Cranberry Season
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In the Fall
How it Works
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December to April – This is the dormancy period for the cranberry plant which coincides with the coldest part of the year.
The cranberry plant needs this cooler temperature at this time in order to be ready for the growth season.
This is one of the reasons why cranberries grow in states that are located in the northern part of the country.
Farmers also flood their crops during this winter period.
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April to November – This is the growth period for the cranberry plant. First the farmers remove their winter flood in order for the plant to start to grow.
They may re-flood them again for a month or so in April or May in order to manage pests, infection and weeds.
The plant requires a sandy and moist type of soil, so farmers have to make sure that the plants get at least an inch of water each week.
In the summer time they also place beehives amongst the crops in order to facilitate the pollination process.
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September to December – Cranberries are harvested from about mid September until mid-November or a little later. This is the cranberry season and when most people are out looking to buy them fresh.
But cranberries are usually made available all year around because of how they are processed.
Most of the cranberries that get picked in season are frozen so that they can be used at other times of the year.
So technically cranberries are seasonal, in the fall, but are usually made available year-round.
Hope this helps.
– Cranby
