minimum)
Rows: 1' 11" (60cm) with 1' 11" (60cm) row gap (minimum)

Sow and Plant

Plant in a water-retentive spot by a pond or stream, above the water line, or in a bog-like bed in a low area.
Our Garden Planner can produce a personalized calendar of when to sow, plant and harvest for your area.

Notes

Water only with rainwater. Cranberries will bear for decades.

Harvesting

Begin harvesting three years after planting. Harvest when fruits are red and ripe, but before they have been damaged by hard freezes.

Planting and Harvesting Calendar

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Pests which Affect Cranberry

Aphids (General)

Slug

Snail