University of Saskatchewan fruit expert, Bob Bors has been working on something unique: a collection of bush-type tart cherries that produce large, tasty fruits well-suited for harvesting for fresh eating or pie making. Interesting fact: The BRIX sugar level is actually higher in these “Tart”cherries than it is in the traditional Bing cherry (22 vs 16) but as they have …
There are many different types of currants (Ribes spp.) including red (R. rubrum L.), black (R. nigrum L.), pink and white. Currants belong to the Saxifrage family. The red and black types are preferred for commercial production compared to the white. Currants are small deciduous shrubs which are native to Canada. Red currants range in size from three to five …
Are you growing haskap berries yet? If you’re not yet familiar with these cigar shaped berries, they may soon become your favourite fruit in your garden. With a flavour similar to a wild huckleberry crossed with a blueberry – they are juicier than Saskatoons, tamer than raspberries, and lower-maintenance than blueberries or strawberries. These amazing little berry shrubs have become …
For Edmonton Gardens (Zone 3-4) Welcome to the art of growing Blueberries in Alberta – for Zone 3 gardens! You are going to be surprised by how many half-high blueberries are tough enough to grow in our -35C winter wonderland here in Alberta! Most of the blueberry (Vaccinum) family hail from North America, where First Nations peoples have been enjoying …
Prairie Gardens – A Success Story A Woman-Led Business That Feeds the Community Any day is a perfect day to give a shoutout to women-led businesses that improve the lives of their communities. One such business Prairie Gardens, a farm in Sturgeon County that offers high-quality, fresh, and affordable produce for everyone. Meet Tam Andersen, who has been growing food …
In many ways, growing kiwi fruit is much like growing grapes. They are vigorous growers and need to be properly pruned, trained, and trellised. But, when they’re treated right, you’ll have more fruit than you can handle. Growing kiwi fruit should be on every gardeners to-do list! Variety selection is everything. For the Edmonton region (Canadian Hardiness Zone 3) we …
State of being precocious; a measure of time to flowering within the life span of an orchard. Dwarf rootstocks are typically more precocious than semi-dwarf or standard rootstocks. Apple varieties can differ in precocity too — for example, Honeycrisp is typically very precocious, while Northern spy is notoriously late bearing. What is the earliest harvest apple? Below is our shortlist …
