Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
10
B E R R Y F R U I T
Berries are always best when picked fresh off
the plant. They are delicate creatures that
are easily damaged. The most popular
berries are described below; however, there
are others that should be mentioned.
Cranberries (
Vaccinium macrocarpon)
require a
large marshy area to make them worthwhile
to grow. They are a sprawling groundcover
that bears its fruit on upright side growths.
The twining stems and the fruiting growth
need thinning to prevent them from
becoming overcrowded. Small-scale
landcapes are unlikely to produce more than
a few grams per square metre even under
ideal conditions; far too little for a useful
harvest. There is the added complication that
cranberries are usually 'float harvested'.
The field is f flooded and the ripe berries
f float on top of the water where they are
raked off. This is not a viable option for any
except the fanatic.
you want to take the punt and plant it, prune
it back after harvest
The ugni (
Ugni mollinae)
is an intensely
flavoured berry making aromatic jams and
jellies or a piquant snack. It functions well as a
hedge that requires some shade in warm
climates and moisture in dry times. Flowering
on new growth, the berries should be picked
when they have lightened from burgundy
brown to dull dark red. Ugni jam and jelly
was a favourite of both Queen Victoria and
Edna Walling - recommendation enough.
Trim it back after harvest for a handsome
glossy evergreen hedge that looks like a
darker version of English box.
The Gogi berry (
Lycium barbarum
)
is known
under many different common names such a
wolfberry, Duke of Argyll's tea-tree or
Chinese boxthorn. Always purchase a plant
labelled with the botanic name to avoid
confusion. This deciduous twining,
suckering shrub grows so easily in sun or
semi-shade in all but waterlogged soils
that it is listed as a noxious weed in some
areas. Check with your local authorities
before planting.
The carissa (
Carissa grandiflora)
is a variable-
tasting berry that is produced on new growth
from a thorny, slow-growing, pretty evergreen
shrub with perfumed white flowers. Often
planted as a hedge, it is extremely attractive;
however, there are not (to my knowledge) any
named cultivars so the fruit may range from
the tasteless and mealy, to juicy and sweet. If
The berries are famed for their health effects,
while the leaves, shoots and the bark from the
roots are also used medicinally. Generally
