Cranberry Production Timeline

CRANBERRIES

1stYear (Construction) January through end of April May through end of June July through end of September October through December	2nd Year (Vine Establishment) January through end of February Mid-February through early April April through end of May June through end of September October through end of December
Permanent and Temporary Seedings	Manage your Weeds Manage your Insects

Note: This timeline was first published in 1996 as a brochure (using Canvas 2.0) by Charles Armstrong, Cranberry Professional for the University of Maine Cooperative Extension, who at the time, was part of the Maine USDA-Americorps Program, positioned at the Down East Resource Conservation & Development office in Cherryfield. It represents the culmination of work done not only by those at the Down East RC&D but also by individuals with the Maine Department of Agriculture, the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), and the 1994-1995 Cranberry Water Quality Coordinator, Karen Mushrall. It is not to be viewed as though this is the best method for establishing a cranberry bed in Maine, but rather is simply a set of highly recommended guidelines based on personal experience from both growers and experts in the field.

Preparation Phase

Gather Cranberry Information:

Visit one or more of the major cranberry production areas in the country
Visit current Maine cranberry growers
Locate sources of funding for which you may be eligible
Talk to cranberry handlers and processors
Obtain cranberry publications and fact sheets, etc.
Consider joining the Maine Cranberry Growers Association
Attend Cranberry meetings and workshops
Start a business plan, including such things as: cost of bed establishment, where to market your berries, who to be in production with you, condition of equipment, etc.

Site Assessment

Consider hiring private consultants and engineers for advice, and try to organize a team from the following organizations to simultaneously visit your site:

(NRCS) Contact your District Conservationist for a preliminary site assessment. Site review will include information on factors such as water availability, soils, slope and land cover considerations.
Note: If interested in receiving or being eligible for USDA benefits, a certified wetlands determination must be requested.
(DEP) to determine if application for permits will be required. Bangor office tel: (207) 941-4570, fax: 207-941-4584
(Army Corps of Engineers) to determine if you will need Federal permits. Manchester, Maine office tel: (207) 623-8367
(Local) Call code enforcement officer to determine if local town ordinances will apply. Know your neighbors and what their concerns might be, and spend some time examining the Neighbor to Neighbor brochure.

Permit Applications:

Based on the outcome of your site assessment, obtain the appropriate permit application form(s).
Ask Stacie Beyer from Maine DEP (207-941-4570) about available pre-application forms.

1st Year: Construction

January through the end of April

Planning & Design of beds:
A consultant can assist you in these areas:

Engineering drawings, surveying and designing
Development of a more thorough time schedule for the various phases of construction
Planning the layout of your beds, including size and orientation for best management
Sediment and erosion control plan
Help with completing any unfinished permit applications
Number of acres you have for potentially planting cranberries on
Where and how to develop water sources

Note: Solidly built, erosion-resistant dikes that supply and maintain water levels are very important. During and shortly after bog construction is when the cranberry operation is most susceptible to the ravages of erosion.

May through the end of June

Bog and Dike Construction:
Note: From experience, experts agree that it is best to clear and level the land and excavate the drainage ditches the year before the vines are planted.

Removal of surface vegetation
Creation of erosion and sediment control structures, such as:

1. Siltation fencing

2. Staking haybales

3. Permanent and temporary mulches

4. Culverts

5. Drop structure

6. Rocked waterways

7. Sediment catch basins

Leveling of soil surface and bed area
Compacting subsoil
Formation of ditches and recovery pond

July through the end of September

Permanent and Temporary Seedings:
Maintaining water quality is important. Seed over all open areas as soon as possible before winter.

Start in July (no later than August 1st)
Preview your vine source in August to learn of chemical usage (especially Casoron) and any weed problems
Plant seedings on all bare ground, using the recommended amounts of seed, fertilizer and lime (consider hydroseeding for improved coverage)

October through December

Continue attending Cranberry Growers Association and other cranberry meetings (held once per month or so) and any special workshops
Order your cranberry vines, which are available from a variety of cranberry producing states, including Maine

2nd Year: Vine Establishment

January through the end of February

Attend additional workshops (if available), grower meetings, Ag. Trade Shows (such as the one in Augusta, Maine), etc.
Re-examine your financial situation and predict and prepare for upcoming expenses

Mid-February through early April

Final Site Preparations:

Watch for uneven settling of cut and fill areas that may have occurred within beds
Make any necessary repairs or improvements in your planting equipment

April through the end of May

Install sand-growing medium
Identify low spots and regrade bed elevations as needed
Test the pH of the sand (Ideal range: 4.2 to 5.5); lower with sulfur (to lower a single pH unit, such as from 6.0 to 5.0, apply a total of 1,000 lbs per acre of sulfur, spread over 14-day increments of 200 lbs maximum per application)
Apply and incorporate phosphate into the sand
Establish irrigation system
PLANT VINES (May 1st through June 6th) You must plant no later than June 6th

June through the end of September

Ground Cover Maintenance:

Apply proper rate of nitrogen (N) fertilizers every 2 weeks
Enroll in an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) program; Maine growers can contact Charles Armstrong (charlesa@umext.maine.edu) at the University of Maine in Orono for details: (207) 581-2940.
Conduct soil and leaf tissue samples in subsequent years
Manage your weeds:

            1) Perennials (pull)
            2) Herbaceous (pull or cut before going to seed)
            3) Grasses (herbicide)
            4) Rushes & Sedges (pull or use herbicide) NOTE: It can be helpful to draw a weed map (or have one drawn) to
               document the type and extent of your weed problem for future reference.

Manage your insects (more problematic in subsequent years): obtain a sweepnet and scout for various pests; use threshold tables and other resources found in various Maine cranberry publications; Save unknown specimens for identification by an entomologist or cranberry specialist

October through the end of December

Keep attending any cranberry meetings or workshops that might be offered (in Maine or elsewhere)
Frost Protection: Flood your beds as needed or use sprinkler system during the appropriate hours

If you have comments or questions about this page,
contact Charles Armstrong at: charlesa@umext.maine.edu

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These pages are currently being maintained by the Pest Management Office, University of Maine Cooperative Extension. Page Last Modified: 04/11/08