Category Archives: Berry Types

Cutting Propagation Experiments

Posted on October 18, 2015 by | Leave a comment

What is the need for hormone treatments in vegetative propagation? Perhaps this article will help decide. The author surely can’t be all that bad. It has experiments with highbush cranberry, bog blueberry, and soapberry. Cutting propagation

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Posted in Blueberries (Vaccinium), Highbush cranberry (Viburnum), Propagation

Alaska Gooseberry Club?

Posted on October 17, 2015 by | Leave a comment

This is an interesting article about gooseberries from a farm that is bringing them back.  Perhaps we need a Gooseberry Club in Alaska to reinvigorate the craze of years past.  Check out the picture of the world’s largest gooseberry!  Who’s up to the challenge? Gooseberries

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Posted in Gooseberries (Ribes)

Fruit Formation- Cloudberry (akpiq)

Posted on October 14, 2015 by | Leave a comment

Here is a blog from Kotzebue, AK . The writer has a great series of  photos of a cloudberry or more appropriately, akpiq,  ripening.  Cloudberry ripening

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Posted in Cloudberries (Rubus chamaemorus)

Blueberry Seed Extraction

Posted on October 14, 2015 by | Leave a comment

Extract the seeds from berries. This is a simple statement – but not very clear to an amateur who has never done this either at home or in a lab. So of course, Google, comes to the rescue! I found this link from the Cooperative Extension Service of the University of Maine which explains how to extract seeds from blueberries. This procedure could easily be done with other types of berries. Blueberry Seed Extraction

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Posted in Blueberries (Vaccinium), Propagation

PIneberries in Alaska?

Posted on October 14, 2015 by | Leave a comment

Have you heard about Pineberry? This berry looks like strawberry, but it is white with red seeds! Apparently this is the oldest variety of strawberries. Originally strawberries were white in South America. Pineberry was saved from extinction by breeders working exclusively with VitalBerry BV when the original source material was discovered in Southern Europe. The breeders used this source material to cross it with an existing variety to improve the original pineberry. Read more: Pineberries

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Posted in Strawberries (Fragaria)

Hardy Kiwi in Alaska?

Posted on October 14, 2015 by | Leave a comment

Hardy Kiwi Has anyone tried growing hardy kiwi?  I recently purchased some that were grown in Oregon. They were pretty yummy and they lasted a long time in the fridge.   I think I’ve seen that these were being grown at the Botanical Garden in Anchorage and I know they were growing in at least one garden in Anchorage. Cornell University Department of Horticulture provides information on growing and propagating kiwi fruit here: Hardy Kiwi

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Posted in Hardy Kiwi (Actinidia)

Blueberries and Soils

Posted on October 14, 2015 by | Leave a comment

Soil pH wrong for blueberries? Blueberries like acidic soils and it’s unlikely that your garden naturally has the perfect condition.  The Alaskan Berries website has a soil recipe geared towards Alaskan soils.  It also has helpful hints for growing other berries. Soils and Blueberries

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Posted in Blueberries (Vaccinium), Garden Farm Culture, Soils and Plant Nutrition

Gall roses

Posted on October 14, 2015 by | Leave a comment

Below is a link to an entry about gall roses.  I couldn’t post photos here. 

Can you get hips from gall roses?

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Posted in Insect Pests, Rose Hips (Rosa sp.)

Haskap or honeyberry or blue honeysuckle?

Posted on October 14, 2015 by | Comments Off on Haskap or honeyberry or blue honeysuckle?

This circumpolar plant has one scientific name, Lonicera caerulea, but as common names go, there are several things to call this hardy shrub that bears tasty blue fruit. According to University of Saskatchewan, the breakdown of common names is as follows:

Haskap – for L. caerulea of Japanese descent. There are several iterations of this name, including Hascap and Haskapa. One account attributes the name Haskap as being a modification of hashikahpu, the Japanese word for the fruits.

Blue honeysuckle – translation of the Russian name for L. caerulea. Russian varieties tend to flower earlier than Japanese varieties.

Honeyberry – a name coined by Jim Gilbert of One Green Earth nursery in Oregon.

This website (haskapa.com) has the most complete origin information that I have seen so far, as well as this write-up from Dr. Bob Bors at University of Saskatchewan.

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Posted in Berry Identification, Honeyberry, Haskap (Loniera)

Haskap plants – how many do you need for pollination?

Posted on October 14, 2015 by | Comments Off on Haskap plants – how many do you need for pollination?

Haskaps (AKA honeyberries) are hardy plants with delicious fruit – all Alaskan’s should be growing these plants in their garden!

Most haskap varieties are considered self-incompatible, meaning more than one plant is necessary to get substantial fruit set. But it is not just a simple math equation. Certain varieties are too similar genetically and will not be able to pollinate one another. And certain varieties bloom early or late, so one must consider bloom time of specific varieties.

So how many do you need? According to the University of Saskatchewan, leaders in haskap breeding for commercial and garden applications, one pollinating plant is needed for every five plants. Other sources claim planting a pollinator plant for every 2-4 plants is adequate, while others advocate planting 2 or more varieties in the same plot. As you can see, there is some disagreement in this area, but the common thread is that more than one variety is necessary to get productive fruit set! This is a true case of more is better, and isn’t it nice to be able to justify those extra berry shrubs in your cart? And of course, insects are necessary in this process to get pollen between plants.

Learn more about haskap pollination here:

University of Saskatchewan haskap page-see the table at the bottom of the page with variety compatibility information

Honeyberry USA

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Posted in Honeyberry, Haskap (Loniera), Pollination, Pollinators

Picking Cloudberries in Estonia

Posted on October 14, 2015 by | Leave a comment

Here’s a short blog about cloudberry picking and recipes from Estonia. Cloudberries and cheese- looks good!  Cloudberries in Estonia

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Posted in Cloudberries (Rubus chamaemorus), Foraging

Arctic Berry Harvesting- Churchill, Canada

Posted on October 13, 2015 by | Leave a comment

This site lists the common berries found in and around Churchill,Canada and great information about the berries, photos,  and personal harvesting reports, as well as tidbits about wildlife and birds in the area. Churchill, Canada Berries. It includes kinnikinnick, wild blueberries, bunchberries, cloudberries, bog cranberries, crowberries, gooseberries, raspberries, lingonberries and highbush cranberries.

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Posted in Berry Harvesting, Berry Identification, Blueberries (Vaccinium), Bunchberry (Cornus canadensis), Cloudberries (Rubus chamaemorus), Foraging, Gooseberries (Ribes), Highbush cranberry (Viburnum), Lingonberry, Lowbush cranberry, (Vaccinium vitis-idaea)

Highbush Cranberries

Posted on October 8, 2015 by | Leave a comment

Did you know there are several species of high bush cranberries? Viburnum edule is the native species found in Alaska but V. trilobum is the native species found in the other areas of Canada and the Lower 48. Viburnum opulus has been imported from Europe and is sold as an ornamental. This article from “Mother Earth News” offers some methods of identification, Viburnums

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Posted in Highbush cranberry (Viburnum)

Vattlingon or “Water lingonberries”

Posted on October 4, 2015 by | Comments Off on Vattlingon or “Water lingonberries”

“Vattlingon” is a very simple method for preservation of lingonberries – simply fill a jar with washed lingonberries, then poor clean water over the berries and store them  for  several months in the fridge or cellar. According to Hank Shaw of Honest-food.net: “The effect is to mellow the extreme tartness and tannins in fresh cranberries, leaving them pleasantly acidic and slightly sweet.” Naturally occuring benzoic acid in the lingonberries is a preservative that allows one to store in this manner without adding salt or other preservatives to the mix. How do you get clean water? Simply boil your tap water then allow it to cool before pouring over the berries.

How will you use the lingonberries after they have been stored? A traditional use is to serve a small dish (think shot-glass size) of vattlingon as dessert during the Christmas season. Whipped cream and sugar can be added if it is available, but is not always necessary because the water presercation has mellowed the acidity and added a slight sweetness. Another important use is to consume the liquid in the jar. Or you can get more creative and incorporate vattlingon into main courses, such as these recipes for spring salmon and grouse with rosemary and cranberries.

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Posted in Lingonberry, Lowbush cranberry, (Vaccinium vitis-idaea), Recipes

Gooseberries and Currants

Posted on October 2, 2015 by | Leave a comment

Specialty crop profile from Virginia Cooperative extension on gooseberries and currants!

Gooseberries and Currants

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Posted in Currants (Ribes), Gooseberries (Ribes)

White Currants

Posted on October 2, 2015 by | Leave a comment

White currants hardly ever get any attention it seems like. This is a site gives some good outlines on how to grown and care for white currants along with some possible pests that might trouble you.

White Currants

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Posted in Currants (Ribes)

Low-Bush Cranberries in the Interior

Posted on September 30, 2015 by | Comments Off on Low-Bush Cranberries in the Interior

What an abundant plant this summer! I foraged a lot of cranberries this summer, and struggled a bit with how to eat them.

(They are quite bitter)

I ended up making a cranberry jam/sauce mixed with sugar, onion, and pepper. Strange combination that is actually very tasty on almost anything!

Wild cranberries can be hard to really find a good, and enjoyable use for, but when mixed with enough ingredients can be good.

Need less to say, cranberries are also very accessible in this area and we should become accustomed to eating the native plants, since it is the most sustainable way of eating.

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Posted in Lingonberry, Lowbush cranberry, (Vaccinium vitis-idaea)

Sorbus and Aronia

Posted on September 30, 2015 by | 1 comment

Another berry I was wondering about is Sorbus (Mountain ash) and Aronia (chokeberries). It is very typical berry in Russia. Red Sorbus is used a lot for crafts – kids will make necklaces out of it. Aronia is used in jams, preserves and compote.

Sorbus and Aronia

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Posted in Chokeberry (Aronia), Mountain Ash (Sorbus)

Cloudberry Recipes

Posted on September 30, 2015 by | Leave a comment

From my father-in-law’s favourite (sic) newspaper.  I’ll try it! http://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink/recipes/6009978/Arctic-cloudberry-recipes-Northern-lights.htmlCloudberry recipes

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Posted in Cloudberries (Rubus chamaemorus), Recipes

Bog blueberry Management

Posted on September 30, 2015 by | Leave a comment

So, I used google to look up “Wild bog blueberry” and I found this paper on managing wild stands of a few types of berries in Alaska.  It is right in line with what we are currently studying.  Turns out, it’s from our Prof! Bog blueberry management

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Posted in Blueberries (Vaccinium)