Saskatoon Bushes Growing Guide

Planting

Saskatoons will thrive in any well drained soil in full sun or partial shade. They prefer slightly acidic soils but will grow reasonably well on alkaline soils with a pH of up to 7.5. Good drainage is essential as they don’t like wet roots. Saskatoons are very hardy (down to -20°C).

Plant your bushes as soon as possible after receipt, 2.4-3m (8-10ft) apart. If you want to use them to form a dense hedge, plant 1.5m (5ft) apart.

Should weather conditions be adverse (i.e. if the ground is frozen or too wet to plant), leave the bushes in their pots in a sheltered spot until your soil is in better condition.

Improve the soil structure by thorough digging before planting and if possible mix well rotted manure or compost into the top soil.

Soak the pots in water for 30 minutes. Dig a hole comfortably large enough to take the rootball, remove the pots, ensuring the top of the rootball is level with the surrounding soil. Apply rootgrow™ mycorrhizal fungi directly to the roots before planting - this will help the plant to establish quickly. Firm the soil around the rootball and water-in thoroughly.

Watering

Keep the soil around the bushes moist throughout the first growing season. In later years only water during prolonged dry spells, drenching thoroughly no more than once a week. Container grown bushes will need more regular watering and should never be allowed to dry out.

Weeding & Mulching

Keep the area around the bushes free of weeds, particularly during the first year. An annual mulch of well rotted compost will greatly improve moisture retention and soil structure, and help suppress unwanted weeds.

Pruning

Saskatoons produce fruit on both the previous year’s growth and on older wood, however generally, the younger, more vigorous branches yield the best quality fruit.

Pruning should be done early in the spring after the danger of severe cold weather has passed, but before bud break. Prune to control the height of the bushes; a height of 2m (6ft 6in) is ideal. Pruning out branches that are 5mm or greater will help keep the plant height manageable. Remove all diseased, damaged and weak growth. Cut off low branches and thin the centre to keep it open.

After the plants are 6-7 years old, prune out a few of the oldest branches each year to encourage new and vigorous shoot growth. Older shrubs can be rejuvenated by cutting them back to ground level and allowing new sprouts to grow.

Feeding

Apply a top dressing of Sulphate of Potash in February, then a balanced fertilizer such as Fruit Feed in spring. Once this is done, apply a mulch such as well-rotted manure or compost. This will help keep the soil cool & moist as well as keep down the weeds. Regular weeding is important. Watering is vital during spells of dry weather, particularly during the time between flowering and fruiting.

Harvesting

Saskatoon bushes should start to crop within the first two years. Bear in mind that the first crop will be a small harvest, maybe a handful of berries if you are fortunate. The plants will start cropping heavily when they are three or four years old.

The berries are normally ready for picking from late June/early July depending on both the variety and where you live in the country. Harvest the berries when they turn from pink to deep purple. They generally ripen fairly evenly, and most of the crop can be picked at one time. Take care not to leave ripe berries on the bush for too long as they will become too soft and over ripe, which makes them bruise easily when handled. The fruit does continue to ripen once picked. It is a good idea to store picked fruit in shallow containers in either the fridge or freezer.

Pests & Diseases

Before the berries ripen, it is advisable to protect them with netting, as birds find them irresistible.

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