Almost ready for the big day? Don’t forget easy-to-grow cranberries for a festive flourish
If you have carrots in store, Brussels sprouts in the veg patch and potatoes growing in a sack in the greenhouse, then you might think that you’ve got Christmas covered.
But what about the cranberry sauce?
Despite the seemingly exotic nature of this seasonal staple, cranberries are actually quite easy to grow in this country.
These tart little berries need a cool climate, plenty of moisture and acidic soil, so if you can grow rhododendrons and azaleas, then you can be pretty sure that these will flourish for you as well.
Cranberries are native to North America, just like the turkey, but they have become synonymous with our festive celebrations, so what could be nicer on Christmas Day than serving up sauce made from home-grown berries?
There are two types of cranberry; high bush, which could be used to create a fruitful hedge and low bush varieties, which are a low-growing and spreading form that like to sprawl. Both can be grown in containers filled with ericaceous soil, but they will do better if grown in the ground.
If your local nursery or garden centre can’t supply plants, then there are plenty online suppliers offering them both potted and as bare root plants, which are usually cheaper and just as reliable, but only suitable for planting during the winter months.
Both kinds need a sunny position and rich, moist soil. Weeds can prevent new cranberries from establishing so be ruthless about removing these in the early stages. Mulching plants with pine needles in early spring will help to suppress weeds, retain moisture and add nutrients as well as ensuring that the soil remains acidic. It will take around three years for the bushes to start cropping heavily, but cranberries are one of the most rewarding of all Christmas dishes to grow at home because they combine tastiness with very little effort.
If you have ambitions to serve up home-grown chestnuts with your sprouts, then you’ll need a bit more patience. And you’ll need to have a bit of luck on your side. Sweet chestnuts can be raised from seed that has been exposed to cold temperatures for three months, but it will take years for the tree to mature and then it will only fruit where the weather is warm.
However, climate change may make the sweet chestnut tree a more reliable cropper in future years, so you might want to save a few chestnuts from the roasting tin and plant them instead.