Enter the cucamelon. Also called mouse melons or Mexican sour gherkins.

Besides the novelty of cucamelon, these guys are delicious summertime snacks that can be eaten off the vine!

They have a slight zest of sourness but can be used in soups or salads if you wanna try something new and exciting.

If you’ve never grown fruiting vine plants before, this is good for beginners. It looks exotic and cute, and it’s edible!

Once you get them going, they take care of themselves. Give some TLC and you’re good.

Let’s dive in and learn how to grow and care for sour gherkins!

Quick care guide: Cucamelons

Toxicity warning

There are multiple types of these melons that have a similar appearance, which can make it extremely easy to get them confused.

For starters, you have the edible species, Melothria scabra.

But then you have other types like M. charatia or M. pendula, which will become toxic over time. They turn black over time which signifies that they’re not edible. M. scabra is edible anytime. The other two are only edible before they turn dark.

To be safe, you should always confirm the species and then act accordingly. If you’re new to growing cucamelons, stick with the M. scabra cultivar.

Last updated: 6/23/22.

What’s cucamelon? Or mouse melon? Or sour gherkin?

Cucamelons, also known as mouse melons or sour gherkins are a unique little fruit that originates from Central and South America.

They’re not a cucumber nor a melon. But they’re considered to be part of the Cucurbitaceae family, which is the “larger cucumbers.” AKA Curcubits.

They’re known to be stubborn with low yields, making them hard to grow in the home garden or require a lot of effort.

This makes gardeners less inclined to grow them compared to other easy-to-grow fruit bearers like San Marzano tomatoes or sugar beets. Most people grow cucamelons for the novelty- they literally look like tiny watermelons.

If you’re up for the challenge, growing your own cucamelons is an exciting endeavor that’ll earn you bragging rights.

These fruits are usually consumed on the spot and rarely even make it into the kitchen. Yes, they’re tastiest when they’re eaten right off the vine!

While similar to cucumbers, they’re more like watermelons. They taste like cucumber with a slight tang of citrus. They’re not hard to grow, but they do have some quirks that you’ll want to be aware of so you can get the most flavor possible.

The leaves of cucamelon are exactly like cucumber leaves. The vines are coated with fine hairs that give them a fuzzy look. They have creeping vines that climb and stick to whatever is nearby.

What do they taste like?

Cucamleon is a flavor between cucumbers with some soreness. Think cucumber with a touch of lime.

While they’re not that sweet where you can down them like watermelon, they can be used to add some zest to your favorite drinks.

Growing cucamelon in garden beds is ideal, but you can also grow them in containers. I think most people just grow them for their novelty rather than eating them!

You may find them in the local farmer’s market, but rarely beyond that. They’re not sold in groceries because the demand for them is low.

Even if you do find them somewhere, they’re not cheap. You may see them upwards of $25 per pound.

So if you want to grow them for profit, or just because you like them, you’ll be happy to know that cucamelons are easy to grow and productive. Just be patient. Impatient gardeners will have a tough time because of their slow start.

But once you get them going, they’re extremely productive when the temperatures warm up. 

What does cucamelon look like?

Cucamelon fruits look like tiny watermelons, but they’re actually classified as berries.

They’re about 1 inch in size but can get a bit bigger depending on how they’re grown. The skin is striped with dark green and light green patterns, just like watermelon.

The berries have small seeds on the inside with white flesh. The seeds can be harvested for regrowing next season. The seeds are easy to scoop out when eating. They’re coated with a gel.

As for the vine, they grow up to 10 feet tall and are climbing vines. The vines are thin, leggy, and dark green. The flowers are yellow with 5 petals and a darkened center.

Are Mexican sour gherkins easy to grow?

Generally, yes. They’re slow to start, but once they become established, they don’t require much care.

They’re also resilient to pests, hot and cold weather, and even drought-tolerant.

This makes them an easy vine plant to grow for beginners and why you should grow cucamelon in your edible garden.

How to propagate cucamelon

Propagating cucamelons is simple. You can do it from seed or buy a pre-grown seedling at your local nursery.

Either way is fine, but starting from seed is definitely more common as people usually collect them to replant next season if not in the right zone.

It doesn’t make much sense for garden centers to sell cucamelon seedling plants either as most people can’t grow them right. Cucamelon is resistant to drought once established.

From seed

The right time to plant cucamelon seeds is in the spring.

You want to make sure that there will be no more temperature dips and the climate is stable. Start seeds outdoors. There’s no need to start them using a starter kit indoors.

But there are some things you need to do to prep the soil before you sow the seeds:

First, use your favorite hand spade and roughen up the soil. Loosen it up so that it’s soft. Remove clumps of hardened parts. If it’s extra tough, water it first to help break it down. Use a rake if necessary to save your back.

If your zone is too cold to start outside, you can sow indoors using a starter tray with a humidity dome. Start seeds indoors about 6-8 weeks before the last spring frost. Sow them into individual pots or use a seed starter kit.

Sow 2-3 seeds per compartment using good quality soil made for potted plants. Use the same soil that you plan to use later in the garden to minimize shock.

Place it somewhere warm with sunlight.

Water to keep it moist, but not wet. When the roots grow out, harden them off and put them outside.

The roots need to be visible before you transplant cucamelons.

If not, you’ll need to keep it incubating, or else the climate change can cause plant shock. On average, cucamelons can be put into the garden about 8 weeks later or so.

Use well-draining, fertile soil. It should be rich and full of nutrients. If it’s made for fruits, it should be fortified with the necessary nutrients to help your cucamelon maximize yield.

Get organic soil if possible or if you plan on going organic.

Mound the soil by putting small bunches of soil in small batches.

If you’re not sure how to mound, reference this video:

Space each mound 3 feet (36 inches) apart. Put 1-2 seeds per mound. Plant 0.5” deep. Insert the pointed end of the seed into the soil. Lightly cover the seeds with some soil.

No need to firm it. It should sit comfortably.

Water generously to establish water pathways. You’re done! Wasn’t that easy?

Next, check the weather for the next few weeks. If you expect dips in the temperature, cover your seeds with a dome cover.

You’ll want to check daily to keep tabs on it. If it’s not going to be cold, no dome is needed. But if so, domes can help save your poor roots from dips.

These can be found in your local home improvement store or online!

They can help insulate the temperature, but don’t keep it on if it’s going to be warm.

They will trap heat and will wilt your seedlings if you use them on a hot day. This is just burning your plants.

Only use if the temperatures drop below 50F. Otherwise, you can let them grow as is.

Continue checking for pests, fungus, or other issues. Water every other day to keep it moist, but not waterlogged. This will kill your seedlings.

Cucamelon will germinate within 1-2 weeks, depending on local temperatures. Warmer conditions will encourage generation.

From seedlings

If you happen to find cucamelon on sale, just get a new container with at least the same depth and width as the original pot.

Gently remove the original plant from the soil by loosening it. It may need some water to help loosen it up. Pop it into the new container.

Cover it with soil just like before. The base of the plant needs to be covered with soil, but don’t cover the leaves. Water it generously. Monitor for pests or infections.

The vines of cucamelon are fragile-looking, but they’re actually pretty resilient. Don’t be scared to prune it back or be a bit rough on it.

The vines are expert climbers, so provide some kind of support for them to cling to. You may need to guide the vines a few times until they establish themselves.

How to grow cucamelon

This section covers general guidelines for cucamelon care.

Your cucamleon’s care needs will vary depending on the cultivar, ambient conditions, and your hardiness zone.

So don’t take it literally.

Use it as a general care sheet so you know what’s required to grow and care for cucamelons in the garden.

Hardiness zone

Cucamleon needs warmer temperatures to yield those gorgeous berries, so that’s why you only find it growing on the margins of fertile, temperate zones.

It grows in USDA hardiness zones 2-11. But once you get into cooler zones, the temp dips likely will halt production.

This is especially true for those lower zones or northern zones. If this is you, you’ll need to overwinter the cucamelon in order to protect it.

Soil

Natively, cucamelons prefer soil that’s rich, fertile, loamy, and wet. They grow in the heavily forested regions with their lengthy vines.

Cucamelons have also been spotted in the margins of sandy soil regions

Consider mixing one part compost or perlite to help inject nutrients into the soil so it gets what it needs to produce plus help with water-saving.

pH value

The soil pH for cucamelon should be acidic between pH values of 6-6.8. You can lower the pH naturally using limestone or natural leaf litter.

Spacing

Cucamelon should be planted in small groups of 5 plants.

Provide 1-2 inches between each plant. Each group should be 12 inches apart, at least. This will optimize your garden space so you can maximize productivity.

Staking

Cucumaleno vines can reach up to 12 feet at max length.

You’ll need plenty of room for them to grow if you want to maximize yield. The vines can climb upwards or outwards, so you can use traditional methods like fencing, trellises, or stakes.

When they bear fruit, they get heavy so that’s why you need to provide something for them to climb on. Plant support is highly recommended.

The vines should be guided onto the trellis or support and then weaved through. Don’t let them touch the soil as it provides a bridge for pests to climb onto it.

Consider using sturdy trellises to keep it off the soil level and make harvesting easier.

Cucamelon that’s not being trellised will be prone to insects or pathogens since they’re touching the soil. It looks extremely ugly too.

Depth

Plant seeds 0.25 to 0.50 inches deep. Plant seedlings as deep as the crown, plus 1 inch so it’s completely covered.

Temperature

Cucamelon will become hardy to both cold and heat, but only when fully established.

They’re vulnerable when younger, so you should ensure that there are no temperature swings before planting outside in your garden bed. Be careful. Watch the weather.

The temperature should be between 60-75F for ideal produce. Cucamleon will wither if temperatures drop below 50F.

Temperatures that are too hot, such as above 90F, may cause production to stop.

Plant food (fertilizer)

Fertilizer is recommended for maximum yield.

The vines will benefit from 3 inches of organic compost in the spring and then again in summer.

If you use plant food, get one that’s made for fruits or citrus. Look for NPK values of 5-10-10 or higher potassium over nitrogen. No fancy NPK ratios are needed.

For soil that’s depleted, use a dose of fertilizer as directed. Don’t overdose or use half dosages to prevent plant food buildup.

If you’re growing in pots, you’ll need to half your dosages at first to see how your plant reacts.

Fertilizer is necessary if your plants are growing very few fruits or you have too leggy plants. Reduce the nitrogen in your fertilizer (the “N” in the NPK rating) to foster production.

Use a fertilizer with high potassium for max yield

Humidity

Cucamleon prefers moderate to high humidity.

This is a humidity level of at least 50%. Humidity won’t make or break your fruit, so don’t worry about it too much.

Warm humid climates will approximate their native environment in Central America. If you can provide this, you can optimize their production

Pruning

Cucamelon doesn’t require regular pruning unless the foliage is damaged or infested with bugs.

Prune off yellowing, browning, or wilting leaves.

Vines or stems that are damaged should be removed rather than letting the plant waste energy. Fruits that have been eaten or infested by pests should be pruned.

Watering

Plants will need about 1-2 inches of water per week. If it rains, don’t water.

If it’s hot, water more. It’s common sense. Don’t overwater so that the soil is wet. It should be moist.

Use your finger to feel the top 2 inches of water. It should be nice and moist, but doesn’t stick water on your finger when you pull it out. Water at the base of the cucamelon, not the leaves.

Cucamelons are hard to drought when established.

Sunlight

Provide at least 6 hours of sunlight per day. These berries require direct sunlight without objects that can hinder them.

Don’t plant it near taller plants or other random objects in your garden that block sunlight. While cucamelon is heat tolerant, it may need some shade if it’s scorching.

Compost

Compost will benefit your cucamelons by adding some nutrients to the soil. You can use organic compost like leaf litter, hay, straw, or manure. This can also help retain water, insulate temperature swings, block weeds, and even grow more cucamelons from nutrient benefits.

Maintenance

Sour gherkins need no special care other than regular pruning. Prune throughout the season to remove spent flowers, damaged foliage, or dropped fruit.

During the winter, cut the plant back to soil level, if you’re growing as a perennial. If grown as an annual, harvest the seeds from the fruit to save for next year.

Does your zone get below 50F during the winter? Put a layer of mulch to help insulate the roots for the winter. You can use any organic mulch to help do this. Remove in the early spring to encourage dormancy exit.

Blooming

Cucamelon will produce tiny yellow flowers in the spring and summer.

The female flowers will bloom first, followed by the males. Each flower is bright yellow with 5 petals. These are necessary for fertilization in order to yield fruit.

Cucamleons produce both male and female flowers on a single plant, so you don’t need both sexes nearby each other to pollinate. If you’re saving seeds, harvest from the fruits that drop on their own. They will seed on their own if the temperatures are good.

Overwintering

For those growing cucamelon in cooler zones, winterizing isn’t necessary. You can harvest the seeds from dropped fruit, then save them until next spring. For those in warmer zones, you have options:

Let the fruit completely ripen then harvest the seeds from the cucamelon. Save for next season to replant.

Let the fruits fall off by themselves and then seed.

Both of these are good choices. If temperatures are warm enough, cucamelon will self pollinate so you don’t need to do anything- isn’t’ that easy enough?

Harvesting

The berries will be ready to pick throughout the summertime in the early fall.

Unlike cucumbers or eggplants, you don’t want to pick them off early. If you do, they stop becoming ripe.

This will obviously ruin the flavor profile and texture of the cucamelons. Let them sit on the vine so they continue to ripen. They fall off the vine on their own.

You can use these ones immediately or collect their seeds.

Wondering when to harvest cucamelon or how to tell if they’re ripe?

If picking from the vine, here are some things to note so you can pick at the right time:

• Check for ripe cucamelons after the first bloom of flowers. You’ll often find them behind the dense foliage about 7-10 days post-bloom.
• When they’re about 1 inch in length, oblong in shape, and dense green, they’re ready for picking.
• From seedling to ripe fruit, it takes about 60-80 days total depending on local conditions, cultivar, and how you care for it.
• Cucamelon should be about 1″ in length before you pick
• The fruits are the size of grapes
• The fruits shoudl be firm to the touch
• If you let them sit on the vine, they’ll get very seedy and sour
• Cucamelons can be harvested shortly after the flowers show up
• Watch your vines daily for the right timing

Note that you can modify the taste of the fruit by picking times:

• If you pick early, you’ll get a less sour taste with fewer seeds
• If you pick it later, you’ll get a more sour taste with more seeds

As the fruit sticks on the vine, it gets sourer over time. But it’s good to have seeds if you want to plant more sour Mexican gherkins for your garden.

If you don’t like the citrus flavor, pick them early. Cucamelons are ready to pick in July or August if planted in the spring.

The last batch of fruit will generally sprout around October into fall before going dormant for the winter season. You may not even have to save seeds if you’re in a warmer climate.

They seed themselves!

Fruits will continue to yield on those gorgeous green vines until late fall. When it cools outside, the production of the berries will stop.

This is when it’s time to winterize it if you plan to continue growing as a perennial.

Or take seeds as an annual. If your zone doesn’t get too cold, you should be OK. The vines will need shelter from dips in temperatures.

Storage

Cucamelons should be eaten immediately upon harvesting.

Pick, rinse, then use in your soups or salads. They can be eaten right off the vine too.

If unused, collect the seeds to save. Otherwise, you can put them in the fridge for freshness. Similar to cucumbers, they’ll last quite some time if properly stored. But what’s the fun in that?

Preserving

Sour gherkins can be preserved in pickle jars. Harvest then clean then completely. Put them in a canning jar and fill it with brine. Seal it off and then enjoy them throughout the season.

Pickled cucamelon is a popular choice for pickle substitutes. You can even use them in place of dill pickles in sandwiches.

Companion plants

Cucamleon can be planted with a few other veggies and fruits that pair well with it.

Here are some perfect companions to grow with cucamelons:

• Cucumbers
• Cantaloupe
• Honeydew
• Dill
• Peas
• Beans
• Onions
• Radish
• Parsnip
• Carrot
• Corn
• Tomatoes
• Lettuce
• Kohlrabi
• Asparagus
• Celery

Maximize your garden space by putting only climbing plants nearby each other so they can utilize the trellising. This is why it’s optimal to plant mouse melon with other vining plants.

Don’t plant with

Similar to cucumber, you should avoid planting cucamelon with potatoes or sage. These will compete for nutrients which will stunt the yield.

Pests

With the vines taking up plenty of space, they provide lots of surface area for pests to infest. There are a handful of bugs that you’ll commonly see on cucamelons, however, they can be controlled and eliminated if you act diligently.

Snails

These mollusks are the bane of every gardener.

These guys will eat up your precious vine leaves overnight out of sight. They’ll eat the fruit if they can get to it as well.

This is exactly why cucamelons should be supported on a trellis to keep them out of reach.

If you let the vines grow on the soil, it makes it extremely easy for snails or slugs to climb onto it and start munching.

Snails can be dealt with by manual removal. For extensive infestations, use an organic snail bait that’s safe for vegetables. Use as directed by the label.

Aphids

Nearly every fruit will bait aphids. Cucamelons are no exception.

These bugs will suck out the sap from the leaves and leave your plant curling, stunting, or just plain jagged. Aphids destroy the leaves, fruits, and stems of cucamelon.

They can be removed by using a strong spray of water from your house.

Dish soap mixtures (DIY) also work well. You may need to use an organic insecticide safe for your edibles if necessary.

Cucamelons are fairly pest resistant compared to other vining plants.

They’re rarely troubled by the common insects that eat cucumber or other similar plants. This is another reason why they’re easy to grow.

Pest hardy? Check.

Other than these buggers, there aren’t many pests that cucamelons are susceptible to.

Diseases

These plants are hardy to many of the common pathogens that may affect cucumbers. There are just a few you need to be aware of:

Cucumber mosaic virus

Cucumber mosaic virus is a common virus that damages crops.

It works by pathogen infestation, which directly affects leaf growth. It can lead to leaf dormitories or weird fruit shapes.

If your cucamelon is growing smaller or distorted, it can be stemming from mosaic viruses. These pathogens are transmitted from pests that pierce plants.

Usually, if one of your cucamelon is infested, your whole plot will be. Destroy affected plants as soon as you notice signs of infestation on the plant.

Powdery mildew

Powdery mildew is extremely common and is caused by many different pathogens.

You can reduce the likelihood of infestation by reducing watering, pruning regularly, and never overwatering.

Ensure that you’re using well-draining soil with regular crop rotation every season. This will get rid of the mildew in the plant bed.

Collecting seeds

Seeds can be easily saved from ripened berries that have dropped off the vines. Don’t split them just yet. Put them out to cure. This takes about 1-2 weeks in a cool, dry location.

Split them open and then harvest the seeds. Gently use a spoon to scoop the seeds out. Store in a mason jar or sow for next season.

The seeds of cucamelon can be collected from fully ripened fruits on the vines or dropped fruit.

Fermenting

The seeds will be surrounded by a jelly-like coating which needs to be removed.

Place them into a container with some water and let them ferment for 3 days. Mold is expected to form on the top surface, so don’t freak out.

The seeds will then separate- the ‘good’ seeds will sink to the bottom. The ‘bad’ seeds float or stick to the gel. Pour out the gel, mold, water, etc.

Keep the sunken seeds at the bottom and then rinse them with some distilled water until fully cleansed of the gel. Dry them off for 7 days on a paper cloth.

Put them in mason jars or envelopes out of sunlight.

Growing in pots

It’s possible to grow cucamelons in containers. While container-grown fruits are generally smaller with less yield, it gives you the ability to move them around.

You can change the location of it as you wish. If it’s too hot, move it out of the sun. If it’s too cold, move it indoors!

Choose a pot that has multiple drainage holes. Put a layer of pebbles or sand at the base to prevent clogged drainage ports.

The pot should be at least 12 inches deep to allow the roots to extend. You can use hanging baskets, window planters, or traditional plants.

The shape doesn’t matter as long as you provide enough depth. The width should be as wide as you can afford.

Use a nutrient dense soil. Container planting requires more fertilizer due to soil depletion. You’ll also need to water more often.

You can mix in some perlite or silica sand to help retain moisture. Reduce your need for water. Don’t overwater. Don’t overfeed either. Both of these destroy container-grown cucamelon.

Otherwise, care for the cucamelon is similar to soil planting.

Note that you WILL need some kind of plant support for container grown cucamelon. Use a trellis to allow climbing.

Growing indoors

Cucamelon shouldn’t be grown indoors because there’s simply not enough space to accommodate it. It also requires bright direct sunlight, which can be provided inside the house.

Warmer temperatures are also required, so unless you’re going to run the heater for your cucamelon, don’t do it.

Besides, it’s not practical to use trellises indoors, right?

Usage scenarios

Cucamelon can be used in a variety of recipes:

• Soups
• Salads
• Eaten raw
• Pickled cucamelons
• With rice
• Ponzu marinated cucamelons
• Cucamelon sunomono
• Juices
• Drinks
• Sauces
• Grilling
• Salmon
• Pork chops
• Chicken
• Blend with tomatoes, garlic, oil
• Use with bruschetta or brine

There are many different international recipes you can find online that utilize cucamelon as a side ingredient.

Overwintering

In USDA zones 10 or higher, it’s not necessary to winterize your cucamelons.

However, in cooler zones, you’ll need to do some work so they don’t get killed by the elements. If you anticipate temperature dips to fall below 50F, here are some things you need to do:

• Use row covers to help insulate the foliage from the elements
• If potted, move indoors or into greenhouses to help keep them warm
• Use plant heater mats if housing inside your garage
• Put 5 inches of straw, bark, hay, or mulch to help insulate the base

If your zone is going to be lower than 50F for extended periods, you should just harvest the seeds and save them for the next season.

There’s no point in trying to winterize the cucamelon when you can just replant it.

The berries produce plenty of seeds to collect. Save yourself the work.

Do I need to cut back cucamelon?

Yes, if you’re planning to grow them as perennials.

You’ll need to cut them back to the soil level with sterilized pruners. Then mark off the area so it doesn’t get trampled. This will help prevent pests from infesting the leaves during the wintertime.

Cut the foliage back to the soil level. If the vines are creeping, cut them back as well- don’t’ be scared to do it!

To preserve the cucamelon tubers, dig around them to uproot. Then rinse them off of debris. Let them dry overnight. Then put them in a dry storage for next season.

Storing cucamelon for next season

Storing them is easy. Just get a small container and then fill it up with coconut coir. Place the cuttings on top.

Repeat it until you get them layered on each other for extended storage.

Cover the container, which can be cardboard or some paper bags. Keep it somewhere out of sunlight with stable temperatures like your garage.

They can’t get wet or else you risk rot. They can be replanted soon enough. Wait until the temperatures warm up before replanting it.

The bag, plastic, or cardboard you’re using to store the cucamelon tubers should be sheltered from dampness.

When the springtime is here, it’s time to replant! Bring the cucamelon out of storage. Then let them warm to ambient temperatures.

Remove them from the coconut coir, then soak them in water for 1 hour. This will let them soak up moisture once again, which gets them out of plant dormancy.

Next, move the plant tubers to your chosen garden space. Use a garden space to dig out small holes in the soil about 2-3 inches deep.

It should be the length of the crown so that it can be covered completely by Shove the tubers into the soil (gently, of course).

The crown should be covered about 1” deep with fertile soil.

Water generously to start the active cycle. The roots will sprout within 14 days or so. That’s it! Continue to care as you did last season to enjoy those cucamelons.

How to care for cucamelons (commonly asked questions)

This section covers some basic guidelines regarding how to grow and care for cucamelons. It contains commonly asked questions from readers.

Check it out.

If you don’t find the answer to your question, you can post it below using the form.

Do cucamelons come back every year?

Cucamelons are perennials if grown in the right hardiness zone.

If ambient temperatures are on the warmer side and the soil doesn’t get too cold, cucamelon can be grown as a perennial and will produce berries all season long.

In zones that are far too cold, these plants will need some protection from the cold during the wintertime.

Cucmaleon will need some mulch, plant covers, or cold frames in order to save the roots from being killed by the cold. Or you can choose to grow them by replanting them each season as annuals. It’s really up to you.

The berries contain plenty of seeds that can be collected so they can be replanted if grown as annuals. So don’t be scared just because you’re out of the growing zone.

How many cucamelons does a plant produce?

A single cucamelon plant can produce several dozen berries over the season. It depends on how long the vines are and the amount of sunlight, plant food, and water it receives.

If you want plentiful harvests, you should consider dedicating a portion of your garden to just sour gherkins. Try row planting to save space. Replant berry seeds.

Are cucamelons worth growing?

That depends on your preferences.

Do you want an easy-to-grow, summertime snack that can be used in soups, salads, or eaten raw? Or do you just want to grow some weird garden fruits?

Cucamleon is an easy addition to your vegetable garden or fruit garden. They’re compact as they can be poised to grow vertically.

They don’t require much supplemental watering (1” per week is enough). And they’re rewarding. I say yes.

How tall does a cucamelon grow?

Cucamleon grows more wide than tall.

When properly supported, cucamelon can grow up to 6-7 feet. If no trellis or plant support is provided, it’ll grow outwards up to 10 feet.

Cucamelon berry production can be encouraged by picking out the growing tip when plants are about 8 feet tall. Pinch out the tips of the side shoots when the plant is about 20” in length. This will encourage vines to fruit.

What do you feed cucamelons?

Water regularly and feed with a high-quality liquid fertilizer. You can use tomato fertilizer once or twice per month during peak season.

If your soil is nutrient-dense, fertilizer is optional. But they do appreciate some food to help produce berries.

How do you fertilize a cucamelon?

Cucamelon is a self-pollinator. They contain both male/female blossoms on the same plant, so they’re open pollinators.

They can pollinate through birds, bees, or even the wind. Even though manual pollination can benefit cucumbers or eggplants, mouse melon don’t need hand pollination or brush pollination. Cucamleon will self-fertilize if grown in the right zone on its own.

Is cucamelon a fruit or vegetable?

Cucamleon is a fruit. Even though they have the phenotype of tiny watermelons, which are fruits, sour gherkins are a fruit. Not a vegetable.

These exotic little fruits are actually called berries. Because of the confusion, some people will refer to them as vegetables. However, they’re officially identified as fruits.

Further reading/references

Check out these resources:

• Cucamelons anyone? : r/gardening – Reddit
• Cucamelons: Cool as a Cucumber – UGA
• Mouse Melon or Mexican Sour Cucumber, Melothria scabra

Grow cucmelons at home!

You now know the basics of how to grow and care for mouse melons now.

While sour gherkins may be quite the weird fruit, they’re perfect for delicious summertime snacks. They’re slow to start, but once the warm summer hits, they take care of themselves.

Give them plenty of full sun, pick berries on time, and keep the soil moist. That’s all there is to it!

Do you have any questions about cucamelon care? Post your comments in the section below.

The post How to Grow Cucamelons – Mouse Melons (Complete Care Sheet) appeared first on Gardenisms.

They’re NOT as popular as their counterparts. But do offer their bout of benefits.

For instance, they’re super easy to grow. They take care of themselves. So any beginner can grow them easily.

They also are ready for harvest earlier in the season, so if you want seasonal berries all summer long, this is a good addition to your garden.

Let’s dive in and see what dewberries are all about.

Quick care guide: Dewberry

What’s a dewberry?

Dewberries are the lesser-known berry. These are in the Rubus genus and Roscaecae family. They’re found in the US, EU, and CAN.

Note that They’re often mistaken as blackberries or mulberries, even though they’re not the same.

Dewberries grow all over the US and develop fruits in a bush, rather than upwards like blackberries.

They’re slightly more acidic than blackberries and can be used for pretty much the same purposes as jams or pies.

These are NOT considered true berries, but they are fruiting berries. Dewberries are hardy and require little care. They’re perennial so you can harvest fruits every year.

What do they taste like?

Dewberries are sour and slightly more acidic compared to their blueberry or raspberry cousins.

They make a good fruit to grow for those that want the ease of care and don’t have all day to tend to their plants.

Even though they’re sour, they can still be used for pies, desserts, jams, etc. It’s a unique taste. Use it to mix up boring tastes.

Are they easy to grow?

Yes, they’re extremely easy to care for and good for beginners. If you’ve never grown berry plants before, dewberries are a good choice.

Are they edible?

Yes, dewberries are edible. But if you have sensitivities or allergies, you should consult with your care provider first. They’re also NOT suitable for dogs or cats because of their high sugar content.

They taste exactly like blackberries or raspberries (but not gooseberries or honeyberries) and can be hard to differentiate from similar fruits. They have a tart taste to them that gives you a kick in the mouth.

Depending on what cultivar you’re growing, where you’re located, and how you care for them, the taste will vary.

Even something as simple as harvesting earlier or later will affect the taste of the berries. In this guide, you’ll learn how to get the sweetest berries possible.

Note that if you find dewberry in the wild, there’s bound to be poison ivy nearby. These plant are usually found nearby each other in native regions.

Dewberry vs. blackberry vs. mulberry

Dewberries are shrubby compared to blackberries. They’re not as popular because they’re sour even if ripe. But if you like sour berries, you’re in the right place.

They’re also purple in coloration, sometimes pinkish just like raspberries. They grow as a trailing berry plant with slender thorns on hairy stems.

Dewberries grow only about 2 feet at max height and are ready to harvest in early May.

Compared to blackberries or mulberries, dewberries generally are slightly more acidic, sour, and ready for harvest sooner. They’re shorter, shrubbier, and the seeds are larger than blackberries.

Types of dewberries

There are a few dozen species of dewberries, but only a few of them can be propagated here in the US.

Some of the most popular types are:

• Aberdeen
• Swamp
• Northern
• Pacific
• Upland

There are also European dewberries that have a different taste, size, texture, etc.

How to propagate dewberries

There are two main ways to propagate dewberries in the home garden: from seed or cuttings.

Starting from seed takes more time, but you can control nearly all the variables.

Seed starting may result in hybrids or different types of berries in the same seed packet. Starting from cuttings will always result in the same berry as the original plant.

So it’s really up to you to decide what kind of berry patch you want. If you’re impatient and don’t have time to deal with germination, then using cuttings is easiest. Starting from seed will take time, but it’s rewarding to see those first sports emerge!

If you can’t find any local nursery that sells dewberry plants or seeds, you can order them online. There are plenty of retailers that stock it if they’re in season.

From seed

If you want to start from seed, you should expect nothing until 4-5 years later.

Yes, dewberries take some time until they’re ready to eat. But if you’re in it for the long haul, then yeah, it’s something to consider.

Take the seeds and plant them in a seed starter. Place 1-2 seeds per compartment 0.25″ deep. Water then cover with a humidity dome. They should sprout within 2-3 weeks.

When they grow their first pair of leaves, remove them from the household. Start hardening them off by exposing them to the outdoors for a few hours each day.

After one week, move them to the yard.

From cuttings (seedlings)

Planting from cuttings is the quick way to a harvest. Since dewberry takes time to harvest from seed, using cuttings is a shortcut.

Start by digging a hole that’s as wide as the root ball of the dewberry plant. It should be relatively deep, typically around 12 inches.

The root ball should be inserted, then backfilled with rich soil. You can add any soil compost or additives/amendments if you wish. The soil doesn’t need to be compressed.

Caring for dewberry

Here are some general guidelines on caring for dewberry.

Depending on the strain you’re growing, where you are, and how you grow it, it all changes the flavor of it.

These tips should get you a good idea of what’s involved in growing and caring for dewberries.

Hardiness zone

Dewberry grows best in hardiness zones 5-10. If you’re in these zones, you should be OK in regards to temperature so you don’t need to worry about it.

But if you’re outside of the zone, you’ll need to use mulch or compost to keep them warm over the winter. In the US, they’re grown natively in zones 5-8.

Soil

Use well-draining, high-quality, rich soil.

The soil should be nutrient-dense so it can supply all the necessary food for your dewberries to eat. They’re heavy feeders, so if you don’t know the supply your soil column has, you should do a soil test.

Dewberries are hardy and won’t need much care other than regular watering, pruning, fertilizing, staking, and your favorite part- HARVESTING.

pH

Dewberry prefers acidic soil that ranges between 5-7.

If your soil is alkaline or neutral, you can naturally lower the pH with soil amendments like limestone or use acidic pH straight from the bag.

Spacing

Space each plant at least 5 feet apart.

Plant them in rows to save space and maximize yield per share foot. They need plenty of space horizontally or else they’ll become crowded.

This will make it foliage dense and could promote mildew, rot, or fungus. It also reduces completion between each shrub because they all get plenty of soil nutrients to eat.

Depth

Plant each seedling 12 inches deep. Plant seeds 0.25 inches deep. The seedlings should get plenty of space for roots to run.

Sunlight

Dewberry is not a tidy bush. You’ll need a lot of space to accommodate it.

Plant in a space that provides plenty of sunlight per day. They grow in full sun and will need at least 8 hours of sunlight per day.

If you’re in the right hardiness zone, you shouldn’t have a problem with the amount of light it’s getting.

If you’re in a higher zone, partial sunlight may be more suitable so you don’t scorch it with those beams of UV. Provide 8 hours or more of sunlight per day.

Dewberry grows to lie crazy once you get it going. The roots will grow from the base of the plant outwards. This is why they need proper spacing.

Watering

Retain soil moisture frequently on a schedule.

Don’t overwater, but don’t let it dry out either. Add a layer of mulch to help control the temperature, reduce watering, and limit weeds. It also helps control the temperature and insulates it.

Ensure adequate sunlight and avoid planting in waterlogged areas because they will make the feet wet.

Fertilizing

Fertilize dewberries when they’ve become established.

They can be fed a high-quality, balanced fertilizer for berries or citrus plants.

Feed as directed when they’re a few inches in height (4-5 inches). Fertilizer isn’t always necessary but will help produce larger berries and increase yield.

These shrubs are heavy feeders and will appreciate it. Other than that, they’re low maintenance.

Mulching

Supplementing with a layer of mulch can help insulate the roots against spikes in temperature.

If you’re region often has temp swings, you can add a few inches of mulch to help stop the swings. It also helps retain water, stops weeds, and contains organic nutrients for your plants to eat.

Temperature

You’ll be pleased to know that these berries can easily tolerate both extremes of the seasons.

They’re hard to the heat and the cold. They will do fine if you’re planting your dewberries in the proper hardiness zone.

That’s why they exist!

But if you’re growing outside of it, you’ll need to add a few inches of mulch to insulate it during the winter. Ideally, the temperature should be around 60-70F.

Humidity

Humidity shouldn’t be an issue.

Keep humidity low by not overwatering, pruning the leaves, and using well-draining soil. This should help prevent honey fungus and rot.

Trellising/staking

Dewberry needs some kind of rigid support to hold it up.

The berries are heavy when there are a lot of them and then the plant will topple over. You need to use trellises or stakes.

When you notice your berries start to lean, set up a stake system to keep them standing upright. The vines can climb upwards above the older canes.

If you don’t set this up, it’ll put your berries against the soil, which can make them easy targets for bugs.

Pruning

You should prune your plants regularly because if you don’t, the leaves will get too dense. This will make it easier for mildew, rot, and fungus to grow.

You should also prune off excess flowers that you don’t need. This is a waste of energy for the plant.

It’s not hard. Just use common sense- that means wearing your favorite protective gloves because of thorns.

Harvesting

Dewberries will flower around March and the flowers turn into berries.

At first, they’re small and green. You can harvest them to make your own dewberry tea, jam, or jelly. They can be eaten raw or used to make cobbler. Or pie.

The white flowers that come out in March turn into small green berries. In the winter, they change to a dark maroon or purple.

Dewberry pies are also a thing.

They’re ready to go about 6-8 weeks since the last frost. But it varies.

You can make sure the berries are ripe by looking at the color of the berries.

They should be purple or black. Use your favorite gardening gloves because there are sharp thorns.

Avoid crushing them because they stain.

Storage

Upon harvesting, you should use them immediately just like any other berry.

They’ll become squishy, rot, and extra sweet over time.

But who likes mushy berries?

If you have extras, put them in a storage container in your fridge. Use them within 2-3 days. Only harvest what you need, don’t take any extras.

Overwintering

Winterberries generally do fine on their own in the winter time even if it’s cold, since they tolerate a wide variety of temperatures.

Companion planting

Plant dewberries by themselves.

They need all the nutrients they can get and will outcompete neighboring plants for them. They even compete with each other.

So that’s why you need to provide them with enough space between each plant.

Pests

Dewberries are vulnerable to the same bunch of bugs that are found eating blueberries or raspberries. Aphids, spider mites, dewberry mites, rabbits, white-tailed deer, cane-boring beetles, and leaf beetles.

You can often manage a lot of these bugs by pruning, not overwatering, keeping your berry shrub tidy, and not overfeeding with plant foods.

Diseases

Dewberries are prone to rot, mildew, fungus, and other issues that come from excessive water in the soil. Don’t water constantly and let it pool. Prune regularly and use moisture retaining soils.

Recipes

You can substitute dewberries for many desserts, cakes, jams, etc. that you normally would with blueberry.

Pretty much, anything that you make or bake with raspberry can be done with dewberries.

Some of my favorites are:

• Dewberry cake
• Dewberry cobbler
• Dewberry pie 

Common questions about dewberry care

Here are some commonly asked questions about dewberry care.

You may find this info helpful to get some awesome yields.

Where do dewberries grow best?

Dewberries grow best in areas with full sun.

They need at least 8 hours of sunlight per day, so plant them somewhere that receives adequate sunlight. The soil should be fertile, rich, nutritious, well-draining and weed free.

Do they have seeds?

Yes, dewberries contain seeds.

This is how people can grow them from seed in the first place!

But if you’re referring to eating the berries, you don’t need to worry spitting out pits. The seeds are edible just like raspberry seeds.

Where to buy dewberry plants or seeds

You can buy them online or from specialty nurseries. You won’t find them that easily, so you may have to do some research.

Further reading/references

Here are some other references you may find helpful for dewberry TLC:

• Dewberry – Wikipedia
• Is it a blackberry or a dewberry? – LSU

Enjoy your dewberries

Now that you know all the basics of growing, caring for, and harvesting dewberries, you can make your own unique dewberry jams, pies, and more.

While they’re not as sweet as blueberries, they’re good for mixing it up and adding some unique flair to your desserts.

What do you think? Do you have any questions? Drop a comment and let me know!

The post How to Grow Dewberry (Complete Guide) appeared first on Gardenisms.

These delicious, sweet, yet tarty berries are one of the hardiest fruiting shrubs around.

You can grow them in a wide range of zones.

They tolerate a huge range of temperatures. And they require little maintenance to produce plenty of fruits for you.

Plus, they can be used as a border or pathing plant. So they serve dual purposes.

Let’s dive in and learn how to care for haskap berry shrubs.

Quick care guide: Honeyberry

What’s honeyberry?

Honeyberry, also known as haskap berry, is a delicious berry that’s fruity, sweet, and quite hardy. If you’ve been having trouble getting a good yield from your blueberry or gooseberry, you may want to try out honeyberry!

Grown in Asia, Europe, and other distant countries (if you’re from the US), this secret berry is grown to be enjoyed.

They can be eaten raw, used in ice cream, desserts, or even jams and jellies. Birds love them. And they’re quite compact in size.

A springtime bloomer, honeyberry produces for you with minimal care. If you’re the hands-off type or you just don’t have time to tend to every plant but want a fruiting bush, honeyberry is it.

Let’s dive in and learn all about ‘em!

What do they taste like?

Honeyberry tastes tarty and sour at the same time. Think of raspberry, but sweeter.

Or blueberry, but sourer. It’s a mix somewhere between, depending on the type of honeyberry you’re growing and how you’re growing it.

You don’t have to eat them raw- you can always use them in sweet desserts or preserves.

Types of honeyberry

There are dozens of different types.

Here are some of the most popular cultivars:

• Berry blue
• Honey bee
• Indigo gem
• Tundra
• Borealis
• Tana
• Yezberry honeybunch
• Keiko
• Yezberry Maxie

You can find lots of varieties of honeyberries from nurseries. Cross-pollinated hybrids are produced all the time, so you have a lot of choices.

Propagating honeyberry

Honeyberry is easy to propagate. You can start with the traditional method (seed) or get a batch of them pre-grown so you can skip the boring part. But some people like it. It’s rewarding.

Note that the shrub needs at least two individual plants to produce berries. A single shrub won’t be able to pollinate itself. You need to at least one other shrub for successful fruiting.

The two shrubs also need to be next to each other or else pollen won’t transfer between them.

From cuttings

If you have an established honeyberry bush, you can take stem cuttings when they go dormant.

Use a clean pair of pruners that’s been sterilized and then snip off a stem. Root it in rooting hormone or gel, then plant in the soil or in water.

Honeyberry cuttings especially like soilless mixtures until they root. Afterward, you can plant them in their new home.

Like most other berries, they require good draining soil that’s fertile, rich, and well amended with nutrients.

If you want to keep the new plant identical to the original, stem cuttings result in identical offspring.

The first harvest should be around 2 years after stem cuttings root. Plant in the springtime after they emerge from dormancy.

Put some mulch to help retain moisture immediately after you plant.

From seed

Growing from seed takes a lot of patience and isn’t for someone who wants to see results or plans to harvest anytime soon.

Seeds can be planted as directed. Read the packet for directions.

Unlike blueberry, the seeds of honeyberry don’t require any cold stratification or scarring. You can literally just plant them as directed. Use a seed starting kit with good fertile soil.

Put 1-2 seeds per compartment. Then water and cover with a dome for humidity.

Continue keeping it moist, but not wet. Transplant to the outdoors after the last frost and at least two pairs of true leaves have sprouted.

Note that starting from seed with taking many years until you see your first harvest. So be wary of that! Additionally, seed starting will produce hybrids and mixes. If you want to only have one type of berry, seeds are not the way to go.

How to grow honeyberry

Here are some tips to grow and care for honeyberry plants.

Depending on the type of berry you’re growing, your needs will vary.

However, these work as general guidelines for proper is to get the most yield.

Hardiness zone

Haskap berries grow in USDA hardiness zones 2-9 (latitudes 42-62). This will give you the least headaches if you plant in the right hardiness zone.

Honeyberries are hardy plants in general but will provide the most fruits if the conditions are within a good range.

It’s definitely possible to grow in a higher zone, but you should provide more shade. Provide cool shade, stable temperatures, and plenty of nutrients for maximum yield.

Soil

Honeyberry likes fertile, rich, well-draining soil. It should be packed with sufficient nutrients to ensure optimal growth.

If you have no idea what your nutrient profile looks like, get a soil test kit and find out. You should test every spring to get a good picture of it anyway. Amend if needed.

They grow well on borders or woodland edges.

The soil should have compost dug in to offer some additional nutrients for your plants.

The shrubs do well in clay, sandy, or regular garden mix fortified with nutrients. Brownie points if it has moisture-retaining properties.

Use organic soil if you want to grow your own organic berries without having to get ripped off at the grocery store.

pH

Shoot for a pH of slightly acidic to neutral around 6.5-6.8. Don’t worry about it too much. They’re not picky about the pH.

If you’re a perfectionist, you can organically amend it to help lower the pH. The majority of berry plants like acidic soil. You can drop the pH to 5.0 if you wish.

Depth

Plant seeds about 0.25″ deep when starting from seed. Don’t worry about the exact depth for this, as it’s not important.

Spacing

Space each cutting or sprout at least 5 feet apart.

This is enough to give each plant the opportunity to pollinate each other, but not clutter them so they compete for nutrients.

Some types can do well up to 7 feet apart, but others can be compact at a mere 3 feet.

Do your research first on your specific strain.

Note that if you want cross-pollination, they must be different types. If you want to grow multiple honeyberries, plant them in rows to save space.

Watering

Give extra water during the first year of planting. Allow the soil to dry out between each watering session. Never make it wet, only moist.

You can use a soil meter to get an accurate picture of the substrate’s water saturation if you’re unsure. Reduce watering after the first year.

Aim for 2-3 inches of water per week, but don’t forget to account for rain or drought. Adjust as needed.

Fertilizing

Provide plant food in the fall with a balanced fertilizer.

You can also use compost or organic manure around the base of the plant. A 1-2 inch layer should do, or use as directed.

If you’re using fertilizer, opt for organic plant foods. Use as directed. A slow erased 5-5-5 should do the trick.

Sunlight

Plant honeyberry in partial shade. Provide partial shade, because the leaves will burn if you plant in direct sunlight. Provide 4-5 hours of light per day. Plant near taller plants if possible.

Humidity

Keep humidity low. Excess moisture or humidity trapped in the leaves will lead to fungus or mildew. Prune your leaves regularly to help increase evaporation. Use mulch to retain water.

Temperature

These berries are extremely hardy and will withstand a wide temperature range- so wide that you don’t have to worry about them getting too cold or too hot.

The only thing you SHOULD worry about is drastic temp swings. If it’s sudden, it can damage the berries. You can control and minimize the changes in temperature by using mulch, compost, or covers. These can help insulate the shrub.

Honeyberries’ temperature tolerance depends on the cultivar you’re growing and your hardiness zone. The average honeyberry can handle temperatures as lows as -55F to 85F.

Ain’t that something? These are some of the most cold-hardy fruits you can possibly grow. Some cultivars will tolerate lower temp swings.

Haskaps produce little yield when the temperatures are too high- above 85F.

Mulching

Put a layer of organic mulch every spring. This will help retain moisture, prevent temperature swings, and keep weeds out.

You can use bark mulch, straw much, or even grass clippings. Mulch 2-3 inches around the plant’s stem. Replace every season.

You can also add some compost or manure to help out as they add beneficial nutrients to the soil, but only if your soil needs it. This is why you get a soil test kit to find out!

Pruning

Honeyberry should be pruned in late winter or early spring. The plants are dormant during these periods, so you don’t stunt the growth of the plant.

Prune carefully, as excess pruning will remove fruiting wood and result in a lower yield. If you notice the buds start to develop, it’s too late to prune. Let it grow or wait until later.

Pruning is simple. Just use a clean pair of pruners and cut off any damaged wood or branches.

Cut spent flowers. Prune off foliage where it’s too much and hinders water evaporation. There are so many videos online that you can follow, like this one:

Harvesting

You can tell when it’s time to harvest by looking on the inside of the berry.

Cut one off and slice it apart. It should be solid blue on the inside. You can also taste test. If it’s too sour, it’s not ripe yet.

Storage

Honeyberry can be cut fresh, then stored in eh fridge like any other berry. They’re good for 2-3 days.

If they get mushy or soft, they’ll taste bad and should be thrown out. You can also use them in preserves, sauces, or jams.

Overwintering

You don’t need to do anything to overwinter honeyberry.

If you’re in the right zone, it’ll die back and drop all its leaves. This is normal. Like most other berry shrubs, honeyberry goes dormant during the wintertime while it “sleeps.”

If you’re in a zone that’s prone to temperature dips, it can tolerate -30F swings, so you should be OK. But you can add some mulch to help insulate it from swings or get some shrub covers.

Otherwise, winterberry needs no special care other than cutting back from the winter. Trim it down and remove older wood during this time. This will minimize pests.

Get rid of any green foliage as well if it has trouble dropping them.

Cross-pollinating

If you want to grow hybrids, ensure that each honeyberry has a neighbor next to it that’s not the same type.

This will allow some pretty cool mixes between the two shrubs. If you don’t want your berries to cross-pollinate (produce hybrids), then either grow from stem cuttings or keep them separate by distancing each shrub.

They only need about 5 feet to successfully pollinate each other.

Flowering

These plants produce pretty flowers. These flowers are nice to look at and they release an aroma that’s pleasing. If you want extra berries, prune off the buds.

Otherwise, let them flow and then cut off the spent ones.

Container planting

You can plant them in pots, but you’ll need a sufficient size to do so.

These shrubs are large and will produce up to 5 feet of growth. Get a pot that’s large enough to handle them.

Starter pots can be 3 gallons, but you need to upgrade in the future. Or you can just get a big enough one in the beginning to avoid that and plant shock.

When you container plant, be careful about overwatering or excess fertilizing, as both of these will build up in the container. Use well-draining soil.

Otherwise, plant care is the same as soil planting.

Companion plants

You can safely plant honeyberry with companion plants to maximize yield. If the neighboring plants don’t compete for resources, then they should be OK to grow with your berries.

Some good choices are plants NOT in the same genus. Think comfrey, chives, eggplant, chives, orchards, etc.

Honeyberry makes an excellent companion plant to help stop weeds as well, as they’ll compete for soil nutrients. They can be grown on the border as a decorative plant or on the edges.

Pests

They’re no stranger to the common handful of bugs you’ll see on berry plants. Expect to see spider mites, scale, beetles, whiteflies, aphids, and leafrollers.

The majority of them can be controlled by manual removal, organic insecticides, or using a hose to spray them off.

Rabbits are a common pest that’ll eat delicious fruits. You can use wire cages around each plant to help defend against them from coming through. Just like you, they want that fruit.

Other commonly asked questions about honeyberry care

You may find these other questions commonly asked by readers helpful on your journey to grow haskaps.

Are honeyberries hard to grow?

Yes, honeyberries are very easy to grow and excellent for beginners.

They also need minimal TLC and can be basically taken care of themselves.

Just provide water, pant food, and prune it regularly at the minimum. That’s all you need really for a successful harvest.

Nutritional content

Honeyberry has a high concentration of phenolic acids, potassium, calcium, iron, phosphorus, vitamin A and C. They’re a good all-around treat eaten in cakes, preserves, jams, or raw.

Can honeyberries be grown in pots?

Yes, you can grow honeyberries in containers assuming the container is big enough. You’ll need at least a 3-gallon container for starters. Upgrade as it grows.

Do deer eat honeyberries?

Deer may nibble on honeyberries, as they don’t have any natural repellent to them. You can utilize fencing to help keep deer out.

When do honeyberries bloom?

Similar to blueberries, raspberries, and gooseberries, they bloom on time for a delicious summer treat.

Most types of honeyberry will be ready for harvest in the spring. They continue blooming all season until the winter time.

Grow with honeysuckle for two different edibles that are ready for harvest at eh same time!

Further reading/references

Here are some references you may be interested in:

• Honeyberry – Houzz
• Does anyone grow Currant, Honeyberry or Elderberry? – Reddit
• Haskap/Honeyberry – Cornell blogs

Enjoy your homegrown honeyberry

Now that you know all the basics of how to grow and care for haskap berries, it’s time to grow your own.

Get out there and enjoy the sweet, tarty blast of flavor from these tender juicy berries!

They’re good for beginners, easy to grow, and require basic maintenance to care for.

Do you have any questions? Post your comments and let me know! If you have any tips or tricks for honeyberry care, post them for other readers.

The post How to Grow Honeyberry (Beginner’s Guide) appeared first on Gardenisms.

These tender little tarts have a zing to them that can really go unexpected.

You don’t know until you’ve tried gooseberry jam.

And now, you can make your own!

Let’s dive in and learn how to grow and care for these delicious Ribes.

Last updated: 8/5/21.

Quick care guide: Gooseberry

What’s a gooseberry?

Gooseberries are a sour, tarty, and forbidden berry. Why forbidden?

Because it’s a banned fruit!

Well, at least it USED to be.

Only a few select states allow gooseberries to be grown.

But if you’re in a vicinity where it’s legal, you’ll be happy to know that it offers a bunch of benefits over other berries like blueberries or winterberries.

Gooseberries are an extremely hardy plant. They’re resistant to pests, easy to grow, and extremely compact in the garden.

These globular berries are part of the Ribes genus, which includes currants like black, green, or red ones.

Toxicity

Gooseberry is known to be highly toxic to wildlife, so avoid feeding or allowing any birds, dogs, cats, chickens, geese, or other wildlife to consume it. Unripe berries and the leaves are also known to cause adverse side effects, so never eat, touch, or harvest them. Always use proper protection when pruning or harvesting.

What do they taste like?

Gooseberries are sour, tarty, and have a kick to them, unlike your traditional berries.

Yes, these aren’t tame berries. They even have thorns. Literally.

Depending on the species you’re growing and the time to harvest, their flavor can be from mildly sweet to extremely sour. It all depends on what you want.

What do gooseberries look like?

Gooseberries are cool. They come in a variety of different colors and sizes, based on the cultivar you’re growing.

Typically, the berries are about 0.5” in diameter. They can be bigger or smaller depending on the cultivar. They come in purple, pink, red, yellow, green, white, maroon, and everything in between.

Each berry grows on the branches that stem out from your gooseberry bush in predictable patterns. The berries are firm, shiny, and globular. They may have tiny hairs on them. American gooseberry shrubs have gray leaves. European shrubs are dark green.

Personally, the European shrubs are a lot easier to pair with complementary plants in the yard IMO.

Why are gooseberries illegal?

Gooseberries are illegal in some US states.

In the past, they were banned in 1911 because they contributed to white pine blister rust. This particular rust killed a certain type of plant species, so it was outlawed because of its ability to infect pine, especially in states like Maine or New York.

Now, the ban has been revoked in some states and it’s up to each state to determine whether or not gooseberries can be grown.

You must do your research to see if gooseberries are legal in your jurisdiction before you try to grow or import them. It can be unlawful for you to do so even if you didn’t know.

Are they easy to grow?

Yes, gooseberries are the perfect berry for beginners because they take care of themselves once they get going.

Other than some regular pruning, watering, cutting, and harvesting, it’s straightforward to produce them. Plus, they make a great fruit to eat raw or used as a jam, sauce, etc.

Can you eat them?

Yes, gooseberries may have gotten a bad rep because they were once banned.

Do NOT eat unripe berries or the leaves.

But it’s not because they’re poisonous or anything like that. People have gotten confused over time and the waters have become murky regarding their reputation.

Since the ban has been lifted, now it’s up to each state to decide whether or not they want to allow gooseberries to be legal.

Because of this, some people can easily assume that just because some states mark it as illegal, it’s “bad” fruit.

Gooseberries have a distinct splash of flavor that erupts in your mouth.

They can be extremely sour to sweet. The flavor depends on the type of gooseberry you’re growing, when you harvest, and how you grew it (soil type, plant food, etc.)

Plus you don’t even have to eat it. Some people use it exclusively as a decoration or privacy hedge. The berries are just topping on the cake, friend.

Types of gooseberry

Wondering which gooseberry to grow in your garden? There are dozens to choose from, each with its own unique flavor profile.

Here are some to get you started:

• Black velvet (grows up to 5 feet, partial shade, American)
• Captivator (3 feet tall, resilient to fungus, American)
• Hinnonmaki yellow (superior flavor, 1” berries)
• Hinnomaki red (American, sour, 5 feet tall)
• Pax (sweet berries on minimal thorns)
• Careless (large fruits)
• Invicta (green plant, large fruits, green cooker)
• Jeanne (purple, rust-resistant, 3 feet tall, American)
• Little ben (tarty, 3 feet tall)
• Leveller (yellow, sweet berries)
• Glendale (full sun tolerance)
• Cape gooseberry (goldenberry)
• Whitesmith (desert cooker, white berries)
• Whinham’s Industry (big red berries)
• Pixwell (pink/green berries, 5 feet tall, American)

See this list for all varieties.

There are spineless varieties, which are expensive but may be with the extra cost. The thorns make everything more difficult from pruning to harvesting. Look for Xenia or Pax.

Note that American types are usually smaller but mildew resistant. They also produce more yield and are easier to manage compared to European ones. European gooseberries have much tastier yields though.

How to propagate

Gooseberry is extremely easy to propagate. You can start from seed or use a pre-grown shrub. 

how to grow gooseberries from seed, laying, or cuttings. Or you can buy a baby bush from the nursery if you don’t want to mess with germination.

From seed

Starting from seed takes the longest because you have to deal with germination.

You’re starting from nothing, but it’s also the most rewarding out of all the different ways you can propagate. Seeds can be started in a pot, in the soil, or even below a trellis to climb.

Note that if you’re growing it outside in your garden, you should pick the home for it to be permanent. It’s hard to move once it becomes established because of its unwieldy size.

So that means if you want to use it as a privacy hedge, barrier, or some kind of decor, you should plant it accordingly.

Also, growing from seed won’t produce plants that are identical to the original plant.

Seeds often produce hybrids or random ones, so you don’t know what you’re getting. They also require a lot of time and some effort to grow. But if you’re up for it, here’s how you do it.

Get the seeds. Read the packet. That’s step one.

Next, put the seeds into a soak for a few hours. This will increase the germination rate. Take them out. Let them dry to room temperature.

Wrap them in a towel and put them in the fridge for 120 days. Keep the towel moist, but not wet. This is called cold stratification and is required to germinate gooseberry seeds.

Buy one of those seed starter kits then fill it with a good quality potting mix. It helps if you choose the same mix you plan to use in the garden later. This will reduce plant shock.

Sow 2-3 seeds per compartment about 0.5” deep. Water generously. Then just keep them moist until they germinate.

Once they grow a few sets of leaves, you can move them outside to your garden. Four or five sets of true leaves should be a sign of an established plant.

From cuttings

Propagation from cuttings is easy. All you need is an American gooseberry bush that’s established. Cut out a virulent cane that’s sitting on the base of the plant.

It should be snipped with a pair of sterilized pruners right next to a flower bud. The cutting should be dusted with rooting hormone, then covered with soil. The cut side should be covered about ⅓ of the way. The other half should be exposed to the light.

Use compost or a thin layer of mulch to cover the exposed half. When you’re done, only the very edge of it should be exposed. The cutting will develop its roots over time.

European gooseberry should be layered instead. They don’t take well to cuttings for the most part. Take cuttings in the early spring or late fall. Never do it during the growing season.

By transplant

When transplanting gooseberry, simply remove it from the original container and plant it in the same depth and width as the original pot. Let it adjust to your garden.

If the leaves turn yellow or drop over time, that’s normal. Some people let it slowly acclimate to the garden by exposing it to sunlight for a few days.

Put it in the sun then shade it for a few hours each day until it hardens off.

Layering

While laying may sound difficult, it’s very easy.

You’ll need a fully grown shrub to do this with. If you have one, it makes preparing a second gooseberry eye.

• Find a good branch near the base of your plant.
• Use a branch that’s not too rigid so it can bend with ease. If it’s not flexible, it’ll uproot itself.
• Bend it into the soil and tie it down.
• Cover it with soil at least ⅓ of the way, leave the other 2/3 exposed or use a light bit of compost.
• Keep it watered just like the main plant.
• Over one season, it should develop roots. Cut it off and plant it elsewhere.

That’s it. There’s nothing special about it.

Plant in the spring or fall for bare-root gooseberries.

How to care for gooseberry

Here are some basic guidelines on caring for gooseberries.

Depending on the type you’re growing, your plant’s needs may vary. However, you can use these tips as a high-level overview.

Hardiness zone

Gooseberry grows well in USDA hardiness zones 3-8. It can be grown in higher or lower zones, provided that you give it adequate shade in hot weather or insulate it in the cold.

But for the least amount of maintenance, growing it in the recommended zone is the easiest. Check this site if you don’t know your zone.

Soil

Plant gooseberries in rich, fertile soil that’s well-draining. It likes high nitrogen and potash-dense substates.

You can amend it with some additives if your soil is lacking in the nutrient profile. If you don’t know your soil’s metrics, use a test kit to find out. Use organic if you want to grow organic berries. Avoid shallow, dry soils.

Soil pH

Aim for a slightly acidic soil pH of 6.0-6.5. Like most other berries, gooseberries prefer a lower pH.

You can amend your soil if you need to lower the pH. But it’s easier to just buy a few bags of soil that fit the bill.

Depth

When planting seeds, sow a seed a quarter-inch deep.

When using cuttings or layering, cover the branch a few inches deep with soil, while exposing the rest of the branch to compost or mulch. That’s all there is to it.

Spacing

Place each plant about 3 feet apart to minimize the competition between plants. Gooseberry does get pretty wide, so you should allow adequate spacing between each shrub.

Sunlight

Gooseberries like cool spots, so partial sunlight are best. They can grow in full sun if you’re in a cooler hardiness zone (northern US), so they can be a good plant for those morning rays.

For those in a warmer zone, don’t be afraid to give them 6 or 7 hours of sunlight per day.

The more sun, the more fruit you’ll produce.

However, if it’s scorching hot, the sun will burn the leaves.

This is why it’s important to position it in a way where it doesn’t get burned up by the afternoon sun. Try to keep temperatures below 80F if possible.

You can use plant shades to help block out those harmful beams of light. The best way to do it is to start with the right location in your garden.

Choose somewhere that’s cool with partial sun- a bit of afternoon sun with plenty of shade is good. Plant on an eastern-facing side of your garden.

Watering

Keep the base of the plant moist, but not wet. Aim for 1-2 inches of water per week, but account for rain or doubt and adjust accordingly. Never overwater.

Gooseberry hates wet roots. It can also lead to fungal problems since the roots are right at the soil surface.

Use a high-quality mulch to help keep the water retained plus reduce watering.

Don’t let it dry out between watering sessions.

Humidity

Humidity should be kept relatively low because of the cool, shady nature of gooseberries.

Excess water is not a good thing.

You may end up giving your plant fungus or mold if you keep it humid. Prune to reduce humidity and increase the evaporation rate.

Temperature

Gooseberry grows in a wide range between -30F to 85F. You don’t need to worry about this if you’re in the right zone.

Mulching

Mulching has multiple benefits and there’s no reason to. You preserve water, prevent bugs, stop weeds, and help insulate the temperature swings.

Use a few inches of straw, bark chips, or compost to mulch your gooseberry. If you’re in a hot region, use less. If you’re in a colder region, use more.

A good layer of mulch can help stop the wild swings in the winter and your roots from becoming damaged. Since the roots are so shallow, the layer of mulch helps.

Plant food

Gooseberry will need some fertilizer to grow and produce those bountiful harvests. Unlike other berry plants, they’re heavy feeders.

Use a balanced fertilizer in the spring to help give them enough food for the season. Be careful of overfertilizing, as this can lead to powdery mildew, root rot, or fungus problems.

A blanched plant food (NPK 10-10-10 or 5-5-5) is good enough. Use as directed.

Pruning

Prune your gooseberry with a sterilized pair of pruners (use rubbing alcohol) regularly. This will encourage it to grow and produce more harvest. It may seem counterintuitive, but it helps.

During the first year, there’s no need to prune much. This is because you need to let it grow and develop its branches. Cut back about 3 leaves from the base in July or August.

Keep the center of the bush exposed to prevent plant fungus.

Next season, prune regularly. When the branches reach their second season of growth, they produce a lot of fruit. The second and third seasons will be very productive if you give it the TLC it needs. Prune off any damaged, wilted, or yellowing foliage.

Cut at the base of the plant. Any branches that have become weak or spotted with pests or fungus should be removed immediately.

When you prune, be sure to wear some kind of protective gear because the thorns are sharp!

Use proper garden gloves, clothing, and thick shoes. The thorns will rip through thin clothing. You’ve been warned. Exercise common sense and caution!

Prune in the late winter before winter is here.

What to prune

Prune the old canes. Gooseberry is most productive during the second year of growth, so any older branches should be removed- typically around 4-5 years.

When you start seeing that a specific cane doesn’t produce the gooseberries it did last season, prune it. Remove canes that are broken, wilted, or have pests. If two or more canes brush up against each other, remove the weakest canes.

A single gooseberry should have 10-12 canes total. All other canes sap energy from the plant. Keep only the best canes.

Some should be newer shoots and others are older so then you have a good combo of canes growing at different times.

In the second season, cut off the weakest canes. Only keep about a half dozen or so. In the third season, keep about 12 total and keep it like that going forward.

You can recycle the cans by cutting the oldest and letting the youngest grow. You should be pruning twice a year to keep it in shape.

Trellising

Gooseberries are excellent climbers and will climb the walls of your house, trellis, or fence. This allows you to use it to cover up ugly fencing, or as a privacy hedge from your neighbors.

The thorns that grow out of it also give it that double-up defense from wildlife that may be getting into your garden. Trellising can also help prevent water from pooling, which can reduce pest activity.

You can stake up trellises around the garden and position the gooseberry right below it. It’ll magically learn to climb it when it attaches to it. Once it does, it’s hard to remove. So plan.

Wind

Because they’re so darn tall, they can get toppled by high winds. You’ll want to stake or trellis them if you’re in a windy area. Plant strategically. Shelter them from the wind and they’ll be good to go.

Staking

Oh boy, do gooseberries grow quite tall. This is why people put them on trellises- they have something to climb so they don’t topple over and destroy themselves.

While staking isn’t needed, it’s highly advisable if you’re not growing them on some tall vertical service like a fence, wall, or trellis.

Remember that gooseberries can grow up to 5 feet. In areas with drafts or winds, it can get uprooted so you may want to use stakes to hold it in place.

Harvesting

Harvesting it is the fun part. While you won’t get any fruits in the first season, you should have plenty of them in the second year.

A single gooseberry plant can provide up to 12 cups of berries each season. That’s plenty to munch down on all year. Get your favorite pair of garden gloves on, because we’re going harvesting!

First, put on your gear. Get a sterilized pair of pruners and find the ripe berries. Don’t cut out the unripe ones because they’re very sour.

You can tell if they’re ripe by looking for these characteristics:

• Large, globular berries
• Red, pink, or maroon shades
• Plumb and firm
• Thick skin
• Ripening for at least 5-6 weeks
• Birds or animals eating them

Because different types of cultivars will have different colors, they can be tricky to tell when they’re ready to pick. Don’t eat the leaves. Don’t taste test.

These fruits take some time to fully ripen and they don’t all grow at the same time. So you need to go out repeatedly to harvest them at peak flavor.

Don’t let them overripe either. If you picked some that are unripe by accident, you can use them to make sauces or jams.

Berries often burst when you try to pluck them by hand, so you should use pruners if possible and pick them by the bunch. They’ll splatter too, so wear something you don’t care about getting berry juice on.

Watch out for the thorns!

Storing

You should use your berries right after you cut them off for freshness. If you need to save them for future use, put them in a container in the fridge for 1 week.

They will crush the muscles under their weight, so you should lay them out flat if possible. Cut off any stems and dry them off before storage. You can also use the extra for pastes, jams, etc.

Overwintering

You don’t need to do anything with gooseberries for the winter if you’re in the right hardiness zone. If you’re in a lower zone, you can put some mulch to insulate the roots.

Otherwise, just let it wilt and drop the foliage for the winter and let it grow back on its own. If you want to take divisions, do it in the fall before the winter comes.

Gooseberry typically doesn’t need any special care for the winter.

Pests

Gooseberry is a favorite fruit among many different bugs you’ll find in the garden.

Sadly, probably because of its delicious nature, bugs like to munch on the fruit whether it’s ripe or not.

Some of the most common bugs you’ll encounter are aphids, currant worms, stem girdlers, gooseberry fruitworm, fruit flies, four-lined plant bugs, sawflies, or currant borers.

Each pest will need its management technique. Some things you can do from the start are not overwatering, harvesting on time, and not overdoing the fertilizer.

Diseases

Common diseases found on gooseberries are the typical bunch- powdery mildew, leaf spot, and currant mosaic virus.

Botrytis, blight, cane blight, and scale are also common. The root cause of many of these is simply too much water.

Water only the base of the plant and ensure good drainage to allow evaporation. If you see powder or spots on the leaves, it’s likely a fungal issue and needs to be pruned.

Gooseberry companion plants

Some of the best plants to grow with gooseberries are yarrow, beans, tomatoes, tansy, chives, strawberries, oregano, kiwi, mint, chamomile, marigold, and grapes.

Experiment to see what grows in your yard.

Some plants will help attract beneficial pollinators or repel insects and can do well without stunting the growth of either plant.

Don’t plant something in the same genus or they might compete for resources!

What can you do with it?

Gooseberries are grown as an edible fruit that can be used in a variety of dishes.

Some of the most popular recipes that call for gooseberries are gooseberry crumble, gooseberry jam, gooseberry fool, gin, custard pies, or even gooseberry ice cream!

You can also use it to flavor vodka, make a variety of tarts, or just let it grow as a decorative plant.

Growing gooseberries in pots

Gooseberries do well in pots if the size is sufficient. They need a pot that’s at least 18 inches wide and 18 inches deep. They grow both tall and wide, so they appreciate the space.

The bigger the pot you provide, the less chance of having to upgrade later on. The care is the same, other than using a very well-draining soil and not overwatering or feeding.

When you feed in a pot, the buildup is exponential. So don’t overdo it. The soil should durian well also because it can clog at the bottom drainage holes in its crappy soil.

So use a good one or put a layer of rocks to prevent clumping.

Other questions about gooseberry care

Here are some other commonly asked questions about caring for gooseberries. You may find these tips and tricks helpful to maximize your yield.

Where do gooseberries grow best?

Gooseberry grows in fertile, rich, well-draining soil.

Choose a cool, shady spot in your garden that’s free from winds, heat, drafts, etc. It does scorch easily, so make sure you plant it out of direct sunlight during those hot summers.

How long does it take for gooseberries to fruit?

Gooseberry will fruit in its second year of growth. During the first year, you should expect nothing. When properly cared for, the fruit will come during the next season.

Even during the second season, it’s usually a partial fruit. You can expect full fruiting in the third season of growing gooseberries.

Are gooseberries poisonous to dogs?

Gooseberries aren’t well documented enough to determine if they’re safe for canines.

Because of this, you won’t get a solid answer. Consult your VET for specific advice. Do NOT take advice from random internet blog posts (including this one)!

Some say they’re OK, others say they’re not. It’s not worth the risk.

However, they ARE TOXIC to birds, chicken, geese, and other wildlife. Because of this, you should avoid feeding gooseberries to ANY animals- dogs included.

To keep it simple, you should avoid feeding your dog gooseberries because of the high sugar content and low protein content. There’s no reason to force your canine friend to eat it.

Why is my gooseberry bush not fruit?

If your gooseberry doesn’t fruit, it may be because the canes are too old. Keep the canes trimmed and let new ones grow.

Gooseberry will continue to fruit for years if kept properly. If your plant fruited before but suddenly stopped, check the canes.

Check for pests or mildew.

Also, check the soil’s nutrient profile. It may be running low on nitrogen or potassium if it’s been in the same soil for a long time. It could use some amending to replenish it.

Can you take cuttings from a gooseberry bush?

Yes, you can use cuttings from established gooseberry bushes. They can be used to propagate new plants. See the section in this guide above for more details.

Do gooseberries fruit on old wood?

Older canes should be trimmed off so that you’re left with canes that range from 1-4 years old. Keep about a dozen canes at any given time of varying sizes to continue to produce berries.

Where to buy gooseberry

Gooseberry can be purchased in states where it’s legal. Do some research first and see if you can grow it in your area. You can also buy packets of seeds if you want to start from seed.

When are gooseberries in season?

Gooseberries are in season during the peak summertime.

While each berry becomes ripe at different times, you’ll find that your gooseberry produces the most yield during the summer, especially after their first year.

These currants produce their fruit in the second year, and you can increase it by trimming the older canes off.

Further reading/references

• First year gooseberry harvest. 380 grams! – Reddit
• Growing Gooseberry – Houzz

Enjoy your gooseberry!

Gooseberry doesn’t deserve the bad rep it comes with just because it’s a “forbidden” fruit.

If you’re looking for an exciting new berry (and it’s legal in your jurisdiction), then gooseberry makes an excellent choice. It’s easy to grow for beginners. It requires little care.

And it can be used in a variety of ways just like regular berries. Eat them raw, make sauces, jams, or even pickled gooseberries!

What do you think? Do you have any tips to share with other readers? Post them below and let me know.

The post How to Grow Gooseberry (Beginner’s Guide) appeared first on Gardenisms.

I think that’s why most people allergic to ever take notice that they can easily grow it on their own with their kitchen scraps that they’d otherwise toss into the garbage.

Pineapple is overlooked. It can be grown from the crown that you usually twist off then toss into oblivion.

It’s one of those fruits that can be regrown from scraps- as in, the scraps you’d be throwing out! It doesn’t get any more profitable than that.

Plus, it’s super easy to grow. So it makes a good project for the DIY enthusiast.

Free fruit means pineapple anytime you want for your smoothies, ice cream, or pizza (gross).

Let’s dive in and learn how to regrow pineapple using scraps at home.

Can you regrow pineapple?

You sure can, but your success rate depends on the pineapple itself (sterilized ones won’t produce fruit) and the growing conditions you place it in.

However, if you choose the right one and give it a bit of TLC, it should be relatively easy to regrow.

You’ll be using the pineapple top (AKA crown) to do this. It works nearly every time as long as your pineapple isn’t sterile and you provide it the right conditions. It’s easy. Anyone can do it!

About patents

Note that some plants can’t be regrown legally unless you have permission from the owner.

You can see this by looking at the plant’s labels. If you’re regrowing a patented pineapple, that’d be illegal.

So make sure you’re only planting legal pineapples from the grocery store. Yes, it sounds ridiculous. But that’s how to be lawful.

Can you regrow pineapple from the grocery store?

You don’t need to special order one online. You don’t need to shop around. You don’t even need to go to a nursery for it.

You can use the store-bought pineapple you find at your regular grocery hauls. The key is to pick one that’s likely to produce fruit.

Find a pineapple that’s large, dense in color, and has plenty of leaves coming out of the top. The more layers of foliage you have, the higher chance of rooting.

Avoid smaller, disfigured, or pineapples with the top cut off. These won’t fruit. You only need one to start, but if you want to maximize your chances of success, buy a few.

This will also produce more yield since they grow slowly. Pineapples are cheap and can be had for just a dollar if you know when to shop.

Basically, just pick the one that has the most leaves that are variegated. Lots of green. Minimal yellow.

How to regrow pineapple

So you should have a virulent pineapple you selected from the store. The first part is the best part. Eating it!

Remove the top

Go ahead and grab a sterilized knife and then cut the top off.

Cut about 1” from the bottom of the last layer of leaves. This should be right around where the last layer of new foliage is growing from the fruit and usually has a few dried leaves that may be orange or yellow.

The leafy top should be cut below the leaves, not at the leaf level. Trim it until you see the buds of the root, which look like small brown bumpy parts on the stem’s perimeter.

You can also just grab and twist the top by turning the leaves. It’ll come off without much force. Remove the bottom layer of leaves so that some of the crown is exposed. The roots will come from this area.

Eat the fruit however you wish. When you’re done enjoying it, prepare to grow some of your own as you savor that flavor.

Clean the crown

Next, we’ll want to do a little maintenance to the top cluster of leaves.

Do a gentle wash under the kitchen sink and rinse off any debris. This will help reduce the possibility of transmitting a plant virus or bacteria.

The fleshy part should be clean and evenly sliced. If there’s any debris, clean it off by rinsing it. Use a soft scrub for stubborn dirt.

Drying it out

So now it should be clean. Next, we’ll dry it out.

Place it somewhere nice and warm for up to a week until it’s completely dry. If you need to put it in sunlight, that’s fine. Use indirect, partial light to reduce the chance of mold or fungus.

Don’t put it somewhere damp or dark where there’s no light.

This may introduce bacteria or rot. You can tell when it’s dry by the look of it. It should be slightly wrinkly and wilted at the flesh.

Or you can touch it with clean fingers. It should be dry to the touch. Put a napkin or towel under it so your furniture doesn’t get ruined.

You can dry it out in the sun directly if you wish. This speeds it up and only takes 2 days or so.

How to root pineapple

Next comes a part where you can decide what you want to do. There are multiple ways to root pineapple from cuttings and the choice is yours.

We’ll cover all of the popular ones here and you can pick whatever you feel most comfortable with.

Rooting in water

Rooting a pineapple over water is probably the most popular way to root it because:

• It looks awesome
• It’s easy
• You can watch the roots grow

Note: If you want to maximize your chances of it rooting, planting directly into your garden is preferred. Rooting in water has a lower success rate.

All you need is a jar or container wide enough to fit the crown in. The crown is the fleshy part where the leaves are stemming out of. The crown should be submerged in the water, but the leaves are above it.

Don’t worry if the crown doesn’t fit perfectly- it just needs to be submerged. Use toothpicks and stick one end into the crown with the theater end jutting out.

Be careful not to harm yourself as they’re sharp. Put about 6-8 toothpicks around the crown in a circle until you have them sticking out in all directions.

When you have toothpicks in place, put the crown over the jar mouth with the toothpicks holding it in place so it “floats” over the jar.

Use clean, warm water and change it every other day if possible. Keep it fresh and clean. If the leaves turn brown, that’s OK. The roots will come out of the crown and look like tiny white feelers.

Here’s a video that roughly demonstrates the process:

Use fresh, clean water free of chlorine. If you have no idea about the water quality in your city, use a water tester. You can also use distilled water since it’s super cheap and everywhere.

Put the jar somewhere that receives bright light. It can be sunlight or ambient light. Don’t put it in direct sunlight or else it’ll evaporate, mold, or grow algae.

Keep a watch on the water level and water quality.

Do a complete water change once per week or when it gets murky or dirty. If you see mold or spores floating around the edges of the glass or on fruit, dispose of it.

On your next try, use less light because it’s probably helping the pathogens spawn.

Watch for roots. They should form within 3 weeks inside the water under the crown. When they come out, look for any mold growing on them.

If you don’t see any thin white strings pop out of the crown, continue with your water changes until they’re about 3-4 inches in length. They should be lengthy, thin, and float around when you move the cluster of leaves.

Transplanting

If you want to wait for them to grow a bit longer, that’s fine.

Just be sure to transplant within a month of them reaching 3 or 4 inches. Move the entire crown out of the jar and into a planter.

Fill it with a high-quality potting mix. I suggest using organic or natural mix since you’ll be eating this fruit, right? That’s about it. Wait for it to fruit and then harvest. We’ll cover this later in the guide.

Growing in soil

While directly sowing the fruit in the soil isn’t nearly as interesting or unique as planting in water, it’s easier because it’s straightforward.

You’ll need to be in the right USDA hardiness zone for this to work if you want to grow it outdoors. Pineapple grows in zones 10-11.

If you’re in a higher or lower zone, you have to bring it indoors or use a greenhouse. This will prevent it from getting too cold in the winter or too hot in the summertime.

Keep it in full or partial sun if it’s too strong. The soil should be moist, but not wet.

So now that you have your pot with soil, place the crown into the soil. The leaves should be sticking up with the crown resting on it. No need to push it down.

For those in other zones, sow indoors rather than out until the first frost is over with.

Pineapple will freeze in the cold and wither so don’t plant it in the cold until the springtime. If you’re in the south or west, you can plant outdoors directly into your garden.

This only applies if you have mild winters. If it’s too hot, the same goes for pineapple. It’ll burn. So you may want to plant it in partial shade if you have extreme heat.

You can check if the roots are established by gently tugging at the crown after 6-8 weeks. If it has resistance, then it is probably rooted.

If not, give it some time. If it’s been an extended period and your pineapple didn’t root yet, start over. There may have been a fungal or rot issue with the crown.

Note that if you’re doing this for fun, planting in water works. But if you’re doing this to get the highest chance of rooting, soil planting seems to have a higher success rate.

How to care for pineapple

Here are general guidelines on each component to maximize your pineapple’s yield.

Depending on your hardiness zone, this may vary. However, these tips and tricks should help you get a big, healthy pineapple fruit.

Soil

No need to get fancy with your soil, friend.

You can use a basic potting mix or just combine some perlite and sand. That should do it.

Pineapple isn’t picky, but it’s important to use the right pH. Try for a soil pH between 4.5-6.5, as pineapple prefers acidic soil.

If you’re in a zone that has wild temperature swings, put some mulch or compost to stabilize it and help with moisture retention. Opt for organic soil if possible.

Sunlight

Pineapples like full sun for at least 6 hours daily. If it’s too hot, you can plant in partial shade to help reduce scorching.

Provide sun without drying out the soil completely for extended periods. If you grow it indoors, grow lights can work. Pineapples will perish if it’s cold.

Temperature

Keep the temperature between 70-80F for best results. 60F is too cold and will stop pineapple growth.

Likewise, temperatures above 90F are also too hot and will scorch it.

Keep it in its ideal range for the best growth.

Plant food

You can use a high-quality plant fertilizer to help grow voluminous pineapples that are sour-sweet to the tongue. Use an NPK of 5-5-5 and use as directed on the plant food package.

The best time to add fertilizer is in the spring and summer as needed, usually 2-3 times per month as it grows rapidly during this period.

When the fall comes around, you can reduce it to just one feeding and then stop in the winter. Try to set up a tropical environment for your plant. Give it a partial shade if needed during scorches.

A balanced, slow-release organic plant food is recommended.

You’ll know that your pineapple is growing when new foliage comes out. That means you’re doing something right.

Pineapple grows extremely slowly and you may not see any new blooms for up to 3 years.

So be patient. You may even question why you’re not just buying it from the grocery store. But that’s no fun, right?

Watering

Water generously the first time you plant it into the soil, then reduce it. Let it dry out each time you water.

Don’t worry- pineapple is hardy to drought and will do fine for short periods with no water. Use your finger to feel the top 2-3 inches of soil and water when dry. It’s somewhat drought tolerant, but you should keep the moisture content stable.

Don’t let it go dry for extended periods then suddenly shower it. Don’t let it get too wet and then suddenly go dry.

Drought will slow the plant growth and the leaves will turn light green or yellow. If they curl, drought is happening and should be stopped.

Overwatering will do the same and kill it. If they turn brown, it’s a water issue. Prune the brown off and then watch your watering. If the middle of it turns yellow or brown, the pineapple is suffering and intervention is needed.

You can lay the pineapple on its side between waterings. This may help it produce ethylene gas, which helps benefit its yield.

Some people put the pineapple wrapped in a bag with apples, which produce ethylene. This helps speed up production.

Maintenance

During the period when the fruit is growing, you’ll have to prune off the wilted leaves. Keep watch of the soil nutrients and add plant food as needed.

If you’re growing in a pot, upgrade it as needed. Replenish with fresh substrate. Use macro-nutrients on the regular and micro if needed. For most people, generic plant food should do fine.

Keep it watered, add plant food, prune foliage regularly, check for pests, and monitor the soil conditions. That’s all the TLC pineapple requires in a nutshell.

Harvesting

When you see a fruit emerge from the center of leaves, it’ll appear as a small bloom on top of the leaf pile. It’s small at first and will grow into a full pineapple.

The right time to harvest is when the outside layer changes from brown to a light yellow. This is ripeness. Harvest immediately before pests feast.

Pineapple is vulnerable to rats, squirrels, raccoons, opossums, monkeys, and bugs. So be sure to harvest it on time. This will take years though. If you have wildlife in your yard, you’ll need to fence it off and use natural repellents to keep them out.

The last thing you want is to wait years for your fruit to harvest only to have a pesky squirrel eat it up overnight.

So don’t be ansty. If you grow it indoors, it may never even flower. This is why planting outdoors in the soil is recommended.

Pineapple takes a very long time to produce fruit, which is 2-3 years on average. The plant will also outgrow its pot if you’re planting using a container.

So you’ll need to report it with a larger one to provide the necessary nutrient profile for it flourish.

Overwintering

If you’re in a colder zone, you’ll have to bring it back into your house or put it in a greenhouse so you don’t kill it in the cold. Warmer zones can just leave it outside all year round.

Do this in the fall before the winter comes, not during the wintertime. Pineapple doesn’t like the cold.

Storage

Fresh cut pineapple can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days before it browns.

Don’t put a whole uncut pineapple in there. Put it somewhere dry and out of sunlight.

For liquified juice, you can do the same. You can also freeze it if needed.

Best uses

The only use is to eat it! Slice it fresh and eat it. Add it to salads.

Bake a pineapple butter cake. Blend a smoothie. Use it as a puree. Bake an upside-down pineapple cake. Or juice it. Eat it as dessert.

There are so many pineapple recipes online. Just search.

Other common questions

Here are a few commonly asked questions by readers that you may find helpful.

How can I make my pineapple grow faster?

Provide it with plenty of balanced fertilizer and use it correctly. Avoid cold temperatures that dip below 60F or high temps above 90F.

Keep it growing with regular waterings and use organic, rich soil.

Other than that, it’ll need regular sunlight daily for 6 hours and avoid planting fruits in the same genus to minimize competition.

Remove any weeds. Keep pests out.

Don’t let wildlife eat it. It’s not really difficult. Pineapples will take time to grow by nature.

So there’s nothing you can do other than provide it with your best TLC.

How long does it take to grow a pineapple from a pineapple top?

In ideal conditions, you should expect it to be ready within 2 years or 3 at the most. Be patient.

Can pineapple grow from seeds?

Yes, you can grow them from seeds as with any other fruit.

But if you’re not patient, start with a crown. It’s preferable since pineapple already grows so slowly. If you’re in for a rewarding experience, then you should consider it. It’s quite a challenge though.

How to transplant a pineapple plant

Transplanting it to the outdoors is easy.

When the chance of frost has passed, use a fertile plot of soil and just dig out a space that’s as deep as the crown and slightly wider around in a circle.

Then gently place the crown with its roots going in first. Put soil around it so that the crown is covered, but the leaves aren’t.

You don’t have to fully cover it. It’s OK to just add 1” of soil around it and leave it partially exposed. Just be wary of pests.

Further reading/references

• Growing pineapple – Houzz
• How to grow your own pineapple – Reddit
• Pineapple – Gardening Solutions – University of Florida

Enjoy your homegrown pineapple!

Now that you know exactly how to plant a pineapple from atop you got at the grocery store, you’re “golden” like a ripe fruit.

Ready to harvest and watch it grow from a tiny cluster of leaves to a big, glorious sweet-sour piece of work?

Do you have any questions, tips, or tricks to share? Post a comment and let us know!

The post How to Regrow Pineapple from Scraps (Store Bought!) appeared first on Gardenisms.

Thus, once it gets going, many people start to wonder how to propagate it to get MORE yield every season.

And that’s what we’ll cover in this guide!

You’ll find that getting your blueberry bushes to spawn more is super simple and can be done in different ways.

Find which one is easiest for you and do it!

I suggest skimming them over quickly and seeing what’s available to you at this instance. Then picking the technique that works best for your unique situation.

Without further ado, let’s get started and dive right in.

Here are the most common techniques you can try at home to divide these bushes.

How to propagate blueberry

If you have established bushes, you may want to opt for layering or cuttings.

Soil

Blueberries like acidic soil that have a pH of 4.5-5.5. This is critical for growing abundant, delicious fruit and will be a necessity.

For this reason, you should measure the pH if you have no idea what it is.

You can lower the pH using soil amendments if it’s too alkaline.

Watering

No matter which method of propagating you’re starting with, you should always keep your blueberry moist, but never wet.

These plants are thirsty and will drink a ton of water when they’re growing, especially during the summertime. Keep the soil moist at all times to get more yield.

Fertilizer

Use some plant food with a balanced NPK of 1-1-1 to provide the necessary fertilizer blueberry needs to grow. Use as directed. Slow release or liquid fertilizer both work well.;

Buying from a nursery vs. growing it yourself

A lot of people will take the easy way and just buy a grown bush from their local nursery.

This is a lot easier than trying to DIY it.

It also saves a ton of time if you don’t have the time/energy to mess around with plants.

But if you’re looking for a rewarding experience, there’s nothing wrong with growing these bushes yourself.

Different ways to propagate blueberry

Here are the most popular ways to grow your blueberry bush.

Propagating from cuttings

Starting from cuttings is the easiest way if you already have an established plant.

This allows you to propagate your blueberry easily as you have everything you need on the current bush. It has a high rate of success and is one the quickest ways to get a lot of blueberries each harvest.

Use a sterile pair of pruners and find one of your largest plants. Choose a bush that’s vigorous and producing a good yield.

You can choose from either hard or softwood variants, as it doesn’t matter for cuttings. However, the process slightly differs.

Let’s start with hardwood.

Starting from hardwood cuttings

Blueberry hardwood can be snipped after the winter. Take cuttings in early summer or late spring.

They need to have a period of cold exposure first before they can be trimmed or else they may not root. The time needed varies depending on the blueberry type you’re growing.

But give it sufficient time to chill for best success. Take cuttings in April or may after the temperatures have remained cool and are beginning to rise due to the summer heat.

This can also be done in late winter before the spring. The bush should be dormant when you cut.

Grab your favorite pair of pruners and sterilize them using some rubbing alcohol.

Cut anywhere from 12-24 inch whips. Look for healthy, established shoots that are well developed and are about 0.25 inches in diameter.

Don’t cut off new shoots or rotting/damaged shoots, which should be removed anyway.

Find a large stem and at least a year old. You’re using last season’s stems, not this season.

When the shoot is trimmed, make another cut at the growing tip. Then cut the entire shoot into equal parts, with each section being about 4-5 inches.

You should now have a stack of freshly cut shoots, each ready to plant. For those that aren’t familiar with what’s going on: You cut a “branch” of your blueberry off and then divide it up into equal parts.

Take each piece and stick it into your growing medium. Direction matters. Note the direction that it was growing “out” on the original bush.

Keep it moist, but never wet. The growing medium can be as basic as perlite and potting soil. Keep it warm and moist at all times.

Each piece should be inserted so that only about half of its original stem remains above the soil surface.

You can insert it as far as ⅔ of the way, but be sure that you don’t cover up all the buds. There should be at least a few that are exposed above hate the soil line. These should be facing “up” when inserted into the substrate.

If you mixed it up, just look at the direction the buds are growing on the whip. They should be pointed upwards- away from the soil. If you plant the shoot upside down, it won’t root.

Place the containers outside in a shady area so they have time to root. If your bushes were already growing in the sun or partial shade, it doesn’t matter too much.

They should already be acclimated to the outdoors. Keep the temperatures above 65F and be patient until it roots. Keep it moist, but not wet. Expect roots to form by late fall or earlier.

Use fertilizer to help the plant grow after it’s become rooted. Liquid-based ones work perfectly.

Shoot for applying it every other week or as directed. This isn’t necessary if the plant grows fine and actually may lead to plant food buildup. Use a balanced fertilizer (NPK 1-1-1) to help your hardwood cuttings develop.

They don’t tolerate nitrate fertilizers. use other sources of nitrogen from sulfate, urea, or ammonia nitrate instead.

When your new cuttings have rooted, you can tell by pulling on the stems. They should be hard to pull. But don’t overdo it and rip it out of the soil.

When they’ve grown a bit, you can move them to wherever you wish. Avoid moving them after a year as this may shock them.

So choose where you’d like to plant them permanently and make the transition AFTER they’ve rooted but BEFORE they’ve become established.

You can pot the plants or plant them in your garden. Do this when they’re hardy and tough.

A note on rooting hormone: You can use rooting gel or powder if you wish.

However, rooting blueberry cuttings has a high success rate so it’s nothing to worry about. If you choose to use hormones, use as directed.

Starting from softwood cuttings

Take cuttings in the springtime with a sterile pair of pruners.

If you’ve waited too late into the season, consider going with hardwood cuttings instead which is done after the wintertime.

Don’t try to risk it because they can end up rotting or produce a low rate of rooting. Wait until after the winter if you think it’s too late.

Softwood cuttings should be done in the early spring if possible. Use a healthy shoot and cut off the last 5 inches.

Find a stem that’s large, healthy, and established. Use the new growth, not the old one. The cuttings will start to get woody but still have enough flex (this is why they’re a softwood).

Remove all leaves but the top 2. Keep each piece at least 4-5 inches. You can also find smaller stems and just cut 4-5 inches off each piece. No need to start with a giant one. Be sure that you keep them wet during this time.

You can dunk them into a bucket of water to preserve them. If they dry out, they may not root.

Water well and keep them moist. Don’t let them dry out

Grab at least a one-gallon container and fill it with high-quality potting soil and peat moss.

They should all be relatively equal in proportions. Perlite and peat moss also makes an excellent substrate as they provide good drainage for cheap.

Opt for natural or organic substrates with no additives since you’ll be eating the blueberries, right?

Similar to hardwood cuttings, you can add rooting hormone if you wish.

Gently put each cutting into the container.

They should be about 3 inches into the substrate if you have 5-inch cuttings. Keep the plant protected from sunlight and keep temperatures above 65F until they root.

You can keep them inside your garage or home during this period to protect them from the winter elements.

If you’re in a warmer hardiness zone, you should be OK if temperatures are stable throughout this period.

Continue to water to keep the soil moist, but never wet. Stick your finger into the substrate to check. It should be moist, but not dry.

Note that as the cuttings take root, blueberry requires more and more water.

So increase your water amount as you go. Fertilizer can help after its roots. Expect rooting within 2-3 months. Gently pull on the stem to see if it sticks to check if it is rooted.

After the roots are grown, you can transfer them to wherever you wish by hardening them off.

To avoid shock, slowly transition them to the outdoors by hardening them off (acclimating).

Take them outside and get them some sunlight for a few hours each day over a week.

Yes, it may seem crazy. But it works.

Then, you can move them into larger pots or the dirt. The choice is yours.

Note that if you choose to plant into your soil, this should permanent.

Blueberry bushes are immobile and don’t take well to being relocated.

So don’t do it. If you think you may have to move them later on, use a big pot for their home.

Congrats, you did it!

Propagating blueberry using suckers

Suckers are small shoots that stem from the original plant.

They have tiny root systems and will grow outwards from the parent. These shoot up several inches from the base.

The suckers can be used for growing more blueberry bushes.

For those that are not familiar, these are those small shoots that jut out from the crown.

When they’ve been growing for at least a few seasons, you can cut them off from the original plant and separate it.

Do this in the fall before the winter approaches, or else it may be hard if the soil becomes hard from the temperature.

Use a garden spade or shovel and cut it off from the host plant.

You’ll have to unearth the soil around it because it’ll be hard to remove it if there’s a ton of debris in the way. Water it to help loosen the dirt.

Dig them up with the roots. Leave the roots intact and leaves as well.

Some people cut the leaves off. If you do this, don’t cut them all. Leaves at least 2-3 leaves and cut the shoots back to match the roots.

This is to support the plant. If the shoots aren’t prudent, the plant won’t be able to be sustained by the small root system.

Growing sucker plants can be potted with potting soil and peat moss in equal parts. This will keep the acidity low and provide them with what they need to grow.

Water plenty, but don’t drown.

Raise them the same as you would with cuttings. The suckers can be planted in containers or soil, whichever you prefer.

Do it before the winter. If you need to transplant, do it after one year so they develop strong root systems. If you move it when it’s still young, you can shock it.

Propagating blueberries by layering

Layering is very similar to taking cuttings but doesn’t require you to go crazy with the trimming and measurements.

You may want to try layering to propagate your blueberries if you want to keep it simple.

It works by using a stem that’s younger and malleable so you can bend it to grow in the substrate.

Start by searching for a younger branch that’s highly flexible. You can test it by trying to bend each branch until you find one that you can work with. In the fall, cut it off with your favorite pruners.

Sterilize them with some rubbing alcohol first to keep things clean. The branch should be able to bend in a clear “U” without breaking or offering excessive resistance. If you can bend it, it should work.

Cut the young branch off and remove the leaves from the stem tip. Take off all the leaves in the first foot or so.

Get a knife and make 1” cuts on this first foots section. If you find any buds, cut through them to help encourage them to grow.

Find the home where you intend to plant the bush. Use a shovel and dig a spot for your new branch.

Put the cut portion into the soil, but not the tip end. The cuts are the small sections you made with the knife.

So basically, all those cuts are covered but the initial cut you made isn’t.

Water it generously the first time. Keep it moist, but not wet. The incisions you made will develop roots over time and the exposed end will develop new growth.

The small cuts turn into the root system and the exposed end above the soil turns into the “bush.” You can then transplant it to its permanent home or pot it.

Watch it grow. This will take up to a year for it to fully root. Be patient!

Starting from seeds

Using seeds isn’t for the impatient, but it is THE rewarding option. If starting from seed is your thing, then here’s how to do it.

You can extract the seeds from established blueberry bushes or start from a packet at your local hardware store.

Note that taking seeds from hybrids won’t produce exact clones as the original plant because it’s a hybrid. You’ll get a mix of both. So if you want a replica, you’re best off using layering or cuttings.

Growing from seed works only for lowbush blueberry plants.

You’ll also need to cold stratify your seeds. This is simply putting them into your freezer for a simulated winter.

When you first get your seeds, toss the packet into your freezer for 3 months. If you’re harvesting from your established plants, you can take them after they’ve been outside over the wintertime.

This is necessary for propagation and germination.

The seeds are small and hard to see, so next, we’ll separate them by using a blender.

Start by pulp and blend them for a few seconds until the pulp separates from the seeds. The jelly portion is the pulp and the hard portion is the seeds. Blend with water.

The seeds will collect on the bottom half of the blender. Separate them from the gel after some time. The more time you give it, the more they’ll separate. You can blend multiple times if needed.

Collect the seeds and lay them out to dry.

Get your seed starter and fill it up with some peat moss. Put the seeds on the surface and gently put 0.25 of the substrate above. Space them 1” apart.

The container should be at least 5 inches in depth and as wide as you can go without jamming them together.

Cover with a humidity dome. Keep the seeds somewhere dark until they germinate. When they do, move them to somewhere that has light.

Keep it around 60F at all times and humid. Keep it well watered, but never wet.

You should see the first sprouts around 3-4 weeks later. The seedlings can be placed near the sun to grow. Continue to water as usual.

When they grow their first true pair of leaves, you can thin and then bring to their pots or sow in the garden after all frost has passed. Use a mix of peat and soil. Mix in some sand for extra drainage.

Congrats. You’ve now grown blueberry from seed. Wasn’t that rewarding?

Further reading/references

• Question: how to grow blueberry bush cuttings – Reddit
• It’s blueberry time! What are your best tips for growing bluerries? – Reddit
• How to propagate blueberries? – Houzz

Growing blueberries is easy!

Now that you know how to propagate these bushes with ease, go forth and plant them to your mouth’s content.

If you’ve always had a poor yield, consider planting the new bushes somewhere that’s more ideal for them to grow.

Blueberries will thrive in acidic soil and minimal watering. That’s the core of what they require to grow.

Do you have any questions? Post a comment and ask away. If you have any tips for other readers, please post them as well!

The post How to Propagate Blueberry Bushes (Complete Guide) appeared first on Gardenisms.

Maybe you have no bees in your area.

Or you don’t have enough insects to help pollinate your plants.

Perhaps you’re growing them indoors (or a greenhouse).

You’ll be glad that you can easily self-pollinate your tomatoes by hand using a few natural home remedies.

Tomatoes are a rich source of essential nutrients and can make a wonderful addition to your yard- whether you plan to eat them or not!

Some conditions like drought, famine, high humidity, cool weather, or simply no pollinators present can all affect your tomato yield.

Thankfully, every single tomato flower has everything you need to pollinate them. The male and female parts are present.

So, that makes the process very easy.

In this guide, we’ll talk about:

• How the pollination process works
• 6 ways you can hand pollinate tomato flowers
• How to tell when the pollination is complete
• And more

Sound good? Let’s dive right in.

This page was last updated on 11/10/21.

Can you self pollinate tomatoes?

Yes, you can self pollinate tomatoes.

And it’s super easy to do. You probably already have all the materials needed to do this lying around at home.

There are multiple ways you can hand pollinate and even cross-pollinate this popular garden vegetable, and we’ll cover some of the most effective ways you can accomplish this.

For gardeners who don’t have a plentiful source of birds, bugs, or bees to help pollinate their crops, hand pollination is sometimes the only choice.

Thankfully, it’s easy to do and doesn’t require too much work.

And you’ll be harvesting some big, juicy tomatoes soon enough.

How does pollination work in tomatoes?

All tomato flowers have both female and male parts, known as being monoecious.

Bugs will visit the flower and transfer the pollen from the male part (stamen) to the female part (pistils).

The stamen looks like a small filament with pollen at the tip. The yellow part of the flowers with the small tube is the male part. The pistils are the female part and have those small hairs found in the centerpiece of the flower.

After the flowers are self-pollinated, the pistils change color and quickly wilt. The flower center also has the style, ovary, and stigma.

All of these should be pollinated by hand when you attempt to do so.

Do tomatoes need bees to pollinate?

Tomatoes, like any other vegetable, pollinate through the work of bees, birds, or insects.

This is why they bloom those bright yellow flowers. It makes the plant attractive to bees and bugs so they’ll feed on it and help transfer pollen between male and female flowers.

This is the “normal” and a natural way of doing it.

But for those that live somewhere where bees and bugs are far and few, you can hand pollinate to accomplish the same thing.

The whole point of pollination is to get the flowers fertilized on the same plant. If the pollen is transferred between different tomato species, you’ll end up cross-pollination, which many people will avoid since they want pure tomato variants.

Whether you do this by spreading the pollen using a toothbrush, cotton bud, or paintbrush, it doesn’t matter.

Some people grow tomatoes in a greenhouse or indoors next to a window, so that’s why bees aren’t always present to pollinate them.

This is when you can do it yourself to simulate a bee and pollinate by hand.

How do you hand pollinate tomatoes?

There are a few techniques you can do at home to hand pollinate tomatoes. No need for beads and birds when you can do it yourself.

Here are some of the proven methods that are popular amongst gardeners.

Use these when you don’t have the regular assortment of bugs and insects to help you pollinate your tomatoes.

Shake the plant

Did you know that simply grabbing your tomato plant by the stem and then gently swaying it back and forth is enough?

That simulates the gentle breeze from the wind that pollinates the tomato flowers.

You don’t have to go crazy, but you can accomplish this by either shaking the stem if it’s a smaller plant or blowing on each flower if it’s a large plant. The pollens will release and pollinate other flowers.

Do this a few times each day to hand pollinate your tomato artificially.

Be gentle. Don’t damage the flowers and don’t go crazy with it. Just pretend you’re nothing but a burst of wind.

Use a paintbrush

You can use a small paintbrush to “paint” the pollen and cross-pollinate the flowers.

Any brush will work, but you’ll have faster results with natural woven bristles. Plastic bristles don’t attract pollen and hold them between flowers as easily as woven ones do.

The process to pollinate by brush is simple:

• Pick up a flower by hand and brush the petal of it slowly.
• You should be able to see some pollen stick to the brush- it’ll look like yellow powder.
• Rub the brush over the petals, pistil, and stigma of the flower. Try to at least brush over each part of the flower once. The pollen will stick to the brush.
• Brush another flower with the same paintbrush to complete the pollination.
• Repeat between each flower. Get as many flowers to spread their pollen amongst each other for the best results.

If you want to cross-pollinate, you can brush one plant and then another to produce hybrid tomatoes.

But if you want to avoid cross-pollination, use different sets of brushes between different tomato species.

Use a cotton swab (Q-Tip)

A cotton swab, cotton ball, or Q-Tip can all be used to hand pollinate the flowers.

The bud’s cotton picks up the pollen easily due to the fibers and can transfer them to other flowers on your tomato without a sweat.

Dab your applicator of choice and get it saturated with pollen, which should be barely visible on the white fabric. Touch it on each flower’s stigma and petals. Then rub it on another to pollinate.

This method is extremely easy and you should have these materials lying around already. Repeat as necessary, but it should work the first time around.

Pollinating with an electric toothbrush

An electric toothbrush proves to be an awesome tool that you can use to hand pollinate your plants.

A basic, battery-powered toothbrush will do the trick!

Just use an old toothbrush and run it gently on the stigma of select flowers. Then run it over others to pollinate them.

Repeat this 3-4 times a week at peak noon over a few weeks. Use different toothbrushes so you can avoid cross-pollination.

Alternatively, you can dip the bristles into some rubbing alcohol to clean the pollen if you want to use the same brush.

This will clean off the pollen between different tomato plant variants.

And here’s a video that shows off the process:

Tomato pollination spray

There are tomato sprays you can buy that help pollinate your plants.

Tomato flowers produce a hormone called auxin after being pollinated which gives rise to the fruit.

When you buy tomato spray, it’s a fake version of auxin so the plant tricks itself thinking that it’s been pollinated.

When you spray them with artificial hormones, they can bear fruit without ever being pollinated, known as parthenocarpy. Tomato sprays are widely available and may also be called “blossom set” sprays.

Try hand pollinating first. You can save yourself some cash by refraining from buying pollinating sprays if the basic DIY remedies work.

Electric tomato pollinators

There are some pollinators that are made specifically for manual pollination.

They’re powered by electricity and sold on the market advertised precisely for fruits and veggies.

There’s no real reason to buy these when you can do ti yourself for free. A paintbrush, toothbrush, or cotton bud will do the trick.

However, if you’ve tried and nothing worked, they may be worth considering if you’re in the market for a product like that.

They’re designed with materials that stick to pollen and make spreading the pollen a lot easier than doing it by hand.

So there’s definitely a trade off.

Decide if you absolutely NEED it, or if it’s just another tool that’ll be used once before storing away forever.

How to tell if a tomato flower is pollinated

The easiest way to tell if your hand pollination was successful is a noticeable change in the plant 72 hours afterward.

Some telltale signs are that you’ll find the plant stem below the flower swells up and a small tomato bump appears at the blossom end.

The flower will also wilt within a day or so and fall off the plant. It no longer needs the flower anymore because it’s been pollinated successfully. The flower’s hairs will also turn white to a darker color after being pollinated.

Further reading

You may find these references useful for more tips:

• Anatomy and Development of Tomato Flower – UCChigaco
• How to hand pollinate tomatoes – Houzz

Did you pollinate your tomatoes?

There you have it.

Everything you need to know to grow some rich, luscious tomatoes- without the need for bees and bugs!

If you have any questions, drop a comment below. Use a paintbrush, Q-Tip, or electric toothbrush.

Whatever you want to do, pollinating takes only a few seconds and you can have yourself a bountiful harvest of ripe tomatoes soon enough!

Were you able to pollinate your plant? Let me know in the comment below.

The post 6 Natural Ways to Hand Pollinate Tomatoes (How To) appeared first on Gardenisms.

After all, California uses its precious year-round avocados as a selling point- it’s not just any avocado. It’s a “California” avocado.

I hated the texture of this fruit when I was younger. But over time, I’ve learned to embrace the creamy texture as I take it bite out of my hipster avocado toast.

Whether your use it for guacamole or scoop it straight out of the shell, you can definitely grow your own tree in CA.

They’re chock full of vitamins C, E, K, and B-6. Plus they have a bunch of other essential nutrients like riboflavin, lutein, niacin, folate, potassium, magnesium, pantothenic acid, and beta-carotene.

They’re truly one of the healthiest fruits you can eat. And that’s probably why they’re regarded as one of the best superfoods on the planet.

Now, you’ll learn how to grow your own avocados here in CA.

Here’s what we’ll cover:

Can you grow avocados in California?

Yes, of course, you can grow avocados in California.

The bigger question? WHERE do you want to grow them?

Are you in Southern California? Or Northern California?

The two are very different with opposite temperature extremes.

As you probably know, the majority of the avocado production stems from SoCal.

And if they can do it, so can you.

But, if you’re cooped up in the Bay Area where the temperatures are freezing, you’ll have a more difficult time trying to get any success.

You may not even get seeds to germinate properly and will need to special order an avocado tree online.

Growing avocado from seed

Avocado is easy to propagate from seed.

Any native Californian will be able to tell you the process in their sleep. To start from seed, you’ll need to hold the seed suspended in water.

The popular “toothpick” method is the easiest way- you just put a bunch of toothpicks in a cup of water with an avocado seed to hold it up.

This will germinate the seed and about 6 weeks later, it sprouts.

This video depicts how it’s done:

Why you shouldn’t grow from seed

Avocado trees are grown from seed take a very long time to bear fruit. And even then, you may not get a good healthy harvest.

Avocado takes nearly a decade to produce any edible fruit from seed, so it’s highly preferable to just buy a tree.

If it’s your first time trying to tame this plant, don’t bother from seed unless you plan to not move for the next 10 years.

And you have the patience of a steel bull.

Grafted seeds will produce in about 3-4 years while non-grafted take 7-10 years.

And if you plant your tree in a chill zone outside of USDA zones 9-11, you may never see any fruit because it’s just too cold for the plant to produce anything.

Don’t get your hopes up if you’re in northern California. The temperatures are too cold to bear fruit and it’ll take a lot of effort to sustain your plant. However, southern California growers should be able to plant avocados easily.

Otherwise, if you just want to plant avocado for the food, buy the tree and get a headstart.

You can buy young trees at your local greenery and transplant them in your yard. If you’re in Southern California, all you need to do is wait until it’s in the season to start producing edibles.

How to grow an avocado tree in California

Growing from tree is the right thing to do if you want to eventually eat the fruits of your labor.

When you transplant the tree for the first time, make sure you use soil that drains well. You can use loose or sandy soil.

SoCal also has that natural clay soil that makes an excellent substrate for growing them. Plant your trees in mounds to help the soil drainage rather than flat surfaces.

Where to plant

The mound should be as tall as the container the plant was shipped in.

After you build the mound, you can safely transplant the tree right into the middle of it.

Plant your secondary tree in the same manner at the proper distance from the first. Younger trees need partial sunlight to help them block out the full blast of UV light.

After they grow up and become stronger, full sun isn’t a problem.

Avocado trees do best when paired with multiple plants in a tight group.

A pollinator between the different plants is necessary for ensuring that you’ll get fruit. If you have a single tree, you’ll have a tough time relying on pollination from a carrier.

Southern Californian backyards are usually suited for these trees with the clay soil, correct climate, and plenty of space for a few plants. Pollination shouldn’t be a problem.

Do you need two avocado plants to get fruit?

For the person who wants fruit, yes, two avocado trees are necessary. This Is because each plant cultivated either type A or type B flowers.

These flowers will produce fruit but they are sensitive to pollen at different photoperiods throughout each day.

For the best chance of successful pollination, planning both A and B avocados will produce the highest yield.

Of course, there are techniques to get around this. Simply substituting the pollen artificially can work.

But if you want to keep it simple, then get two plants. Otherwise, you’ll end up with a non-producing plant- that can still make a nice piece for decoration.

Caring for your avocado tree

Transplanting is the hardest part. Caring and maintaining the tree is easy.

• Water your tree twice a week with plenty of fresh water for the first 12 months
• After 12 months, switch to once per week
• During the summertime in CA, add extra water during the watering sessions
• Avoid using excess fertilizer
• Give plant food (citrus fertilizer or avocado food) once in a while
• Do regular tree cleaning
• Prune leaves and branches during the spring or winter
• Watch for pests

Harvesting

After your tree starts to bear fruit, you can begin harvesting all that hard work you put in.

They can be pulled off the tree using the “twist and pull” method for a clean cut. Harvest before the fruit becomes ripe- not during.

Ripening

You can ripen your harvest faster by placing them in partial sunlight.

Think of the sun rays coming through your windowsill onto your countertop or kitchen. Placing them next to other fruits like apples will also speed up ripen time due to the ethylene gas released by them.

Storage

Avocados can be stored at room temperature out of direct sunlight. They don’t need any special requirements, refrigeration, or storage containers. Storing it in the cold will help extend the shelf life for 1-2 days.

Cut avocados can be preserved using lemon juice. Remove the pit and pour some lemon juice into a food container and place the half in there.

You can also use regular water if you don’t have lemon juice, but the acid helps prevent oxidation. Place the half with the flesh facing the water and cover it in the fridge. The avocado will be good for 2 days or so.

Can you grow avocados in Northern California?

This isn’t easy, but it’s possible. You won’t be able to buy a tree and toss it in your yard and call it a day. That’s a quick way to disappointment!

First, you’ll want to choose the right type of avocado tree for those freezing climates. If you’re in Northern CA, the best type of avocado you can grow is Mexicola or Fuerte.

These avocado trees are more tolerant to freezing here and there, but NOT consistently. You can help your plant survive the cold temperatures by:

• Placing the tree between other plants to shield it from cold
• Planting in a heat regulated greenhouse
• Wrapping the plant in burlap
• Mulching the trunk to protect it from temperature drops
• Placing the tree against a surface (exterior wall or corner) away from cold air

Even then, you may struggle to keep your plant alive. If you’re in an area that gets freezing temperatures seasonally like San Francisco, you’ll want to do what you can to keep your plant warm.

While it’s possible to grow an avocado tree in the colder parts of Cali, it ain’t easy.

You’ll be constantly caring for your plant and you may not end up with any yield at the end of the season. The cold temperatures just kill the plant and hurt the chances of it ever producing anything worth harvesting.

So don’t go thinking that this will be an easy task! Because it won’t.

Can you grow avocado indoors?

Yes, avocado can be grown indoors. Start with a grafted dwarf tree and take it from there. You can grow cultivated avocado from the rootstock.

Planting from the pit may not produce any bearable fruit. You should stick with grafted seeds.

But even if you don’t get any fruit you can still have a nice little avocado plant in your home that does well. A bit of TLC does wonders for citrus plants. Keep it dwarf so it’s easier to keep clean and pruned.

What kinds of avocados grow in California?

The best type of avocado to plant in CA are Hass avocados. That’s what California is known for. These are a specialty export from CA and are expensive compared to other varieties.

Some other popular avocados that grow well in California are lamb Hass, Gwen, Fuerte, Bacon, Zutano, Reed, Pinkerton, and other crosses. Over 95% of the Hass avocados are grown commercially in the Golden State.

You can have success in your backyard using any of these varieties. Avoid doing anything too crazy unless you’re the daring type.

The best avocado tree for Southern California

There is no “best” tree. This is completely up to you. The taste, texture, and productivity all vary.

The most popular choice is Hass. This is the primary avocado export out of CA and the favorite one amongst many fans.

Another popular choice is Reed, which has excellent taste and texture and can yield more than Hass.

But then again, you need to decide what you want. Do you want taste? Yield? Harvest season? Check out the official CA avocado resource for more details.

If you want a proven variety, then stick with Hass. they’re one of the most famous avocado varieties for a reason with their sharp flavor and creamy texture perfect for dip and guacamole.

Plus, they’re easy to grow in Cali.

Can I grow an avocado tree in my backyard?

Yes, you can grow a proper sprouts avocado tree in your yard. If you’re in the southern part of CA, you already have the native and perfect climate for growing them.

Avocados prefer warmer climates and hate the cold. Any freezing conditions or cold chills can harm the plant, which is why they don’t do well in Northern CA.

Where do they grow avocados in California?

Avocados span some 50,000 acres from San Diego to Monterey across Southern California.

The top cities are Ventura and San Diego which produce the highest number of yield per acre in all of California.

Over 3000 growers partake in this huge number of products to supply the rest of the US with that sweet CA Hass.

How do I know if my avocado tree will bear fruit?

Assuming you’ve done everything correctly and your tree is healthy, a grafted tree will produce in just 3-4 years.

You’ll start to see the fruit hanging on the branches for quite some time.

Avocado can be produced all year round in the right hardiness zones. Southern California growers should have no problem producing.

Plant some avocado!

Now that you’ve had a quick lesson in caring for avocados in California, you can get started with your own tree.

Avocados are extremely easy to cultivate here in Southern California. The climate is perfect. The soil is supreme. And the environment makes it native.

So there’s no excuse not to enjoy that tasty, creamy texture on your toast.

The post How to Grow Avocados in California (In Your Backyard) appeared first on Gardenisms.