Berry Growing All Year

Growing Delicious Boysenberries at Home

2012-03-21T15:08:38Z

While the name is familiar to most of us, boysenberries don't necessarily jump to mind as a candidate for garden cultivation. But the truth is, they're delicious and easy to grow, combining the best qualities of raspberries, blackberries, and loganberries (because, you see, they're a cross of all three).

Let's take a closer look at these juicy goodies.

Growing Elderberries in Your Backyard

2012-01-18T12:59:10Z

There's a line in the movie "Monty Python and the Holy Grail" that states, in part, "Your father smelt of elderberries!" It's intended as an insult, and for good reason. You see, straight from the bush, elderberries smell kind of like really dirty cabbage -- at best.

As for the flavor, the berries are astringent, and basically inedible when uncooked. So that begs the question: why bother with 'em? Because they make incredible jelly, and they're very easy to grow, that's why!

Growing Huckleberries: A Challenge for the Home Gardener

2011-12-21T12:56:17Z

If you have fond memories of traipsing into the wild to gather huckleberries, you're in good company. No one grows them commercially, unlike their cousins the blueberries; so short of finding an occasional package at a farmer's market, foraging is the only way most of us can acquire them.

However, it's possible to grow huckleberry bushes in the backyard garden, if you're careful. So in this article, I'll provide the 411 about the humble huckleberry.

Can You Really Treat Urinary Tract Infections With Berries?

2011-11-21T14:52:59Z

Doctors treat most urinary tract infections (UTIs) with antibiotics and similar medicines, and we don't want to dissuade you from pursuing such treatments when necessary. But as the evidence mounts, most physicians are coming around to the idea that some berries also offer nice home remedies for UTIs.javascript:void(0);

The Tart and Tasty Lingonberry

2011-10-24T16:17:30Z

While most berry aficionados have heard of the lingonberry, a relative few have actually tasted and enjoyed the fruit in any form. Unless, of course, you go to IKEA a lot. In Sweden, IKEA's home country, lingonberries are extremely popular, so the company sells trendy lingonberry jam along with trendy furniture.

Be that as it may, you don't have to depend on IKEA for your lingonberry fix, if indeed you've had the joy of developing such an addiction. You can grow these deliciously tart berries in your own garden -- if you live in the right place, of course.

Winter Berries to Enjoy

2011-09-26T16:14:06Z

Winter berries usually don't leap to mind when most people consider cultivating berries, but that's only natural. Berries that mature during the warm season are more common, with the exception of certain favorites like cranberries and lingonberries -- and even those tend to mature in late fall.

Mummyberry, a Devastating Disease of Blueberries

2011-08-22T20:29:41Z

If you're thinking about planting blueberries in your garden, or if you already have, you need to keep a close eye out for a blueberry disease called mummyberry. Not only can it kill your entire crop, it can come back next year and kill that crop, too.

Incan Goldenberries, the Latest Superfood

2011-07-20T19:56:30Z

If you've never heard of Incan goldenberries, don't be too surprised. Although casual gardeners and commercial farmers have grown them for many decades in Australia, Hawaii, and South Africa, news of their value and all-around tastiness is just now starting to reach mainland America.

The scientific name for this South American native is Physalis peruviana. The tomatillo and groundcherry belong to the same genus, while the tomato is a slightly more distant relative. Ironically, like all these species, goldenberries are true berries... whereas most of the things we call "berries" aren't.

Juniper Berries, Unique Coniferous Fruits

2011-06-22T17:29:20Z

Juniper berries represent something exceedingly rare: food that grows on a conifer tree. The only other thing that comes close is the pine nut, which is, of course, cool in its own way. And like pine nuts, the berries of the juniper are associated with cones.

Berries May Fight Off Parkinson's Disease

2011-05-18T16:29:01Z

Parkinson's Disease is a degenerative nerve disease caused by cell-death in the brain. The result is shaking, rigidity, slow movement and, ultimately, dementia. In recent years, the struggles of boxer Muhammad Ali and actor Michael J. Fox with the disease have brought it to greater public awareness.

There's no cure for Parkinson's, but there are treatments for the symptoms --primarily surgery and certain medications. Doctors still have a poor understanding of how to prevent the onset of Parkinson's, but amazingly, a new study reveals that berries of all kinds may help.

Cranberries in the Home Garden

2011-02-23T00:48:06Z

Cranberries are an iconic part of American cuisine, thanks almost exclusively to a single dish: the deep red sauce often served at Thanksgiving (though cranberry juice is also popular). That's hardly a surprise, since they were common in the regions where Europeans first settled in North America.

While the cranberry is best grown in the northeast, you don't have to live there to grow them. As long as you live in a moderate climate (one that's neither too cold nor too hot) and are willing to put in a little effort, you can be ladling homegrown cranberry sauce on your turkey in two or three years.

Mulberries, The Forgotten Fruit

2011-01-24T23:19:19Z

Most people don't consider mulberries when thinking of berry-growing, but they make an excellent crop for either the home or a small farm operation. The biggest strike against the mulberry is that it can take years for them to bear, but the trees themselves are very easy to grow.

Let's take a closer look at the realities of mulberry cultivation.

Separating Berry Fact from Berry Fiction

2010-10-13T16:30:10Z

Here's an interesting berry fact: did you know that one of the most popular berries in the world grows on a palm tree, and isn't a berry at all? If you've read our recent article on what constitutes a true berry (at least from a botanical perspective), you'll recognize that we're talking about the famous acai.

There are many fascinating facts to be discovered about our favorite fruits; and in some cases, even some of us experts aren't aware of them. Here are a few good ones.

Are Your Favorite Berries True Berries... or Imposters?

2010-09-14T15:02:18Z

Oddly enough, most of us would be hard-pressed to actually differentiate true berries from pseudo-berries. Case in point: what's the most famous berry on the Internet? If you said the acai, give yourself a big fat raspberry! (Another imposter, by the way).

Despite Oprah's endorsement, the acai isn't a berry at all. It's a drupe, a kind of stone-fruit that grows on, of all things, a palm tree (hence its other name, the palm berry). Oh, you can call acais berries all you like, but that's akin to calling a cavy a guinea pig. It's common practice, but that doesn't make it real.

Chinese Gooseberries: Not Just For New Zealand Anymore

2010-08-31T21:40:49Z

It may seem odd to call something the size of a tomato a berry, but that's exactly what Chinese Gooseberries are (technically, that's what tomatoes are, too). Better known these days as kiwis or kiwifruit, due to a successful marketing initiative in the 1950s, these giant furry berries are both tasty and nutritious.

More to the point, you can grow your own right here in America. They may seem exotic, but there's no reason they have to be grown halfway across the world.