Lingonberry Plant for Sale - Buying & Growing Guide

Planting and Care

by John Haryasz | Horticulture Writer and Landscape Designer – last update on May 2, 2022

Planting instructions

When planting a lingonberry plant, you should choose a location with acidic soils and full or partial sunlight. Often, areas beneath tree canopies will give the ideal light conditions for this plant. If you plant multiple lingonberry plants, you should space them about 1 to 2 feet from one another to allow each plant enough room to expand. After planting, add a thick layer of organic mulch, which will help retain soil moisture and add nutrients to the soil over the following seasons.

Watering and nutrients

Giving your lingonberry plant the perfect amount of water can be challenging. Not only does this plant dislike waterlogged soils, but it also does not tolerate excessively drought soils. The best way to deal with this issue is to check the soil to ensure that it remains consistently moist. At times, you may need to water this plant once per week to maintain those conditions. In other scenarios, the water your lingonberry receives from rainfall may be enough. Fertilize your lingonberry with a low-nitrogen mix once per year during the late winter or early spring.

Pollination

Several insects, including butterflies, flies, and bumblebees, are responsible for pollinating the lingonberry plant. Since lingonberry plants contain both male and female reproductive organs, you need only one for fruit production. However, there are ways to improve your harvests. Allowing for cross-pollination between multiple plants will make for better yields. It also helps to grow several pollinizer lingonberry cultivars nearby. While these pollinizer varieties don’t produce many fruits on their own, they will increase the quality and quantity of the fruits your main lingonberry plants develop.

Pruning

Part of the reasons that many gardeners consider the lingonberry plant to be a low-maintenance plant is that they require little to no pruning. In fact, during the first several years of this plant’s life, it is best not to prune it at all. Once the plant is a bit older, you can perform moderate pruning at the end of the season. Remove any parts of the plant that are dead, dying, or diseased, and be sure to use shears that are both sharp and sterile.

Pests, diseases, and animals

Insect infestations are a problem you should be on the lookout for when growing a lingonberry plant. Aphids, whiteflies, mealybugs, and more harmful bugs can all attack your lingonberry plant and cause visible damage to the leaves and other parts of the plant. Leaf spot can also be an issue for lingonberry plants, as can different forms of blight. Often, these blight issues can begin in nearby decaying plant debris or dying parts of the plants.

Harvesting

Lingonberry plants will provide different harvest times depending on the specific variety you have. Some of these plants offer fruits in the summer, while others become harvestable in the fall. However, some lingonberry plants that grow in their ideal climate will produce two harvests per year, one in summer and one in fall. As the lingonberry fruits ripen, they will turn entirely red. These fruits will be ready to eat right away. You can pick unripened fruits as well, and they will continue to ripen while off the plant.

Achieving maximum results

At times, the first harvest of a lingonberry plant’s life may have a less desirable flavor. Be patient and know that a better harvest will arrive in later years. After harvesting, you can use your lingonberry fruits in many different dishes, including breads, smoothies, sauces, baked goods, and desserts. You can also store your lingonberries for later use by freezing, canning, or drying them after harvest. As you continue to use lingonberries in the kitchen, you’ll find that they are an excellent substitute for cranberries, red currants, and several other fruits.

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Customer Reviews

Anonymous

Verified Buyer May 21, 2021 at 5:53am

I love these bushes

They have probably altogether grown roughly 2 inches since I've gotten them

Anonymous

Verified Buyer October 6, 2020 at 3:41pm

Plant arrived in good shape

Plant arrived in good order and plants did not seem stressed by transport via shipping method.