Like most commercial crops, cranberries need fertilizer to grow. Cranberry bogs also require a lot of water, which comes from nearby ponds and rivers. In fall, when cranberries are ready for harvest, growers flood their bogs and gather up the ripe berries floating on the water’s surface.
Why do cranberries need to be flooded?
Flooding is so important in cranberry cultivation that bogs where flooding is not possible are no longer considered profitable. Cranberry growers use flooding as a management tool to protect the plants from the cold, drying winds of winter, to harvest and remove fallen leaves and to control pests.
Why do they float cranberries in a bog?
Cranberries have pockets of air inside the fruit. Because of this, cranberries float in water, and thus, the bogs can be flooded to aid in removal of fruit from the vines. Water reels, nicknamed “egg-beaters” are used to stir up the water in the bogs.
Why do they have cranberry bogs?
Cranberries grow in beds layered with sand, peat and gravel. These beds are commonly known as bogs or marshes and were originally formed as a result of glacial deposits. In Massachusetts we call the place where cranberries grow a BOG. Natural bogs evolved from deposits left by the glaciers more than 10,000 years ago.
What happens in each season on a cranberry farm?
A typical cranberry harvest begins in early September and lasts through fall. The cranberry bogs are flooded when the berries ripen. Then the berries are beaten mechanically from the vines. Cranberries float to the surface, where they are skimmed, collected on trucks, and taken for processing.
Are cranberry bogs bad for the environment?
Like these sources, cranberry bogs also release nitrogen and phosphorus into the environment. Concerns are also often raised regarding pesticide and other contaminants released into the environment, as well as water withdrawals from ponds and groundwater.
Do cranberry bogs smell?
The fall sun warmed our shoulders. Atlantic breezes carried the salty pungent scent of the cranberry bogs, and maybe pine, making swirling whirlpools in the tall grass. Cranberries are one of only three fruits native to North America – the other two are blueberries and Concord grapes.
What animals live in cranberry bogs?
There are many animals that can also be found on the bog as well including the red deer, occasionally black bear, damselflies, grouse, small rodents like the house mouse, and many more. Theses animals can sometimes eat the cranberry, especially black bear, rodents, birds, and deer.
Are there fish in cranberry bogs?
Can you fish in Cranberry Bog? Cranberry Bog is near Wappinger. The most popular species caught here are Largemouth bass, Bluegill, and Pumpkinseed.
Can cranberries be eaten raw?
Cranberries are more than just the makings of a sweet sauce. You can add them to smoothies or salads, or eat them whole. Eating raw cranberries is safe and easy, though their sharp, bitter flavor isn’t for everyone. Be sure to clean and sort them thoroughly.
Which state grows the most cranberries?
Wisconsin
Most cranberries come from Wisconsin and Massachusetts
Just five states grow almost all of the country’s supply of the tart berries: Wisconsin produces more than half of all cranberries in the United States, Massachusetts harvests another third, and New Jersey, Oregon, and Washington produce much of the rest.
Do cranberries have to grow in water?
The short answer is no. They don’t grow in water, but water does come in to play with their harvest. Cranberries actually thrive in what known as a bog, or an area is characterized by an acidic peat soil.
When should I go to a cranberry bog?
Fall
Cranberry bogs have a surprisingly long growing season, from April to November, and benefit from the freezing of the ground for a brief dormant period. Fall is the best time to come observe the berries in all their ripened glory.
How long does it take to grow cranberries?
Your plant should start producing cranberries in 2 to 3 years. Harvest in late September to early October. They develop in large clusters making them easy to pick. When they are ready to harvest the seed turns a brownish color and the berries turn a burgundy color.
Can you visit Ocean Spray?
Ocean Spray owner-growers Jeff and Kim LaFleur open their 23.6-acre bog in Plympton, MA, to visitors from around the world for hands-on cranberry harvest programs. Hop on a viewing tour or sign up for the “Be The Grower Experience,” where you can slip on waders and help out with the harvest yourself.
What climate do cranberries grow in?
Its native range extends in temperate climate zones from the East Coast to the Central U. S. and Canada and from Southern Canada in the north to the Appalachians in the south. The plant is a low-growing, trailing, woody vine with a perennial habit. Cranberries produce stems or runners from one to six feet long.
What chemicals are used on cranberry bogs?
Cranberries are a finicky crop, and Ocean Spray uses all kinds of chemicals to keep their production rates high. They do not use aminotriazole anymore, but they do use a whole host of other chemicals to keep their bogs contained, such as chlorothalonil, carbaryl, and pronamide.
Do cranberries need to be replanted every year?
Cranberry vines go dormant in the winter months, which provides time for the fruiting buds to mature. Undamaged vines will survive indefinitely, so they don’t need to be replanted every year. While there are some dry harvest cranberry operations, 95 percent of production happens in flood-harvest bogs.
Are cranberry bogs considered wetlands?
The cranberry is a native wetland plant. Cranberry wetland systems are made up of producing bogs, ditches, dikes, reservoirs, ponds and uplands, preserving over 60,000 acres of open space in the Commonwealth.
How high does a cranberry bounce?
Before being harvested and sold, an individual cranberry must be able to bounce at least four inches high to make sure it is not too ripe.
How many cranberry bogs are in MA?
According to the Cape Cod Cranberry Growers’ Association, 400 of North America’s 1,000 or so cranberry farms are concentrated in Massachusetts: Most are south of Boston in Plymouth County and on Cape Cod.