So, if trekking through the wilderness is not your favorite activity to enjoy the fine culinary delights of the huckleberry; as an alternative, how about growing your own huckleberries. Hopefully, the below instructions will assist in attaining a good variety of home grown huckleberries.
| Growing garden huckleberries is like growing pepper plants. Seeds should be sowed in March or April in a tray with good quality seed compost. To maintain a relative constant temperature, cover with a plastic sheet. |
| Huckleberries although known in some social circles as a oor man's blueberries are famous for their wildness. They have a very limited commercial purpose. A blueberry can be picked and eaten raw; however, this is not the case with a huckleberry. They certainly can pucker your lips with their sour taste when eaten in the raw. However, they can be added to recipes calling for black currants and definitely do some tasty magic with your pies, jams and jellies, and even make an excellent wine. |
| Treat the huckleberry seedlings just like pepper or tomato seedlings by keeping them well watered On a weekly basics application of a liquid fertilizer would be beneficial. When you are sure there is no more frost threat transport the plants outside, planting in a full sun location in the vegetable garden. |
| Garden huckleberries are a low maintenance plants, just add mulch which will keep the weeds away and maintain huckleberries in good shape. |
| If you remember earlier (see above) I mentioned that the huckleberry was a relative of the pepper, potato and tomato family which makes it prone to the pests that attack this group of vegetables. The best approach to avoid these pests, caterpillars and potato beetles, is by not planting your huckleberry plants near the other plants of the same family. |
| Generally, garden huckleberries bear fruit within ninety days after being planted outdoors. |
| Watering of the huckleberry is basically dependent on the weather. However, reduce the watering when the fruites are getting colored up, if the weather is not very hot. This aids in increasing the taste. Huckleberries can be harvested anytime before the first frost. The plants would be filled with little berries around that time. Harvest begins when the berry is no long shiny and so purple that they look almost black. |
| Remember, the berries grow in clusters and do not fall off easily. Cut the branches and take out the berries from them. Pack or can them and freeze for use throughout the year. One can enjoy syrups, pies, jams, ice cream sauce and, last but not least, wine. |
