Who doesn’t love fresh berries? Who doesn’t love cheesecake?
Put them together and you’ve got something magical! Take it from Kaleb Wyse, a fourth-generation Iowan gardener who loves creating recipes with his produce as much as he loves growing them. Watch the full video below for this easy, no-bake, triple berry cheesecake—then grab some Espoma Organic Berry-tone fertilizer and start prepping your own.
Featured Products:
Nothing says summer like the fresh taste of homegrown fruit. Berries are becoming a staple crop in everyone’s summer garden, and for good reason! Not only are these little fruits delicious, they also provide a ton of nutritional benefits. Add some berries to your garden for a harvest the whole family is sure to love.
When growing fruits in your organic garden, be sure to use Espoma’s liquid plant foods to give you healthy blooms and abundant fruit.
Here are some of our favorite berries to grow:
Blueberries
Blueberries pack a big punch for such a small fruit. They are loaded with tons of vitamins, essential nutrients and antioxidants. Blueberries are often a favorite among kids, too. What better way to get kids involved with the garden than by planting something they love?
Blueberries also thrive in containers, making them the perfect fruit for small space gardeners. The beautiful foliage they produce is just an added bonus.
Try using Espoma’s Holly Tone plant food, perfect for acid-loving fruits like blueberries and strawberries.
Strawberries
Another fan favorite, strawberries are well-loved for their versatility. While delicious on their own, they also pair well with so many different flavors. They can be used in anything from sweet pies and homemade jams to a tasty vinaigrette dressing. Whether snacking, cooking or baking, there’s no way your strawberries will go to waste!
Strawberries grow best in soil with a pH level of 5.5-7. If your pH level is too high, use Espoma’s Soil Acidifier to create the perfect growing environment.
Raspberries
The sweet summer flavor of raspberries makes a great addition to any dessert.
Raspberries often grow up instead of out, so make sure you plant with support stakes or next to a fence. A tall raspberry plant looks beautiful in any garden and draws all eyes to the beautiful red and green foliage it creates.
Blackberries
Since they don’t produce fruit the first year of planting, blackberries require a bit of patience. However, with great care we promise it will be worth the wait!
When blackberries are ready to harvest, the flavors pair very well with raspberries. Blend together in a smoothie or bake a mixed berry pie and enjoy the taste of summer.
Want to know more about growing your favorite berries? Check out our infographic!
Espoma products to help you grow your best strawberries yet:
Laura from Garden Answer shows how to plant blueberries in containers and fertilize with Espoma’s Holly-tone. Watch the video below to see just how easy it is!
It’s almost September and your strawberry plants are still yielding fresh, summer-ripened fruit!
Strawberries are delicious and versatile. They can be used in desserts, smoothies or anything that’s cooked or pureed. They can also be frozen and made into jams. Where there’s a strawberry, there’s a way! But first, you have to know how to pick.
Prepare for Picking
In September, many strawberry plants will be busy developing latent buds for next spring’s flowers. Some will rest during late summer, only to be perk up in the middle of fall. Make sure to take advantage of your strawberry plants while they’re still producing fruit! (And remember, they’ll be back next year.)
Pick strawberries in the morning, before the sun gets too hot. Immediately after picking, place strawberries in the refrigerator. Be sure to rinse them before consuming, or before preparing a dish.
If you decide to not eat your strawberries right away or make them into a recipe, you can still freeze, dry or can them.
Our Favorite Recipes
Ingredients:
Blend ingredients together using a food processor until the consistency of the dressing is smooth.
Leftovers? Store extras in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Ingredients:
Preheat oven to 425◦.
Combine dry ingredients in large mixing bowl. Combine eggs and oil in a separate small mixing bowl.
Mix the strawberries into egg mixture.
Blend in flour mixture until thoroughly combined.
Spoon into greased muffin tins until nearly full.
Bake at 425◦ for 5 minutes. After that, reduce heat to 350◦ and bake an additional 15-19 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
Ingredients
Preheat oven to 400◦.
Place asparagus on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil.
Roast asparagus for 8-10 minutes, until just tender.
Boil. While the asparagus is roasting, boil the balsamic vinegar until reduced to about ¼ cup.
Serve and divide asparagus amongst plates and top with sliced berries, basil, and salt and pepper. Use a spoon to drizzle each serving of asparagus with the balsamic syrup and serve!
For more great berry recipes and other ideas, check out our Pinterest board and our ultimate berry growing guide!
Have a great strawberry recipe you want to share? Drop by our Facebook page!
There’s nothing more refreshing than the taste of summer berries, and in August your berries are still prime for picking!
Many berries ripen around mid-summer, so by now you already may have some practice with harvesting. Now that summer is starting to wind down, try these new recipes to prolong that sweet seasonal freshness.
“First, how can I tell when my berries are ready?”
For more information on taking care of your organic garden, check out our Berry Growing Guide!
Once you’ve collected your berries, take them to the next level with these easy and delicious recipes!
1. Slow cooker granola berry crisp: A perfect summertime dessert, made with your choice of berries from the garden. This recipe is light, fresh and healthy—a true seasonal staple!
2. Summer berry cheesecake salad: With just five ingredients, this recipe combines the sweetness of berries with all the great flavor of cheesecake filling. Makes for a sublime summer fruit salad!
3. Red berry vanilla almond smoothie bowl: Great for breakfast (or any other time of the day), this treat is fewer than 300 calories and takes five minutes to make. It’s a great way to add an extra summery punch to your regular breakfast routine.
4. Summer berry kale salad: This summer salad, combines signature vibrant and tropical flavors in one quick, easy dish!
5. Berry watermelon fruit salad: A classic take on combining peak season fruit. You can make this fruit salad well into September. Bonus tip: add a light sprinkle of lime juice before eating!
6. Mini summer berry galettes: You’ve already got your berries ready to go! Just fold your fruits into the pie crust and bake. Now you’ve got a healthy, sweet summer treat!
*****
What is your favorite way to prepare fresh berries in the kitchen? Try any of these recipes share your experience with us on our Facebook page!
Featured Products:
Short on space? Grow fruits and vegetables in galvanized buckets! Laura from Garden Answer shows you how to plant the perfect companion plants for containers. Try zucchini, peppers, tomatoes and marigolds or raspberries with strawberries.
There’s nothing like fresh-picked blueberries to add to a smoothie, salad or dessert. Rich in many health-benefiting nutrients, anti-oxidants, and vitamins, blueberries don’t just taste delicious, they’re also nutritious.
The secret to grow delicious, thriving blueberry plants: feed them, a lot.
Maximize your blueberry bushes’ health, help it resist insects and diseases, and boost your harvest by providing the right kinds of soil amendments.
When to Fertilize Blueberries
Fertilizing is recommended in early spring before the leaves have grown in. This gives the fertilizer time to be absorbed by the roots of the blueberry before it enters its active growth stage during summer.
Feed new plants once in early spring and again in late spring. Healthy, established plants should not need to be fed more often than once a year.
Photo courtesy of Bushel and Berry™
The Best Fertilizer for Blueberries
Blueberry bushes respond best to acid fertilizers such as those for rhododendrons and azaleas. Holly-tone has long been used by professional gardeners as the best source of food for berries.
From blocking weeds to conserving water, mulching goes hand in hand with fertilizing and is also very important for blueberry bushes. By feeding as it decomposes, mulch helps to maintain soil acidity. The best mulch options are oak leaves, pine straw or pine bark. Gardeners should spread it in a 3-4” thick layer.
How to Fertilize Blueberries
For established plants, spread one cupful of Holly-tone per foot of branch spread. Double the quantity if branch spread is 3’ or larger.
If the area to be fed is mulched, remove as much mulch as you can, feed, and then restore the mulch on top of the plant food. If you can’t remove the mulch, just double recommended feeding rates.
To lower the pH of soils for optimum growth of acid-loving plants such as blueberries, you can also mix in Soil Acidifier as needed.
Always water well after fertilizing.
Laura from Garden Answer shows how to plant blueberries in containers and fertilize with Espoma’s Holly-tone. Watch the video below to see just how easy it is!
Raspberries are a summer staple in every kitchen. Make them a staple in the organic garden, too.
Whether you are growing berries for jam, raspberry cobbler, or just to eat as a quick and healthy snack, these sweet little fruits will never disappoint!
If you want to enjoy these delicious summer berries, now is the time to start planting. Here’s how, and when to plant raspberries.
Pick a Berry
Summer-bearing fruits bear one crop per season, typically summer. Ever-bearing fruits bear two crops, one in the summer and one in the fall. Choose your variety based on how many berries you’d like to harvest.
Contrary to popular belief, raspberries aren’t always red! They also come in yellow, purple and black, so grow a variety of berries and add some color to your organic garden this summer. Visit your local garden center and they can help you choose a variety best fit for your region.
When and Where?
The best time to plant raspberries is in early or mid-spring. These berries are inclined to grow in cooler climates, but the ground might not be workable until after the last frost.
When choosing a location, plant raspberries in an area with full sun and good air circulation. Avoid areas with heavy winds that may damage plants. Leave about 3 feet of space in between each plant.
Because some varieties of raspberries send long canes upward as they grow, they need support. Plant them next to a fence or create a simple support alongside the row with stakes and wire.
Soil Conditions
Raspberries will grow best in slightly acidic, well-drained soil. Be sure to test your soil — an ideal pH level is anywhere between 5.5 and 6.5. If the soil is not acidic enough, add Espoma’s Soil Acidifier.
Add an organic plant food to the soil to encourage healthy growth. Espoma’s Holly-tone is perfect for raspberries as it is a slow-release fertilizer for extended feeding. Keep the soil evenly moist and water as needed.
And that’s it! You’ll have juicy, fresh-picked raspberries in no time.
Blackberry cobbler, fruit salad, pie, and muffins – oh my!
These yummy berries are loaded with antioxidants and Vitamin-C, which help promote healthy skin and improve memory.
So maybe, it’s ok to have that second slice of cobbler after all?
We’re getting ahead of ourselves, though. Let’s get those blackberries planted first.
Grow Bliss in the Garden! Plant Blackberries
1. Just in Time! The best time to plant blackberries is early spring. If you’re feeling eager, plant them a month before winter’s last frost if the ground is workable. Planting in late fall works, too – as long as winters temps aren’t especially cold.
2. Here or There? Plant blackberries in full sun. Also, blackberries don’t play well with others. Choose a spot that hasn’t had blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, tomatoes, potatoes, eggplants, or peppers growing there in the last few years. Otherwise, leftover diseases or pests from those plants could spread to your blackberries.
3. Testing, Testing. Once, you’ve found the prime spot, test the soil. Blackberries prefer well-draining, acidic soil. Add a handful of compost and Espoma’s Organic Soil Acidifier, if needed.
Growing, Growing, Gone! Plant your blackberry 1” deeper than it was growing in its pot. Plant upright varieties 3’ apart and trailing varieties 5-8’ apart. Then, water.
Ready, Set, Wait! Blackberries don’t produce fruit their first year, but they still need TLC to establish. Give them 1-2” of water a week, and organically feed throughout the season with Holly-tone.
