How to Grow Cranberries

At a Glance

Quick Facts

Factor	Value
Soil texture	Loam or sand (RHS); peaty or light loam with leaf-mould preferred (PFAF)
Drainage	Well-drained or moist but well-drained, suited to boggy conditions (RHS); PFAF says moist or semi-boggy and dislikes drying out
Lifecycle	Evergreen shrub. RHS records 10-20 years to reach maturity; PFAF gives a considerably faster timeline of about 5 years to come into full bearing, after which it can crop for 60-100 years.
Edible parts	fruit

Soil & Growing Conditions

Water: Keep moist all year round; genuinely boggy conditions suit it well (RHS). Needs shelter from strong winds (PFAF).

Growth Stages

Stage	BBCH	Notes
Planting and establishment	0	Propagate by softwood cuttings in late spring or semi-ripe cuttings in early summer (RHS); PFAF adds seed (needing about 3 months cold stratification), layering (about 18 months) and spring or early-autumn division of suckers as alternatives. Needs permanently moist, lime-free, acidic soil (pH 4-4.5) -- becomes chlorotic if lime is present (RHS; PFAF).
Vegetative spread	3	Long, slender, creeping stems root into the soil as they spread, forming a low, prostrate mat; upright flowering stems develop from the second year onward (RHS; PFAF). Nutritionally poor soil is tolerated well and can actually favour fruiting over excess foliage growth (PFAF).
Flowering	6	PFAF records flowering from June to August.
Fruiting and harvest	8	Productive fruiting begins by the third year (RHS); berries mature from September through early winter and should be picked before the first frost (RHS). Bird protection with netting may be needed.

Harvest & Storage

When to pick: Red fruit, 1-2cm diameter, ripens from September through early winter; pick before the first frost (RHS). The fruit is too acidic for most people's tastes eaten raw and is mainly used cooked, in sauces, pies and preserves (PFAF); it is particularly high in antioxidants and vitamin C (RHS).

Diseases

Lime-induced chlorosis

moderate

A nutritional/abiotic issue, not a pathogen: both RHS and PFAF independently confirm this acid-loving plant becomes chlorotic (yellowing) when grown in soil containing lime, since it cannot access iron and other…

Powdery mildew

low

Named directly on RHS's own growing-guide page as "powdery mildews" (no severity grading given).

Foot and root rot (general)

low

Named directly on RHS's own growing-guide page as "root rot"; recorded against the existing general foot/root rot entity.

Honey fungus

low

Armillaria spp.

Named directly on RHS's own growing-guide page; RHS states this rarely affects the crop.

Pests

Caterpillars (general)

low

Lepidoptera larvae, various spp.

Named directly on RHS's own growing-guide page ("may be susceptible to caterpillars", no species or severity given).

Sources

1. Plants For A Future (PFAF) - Vaccinium macrocarpon

   Flowers June-August, seeds ripen August-October. ~5yrs to full bearing, then crops 60-100yrs. Size 0.2m tall x 2m wide, long creeping stems rooting as they spread, upright flowering stems form in year 2. Soil: moist/semi-boggy, lime-free, peaty or light loam with leaf-mould, pH 4-4.5, becomes chlorotic with lime present, tolerates poor soil (favours fruiting over foliage). Full sun or light shade, fruits better in sun, needs moist/wet soil and shelter from wind. Propagation: seed (3mo cold stratification), cuttings (April 15cm or August 5-8cm half-ripe with heel), layering (18mo), division. Edible: fruit 1-2cm, raw/cooked/dried, rich in vitamin C, too acidic raw for most tastes, used in pies/preserves. Medicinal: branch infusion historically used for pleurisy. Native to eastern North America.

These source is specific to this region. The full list of 2 sources behind this guide (Plants For A Future (PFAF), Royal Horticultural Society) is in the references of our UK guide to cranberries; they describe the plant itself, which is the same wherever it grows.