Fruit · Ericaceae
When to plant cranberries
A ground-hugging bog plant that needs acid soil and constant moisture. Not flooded to grow, only to harvest - the flooding is a picking technique, not a growing requirement.
First worthwhile crop
Year 3
After planting, not after sowing.
Hardy in USDA zones
2a to 7a
Winter cold sets the limit here, not the calendar.
Frost tolerance
Very hardy
How much cold the plant itself will take.
Those weeks become real dates once you name a place.
Timing, in frost-relative terms
Nothing about a standing crop is sown to a calendar. Once planted, cranberries stay in the ground for years, so the question is not when to sow but whether your winter is survivable and your planting window is open. Both answers come from your frost dates.
- Expect a first worthwhile crop in year 3 after planting.
- Needs roughly 700 chill hours below 7.2°C (45°F)45°F (7.2°C) over winter to set fruit, which rules out the warmest climates.
- Hardy in USDA zones 2a–7a.
Frost tolerance
Exceptionally hardy, to zone 2, provided the crowns are not left dry over winter.
Classified as very-hardy.