How to Plant Cranberry Seeds

Cranberries are a great source of Vitamin C as well as having a high antioxidant content. Cranberries have many healthy benefits to the body, including being a great fighter against urinary tract infections---not to mention that cranberries are delicious, whether dried and used in a salad, jellied, or as a tart treat in a cake. Cranberries are a fantastic, healthy fruit, and they are also easy to grow.

Things You'll Need

• Cranberry seeds (10 to 15 seeds to start) and/or cranberry plants
• Thick plastic sheets
• Peat moss (enough to fill an 8in hole)
• 1/2 part bone meal
• 1 part rock phosphate
• 1 part blood meal
• 1/2 gallon fish emulsion fertilizer

Instructions

1. Poke multiple holes (about 15) in the bottom and sides of the plastic sheet (the holes help the water drain through the plastic). Dig a hole, approximately 8 inches deep, and line the hole with the plastic sheet.

2. Fill the hole with peat moss and water it. Keep adding and watering the moss until the hole is filled.

3. Add the bone meal, rock phosphate and blood meal to the hole.

4. If planting a cranberry plant, space the holes about 1 foot from one another. Place the plant roots 2 inches below ground level. Fill with more dampened moss.

5. If planting cranberry seeds, place them 1 foot from each other. Put several seeds into one hole and cover with dirt. Water frequently. For both plants and seeds, use 1/2 gallon of fish emulsion once a month.

Tips & Warnings

• According to cranberrycreations.com, "cranberries can be planted in the fall through October and early November or in the spring between April 15th to May 31st."

• Harvesting cranberries takes place in the fall when the cranberries are a bright red color (either late September or early October).

References

• Cranberry Creations: Growing Information

Resources

• University of Maine Cooperative Extension: Cranberry Agriculture in Maine