How to Grow Serviceberries
Edible-landscaping designers admire serviceberry bush as both an ornamental and a food source. Known variously as Saskatoon serviceberry, western serviceberry and juneberry (Amelanchier alnifolia), mature bushes reach 10 to 15 feet high with a 6- to 8-foot spread. The plant displays white springtime flowers, blue berries in the summer, colorful autumn leaves and zigzag twigs in the winter landscape. Indigenous tribes of North America harvested serviceberries for sustenance and medicinal purposes. Today, likely uses include juice, jelly and pie. Serviceberry is generally grown in U.S. Department of Agriculture hardiness zones 3 to 8, with a few varieties adapted to cooler and warmer climates. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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Select a planting location where the soil drains well; serviceberries do not tolerate soggy ground and standing water. Choose a site that receives full sun for the best berry production.
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Set young serviceberry plants in holes as deep as the root ball and twice as wide. Separate and spread the roots across the hole's bottom. Backfill with alternating layers of soil and compost. If you are creating a hedge row of serviceberries, space the plants 6 to 8 feet apart.
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Water serviceberry plants immediately after planting until the surrounding ground is soaked. During the first two years, apply water when the top inch of soil is dry. Thereafter, water only during extended periods of dry weather.
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Cover the plants with bird netting before the serviceberries turn from green to red. Anchor the the netting with heavy rocks to keep birds from entering the protected area at the bottom and eating your harvest.
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Prune serviceberry bushes in early spring, before the leaves emerge. Remove up to one-third of the branches' length, if necessary, to keep the plants' height and width in check. Cut suckers off at ground level, allowing only a few to remain growing if you want the plant to spread.
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Examine the bushes routinely for disease and pest infestations. Serviceberries are generally problem-free, but may develop powdery mildew under extended humid conditions. Contact your county extension agent or local garden center staff for appropriate treatment products and protocols.
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Pick serviceberries when they have turned from a reddish color to deep blue or purple, depending on the plant variety. Harvest may extend over several weeks in early summer as the berries ripen at different rates.
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Tips & Warnings
Serviceberry bushes will grow in partial to full shade, but berry production may be reduced.
