Cranberries are small, delicious and above all he althy berries. But did you know that there are different varieties with different tastes? We present the most popular ones here.
Cranberries are increasingly found in home gardens. This is partly because cranberries do well in both the bed and the container. Therefore, lingonberries can also be grown on the balcony or terrace. In addition, lingonberries are one of the more easy-care fruits. If you want to have these great fruits in your garden, you should find out about the different varieties in advance, because each variety has different requirements.
Coral (lat. name: Vaccinium vitis-idaea coral)
The coral is the most popular variety for the garden. It is hardy and relatively easy to care for. It belongs to the ground cover plants and forms offshoots. The fruits of the coral captivate with their scarlet color. They taste very intense and have a long shelf life. Therefore, this variety is also often used for cooking and decorating dishes. The fruits have a high vitamin C content and are therefore very he althy.
The Appearance:
The coral can be recognized by the typical color of the flowers. It has light pink flowers and pure white flower clusters. These darken over the summer until they have developed a scarlet color. Flower clusters develop from May to July. The edible fruit is harvested in September.
The coral also has bright green, small oval leaves, which it does not lose even in winter. It is one of the evergreen plants.
Planting and care:
The lingonberry coral needs acidic soil, so it should be planted in a bog bed or peat bed. The plant does not grow on calcareous soil. If possible, the coral needs a half-sun place. If necessary, it also thrives in the shade, but then it needs a little more time to grow. The lingonberry is exposed right at the beginning of spring. As soon as the ground is no longer frozen, the plant can be placed in the bed or in the bucket.
The cranberry is generally one of the easy to care forPlant. Once you have found a place in the garden bed and used the lingonberry, not much care is required. It is important to ensure that the plants get enough water. They need plenty of water throughout the summer to thrive. In addition, the weeds should be removed regularly, as this could damage the growth of the plant. Before winter, the plant should be watered again properly. The pruning should also take place now so that the plant bears plenty of fruit next year. No further measures are necessary for overwintering, because the coral is frost-resistant down to -20°C.
Growth:
The lingonberry coral is a groundcover. It grows 20-30 centimeters high, forms runners and grows very densely. It can reach a width of up to 80 centimeters, which should be considered when exposing the plants. The coral reaches an annual increase of 5-15 centimeters. Although it grows quite slowly, it bears a lot of fruit every year.
Flavour:
The taste of coral differs from other varieties. It is rather sour and has a very intense taste. Coral is therefore often used for cooking and baking.
Erzgebirge Pearl (Latin name: Vaccinium vitis-idaea Erzgebirge Pearl)
This variety of lingonberry is also a popular variety for the garden. It also grows both in beds and in tubs. The Erzgebirge pearl is therefore ideal as a container plant for the balcony or terrace. It differs from other varieties in the size and dark color of the fruit.
The Appearance:
The Erzgebirge Pearl has dark green leaves, which it shows all year round. Even the low temperatures in winter cannot harm the beautiful leaves. This variety bears dark red, round fruits. The fruits are very dense, so you can enjoy a bountiful harvest every year. The flower clusters develop from May to June and the edible fruits are harvested in September. The flowers of the Erzgebirge Pearl are light pink or white.
Planting and care:
The Erzgebirge cranberry is released in March or April as soon as the ground has thawed. It should be planted in a moorland or peaty bed. This cranberry plant is easy to please. The only condition is that it is not planted on calcareous soil and gets plenty of water.
In terms of care, this cranberry variety is also very easy to care for. A sunny orsemi-sunny place should be chosen. The plant needs a lot of water. The ground should never be dry. Before the winter, the Erzgebirge pearl is properly poured and cut to size. After that, this plant can easily overwinter in bed. This variety is often chosen because it impresses with its good frost hardiness.
Growth:
Like the coral, the Erzgebirge pearl is one of the ground-covering plants. It reaches a height of about 30 centimeters and can reach up to 80 centimeters in width. When releasing, you should therefore plan enough space between the individual plants. An annual increase of 10 centimeters can be expected.
Flavour:
The Erzgebirge pearl tastes rather sweet, which is why it is often used as a topping on cakes. This variety is also popular in the garden. If you have the cranberries in your own garden, you can eat the fruit straight off the bush.
Cranberry Red Pearl (lat. Name: Vaccinium vitis-idaea Red Pearl)
The Red Pearl lingonberry is becoming more and more common in domestic gardens. It impresses with its strong color and the great flowers. The Red Pearl is very undemanding. All she needs is plenty of water to give her owner a bountiful harvest. Therefore, this variety is also ideal for beginners.
The Appearance:
The Red Pearl also has strong green leaves. Even in winter, these leaves remain lush green, so that you have a green oasis of well-being in the garden all year round. From May you can see many light pink flowers that look like small bells. The Red Pearl forms its flowers by June, from which later cherry-red fruits, about 1 centimeter in size, develop. The delicious fruits can already be harvested in August.
Planting and care:
The Red Pearl lingonberry prefers sandy, humus-rich soil and a moist environment. This variety is planted in autumn, because this gives it the opportunity to spread its shoots in the warm soil. It can be planted in sunny as well as shady places because this variety is very undemanding.
The Red Pearl needs a relatively large amount of water. However, it is very hardy and can survive for several days without water in an emergency, provided the soil is slightly damp. The plant should not dry out completely. Unlike other varieties, this cranberry plant does not need to be pruned. It can easily be left outside in winter because it is very frost-resistant.
Growth:
The Red Pearl cranberry is growingstrong and relatively fast. An annual increase of 15-20 centimeters can be expected. It is only about 20 centimeters high, but reaches a width of about 80 centimeters
Flavour:
The taste of the Red Pearl differs from other varieties, because the fruits taste mild and tart-sour. Since the fruits do not have an intense taste, they are often used to make jam or jelly.