Country Living in a Cariboo Valley

Homesteading in BC

DIY Farmhouse Daisy Mason Jar Craft Project

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This farmhouse mason jar craft adds the perfect touch to your country home decor!

Here’s a pretty way to add a country touch to your home. This easy DIY farmhouse mason jar craft can be made in a few hours. These jars look so pretty filled with blooming wildflowers!

Want to see how it’s made? Read on, gather an empty mason jar or two and get ready. You can use either quart jars or smaller pint jars for this farmhouse craft idea.

DIY Farmhouse Mason Jar Vase

The finished farmhouse mason jar craft - pretty country decor.
The finished farmhouse mason jar craft – pretty country decor.

 

Supplies needed to make these daisy flower mason jar vases:

(I’ve added a handy Amazon shopping guide below for everything you need)

 

Supplies needed to make this Daisy Painted Mason Jar craft
All the supplies needed to make this Farmhouse Chalk Painted mason jar.

 

DIY Chalk Paint Recipe

  • 1 TBSP baking soda
  • 2 TBSP acrylic paint (the ratio is always 2 to 1)

I ended up using 2 TBSP baking soda and 4 TBSP paint mixed together to cover the whole jar. The important thing to remember is that the ratio is always 2 parts paint to 1 part soda.

Ratio = 2 parts paint to 1 part baking soda

 

Instructions for Painting your Farmhouse Mason Jar:

 

Mix baking soda and paint together.
Mix together the baking soda and acrylic paint.

 

The first thing to do to get started is to mix together the baking soda and the acrylic paint. It will be a thicker consistency, which is just what you want. Mix really well.

 

Painting a mason jar with acrylic paint
Paint the mason jar and be sure to let it dry completely before adding another coat.

 

Next paint the mason jar, allowing for time to dry between coats. The drying time is important!

 

Chalk painted daisy mason jar on farmhouse counter.
Pretty farmhouse decor for your country porch or kitchen.

If you don’t wait long enough the paint will come off in sections when it is drying. I applied 3 coats of the yellow paint, making sure to also paint the top of the jar.

Tip: Let the paint dry completely before adding another coat!

 

Wrapping jute twine around the mouth of the mason jar.
Wrap jute twine around and around the mason jar, finishing with a bow.

Use Jute Twine for a Country Touch

After the jar has been painted and is completely dry, it’s time to start wrapping your jute twin around the top of the jar. I wrapped it many times until the top of the jar was covered. Finish it off by tying the leftover string in a simple bow.

 

Use a Qtip and paint to paint daisies on mason jar.
Use a Qtip and chalk paint to paint daisies on mason jar.

 

Next using the Q-tip and Waverly white chalk paint, dip the top of the Q-tip into the paint and make a small circle on the jar (just dabbing it on will leave an open space in the middle of the dab).

 

Painting white circles to make a daisy on the jar.
Create little daisies on the mason jar, making as many as you like.

 

Then add 3 more circles with the Q-tip to create the daisy. Keep doing this around the jar until you have your desired look.

Tip: Don’t just dab; make an actual circle!

 

Allow to dry completely. Add some greenery and flowers and set it on display.

 

The finished farmhouse mason jar craft - pretty country decor.
The finished farmhouse mason jar craft – pretty country decor.

Here’s the finished chalk paint mason jar – I love it! Looks great sitting on a small wood slab on your counter or on a side table on your porch.

More Ways to Use Chalk Painted Mason Jars
 

Even though these jars would look beautiful on their own, here are a couple more ways you can use these DIY mason jar projects. Add a hanging string or wire to the jar and then hang from a wall bracket like this one for some country style wall decor.

Drop a tea light or a short thick jar candle inside, light it and you’ve got the perfect farmhouse style candle holders.

These pretty daisy mason jars would also look perfect at a farmhouse wedding – you could use 3 painted jars of different size on each guest table. Paint them using your wedding colours and then fill with wild flowers. Add a few tealights and a bit of fresh greenery and you’ve got a very pretty table center piece!

Looking for more country or beach theme wedding ideas? Take a look here!

Get started creating your Farmhouse decor with this Farmhouse Mason Jar craft! It’s an adorable and easy way to add a country touch!

 

Other Farmhouse decor ideas!

Looking for Farmhouse porch ideas? Take a look at these…

Here’s how to paint ugly wood paneling to brighten up your whole home!

Ugly counters? Here’s how to paint counters to look like granite.

5 Crafts to Make with Kids for Christmas Gifts

These cute Mini Book Ornaments are a fun DIY Christmas craft.

 

Using chalk paint on mason jars for crafts

8 Ways to Use and Preserve Rhubarb

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Looking for ways to use and preserve Rhubarb? I’ve got delicious recipes for you!

Spring on a northern homestead, what a wonderful time of year! In many gardens, the first small harvests begin to happen. Along with Asparagus and Jerusalem Artichokes, another early plant in our gardens is Rhubarb, which we usually start picking in June. Read on to find lots of great rhubarb recipes.

Want more articles about preserving food? Check out all of our Preserving Food posts here.

Rhubarb stalks sit beside home canned Rhubarb jam and fresh strawberries.
Delicious Rhubarb recipes for baking, cooking and preserving.

And Rhubarb is a beautiful plant too, so you can easily tuck it in a corner of any flower bed. With its gorgeous huge green leaves, it makes a great backdrop for flowering plants in front.

Mid Spring is peak season for harvesting Rhubarb – whether you grow it in your garden or buy it at the farmer’s market, here are several ways to preserve rhubarb for using later.

Here are 8 great ways to use and preserve Rhubarb (with help from some of my awesome gardening friends).

 

Harvested stalks ready to use and preserve Rhubarb.
Harvested stalks ready to use and preserve Rhubarb.

8 Ways to Use and Preserve Rhubarb

 

Rhubarb growing in the garden
Established Rhubarb bed in the lower garden

Growing Rhubarb

If you haven’t grown Rhubarb before, you may want to know more about how to plant and take care of Rhubarb. Here’s an article I wrote years ago about how to grow Rhubarb. Since it is a perennial, you just plant it once and watch it return every single year.

Diced Rhubarb sits below Rhubarb stalks and leaves

 

How great is that? Not only is it an inexpensive plant, you get to harvest Rhubarb every spring.

If picked yearly, the plants will live for decades. And you’ll be able to use Rhubarb in delicious recipes like the ones below.

 

how to make rhubarb wine
Homemade Rhubarb Wine – you’ll find the recipe link below.

 

Some of you know that we really enjoy making a batch or two of Rhubarb Wine each year. Isn’t it a pretty colour?

We also blend Rhubarb with berries such as Raspberries and Honeyberries, and end up with a tasty Bumbleberry wine.

We use some of our harvest in crisp, cobblers or pies, mixed with berries to add some delicious sweetness. There are a lot of other great ways to use it too. Here are lots of delicious recipes from some gardening friends! Enjoy!

How to Use and Preserve Rhubarb

How to Freeze Rhubarb

Freezing Rhubarb is a great way to preserve it! And it’s easy to do; pick the stalks by grabbing low to the base and then twist to break it off. This is much better than cutting the rhubarb stalks.

Wash stalks, then cut into smaller pieces. Since we like to use frozen rhubarb in our fruit crisps, I dice the stalks into small pieces, then put the rhubarb pieces into a freezer bag or an airtight freezer container.

Most of our fruit crisp recipes call for 4 cups of fruit. Since we like to mix rhubarb with a berry to make crisp, I measure out the diced rhubarb into 2 cup measures before adding to the freezer bag.

Seal the bag, pop into the freezer. When it’s time to use it, we just pull out a bag of frozen rhubarb, let it thaw, then bake or cook with it.

If you like, cut the rhubarb larger, into 1-inch pieces, place in a single layer on baking trays, then pop them in the freezer.

Once frozen, you can transfer them to an container with a tight fitting lid.

We love the flavor of the mixture of rhubarb with strawberries, raspberries or honeyberries.

 

how to can rhubarb

 

Pressure Can Rhubarb

Want to learn how to pressure can Rhubarb so you can enjoy it all year long? Home canned rhubarb is a really good way to use some of the harvest, especially if you have large plants that need to be picked. Process pints for use all year round.

We like to use a pint jar for canning Rhubarb but if you have a large family, you may want to can Rhubarb in quart jars instead.

This winter, you’ll be able to grab a jar or two from your pantry and bake a rhubarb crisp or a pie. Or grab a couple of quarts of rhubarb to make a pie.

(Courtesy of Back to Our Roots)

 

 

rhubarb recipes

Rhubarb Crisp

Why not bake a delicious Rhubarb Crisp? You can use all Rhubarb for the recipe or mix it up with blueberries or strawberries! Makes a delicious dessert topped with some ice cream!

(Courtesy of Better Hens and Gardens)

 

rhubarb sauce in a jar

Rhubarb Sauce

Or think of whipping up some yummy Rhubarb Sauce you can use for desserts or an evening treat? Wouldn’t this Rhubarb Syrup be great over ice cream, pancakes or waffles?

Or pour some over homemade cakes, loaves or your morning yogurt.

(Courtesy of Learning and Yearning)

 

Rhubarb ice cream in a bowl

Rhubarb Ice Cream

Speaking of ice cream, have you ever tried Rhubarb Ice Cream, anyone? I am definitely trying this one! Get the kids to help make it, then grab a big bowl!

(Courtesy of Yearning and Learning)

 

Rhubarb loaf on a cutting board

Rhubarb Juice

How about some canned Rhubarb juice? This is so refreshing when mixed with ginger ale – perfect on a hot summer afternoon. And the pretty pink colour!

(Courtesy of Grace Garden and Homestead)

 

rhubarb on a table

Fermented Rhubarb

How about some Fermented Rhubarb? Probiotic Rhubarb Lemonade anyone? Great for your health and tastes a lot like regular Rhubarb. Use some in muffins!

(Courtesy of They’re Not Our Goats)

 

rhubarb cooking on the stove

Strawberry Rhubarb Jam

Want to make some jam so you can stock your pantry shelves? Try this easy Strawberry Rhubarb Jam!

Making this jam uses a water bath canning method, so you can safely store your extra jars for winter (or anytime, really). Recipe makes about 6 pints of jam.

(Courtesy of Simply Canning)

 

Try one (or more!) of these 8 ways to use and preserve Rhubarb.

Even one Rhubarb plant will give you a nice big harvest every year. If you have a family, you may want two plants. But pick up some Rhubarb plants this year and start growing! You’ll be glad you did.

 

More tips for growing Rhubarb 

 

Everything you want to know about how to grow Rhubarb

Tips for how to harvest Rhubarb in spring

What to do with the Rhubarb flower stalk and the big Rhubarb leaves

Updated tips for making Rhubarb Wine

 

Rhubarb loaf and ice cream on a table

 

8 different ways to use Rhubarb

 

 

 

published May 19 2017, updated Jun 2022

How to Grow Herbs – Indoor or Outdoor Herb Gardens

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Once you know how to grow herbs, you can easily start your own indoor or outdoor herb garden!

If you’ve never grown herbs, you are in for a treat. Fresh herbs taste incredible compared to the dried herbs you can buy at the supermarket. There is just no comparison. At all. 

And once you start growing some of your own herbs, you might just add a few different herb plants to your garden next year!

How to Grow Herbs like chives, oregano, thyme, mint and other herbs.
Learning how to grow herbs indoors in pots or outdoors in a garden will mean lots of fresh herbs to use in cooking.

How to Grow Herbs Indoors or Outdoors

Before we get into how to grow herbs, let’s take a look at why you may want to begin to grow herbs, and there are several reasons.

What are Herbs used for?

Herbs are not only used in cooking, they have other uses as well, including:

  • for medicinal purposes
  • ingredients for making soothing herbal teas
  • adding flavour to food and cooking
  • to add colour, beauty and variety to a garden

 Many cultures use herbs in various ways and recipes, as they make food taste better and provide health benefits. Herbs grown at home or in the garden are much healthier than commercially grown herb plants!

This is because of the common use of pesticides on large farms and garden nurseries. Freshly picked herbs grown organically have a lot more taste and are much healthier for you.

Where to Buy Herb Plants and Herb Seeds

Herb plants can be grown organically from seeds or cuttings. The better quality plants are available between April and June or in the fall months.

Herb plants with lots of leaves in tiny pots may look healthy but have they been growing in heated greenhouses at the garden center? They may need extra care when you first get them home – you should slowly harden them off.

How to grow herbs indoors or outdoors
Slowly harden off herb plants that were grown in a greenhouse before planting outdoors.

This means keeping the herbs indoors and setting them outside for a few hours every day. Add a bit of outdoor time every day, so the potted herbs settle in to the outdoor temperatures. Within a week, you should be able to leave the herbs outdoors day and night, depending on night time temperatures.

Really take a good look at the herb plants at the nursery before buying. The leaves should be whole, green, without spots, holes or obvious parasites – in other words, buy healthy plants at the start. Seeds and plants can be bought from nurseries or through reputable online stores.

Nurseries also give valuable advice on whether it is better to buy seeds or plants for certain herbs. Thyme, for example, is difficult to grow from seeds and is better bought as a Thyme plant.

Why are Herb Plants more Expensive to Buy?

Herbs are almost always more expensive to buy when you compare them to buying flowers. One reason is because many of these herbs are perennial plants. Many flowers are annuals so they are usually cheaper.

Are Perennial Herb Plants a Good Thing?

Many herbs are perennial plants and yes! Perennial herbs are a good thing to plant in containers or in your garden beds. Perennial herbs will grow all spring and summer and well into the fall.

Come the beginning of winter, they die back. At this point, trim off some of the dead leaves and branches. Over winter the plant will rest, then in spring, will begin to grow again. It’s not uncommon for herb plants to live for over 10 years, returning every year to supply you with fresh herbs.

How can I Find Free Herb Plants?

Swapping seeds, cuttings and plants is an inexpensive way to grow a garden! Many gardeners exchange cuttings with neighbours, family, friends and other gardeners and plant them in spring and summer when the heat makes roots grow quickly.

Outdoor Herb Gardens

A small, sunny plot of about 20 square feet should be enough for a medium-sized family. Most herbs like a lot of sun, although some will grow in shade.

Purple Basil in an outdoor herb garden.
Purple Basil growing in an organic outdoor herb garden.

Herbs plants do not grow well in stagnant water so a well-drained, slight slope with lots of sun is a good choice. Fine gravel and garden compost can be added into holes before planting to improve drainage and the quality of the soil.

An organic nitrogen source like alfalfa meal or soy meal can also be added for heavier feeders like basil. Generally, herbs grow well when they are watered regularly.

Perennial and annual herbs can have different soil and water needs so perennial herbs could be grouped together in border areas of the garden and annual herbs in another part or grown with the vegetables in that part of the garden.

One of my favourite perennial herbs, Valerian herb, is grown in my flower bed. Since Valerian grows to about 5 feet tall, it’s the perfect flowering herb to grow amongst the flowers. And it smells just incredible! Find out more about how to grow Valerian right here.

 

What Herbs grow well together? What Herbs don’t grow well together?

Just like vegetables, sometimes herbs don’t grow well planted close to another particular type of herb. 

Good Herb combinations:

  • Parsley
  • Chives
  • Basil
  • Sage

These all work well growing next to each other.

How to grow herbs like this thyme, growing in a pot.

Another Good Herb Plant Combination:

  • Rosemary
  • Thyme
  • Tarragon

These herbs like drier conditions than the first group of herbs, so if you can plant these apart from the others it would be better. Watering will be easier, as it will be easier to keep the second group of herbs drier.

Does Mint Spread?

Yes, oh, yes it does. And that’s the reason you should consider always planting mint in a container! Mint can be a very aggressive spreader so it’s best to be grown alone, separately from other herbs. 

Grow Mint herb in a pot so you can keep it contained.
It’s easy to see how big a mint plant can get – always consider planting mint in a pot!

Because mint can be so aggressive, it can also become very difficult to remove it from your herb garden. You may not mind your mint plant spreading in the beginning, but at some point, it will climb right in with other plants and you will find it very difficult to dig it out.

That being said, if you have a border in a sunny spot that you want filled with a pretty plant but want it to be very low maintenance, then Mint might just be the herb you need for that spot. Even invasive herbs have their spot in a garden. Just consider the speed and distance the mint will grow before deciding to plant it in the ground. 

Indoor Herb Gardens – How to Grow Herbs Indoors in Pots

Herbs can also be grown on windowsills, terraces or balconies. They grow well in pots and can compete with any flowering plant for colour. Lavender’s purple flowers, chive’s purple pompoms and the red, yellow and green leaves of the sage herb are a feast for the eyes.

Pots can be hung from the rails of a balcony, the ceilings of covered terraces or from wire mesh fixed to a wall. Shelves are good for herbs that grow better in shade than direct sunlight like mint, parsley and bee or lemon balm.

Oregano is a herb you can grow indoors easily.

For gardeners who don’t have a balcony or terrace, herbs can be grown together in a mixture of soil for flowers with some sand and compost in a terracotta pot on a windowsill.

Remember, herbs need well-drained soil so some fine gravel at the bottom of the pot should help with drainage. Some plants grow well together and others don’t.

This article, Herbs and Spices you can Grow Indoors has all the specific information you need. Plus you’ll find our list of 8 top herbs to grow indoors!

 

How to Store Herbs

Some herb plants can be abundant and provide much more than one family can use. So take what you need and then just leave the rest of your plant alone to grow.

After you take enough herbs for fresh eating, don’t forget that you can cut and preserve large harvests of herbs to use later in cooking. 

Most herbs can be dried in a dark, hot, well-aired room or in an oven at 50°C. Everything you want to know about how to dry herbs can be found at that link.

bunch of fresh chives on a wooden cutting board
Cutting chives into 1/4″ pieces, getting ready for drying.

We use a lot of Chives over the winter – here are all the different ways to dry Chives to use later for cooking.

Freezing herbs preserves their aromatic qualities better than drying them. Here’s how I freeze Basil leaves – and they taste just as fresh in January as when I harvested them in the summer. Works for other herbs too!

An increase in the popularity of ethnic and organic foods combined with the fact that fresh herbs have more taste than dried herbs means that more people are growing their own herbs in indoor or outdoor herb gardens for fresh use, drying or freezing.

Once you know how to grow herbs, you can easily grow and save your own herbs and stop buying dried herbs at the store!

 

More articles you want to know about:

Want all of our Best Gardening Tips plus links to each of our vegetable gardening articles? All the info you need is right there!

Want to learn How to Preserve Food – this article has links to each of our preserving food articles, including freezing, dehydrating, water bath canning, pressure canning and more!

More information on growing your own herbs can be found right here.

How Big of a Container Does a Pepper Plant Really Need?

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Ever wondered what size of container for pepper plants is the best?

We enjoy growing peppers in our greenhouse. We plant some in the vegetable garden but we also grow peppers in containers. If you’re wondering what size of container for pepper plants is the best for growing thriving plants, here’s the ideal.

Choose a pot that is at least 8 inches; a 2 gallon pot is the right size. If possible, though, bump that up to growing pepper plants in a 12 inch pot; this size will give the roots plenty of room to grow. 

Want more articles about gardening? Check out all of our Food Gardening posts here.

 

What size container for pepper plants. These orange peppers grow in a 12 inch pot

What Size Container for Pepper Plants?

Do Peppers Grow Well in Containers?

They sure do! Peppers are the perfect choice for growing in containers, planters, pots or in a grow bag; they are not a huge bushy plant and you will be surprised at how many peppers will grow on just one plant!

All kinds of sweet bell peppers and hot peppers will do well in containers or in raised beds in the garden.

How Big of a Container does a Pepper Plant Need?

As mentioned above, the ideal container size for growing peppers is 12 inches. But you can grow peppers in smaller containers, they just won’t grow as big or have as many peppers to pick.

How deep should a container be for peppers?

Pots for growing peppers should be at least 10 inches deep. So a pot 12 wide and 10 deep is perfect.

How many pepper plants can I put in a container?

That ideal pot size is meant for growing one pepper plant. If you want to plant two or more, you will be better off choosing a larger pot.

 

Container size for pepper seeds are these medium styrofoam coffee cups.
Styrofoam coffee cups (reusable!) are the perfect container size for pepper seeds to be started.

 

How to Grow Pepper Seedlings in Pots, Indoors

We start our peppers from seed in Styrofoam cups (that we reuse many times – I just be sure to wash them out well). I sow seeds into the cups at the beginning of April, then set them in seed trays under a grow light in our basement.

The photo above was taken May 6 (five weeks later), when I moved the pepper seedlings upstairs to set them in a south-facing window. This shows you just how slow growing pepper plants are. So be patient when growing pepper from seed.

I like to let to let the young plants get nice and root bound in the cups before transplanting them into larger pots.

 

For in depth information on how to grow peppers from seed and things like germination times, click over to read the full article!

 

Sometimes, we transplant the peppers right into the ground in the greenhouse. This depends on the outside temperatures as our Greenhouse is unheated.

Where we live, in a northern climate, our growing season is not as long  – maybe five months. Also, our nightime temperatures are quite cool, too cool for pepper plants out in the open air.

Additionally, we can’t even go by our “last frost date”. Here, we have seen frost in July (surprise!) which has killed back our potato plants. For all these reasons, we usually only grow peppers in our unheated greenhouse.

 

Peppers in small containers ready to be transplanted in the greenhouse
These peppers have been growing in these small containers and are now ready for transplanting into larger pots.

Here are healthy peppers waiting to be transplanted into the greenhouse. We’ve got a mix of Sweet Peppers, Bell Pepper plants and Hot Peppers. We will often grow a great mix of pepper varieties including Orange Habaneros, and Jalapenos to use in our easy homemade salsa recipe (which we then water bath can!).

How to Transplant Pepper Plants into Larger Pots

Before transplanting your pepper plants into larger containers, be sure to water them well. This will help reduce shocking the plants when moving them.

Fill your larger container 2/3 full with a mix of rich potting soil and compost (or other amendment). Water this soil before transplanting.

Tip the pepper plant upside down, with your fingers on either side of the main stem and give the container a knock with your hand. This helps loosen the soil around the edge of the pot.

Remove the plant and plant it in the larger pot, adding soil around the pepper plant. Hold it with one hand and add potting mix with the other, pressing down slightly (don’t overpack).

If the roots are rootbound from the smaller pot, carefully open the roots a bit with your fingers. This will be easier if the rootball has been watered.

 

Hot and Sweet Peppers growing in Pots
2 gallon pots are perfect for growing pepper plants – lots of room for their roots.

These peppers have been transplanted from the cups into 2 gallon size pots. Lots of room for these compact plants to grow nice and big! Every plant is labelled with the variety.

If you feel the plant needs it, add a stake to the pot and loosely tie the plant to the stake.

I stick little pieces of biodegradable styrofoam peanuts in the drainage holes. Excess water can still get out, but I find a lot less dirt washes out with the draining water.

 

peppers in smaller pots on the porch
You can plant two peppers into one pot but know you will likely get smaller plants with fewer peppers.

 

I like to have a few pepper plants on our decks as container plants, because the foliage is so beautiful when they’re nice and healthy. These pots are smaller than a 2 gallon container, but there is room for 2 peppers to grow.

You can see that peppers can be put into containers of all sizes. You can do one pepper in a pot 12 inches wide. If you’ve got large circular pots, plant 3 pepper plants together in there.

How Much Sun do Peppers Need?

Peppers crave full sun and heat, so be sure to put them outside in those conditions. If you’ve got a concrete retaining wall, walkway or patio, put a few pots of peppers on the concrete.

They will love and appreciate the extra heat being soaked up by the sun hitting the concrete.

They can also take some shade, but they really do love the sun.

 

peppers growing in containers

 

Our Best Tips for Growing Peppers in Containers

Once you figure out what size container for growing pepper plants is the best, it’s time to think about the soil you will be planting in. 

What soil is best for Growing Peppers?

Use a rich potting soil as a great base soil for growing peppers in pots. You don’t want the soil to be heavy and compact; light and airy is the way to go. Then add some natural fertilizers like these:

What fertilizer should I use for my Pepper plants?

While there are a number of name-brand fertilizers on the market, it is so easy to provide your plants with fresh, natural, organic fertilizers – and for a lot less money. And, you can make your own fertilizer for peppers!

Some of the best natural fertilizers for growing peppers in pots are:

  • compost
  • aged animal manure
  • fish fertilizer

Use Compost for Fertilizing

Nothing beats a great compost pile for providing all the fertilizer you might need for your garden. It’s the ultimate way to recycle your fresh, organic waste like eggshells, vegetable and fruit trimmings, coffee grounds, and more.

Mix it in a pile with yard waste and let it age, turning it and mixing it periodically as it breaks down, then add your compost to your containers of peppers. If you have lots of compost, you can plant your pepper plants in 100% compost instead of mixing it with soil.

Use Well Aged Animal Manure for fertilizer

Many gardeners prefer animal manure above everything else. After all, if you also raise animals, you have plenty of it available, right? Just make sure you let it age in a nice pile for a few months before using it so that it won’t be too rich for your plants. Mix some in with potting soil before planting you pots of peppers.

Fish Emulsion fertilizer

If your soil is nitrogen deficient, a great source of nitrogen is Fish Emulsion. You can order it online here or find it at your local garden shop or hardware store, and you’ll want to dilute it in water before using it.

However, be a bit careful with this one. If your plants get too much nitrogen, they’ll look green and healthy and put out lots of leaf growth, but produce a lot less food.

 

Growing Pepper Plants in containers
Same Pepper plants a few months later – loaded with Peppers!

Do Pepper Plants like Epsom Salts?

Peppers (along with tomatoes) love Epsom Salts. Peppers and tomatoes grow best when they have enough Magnesium, a mineral that is often deficient in garden soil.

Epsom Salt is a natural mineral compound that includes 10% Magnesium. Highly soluble, plants absorb it easily when Epsom Salt is added directly to the soil.

But your plants will absorb it even easier when you spray it directly on their leaves. Simply mix two tablespoons of Epsom Salts into a gallon of water and spray it on your plants as you water. 

Not only will your pepper plants grow better, but they will also produce more. Bonus – your peppers will taste even better!

(Note: Keep in mind that while Epsom Salt is a wonderful supplement to your Pepper and Tomato plant care, it is not meant to take the place of a great organic fertilizer.

All of your garden plants – including your peppers and tomatoes – need a good source of nutrition to grow large, healthy, and be at their most productive.)

Do you Keep Plants in Plastic Pot?

Yes, heavy plastic pots can definitely be used for growing peppers in containers – we grow ours in plastic pots right through to the end of the season.

Do Peppers grow Bigger in Bigger Pots?

Optimally, peppers are happiest when they have a little room to spread their roots. A container that is at least 12 inches across is ideal for growing peppers and should allow your pepper plant to grow large with lots of delicious peppers for your family to enjoy.

You can grow two to three nice peppers together in a 10-gallon bucket.

However, peppers are surprisingly adaptive to their environment, as I came to learn! 

What Happens if I Plant Peppers in a Tiny Pot?

Well, really you can grow peppers in tiny pots and I have got to show you this! Let me explain what happened. One year, I ran out of room putting peppers in the ground in the greenhouse.

We had so many plants I also used up all the 2 gallon pots I had. After planting, I still had a few Styrofoam cups with pepper plants left over. These are the original reused coffee cups that I had started the seeds in.

I left them on the greenhouse shelf, until I could scrounge up more containers to transplant these peppers into.

But…life happened and I didn’t get around to it.

I just kept watering the seedling cups every day while I was checking out the rest of the veggies. Here’s a picture of the end result!

 

Small size container for pepper plants
Extreme small size pots for growing Peppers – but look at those Peppers!

 

There’s 3 peppers on each of those plants and they even turned colour! Look at the size of those peppers in these tiny cups!

Ideally, remember to grow one pepper to a pot of at least 12 inches. But remember, when it comes to what size container for pepper plants, a small pot will work! If you live in an apartment with a balcony, you could easily grow some peppers in pots or containers.

This year, we are determined to grow and harvest a lot of peppers. The peppers will be preserved by dehydrating, pickling and maybe even turning into jelly.

No matter what size container for pepper plants, as long as you take care of them they will grow.

For in depth information on how to grow peppers from seed, click over to read the full article!

When you get your pepper harvest, why not make some of this delicious Jalapeno Plum Jelly? It’s a favorite here.

 

More Gardening Info for you

Here are some of our weird ways we upcycle used containers for seed starting!

Is your garden neglected? Have you moved into a home with an unkept yard? Here’s how to rejuvenate a tired garden and yard.

Got heavy clay in your garden area? Here’s how to improve the quality of heavy clay soil – it’s what we do on a regular basis here and it’s easy!

All about how to get rid of Poison Ivy naturally! Yes, you can

More info about growing Peppers

 

Originally published 2014; latest update April 2025

Growing Saskatoon Berries: Planting, Transplanting and Pruning

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Growing Saskatoon Berries – all you need to know  about growing this healthy superfood in your backyard!

Saskatoon bushes are known by other names such as Serviceberry bushes, Juneberry, Prairie Berries and Shadbush. Their Latin name is Amelanchier alnifolia. And we’ve got lots of great information about these fruit bearing bushes right here!

Want more articles about gardening? Check out all of our Food Gardening posts here.

Ripe Saskatoon berries on the shrub, ready for picking.
Ripe purple Saskatoon berries in a tree, ready for picking.

No matter what you call them, here is everything to know about growing your own Saskatoon berries! Consider planting a few bushes and start growing your own berries, right in the backyard.

These bushes grow wild, but you can also buy them at garden nurseries!

Where do Saskatoon Bushes Grow in the wild?

Saskatoon bushes grow throughout North America. They are native to Canada, where these bushes grow wild throughout British Columbia, through the Canadian prairies and all the way east to Ontario. In the United States, they grow from Alaska to Maine and many other states.

Growing Saskatoon berries means pretty blooming spring shrubs
This pretty flowering shrub will soon be growing Saskatoon Berries.

Saskatoon berries have long been considered an important food source by early pioneers throughout the central United States all the way north to the Northwest Territories and the Yukon.

There are also some commercial growers, so if you don’t have them growing in your part of the country, you can find Saskatoon bushes for sale through garden nurseries. In Canada look to T & T Seeds, in Manitoba.

Interesting Things to know about Saskatoon Berry Bushes:

  • 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.
  • Having more than one bush will help increase your berry harvest, however. 
  • The berries form on the previous years wood – and any older wood. New shoots won’t be bearing fruit until next year.
  • These berry bushes can be susceptible to wind damage, so be sure to protect your Saskatoons from any high winds.
  • In early Spring, when the leaves of these small trees first come out, they are edible!

Health Benefits of Saskatoon Berry

Saskatoon berries are very healthy! They are like a superfood, full of antioxidants, especially anthocyanins and flavonols. Full of Vitamin C, calcium and manganese, plus they are rich in fiber, potassium, magnesium, iron and other nutrients.

How to Plant a Saskatoon Berry Bush

Be sure to prepare the ground before planting. Weeding it well to get rid of any grass and then placing mulch down to block weed growth is important!

Dig your hole (wide AND deep) and include a good amount of compost in the planting hole. The best conditions for growing a Saskatoon berry bush are well drained soil with plenty of organic compost mixed well together. Remember, you only get one chance to provide soil for the plant roots – make it count! 

Plant each bush about 8-10 feet apart; remember they will become full grown bushes!

Can I Plant Saskatoon Bushes as a Hedge?

This is a great idea and yes you can grow a beautiful living hedge using Saskatoon bushes. If you want to create a hedge, plant 5 feet apart and they will grow together over a few years.

An edible hedge row is a fantastic way of creating privacy, while growing your own fruit! Saskatoon bushes also provide food for the bees, also so important.

Best Practicing for Fertilizing Saskatoons?

You don’t need to add specialized fertilizer to the planting hole if you are adding good quality compost – the compost will have plenty of nutrients to get off to a good start. 

The bushes just need the planting area to be properly prepared with the removal of weeds and mulch to keep weed growth down before placing your new bush.

You can add top dressings of good quality compost around the base of your bushes. If you like, you can fertilize by sprinkling it around the base. Fertilize your bushes between flowering time and harvest for the best results.

 

flowering Saskatoon berry bush
Lots of blossoms on this Saskatoon bush!

Growing Saskatoon Berries in Containers

Some people opt to plant Saskatoon berries in containers. The downside to planting berry bushes in containers is that your harvest will be much smaller than that of the Saskatoon bushes you plant in the ground.

Your Saskatoon berries will need large deep containers to handle the roots and the growth of the bush.

Since a container with a berry bush in it will be heavy, you may want to have a strong plant dolly underneath the pot so you can easily move the container. You could place the container where you plan to keep it until you are ready to transplant the Saskatoon bush outside.

Transplanting a Saskatoon Bush

You can successfully transplant one of these bushes, although you will need to be careful. Smaller bushes have a much better chance of surviving than larger Saskatoon bushes.

The best time to transplant a Saskatoon bush is during the fall season. This is when the rain will happen more frequently allowing the bush to take hold properly at the new location.

The soil and the water should be the top priorities to a successful transplant of a Saskatoon bush!

Here’s an article with all the information on transplanting a Saskatoon berry bush –

plus tips for moving shrubs that you may not have thought of!

Growing Saskatoon berries on the bush.

 

Best Tips for Pruning Saskatoon Bushes

Now that you have the ins and outs of fertilizing, transplanting, and handling the growth of your berry bush, it’s time to discuss pruning your Saskatoon bushes.

When to Prune Saskatoon Bushes?

Pruning is what helps your berries grow without crowding, and keeps the bush healthy during the growing process. You’ll need to prune your bushes in the early spring season right before new growth starts.

During the first three years after planting your Saskatoon bushes, you’ll prune only to remove diseased or dead stems. Don’t forget to remove stems that are healthy but drooping too low to the ground. You’ll use sharp pruning scissors to cut damaged or droopy stems.

If you don’t have sharp pruning scissors, you can use long-handled loppers but you need to be sure you’re taking a clean cut.

You can find good pruning information reading about how to prune bushes and shrubs here

 

Saskatoon Berries Ripening
You can easily see the varying degrees of ripening on these Saskatoon berries.

Other Saskatoon Berry Bush Facts:

How Fast Do Saskatoon Bushes Grow?

You can aim to get your first berries from your Saskatoon bush within the first two years. It will be a small harvest, maybe a handful if you are fortunate. Just wait another year, though!

Peak performance for your Saskatoon bush will be when your bush is 3 or 4 years old. From that point on, you should be able to harvest a good supply of berries to use in your favorite Saskatoon berry recipes. Plus, you’ll have extra berries to put in the freezer!

How Tall Do Saskatoon Bushes Grow?

These types of berry bushes can grow anywhere from 6 feet to 30 feet tall. One nice feature is that the limbs are thin and pliable, so it is easy to pull down a tall limb closer to the ground, so you can pick the fruit!

This doesn’t seem to hurt the wild Saskatoon bushes here at all when we do this.

Propagating a Saskatoon Bush 

Growing your Saskatoon bush from another bush is similar to growing any other shrub from cuttings. You’ll want to prune the tips, gather the cuttings and then place them in a small nursery bed area that’s fertilized.

Here’s an article showing everything you need to know about Propagating Shrub Cuttings – the example used here is Laurel (we grew our own hedge), but it works exactly the same for growing cuttings of Saskatoon berry bushes.

Watch the cuttings grow into new bushes, and the transplant the new growth Saskatoon bushes into your garden where you plan to keep the bushes for year-after-year harvest.

All About Saskatoon Berries

Before I leave you today with this information, I wanted to share more details about the actual Saskatoon berries themselves. As stated earlier, within the third or fourth year of planting your berry bushes, they’ll be at peak performance.

Washed Saskatoon berries ready for preserving.
These fresh picked Saskatoon berries are ready to use in baking and smoothies!

When do you Pick Saskatoon Berries?

When Saskatoon berries are ready for picking really depends on where you live. Usually, the berries ripen for late June or early July. Here in our Zone 3 area, Saskatoon berries are usually ready for mid to late July and into early August. 

What do Saskatoon Berries taste like?

Saskatoon fruits are juicy and sweet. These berries are defined as being sweet but more in an earthy-like flavor. Some have said the berries have an almond undertone to their sweetness. 

Some people prefer cooked berries instead of the fresh fruit – and Saskatoon berries are perfect for using in baking, making jam and even wine.

Difference Between Saskatoons and Blueberries

The biggest difference between Saskatoons and blueberries is that Saskatoons berries are packed with more nutrients than blueberries and other berries combined. They have more iron, antioxidants, protein, and potassium than other berries you can grow on your homestead.

These benefits make growing Saskatoon berries pretty much a no brainer.

What can I make with the berries from my Saskatoon bushes?

You can make anything that you’d typically make with blueberries using your fresh harvest of Saskatoon berries. There are a wide variety of ways to use them including, Saskatoon berry tart, pie recipes, and Saskatoon sauce to name a few clever ways for including Saskatoon berries in your favorite recipes. 

Combine Saskatoons with apples, raspberries or strawberries to make a Bumbleberry crisp, muffins or use in pies or jam!

You can make juice too – then use the leftover fruit pulp to make Saskatoon jellies or syrups!

We even make home made Saskatoon Berry Wine – click over to learn more!

Washed fresh Saskatoon berries will be used for making wine.
This bowl of fresh Saskatoon berries will be used for making home made wine.

Bottom Line: Growing Saskatoon Berries is a fantastic way to grow your own healthy super fruit!

 

Read more about:

Learn how to grow your own hedge – everything you need to know

Learn how to grow Haskap Berries – another superfood that is easy to grow

How to transplant a Saskatoon Berry Bush 

Everything to know about cleaning and sharpening pruning shears

Got Canada Thistle weed? Here’s how to get rid of it!

 

 

Serviceberry bush with ripe fruit

 

 

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