As a garden plant, cranberries have been cultivated in Europe and the USA for more than 150 years. It is a low growing shrub with flexible, filamentous stems and oblong leaves. Flowers bloom by mid-May and are pink in color. The berry itself is spherical, red, ripens at the end of August. When growing a plant such as garden cranberry, planting and caring for which is laborious, it is worth remembering that this is a very winter-hardy species that prefers sunlight. The plant prefers acidic, fertile, moist soils and tolerates waterlogging or stagnant moisture. In dry heat requires abundant watering. In one place, a bush can grow for a couple of decades.
In order for garden cranberries to grow he althy and with large and large berries, it is necessary to take into account all factors when growing it. A sunny site should be freed from roots and a variety of useless plants, this is due to the fact that creeping shoots can become entangled in weeds and stop growing.
To get the delicious berries that garden cranberries give, planting and care must be timely.
The top layer of the earth,about 20 centimeters, it is better to mix thoroughly with peat. In cases where the subsoil is rather light and sandy, the bottom of the pit is covered with a thick plastic film. For proper growth, mark the area by square meters and align it for planting so that there are no large pits with very stagnant water.
Cranberries large-fruited are planted from about the middle to the end of May. Observe the correct distance between rows - at least twenty centimeters, and in a row - at least ten. There are 2 cuttings per planting site. For example, up to sixty cuttings are needed per 1 square meter.
For planting, use sand, it should be moist, but not very wet, and remain in this state until new shoots begin to form. Garden cranberries are not so simple: planting and caring for them require special attention from the gardener in the first three weeks. Keep an eye on growth and water twice a week. When shoots appear, then once is enough. The growth of new shoots means the growth of new roots.
Remember, garden cranberries, planting and caring for which must be carried out consistently and correctly, will quickly form new roots, and therefore, an early harvest will not take long. Full rooting occurs on about the twentieth day, and the harvest is on the 2-3rd year. From one square meter you can collect about half a bucket of berries.
As you grow, pin the shoots with a stick, thereby preventing them from leaving behindsite limits. With poor development of the bushes, top dressing in the form of organic fertilizers is advised. Use them only when dry.
In the first year after planting, cranberries that still do not bear fruit in winter should be covered with spruce branches. The fruit-bearing one does not need to be covered.
Proper planting and care is the key to a well-developed cranberry! Such a plant will delight you with its wonderful healing properties and a large amount of vitamins. Cranberry leaves will help with rheumatism, s alt deposition. The berry has a tonic and refreshing effect, improves mental activity and physical performance.
