APPLICATION RECOMMENDATIONS

Growing cranberries can be a unique challenge. As they prefer sandy, acidic, peat soils, applying fertilizers several times a year is necessary to grow a good crop. Growing cranberries can be an intensive, long process (taking up to three years to start), so patience is a virtue. On top of that, cranberries grow in very unique conditions. They grow in beds of peat, sand, gravel and clay, and will grow in bogs found mostly in the Northeastern United States.

While growth for most plants and crops would be difficult under these conditions, cranberries thrive, and with proper care, some cranberry plants can be grown for over 100 years.

Because cranberries are perennial crops, nutrition is stored from previous generations, making it difficult to determine nutrient deficiencies in the soil. Soil testing can help determine soil pH, as cranberries thrive in low pH soils. Tissue testing in conjunction with standard soil testing is beneficial in determining target fertilizer ranges. Soil should be tested every three to five years and tissue every two to four years, with results stored and measured year-over-year.

 

Readily Available Nutrients:

The chemically homogeneous compound of Rainbow Plant Food ensures the same amount of each micronutrient is present in each individual granule, which are all uniform is size, shape and weight, ensuring a consistently healthy crop. The nutrients exist in a highly available water-soluble sulfate form, so action is quick on roots for your cranberries.

Application Recommendation:

There are certain variables you’ll want to consider before applying Rainbow Plant Food to feed your crops. It’s important to know what is already in your soil prior to deciding on additional nutrients. Soil testing is the first step to understanding what your crops need. Knowing what is in your soil will help to avoid over-application of any nutrient, and subsequently avoid a toxicity problem that could negatively impact your yields.

Growing cranberries can take up to three years, so fruit production is not expected in year one. A healthy dose of phosphorous at the time of planting will help increase the growth of new vines, and a controlled-release nitrogen is also key. Agronomists recommend fertilizing every two to three weeks until mid-August, stopping in the late summer to allow plants to harden off. This process may be repeated the following year, and much of the next, but the plants will start to bear fruit by the third and fourth years. Use an alternating schedule of ammonium sulfate and an NPK fertilizer throughout the process (levels will vary based on numerous factors).

As the sandy soils in bogs do not hold nutrients very well, several applications of fertilizer may be necessary per year, but in smaller quantities per round. Practically all soils in the coastal plain are in a secondary- and micronutrient-deficient area, so unless a good available secondary and micronutrient source is supplied in your fertilizer, your crop may suffer.

Geographic location also plays a big role in soil type and will impact when the ideal time is for you to apply.

Talk to your local retailer or local extension office for specific recommendations.

Recommended Grades: