Cooking with berries is the perfect way to enjoy desserts without so much added sugar. Berries do contain natural sugar, but they also have the fiber and nutrients that can offset the carbohydrates.
This category on berries includes delicious recipes, as well as tutorials on growing your own berries at home.
Quick Summary: Most garden fruits and vegetables need bee pollination to produce crops. Attract pollinators by planting nectar flowers near your vegetables throughout the growing season. For indoor gardens, hand-pollinate using a small brush to transfer pollen between flowers. Read time: 10 min | Experience level: Beginner to intermediate Jump to: |Why Pollination is Needed …
Quick Summary: Raspberry sweetness depends on variety, full sun, proper pruning, and harvesting at peak ripeness. Summer-bearing varieties like Tulameen and Cascade Delight tend to be very sweet. For everbearing, Anne (yellow) and Caroline are excellent choices. Read time: 10 min | Experience level: Beginner to intermediate Jump to: Sweetest Varieties | Summer Varieties vs …
Blueberry plants grown in containers will thrive in the summer but in many climates they will need a little extra care in winter to prevent their roots from freezing. Find out how to protect a potted blueberry bush in winter, whether you’re overwintering it indoors or outdoors! Jump to: Hardiness Considerations | Outdoor Care | …
Quick Summary: Strawberry sweetness depends on variety, potassium fertilizer, full sun, and harvesting at peak ripeness. June-bearing varieties like Earliglow and Honeoye tend to be sweetest, but day-neutrals like Albion and Seascape also deliver excellent flavor. Read time: 10 min | Experience level: Beginner to intermediate Jump to: Sweetest Varieties | How To Grow | …
Quick Summary: Common blueberry myths debunked: Blueberries don’t ripen after picking (pick only when fully blue). Coffee grounds don’t acidify soil (use peat or sulfur). Blueberries need full sun, not shade. Frozen berries are as nutritious as fresh. Multiple varieties dramatically increase yields. They’re easy to grow if you get the soil acidity right. Health …
Quick Summary: Blueberry sweetness depends on variety, potassium levels, and growing conditions. Half-high varieties like St. Cloud and highbush varieties like Bluecrop tend to be the sweeter varieties for the Midwest. Use a high-potassium fertilizer during fruiting, avoid overwatering, and let berries fully ripen before picking. Read time: 8 min | Experience level: Beginner to …
Blueberries don’t ripen after picking, and if you harvest them too early, you will get sour berries that will never sweeten up. I grow 600 blueberry plants at HeathGlen Organic Farm for the farmers’ markets, and have found that the single biggest factor in sweetness is picking at the right time. The key indicator is …
Blueberries were the first crop I planted back in 1998 when I decided to become a farmer. Over the years I was able to figure out their best growing conditions and the variables that led to the most prolific harvest. One of the growing conditions I noticed was which companion plants actually help and which …
Quick Summary: Grow blueberries in wide pots (at least 20 inches) with acidic soil (half peat, half potting mix). Choose half-high varieties for cold climates (Polaris, Northland, Chippewa). Plant at least two different varieties for cross-pollination and larger harvests. Full sun (6+ hours) is essential. Expect a few handfuls the first year, increasing to about …
HeathGlen Organic Farm is in Minnesota, which is in Zone 4-5, and every year I need to overwinter a number of the plants I grow in pots. I always bring in the potted blueberries, strawberries, bay trees, and perennial herbs, as container-grown plants are more vulnerable than those in the ground since they have very …
Guide for the beginner on growing strawberries at home, whether in a container, raised bed, or in the garden