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Saskatoon Berry

Saskatoon Berry
Introduction
Mr. John Doe

Head Director

Description

Optimal Time/Temperature for Germination:
Hardiness zones are zones 4 to 9. Very cold winters or very hot summers are not suitable for this shrub’s growing habit. Since it is somewhat prone to mildew, humidity can also be an issue. The best time to plant seed is in spring and fall. The seeds do not take long to germinate. Germination in pots can require as little as five days. But you had better ‘pretreat them for 90-120 days’ to increase the germination rates. Then, when the time comes, it is better to check the weather forecast and make sure warm weather is ahead. Keep the extra seeds in an air- tight glass vial and freeze them to provoke dormancy. Add some cotton to ensure low moisture, and your seeds will last for decades. Saskatoon (Serviceberry) seeds should undergo cold-moist stratification. Luckily, you can cold stratify seeds in a couple of different ways using the fridge if you do not winter sow them outside. All you need is: a spray bottle with water, one paper towel sheet or some sand (either of them will act as the medium), two plastic ziplock bags, and a marker pen to label them. Open the first baggie. First, wet the medium- spray the sand or paper towel sheet with water. You might want to mist the sand, mix it up, and repeat a couple of times until moist but not dripping water when you squeeze it in your hand. Put enough sand in the bag to cover the seeds. But not so much you will struggle to retrieve them later. Sand works best with big seeds, but since different varieties make seeds of different sizes and shapes, it is better to know both methods. Close the bag, flatten it before sealing it to squeeze the air out, and label it. Now you can toss it in the fridge at a temperature of 37F (3C). Keep it there for ‘at least two months’. With a paper towel, the procedure is the same. But it is better to fold it twice before moistening it. In this way, you can squeeze it to check it is not dripping water, and you will still maintain the fold. Put the seed inside the paper towel sheet, fold it over once more, and put it in the second ziplock bag for refrigeration.
Optimal Soil Conditions:
Most varieties adapt to different soils and are cold- hardy. But the seeds prefer neutral and well-drained soils and temperatures above 40F (although the optimal temperature is not known). Full sun to partial shade works but it should get a minimum of four hours of direct light per day to ensure proper fruiting of its berries in summer. The best temperature range for sowing is between 70 and 77F (21 and 25C). If growing from seeds, the potting mix is lighter and has better moisture retention than natural garden soil. Plus, it has better drainage and air holding capacity, which allows the plant to grow faster. And it also helps serviceberry seedlings avoid weed and plant pathogens that may already be in natural soil. 30% coarse sand, 60% universal potting soil (preferably, with the pH level just slightly on the acidic side), and10% perlite. If you do not want to grow your tree in a pot, you might have to amend the soil. Garden soil can have a high clay content. So, the first step is to amend it with sand. A combination of sand and peat will allow for the best results. In the end, you should strive to achieve a mix with: 30% clay, 10% peat, 20% sand and 50% slightly acid soil. Most will like neutral to slightly acidic soils (pH between 5.5 and 7.0). The Amelanchier arborea (downy serviceberry) prefers low pH acidic soils and can grow out of granite rocks in nature. In order to make your soil more acidic, add some peat moss, pine needles or coffee grounds. This will also improve texture and drainage of clay soil.
Seed Planting Depth, Spacing and Procedure:
Plant non scarified seeds in late fall in full sun or part shade at a depth of 1/4 inch. Scarified seeds should be planted in the spring. Germination may take as long as eighteen months. Growth rate depends on species, variety and growing conditions. Cover it with mulch and leave. Only a quarter to half will sprout, but plant enough to take that into consideration. They should start showing up the next spring. They are slow to grow at first, then take off in the second and third years. Space plants 12 to 15 ft. apart or if a hedge is desired, plant them 5 ft. apart. Make sure that water and air get on the root, otherwise, the seedling will suffocate. So, plant more in different places for the best results. Also, growing seedlings in partial shade may amp up the success rate. Adult plants prefer full sun. But if you sow the seeds too late, the heat coupled with the summer sun might be too extreme for the seedling to survive. Also keep an eye out for root suckers and trim them to keep growth under control. To eliminate the time-consuming efforts involved in seed separation, stratification and planting, you can also collect small, self-sown seedlings from areas near established serviceberry trees. Obtain permission from the trees’ owner first. Use a trowel to dig up the seedlings, making sure the root ball is at least a few inches in diameter for very small seedlings and larger for more established ones. Plant seedlings so that the top of the root ball is level with the surrounding soil. Spring planting is best for seedlings. Water seedlings regularly during dry spells. These berry shrubs can be susceptible to wind damage, so be sure to protect your Saskatoons from any high winds.
Best Companion Plants and Plants that Hinder:
Grow serviceberry trees in naturalized groups with other spring flowering trees and shrubs, such as Cornelian cherry and forsythia, or with other berry producing plants to attract birds, such as viburnum and dogwoods. Serviceberry can also be planted at the corner of the home as a foundation shrub and in wet areas where other trees and shrubs can’t grow. (grow these where you can see the white flowers and attractive fall foliage from the house.)

Growing Instructions

Crop Maintenance

Moisture Requirements & Solutions:
This shrub doesn’t have any special water needs beyond normal rainfall and can be somewhat drought tolerant. In extended periods of drought, however, lasting more than two weeks, or more than a week with daily temperatures over 85F, a deep watering at the base of the tree will help keep it healthy. Prolonged drought may affect the production of berries,
Weeding Needs & Solutions:
Saskatoons do not compete well with invasive weeds, so ensure that your planting area is free and clear of weeds before planting this shrub. Beyond yearly pruning, the Saskatoon Serviceberry requires no special care. If the root system becomes exposed, add some topsoil around the base. A light dressing of manure every other autumn will keep the root system healthy.
Feeding Needs/Optimal Natural Fertilizers:
Fertilize young plants in spring with compost or a tree plant food. Older trees don’t generally need fertilization. During the first three years after planting your Saskatoon bushes, you’ll prune only to remove diseased, broken, or dead stems. Don’t forget to remove stems that are healthy but drooping too low to the ground. You’ll use sharp clean tools to cut damaged or droopy stems. Later, Serviceberry can be pruned into a small tree on a single trunk, or allowed to grow multiple-trunks and more as a large shrub. Prune in early winter, to reduce sap loss, to shape the tree into the form you like.
Pests, Diseases & Solutions:
There are a few pests to be aware of with this shrub, including fire blight, rust, fungal leaf spots, cankers, and mildew. Rabbits and mice may also enjoy chewing on the bark. One natural cure for this is spraying with a solution of water with shaved Irish Spring soap (dissolve one shaved bar into one quart hot water, then dilute with two gallons on water; shake before using). Its seeds are spread by birds. Protect the tree with netting if you intend on harvesting the berries in the summer. Insects problems can include sawfly, borers, leaf miner and scale. Natural solutions are Soap sprays, Pepper spray, Neem oil, row covers, hand removals, and beneficial insects that will eat destructive insects. One sawfly killer is mixing dish soap and water and spray it directly onto the larvae. This is definitely a fast, cheap, and easy technique to quickly get rid of them. The only problem is that you need to do it daily to make sure you bring their numbers down. Also as simple as it sounds, you can use a strong garden hose with a pressurized nozzle to blast them off. You can manually pick off the larvae with a pair of tweezers and drop them into a bucket of soap water. This works to get rid of sawfly caterpillars (larvae) or worms.
When to Harvest/Number of days to maturity:
Young plants will begin to produce berries in their third year. They ripen between late June to early August.
How to Harvest:
Ripe fruits are dark and have a dark peduncle, too. The berries form on the previous year’s wood and any older wood. New shoots won’t be bearing fruit until its next year. The fruit is small reddish or purplish, has several hard seeds, and on most, the flesh is sweet and juicy. Harvesting is easy and they also ripen evenly so you can just harvest the whole bunch. This means that you can easily harvest them by hand. Just make sure not to wait until they’re too ripe.
Optimal Storage temperature and conditions:
They have a blueberry like flavor and can be used in much the same way for making pies, jams, cobblers, preserves, smoothies, juices, frozen for future use, or eat fresh or dried (in a dehydrator for three hours at 165F). The taste can be somewhat bland owing to being more sweet than tart, and fresh lemon juice is often used to boost their flavor in recipes. Saskatoon sauce to name a few clever ways for including Saskatoon berries in your favorite recipes. Combine Saskatoons with raspberries or strawberries to make a Bumbleberry crisp. By the way, you can eat the seeds, and when cooked, the seeds soften and don’t take away from the texture. The branches, twigs, and bark can be boiled into a medicinal tea.
Optimal Preserving Procedures:
Seed Saving:
Collect fruits when they are ripe in early summer, when fully colored. Seeds must be separated from the fruit, which can be done by spinning fruits briefly in a blender, preferably one with a dull blade, and removing the seeds from the resultant pulp. Clean the seeds immediately to prevent any fermentation. Dry for several days on a sheet of newspaper. If necessary, store in airtight containers. Seeds can be sown in fall or, using a cold-stratification method, in spring.

Harvest and Storage

Notes

There are two Saskatoon Serviceberry cultivars that can accommodate different size and shape preferences: the “Regent” is a compact version that grows only four to six feet tall and wide, and the “Standing Ovation” grows from twelve to fifteen feet high but only two to three feet wide. Collect seeds from cultivated, domestic serviceberry trees, as those collected from wild specimens will be less viable overall. Seedlings from named serviceberry varieties may or may not come true from seed. Many named varieties, such as “Autumn Brilliance” and “Ballerina,” are actually hybrids. Offspring of these varieties will have some but probably not all characteristics of the parent plant. To produce offspring identical to the parents, propagate by rooted cuttings instead of seeds. (Propagation by cuttings can be done, but the results can be disappointing. Not suggested except for a person with a lot of experience doing this.) The Best way to get this done for free is to transplant root suckers. These plants spread by the roots, so find where a small one is coming up from the roots of a larger one, cut off some of the root with it, and plant in a pot and put where it gets good light, but not direct sunlight. You must keep the soil damp. You can also plant one of these directly in the ground, but again make sure it does not dry out and does not get full, direct sun until it has fully established and is starting to grow again. Saskatoon will sprout suckers around it, but if you plant in a lawn area where you mow around it regularly, that is a non-issue, though it is good to remember the trunk is very sensitive to damage, so don’t hit it or use a weed whacker right against the tender bark or you will girdle the tree and kill it. The neat thing about Saskatoon bushes is that they don’t require a second bush to grow berries, so if you only have room for one, that’s not a problem.

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