Info about lingonberries,Sam,
Thanks so much for your efforts in gathering material for me on
lingonberry growing. It is not often that so much worthwhile information
comes in one package.
As of this writing, I have dedicated a 22 x 24 (528 sq. ft.) plot of
sandy loam ground for the project. The parcel had strawberries growing on
it that needed replacing and so I rototilled them under to provide
additional organic matter to the existing 4.2% already in place. Following
that, I covered the area with black plastic to 'cook' any pathogens under
the intense Summer sun, leaving it in place until early September. Then I
waited for a windless day to broadcast 25 pounds of elemental sulfur - with
even the slightest breeze, sulfur seems to blow and settle everywhere except
where you want it - if my calculations were correct, by the time I plant,
the pH should be between 4.8 and 5.1 (time will tell).
I plan to obtain the plants from Hartmann's Plant Company which I'll
plant according to the (below) directions. For mulch, I'll use pine needles
applying in the same manner I use for planting strawberries. When I plant
strawberries, I install T-Tape (drip irrigation) immediately after each row
is planted. Then comes the pine needles, being applied approximately 3" -
4" deep. Using this method, it is usually 4 to 5 years before the first
weed comes up because, unlike many mulch materials, pine needles deteriorate
slowly, at a rate of about 3/4" per year.
My garden/orchard is at saturation point; everytime I want to plant
anything new, I have to, first, grub something out.
----- Original Message -----
From: Brungardt, Sam
To: Jim Fruth ; North American Fruit Explorers
Sent: Wednesday, October 04, 2006 3:20 PM
Subject: Info about lingonberries,
I spent a little time looking for information about this crop and for
commercial growers.
There is a Lingonberry Production Guide for the Pacific Northwest:
The folks at the Lingonberry Corp. of North America might know who the few
commercial growers are in the USA. They have very informative Web site
(http://www.wislingonberry.com/).
Another group that might know of a Minnesota grower is:
Minnesota Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association
c/o Marilyn Nysetvold Johnson, executive coordinator
15125 W. Vermillion Circle NE
Ham Lake, MN 55304
Phone: 763-434-0400
Fax: 763-413-9585
You might also query the folks at the Wisconsin State Cranberry Growers
Assn. (http://www.wiscran.org/education.htm) to see if any of their members
also grow lingonberries.
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Small fruit with big potential: Pacific Northwest leads the world in
commercial lingonberry production
September 2003
Agrichemical and Environmental News, Issue No. 209
Washington State University
Ross Penhallegon, Horticulture Extension Agent, Oregon State University http://www.aenews.wsu.edu/Sept03AENews/Sept03AENews.htm#Lingonberry
Over the past three and a half years, I have told the story of the Pacific
Northwest's fledgling lingonberry industry here in the pages of Agrichemical
and Environmental News (AENews). In "Stalking the Wild (and Not-So-Wild)
Lingonberry" AENews Issue No. 165, Jan. 2000), I profiled this humble berry,
tracing its European roots and describing efforts to grow it commercially in
the United States and Canada. In "The Wide World of Lingonberries" (AENews
Issue No. 190, Feb. 2002), I traveled to the lingonberry's ancestral
homeland, visiting Germany, Sweden, Finland, and Estonia, where I sought
information on commercial lingonberry production and on markets for the
fruit.
Through my field work at home and away (including a 2002 trip to Alaska,
described later in this article), I have learned that the Pacific Northwest
(Washington, Oregon, and British Columbia) leads the world in commercial
production of lingonberries and is a major player in research on this fruit.
The berries grow wild in northern Europe, Asia, and North America, but
cultivation is spotty at best. This article describes the state of the
industry and the progress we have made since the 2002 article.
Getting Your Berry Bearings
For those unfamiliar with the lingonberry, it is a small, red fruit borne
on low-growing, woody evergreen shrubs. It is also known as cowberry,
partridge berry, mountain cranberry, rock cranberry, dry-ground cranberry,
lingen, lingberry, fox berry, and red berry, among other monikers. The name
"lingonberry" originated in Sweden and is used in Canada and the United
States. In Newfoundland it is called partridge berry, while the Scandinavian
market prefers the name cowberry.
For the sake of discussion, we can separate the lingonberry into two
classifications, the wild (Vaccinium vitis-idaea Minus) and the European
domestic (Vaccinium vitis-idaea). The wild, "Minus" lingonberry is found
across the northern hemisphere in forested areas that experience cold
winters and warm summers. The plant is quite short, just 3 to 6 inches tall,
and produces fruit on a single bloom.
Domestic lingonberries are plants that have been crossbred for production
characteristics. Breeding has taken place primarily in Europe. They can grow
8 to 16 inches in height, have two blooming periods, and produce more fruit
than the wild variety.
Where the Wild Ones Are
Most of the lingonberries consumed worldwide are the wild-picked, Minus
varieties. Wild lingonberries can be found in Canada, Scandinavia, Poland,
China, and Russia, and approximately twenty other northern countries.
In August 2002, after presenting a paper on lingonberries at the
International Society of Horticulture Science conference in Toronto, Canada,
I headed north to Alaska. The 49th state is a rich berry-growing region;
over 115 wild berry varieties grow there, from wild strawberry to
salmonberry, from bunchberry to bearberry. And, of course, lingonberry.
In Anchorage, I saw wild lingonberries in the botanical garden and
represented in the dioramas at the Alaskan Culture and Heritage Center.
Outside of town, I spotted them near the tiny village of Hope (where local
residents compete with grizzly bears for a portion of the harvest), along
backroads off Highways 1, 2, 3, and 4 between Anchorage and Fairbanks, and
in Denali National Park, growing both in forested settings and out on the
tundra. Reminiscent of my lingonberry-hunting visit to Europe, I found only
two small commercial growers in Alaska.
To Market, To Market
So, who buys lingonberries, and what do they do with them? In Alaska, as
in Scandinavia and other parts of Europe where consumption is high,
lingonberries are used for jam, jelly, juice, wine, liqueur, candy, and as a
baking ingredient in cakes, scones, and the like. They are flavorful,
lending themselves to concentrate, and colorful, making them potentially
useful as pigment for food coloring. Because they are high in vitamins A
and C as well as magnesium and flavonoids, they are considered healthful,
even medicinal.
Europeans consume over 180 million pounds of lingonberries annually, and
consumption is also strong in Asia. Since most of this demand is met by
wild lingonberries, which, with their low growth habit, are difficult to
harvest, it would seem that the lingonberry consumers of the world would be
"ripe" for a commercial source. The other potential market for the berry is
consumers who are as yet unfamiliar with the fruit, but would likely
appreciate its taste and health benefits.
Commercial Production Update
While I cannot yet vouch for the state of commercial lingonberry
production in Poland, Russia, or the Far East, my research to date indicates
that only Germany, Canada, and the United States cultivate lingonberries
today. Washington, Oregon, and British Columbia appear to lead the world in
this endeavor.
Commercial lingonberry production in the Pacific Northwest began in the
mid-1990s. By the time I wrote my AENews article in January 2000, the main
concerns in "growing" the industry were how to produce the berries without
pesticides (as such a minor-minor crop would be unlikely to receive much
registration attention from chemical manufacturers), how to work with the
double bloom of the domestic lingonberry, how to harvest the berries, and
how to market the berries.
Issue 1: Pest Management
As it turns out, the Pacific Northwest lingonberry industry uses almost no
pesticides. The fruit has virtually no insect problems and very few disease
pressures. Weed control is the most important pest issue, and is
accomplished largely through cultural measures beginning with site
preparation and maintenance and including good mulching. We have
experimented with herbicides in research plots, but production fields have
achieved good results by relying on hand weeding, some mechanical
cultivation (performed with care, as lingonberry roots form near the soil
surface), and, in some cases, establishment of a grass sod between the rows.
In terms of insects, the Western spotted cucumber beetle (Diabrotica
undecimpunctata), Western striped cucumber beetle (Acalymma trivittatum),
and the obliquebanded leafroller (Choristoneura rosaceana) have been found
in Washington and Oregon lingonberry fields, but their feeding has been
minor, resulting in no economic damage.
Disease pests are similar to insects in that they exist in Pacific
Northwest lingonberries but are managed, for the most part, without use of
pesticides. Growers practice good sanitation, choose healthy plants from
proven cultivars, and maintain soil health and texture to minimize disease.
We have found that adding high amounts of organic matter to the soil
increases its permeability and may reduce the number of pathogenic species
in the soil due to competition from other soil organisms. Diseases that
have been found in the Northwest include leaf spots and twig blights
associated with a variety of fungal pathogens, black rot from
Allantophomopsis lycopodina, ripe rot from Coleophoma empetri, damping-off
from various Rhizoctonia spp., and root rot from Phytophthora citricola.
Most of these seem to affect a limited number of cultivars and have not
resulted in economic damage. There has been one notable exception. In 2000,
we began seeing a problem in some Oregon plantings: the plants had a
sunburned appearance and some of the berries were falling off prematurely.
When the Oregon State University (OSU) Plant Clinic failed to make positive
identification, the USDA Agricultural Research Service laboratory in
Beltsville, Maryland, became involved. It appears we have discovered a
brand-new fungal pathogenic species, Phomopsis columnaris. The disease
causes progressive twig dieback and eventually results in the whole plant
dying. It appears to affect only one cultivar; more research is underway.
Issue 2: Leveraging the Double Bloom
The domestic lingonberry cultivated for production has two blooming
periods, March to April and July to August, with fruit ripening in
mid-August and early November, respectively. Twenty-one double-bloom
cultivars have been planted in the Pacific Northwest and several are showing
great promise. While the few commercial fields in Europe (Germany, Sweden)
yield 1 to 6 tons of fruit per acre, we have experienced yields of 4 to 21
tons per acre on research plots in the Pacific Northwest.
Issue 3: Mechanizing the Harvest
At present, all commercial lingonberries are hand harvested with berry
rakes similar to those used for lowbush blueberries or dryland cranberries.
We have located four harvesting machines for consideration, but have not yet
investigated modification of the machines nor set trial dates. Three were
designed for other fruits (a dryland cranberry picker from Minnesota, a wild
blueberry picker from Nova Scotia, and a lowbush blueberry picker from
Maine), but might be adapted for lingonberries. A fourth machine was
developed in Germany specifically for lingonberries, but it is very large
and bulky. Further investigation into these and other options is necessary
to determine the feasibility of mechanical harvesting.
Issue 4: Marketing
We touched on this issue earlier. A market exists for lingonberries. In
fact, demand exceeds supply. Beyond the many food uses, the berry shows
promise for medicinal and pigmentation (food coloring) applications. There
are now 23.5 productive acres of lingonberries in Washington, Oregon, and
British Columbia; the largest single grower has fewer than three acres. In
the near-term future, I see lingonberries remaining a small farm/niche
market crop, but as the berry gains recognition, larger acreage will follow.
To date, efforts have been focused on choosing the most promising cultivars,
improving fruit quality, and increasing per-acre yield. Having succeeded in
those areas, acreage will be expanded in the future to accommodate demand
for fresh and processing markets.
Pacific Northwest Industry Moves Forward
The Pacific Northwest lingonberry industry is still in its infancy, but
important strides are being made. A Grower's Guide is undergoing internal
review at OSU as of this writing and will soon be available. A Website with
resources for the lingonberry grower and general public is under
development. A conference scheduled for 2002 was canceled, but the one we
held in 2003 drew attendees from as far away as Newfoundland. Forty
individuals attended and shared lingonberry insight, information, and (best
of all) edibles. By pooling our information resources and expanding on our
successes to date, the Pacific Northwest can become an important supplier
for world lingonberry demand.
Ross Penhallegon is with Oregon State University's Lane County Extension
Service in Eugene. He can be reached at (541) 682-4243 or
ross.penhallegon@oregonstate.edu.
The lingonberry is a 12- to 18-inch-high evergreen shrub native to
northern temperate, boreal and arctic regions of Europe and North America.
In addition to inherent cold-hardiness (to -10°), once covered with
insulating snow, it survives northern winters from New England to Minnesota.
In fact, it's one of the few fruits that gardeners can grow successfully in
those cold climates. In warmer climates, such as USDA Hardiness Zones 9 and
10, lingonberry neither grows well nor reliably survives summer.
Lingonberry plants spread by underground runners to three feet. The
glossy, dark green leaves are 1/8- to 1/2-inch long and usually tinged red
when new. This shrub is handsome enough for ornamental use -- as a
small-scale ground cover or informal edging around larger acid-soil
plantings, for example. It is also attractive in containers.
The wild North American species of lingonberry, Vaccinium vitis-idaea var.
minus (also called the mountain cranberry) is a low-growing plant that
blooms only in the spring; the European and Asian native, V. v. var. majus,
is a slightly taller shrub with larger leaves and flowers. It blooms twice
each season. Also called cowberry or foxberry, it's the type more commonly
found at nurseries. Dan Hartmann, of Hartmann's Plantation in Grand Rapids,
Michigan, notes that this potential for a double crop is part of what makes
these plants attractive.
Small, pinkish white, lily-of-the-valley-like blossoms open in tight
clusters near the tips of one-year-old shoots and make an attractive display
in border plantings. The May bloom produces fruits that ripen in midsummer
(July and August here in northern Maine). The summer bloom, which occurs
when fruits from the first bloom are ripening, produces fruits that ripen in
late September and October.
Open flowers are only hardy to about 30°, meaning the first bloom is
usually nipped by a late frost. The second crop is usually the largest and
often the only one of the season. This is not as bad as it sounds, however.
In my experience, fruits that ripen in the cooler temperatures of fall
generally have the best color and flavor.
Lingonberries are self-pollinating, but cross-pollination will produce
larger fruits that ripen earlier. Besides, mixing fruit of several varieties
will tickle your palate with all the fine, tart nuances of lingonberry
flavor.
Bumblebees are the best natural lingonberry pollinators. Plants need two
to three years to begin bearing good crops, according to Diana MacKentley of
St. Lawrence Nurseries in Potsdam, New York. But when the time comes --
usually just in time for Thanksgiving -- better have your recipes ready.
Lingonberries are slightly smaller than cranberries but otherwise look and
are cooked the same. Flavor, however, is distinct. Pick the firm, deep red
fruits and refrigerate immediately; sound fruit will keep for up to three
weeks. Or wash, drain and freeze them for use later in the season.
These fruits are tart. Make them into jam for a superb roast goose and
venison topping. Pancakes covered with lingonberry syrup are a Swedish
tradition. Use them in any recipe that calls for cranberries. Lingonberries
are very rich in vitamin C -- Scandinavians and native tribes of northern
Canada use the fruit as a cold remedy. The simplest preparation is
lingonberry sauce: 3 cups washed fruits, 1 1/4 cups sugar and 1 cup water.
Boil 10 minutes; skim and cool.
Planting and Care
Locate your planting in a sunny spot on land with good air circulation and
soil drainage. My lingonberry garden has a southeastern exposure. It
receives sun most of the day and yet is protected from the brutal northwest
winds of winter by a thick blanket of drifted snow. The plants grow well in
the acid soils of our region. The ideal is soil of pH 5 that is also high in
organic matter.
According to research by Dr. Elden Stang, professor of horticulture at the
University of Wisconsin, plants grow best when up to about seven pounds of
peat moss is incorporated into each 100 square feet of row. Adding more does
not increase plant growth substantially. Dr. Stang's research plots were
located on a loamy sand soil. In your garden, work in the peat moss or
compost and adjust the pH during the fall prior to spring planting.
Order your plants early from a reputable nursery. Start with plants in
either two-inch or one-gallon pots. Set them out after danger of severe
spring cold has passed and the soil has dried sufficiently to be worked. In
my garden, on the border of zones 4a and 3b, that's late May.
Make the planting hole wide enough to accommodate all the roots without
bending and set the plants as deeply as they grew in the pots, about 12
inches apart in rows spaced about 36 inches apart. Water them thoroughly to
settle the soil about the roots.
By the second season, the plants will begin to spread, sending up shoots
increasingly distant from the crown. In this respect, their growth habit
resembles that of another cousin, the lowbush blueberry. The aim is to
establish a hedgerow of plants about 18 inches in width.
Mulch
According to MacKentley, weeds are the single biggest pest of small
lingonberry plants. The best prevention is a two- to three-inch-deep mulch
of sawdust, pine needles, chopped straw or peat moss that smothers young
weeds. Otherwise, there is little the home gardener can do but pull them by
hand and risk injuring the shallow roots of the new plants.
Mulched plants produce stronger growth and up to quadruple the yields of
unmulched plants. Peat moss is far superior to sawdust or chopped straw,
probably because it simulates the lingonberry's natural soil environment.
Place it a couple of inches deep around the young plants right after
planting, and increase the thickness of this layer each year as the plants
grow in height. Several inches of damp peat moss make a wonderful mulch for
mature plants, and the plants' rhizomes will actually spread through its
lower layers.
Fertilizer
Lingonberries require little fertilizer. In fact, excessive nitrogen will
overstimulate vegetative growth and decrease fruitfulness. It may also
interfere with hardening and increase winterkill.
How much is enough? If shoot growth seems vigorous and new shoots grow
several inches and remain erect and rigid, fertility is about right. If
growth is soft and rampant, with large dark green leaves, you have
overfertilized. If shoots are short and the foliage is pale yellow or red
during the growing season, plants need some fertilizer. In the North, I make
it a rule to apply no fertilizer to fruit plants after the Fourth of July.
Most woody plants have completed shoot growth by then, so the fertilizer
will do little good. It could, however, stimulate excessive late growth that
may not harden in time for winter.
Generally, a small handful of a complete fertilizer, such as 5-10-10,
applied in a circle around a mature plant in the early spring, will be
sufficient. Use smaller amounts for plants up to about three years old. Fish
meal or dried blood are good organic nitrogen sources, but be sure to apply
them very early in the spring. Precise amounts depend upon the site and
vigor of the plants. If you pay enough attention to them, the plants will
always tell you what to do.
Lingonberry, like its cousins, is sensitive to chlorides. Keep de-icing
salt, water from chlorinated pools and fertilizers containing potassium
chloride away from them.
Propagate plants in spring by splitting and separating a crown and
transplanting clumps. It helps older plantings that have become crowded and
unproductive. Plunge your spade deep, severing the plant's root system and
rhizomes. Lift the plant portion gently and transplant it to another area.
That's all there is to it. The only trick is to be sure that you leave part
of the rhizome attached to the clump. Without it, the plant will not spread
rapidly.
Except for the occasional removal of dead and damaged shoots every spring,
lingonberries require no pruning.
Varieties of Lingonberry
'Erntesegen' - Introduced in 1981, this is a very vigorous grower
producing exceptional crops of large, light red fruits. It's mild-flavored,
in contrast to tart and tangy Koralle.
'Koralle' - This Dutch variety is the most popular and provides most
European commercial production. Attractive plants are upright and vigorous.
The small to medium-sized fruits are highly flavored but somewhat tart.
Often fruits of Koralle are blended with those of a more productive but
mild-flavored variety such as Sussi.
'Red Pearl' - This recently introduced (1983) Dutch variety produces
large, mild-flavored fruits and appears to have resistance to Phytophthora
root rot. Fruits ripen one to two weeks earlier than Koralle.
'Regal' - Selected by Dr. Elden Stang from seed collected in Finland,
Regal is noted for its superior fruit size and early bearing.
'Scarlet' - This new Norwegian introduction produces some fruit but is
mostly noted for producing abundant pollen, which makes it a valuable
pollinator.
'Sussi' - This Swedish variety is slow to establish but ultimately
produces large red fruits abundantly.