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 Other Berries
Some soft fruits included here in our berry selection may conjure up
memories of the great British summer and foraging through hedgerows but
many of these new introductions would not have been heard of by some,
let alone eaten. All of these plants, however, are easily grown in your
garden and taste wonderful. Berries are always good for gardening with children and most can be eaten directly from the plant.
How to grow
Most berries are undemanding plants and will grow easily in a variety of
conditions. If you find other fruit difficult to grow or are just
starting to grow fruit but feel slightly apprehensive then you should
try to grow some of these wonderful and nutritious plants.
Position
Berries always enjoy a site in sun or part shade but do check with the requirements of your particular plant.
Soil
Berries
grow in a wide variety of soils and you should check their particular
preferences prior to planting. Many berries can also be grown in containers
and are perfect for balcony gardens or patios. To get the best from
your plants ensure that you improve the planting site by adding plenty
of well-rotted manure, garden compost or multi-purpose compost as this will help to improve drainage whilst holding on to much needed moisture.
Care
Most
berries require little care but you should always check the individual
needs you’re your particular plant. By preparing the soil in advance
you are likely to get plant off to the best possible start. When
growing berries it is important to remember to allow air to circulate
freely in and around plants as this will help to prevent disease. By
spacing plants correctly and keeping up with routine pruning you can
ensure that plant health is as good as possible. Fertilise plants with a
general fertilizer at regular intervals throughout the growing period and water well. For general ease you may wish to install and irrigation system to keep plants watered well or concider using Water Beads.
Harvesting
Berries
can be ready to harvest as early as May and it is very easy to
determine when fruits are ripe depending on the particular berry. Pick
fruits that are plump and correctly colored with your thumb and
forefinger. Fruits should come away from the plant easily and will be
ready for eating straight away.
Top Tip
Birds and
small mammals love to eat all berries and as a result you will need to
protect your fruits. For best results you should grow your plants in a fruit cage to maximize potential yield.
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Other Berries
American Cranberry Pink bell shaped flowers appear in the summer and are followed by edible red cranberries. This attractive matt forming, evergreen shrub has dark green leaves that often turn shades of bronze in winter. This is a great plant for sunny patios as it is quite happy in window-boxes, tubs and containers filled with ericaceous compost.
Garden care: Prepare the ground well before planting by digging in lots of composted organic matter. Prune in winter, cutting out dead or damaged branches. In spring, feed with sulfate of ammonia, sulfate of potash and bone meal and top-dress with ericaceous compost.
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Aronia Berry Viking The Aronia really is a superberry! The Aronia berry, similar in appearance to a cranberry, is said to help ward off heart disease as well as providing many disease-fighting antioxidants. The plants need damp, mild conditions in which to grow, which make them an ideal crop for many parts of Great Britain. The berries, which also contain high levels of vitamin C, are too tart and sharp to be eaten raw, but are ideal for sauces, summer puddings, as a topping on cheesecakes, or blended into smoothies, or simply juiced to make a truly-health giving drink!
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Boysenberry Originating from the Knott's Berry Farm in California, this hybrid berry is a cross between a blackberry, loganberry and raspberry and is very easy to grow. Round to oblong, reddish-purple fruits have a unique flavor that combine the tartness of good old-fashioned wild blackberries with a sweet hint of raspberry. Delicious used for bramble and apple jelly or pie fillings. Can also be eaten fresh. Ready to harvest July to September.
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Cranberry Pilgrim A low growing evergreen with small leathery leaves and a lax habit, making it ideal for creating a cascading effect in containers or hanging baskets. The tiny pink to red flowers are followed by juicy dark-red berries with a distinctive tart flavor, often still hanging on bushes throughout the winter. Ideal for adding to a variety of dishes as well as making preserves and traditional cranberry sauce. Suitable for growing in containers or hanging baskets. Cranberries, are high in vitamins and nutrients. If made into a juice, gargled then swallowed, it can be used as an effective treatment for sore throats, coughs and colds.
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Cranberry Red Star Cranberries are attractive creeping shrubs, ideal for growing in patio containers or hanging baskets. The leaves are evergreen with pretty dark pink flowers in summer and berries that are initially white but turn a bright red when they ripen in early autumn. They're packed with vitamin C and antioxidants and have many proven health benefits!
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Goji Berry Originating from the Himalayas and hailed as a super-food which can be used for boosting your immune system and cleansing impurities, the berries of this plant are said to be very high in vitamin C and iron. This is a fast and easy to grow shrub, which produces white and purple, trumpet shaped flowers in early summer. These are followed by shiny red berries, which can either be eaten straight off the bush, or dried and eaten like sweet, mildly licorice flavored treats later on. It can also be grown in a good sized tub on a sunny patio, provided it is kept well fed and watered.
Garden care: Prepare the ground well before planting. Remove all weeds and dig in plenty of well-rotted manure in to the area. Each spring mulch well with well-rotted manure to help keep the soil moist and add nutrients. Any necessary pruning should be undertaken in spring, as the plant starts to put on new growth, but to ensure a good crop of berries it is best kept to a minimum.
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Healthy Berries Eating fresh fruit is beneficial to your health, and these three easy-to-grow 'superfoods' are renowned as having amongst the highest levels of vitamins and antioxidants.
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Honey Berry Looking for an unusual fruit to add as one of your five a day? Try Honey Berry, these sweet blueberry-like fruits have been eaten for years in their native Siberia and can be enjoyed fresh, or baked in jams, pies and muffins. The taste of the fruit is sweet, similar to that of blueberries and can be eaten straight away, with a slight aftertaste of honey and very high in antioxidants. The fruit will ripen in early June, in the first or second year after planting and will continue to do so year after year for up to 75 years. Very hard, down to -40C! It should be noted that not all berries of the Lonicera family are edible.
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Jostaberry Bush This gooseberry/blackcurrant cross is mildew resistant has no thorns and crops well. Looks like a blackcurrant but with fruit twice the size! Can be grown against a wall or trellis.
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Juniper The "common juniper" is a compact, evergreen, prickly shrub, one of only four conifers native to the UK, most commonly found on the chalk downs of southern England. This "Irish" selection is a particularly even-growing, compact, conical form, that will thrive in any sunny site given reasonable drainage. The rounded, blue-black, bloomy fruits take two or three years to ripen, and are most commonly used to flavor gin. Good for cooking/flavoring game e.g. venison, etc. Height after 10 years approximately 2m (7').
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Lingonberry This evergreen plant bears attractive blush-pink, bell-shaped flowers in summer. Its tart, juicy, red berries mature in late July and late September. Packed with vitamins and antioxidants, they can be used in sauces, preserves, pie fillings and drinks. And it should start cropping in its first year! The dwarf, spreading plants are ideal for growing in a large pot of ericaceous compost.
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Lingonberry Ida Dwarf 15-20cm (6-8 inch) evergreen plants that resemble box hedging, and can be clipped accordingly. The ideal patio container for the forgetful gardener as they are very drought, pest and disease resistant. The small white flowers develop into red berries from mid August with a pleasant acidic flavor, that can improve further after a frost. These tasty fruits can be used in a similar way to cranberries. Suitable for growing in containers.
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Loganberry A delicious thornless hybrid between blackberry and raspberry. Ripening July-August, the large, cone-shaped berries, up to 5cm (2") long, are full of sweet, rich, flavor. Expect about 5.4kg (12 lb) of fruit per plant! Ideal for a wall or fence in full sun or light shade. Plant 2.4m (8') apart. Container grown rather than field grown, producing stronger plants of superior quality. Protect from birds with a net or fruit cage.
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Mulberry Charlton House An historic and characterful tree that is also very productive and provides a little piece of history! Originating directly from the tree planted by King James I at Charlton House in London, it will produce a good crop of sweet juicy berries in late summer. A great choice for a larger garden, where its canopy of beautiful, pale green, heart-shaped leaves can reach a height of 10m (30').
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Sloe Pack The sloe or blackthorn is a large shrub, a British native form of wild plum, bearing numerous blue-black fruits. They're bitter to taste, but make the most marvelous liqueur when soaked over winter in gin! Commonly used as a hedging item, the spiny plants are quite spectacular in late winter when smothered in brilliant white blossom. Will grow happily in heavy, wet, clay soils. Height after 10 years approximately 3m (10').
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Tayberry Buckingham An easy to harvest spineless form of Tayberry discovered by an amateur gardener in Buckingham. Produces delicious 5cm (2 inch) long berries, ideal eaten as a dessert with a touch of cream. For the best flavor pick the fruits when they have changed from red to deep purple. These berries are easy to grow and will quickly establish and reward you with some flavorsome fruits to add to desserts or make your own jams. Bred in Great Britain.
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Yarrow Summer Berries One of the easiest perennials to grow in a sunny or shady corner, and providing color all summer long. Try Achillea Summer Berries as a cut flower too - the pastel tones are quite a spectacle.
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Last updated 4/24/2012 3:30 PM
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