How to Plant Cranberries in Canada

Cranberries are an attractive and easy-to-care-for addition to Canadian landscapes. The highbush cranberry thrives throughout the country with little extra attention, and other cultivars will do well in southern Canada. Site selection and soil preparation will help the cranberry bushes take hold. Even though particular attention to irrigation and weed control improves the cranberries' health during their first year of growth, they will need little attention in successive years to remain healthy and productive.

Peat
Bone meal
Mulch
Pruning shears

Instructions

- 1
  Plant cranberries in full sun and in acidic soil; a pH of 4.0 to 5.5 is ideal. Add peat to soil before planting to improve moisture retention, key to keeping the cranberry's shallow roots from drying out. Add bone meal to the soil before planting to help the roots grow.
- 2
  Plant more than one cranberry bush together if you are growing the popular highbush variety. It needs cross-pollination with another type of cranberry bush to produce fruit.
- 3
  Mulch with bark, wood chips or compost around the base of the plant to prevent weeds and retain moisture--especially during the first year, when plants need more extensive attention. Keep the mulch several centimeters from the base of each shrub.
- 4
  Prune growth touching or just above the ground so that disease will be less likely to take hold of the plant. Annual pruning is not typically necessary, but plan to trim the oldest branches every year to keep fruit yield high.
- 5
  Water your cranberry bushes well throughout the first year. Increase watering during drought to keep fruit yield up.

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