Harvesting Jostaberry Plants
Are you ready to enjoy delicious homegrown fruit? Harvest is the time to enjoy the results of your hard work. Keep a few things in consideration as you reap the fruits of your labor: the best time to pick the fruit from your tree, and how to store the fruit.
NOTE: This is part 10 in a series of 10 articles. For a complete background on how to grow jostaberry plants, we recommend starting from the beginning.
When to Harvest
You can start harvesting your berries in July of their second year. Pick jostaberries when they are fully colored, reddish-black, black or dark purple, and soft. Pick them in dry conditions, wet berries do not store well.
The annual average yield per plant is 10 lbs.
Storage
Berries can be kept in the refrigerator for 5 to 6 days or frozen for later use. Use our garden nets to protect your berries from the birds.