Guide to Growing Saskatoon Berries: Planting, Pruning, Care — Food Garden Life: Edible Garden, Vegetable Garden, Edible Landscaping (2024)

By Steven Biggs

Guide to Growing Saskatoon Berries: Planting, Pruning, Care — Food Garden Life: Edible Garden, Vegetable Garden, Edible Landscaping (1)

How to Grow a Saskatoon Bush

As an Ontarian, there was a fruit that I never ate growing up.

But I heard lots about it from Mom.

She grew up in Western Canada, and talked about the saskatoon berries that her parents grew. And when I finally saw a saskatoon bush, on a trip to her childhood home, I was surprised that the row of bushes was taller than me. I'd been expecting something puny, like the wild blueberry bushes we get in Ontario.

What is a Saskatoon Bush?

The saskatoon bush (Amelanchier alnifolia) is a native North American fruiting bush. It has a wide range: Wild saskatoon bushes are found in Alaska and Yukon, and in the harsh conditions of the prairie landscape.
It has a few aliases: South of the border you might hear it called juneberry (june berry), shadbush, and western serviceberry. And in the east, it's sometimes called serviceberry—like it's many kin in the Amelancheier clan. (There are many serviceberry species, some shrubby, some growing as small trees.)

Guide to Growing Saskatoon Berries: Planting, Pruning, Care — Food Garden Life: Edible Garden, Vegetable Garden, Edible Landscaping (2)

(If you’ve ever grabbed a handful of wild serviceberries or saskatoons and them spit them out because they’re pithy and dry, it’s time to try the domesticated version! The flavour and texture of the wild berries varies a lot, can comparing them to Saskatoon berries is like comparing a crabapple to a big, red, juicy apple from an orchard.)

Saskatoon Fruit

Ripe saskatoon berries look a bit like blueberries...but the similarities end there. They have a taste of their own, a bit nutty and slightly almond-like.

(In case you’re interested, they’re actually related to apples and mountain ash, so it’s no surprise they’re very different from blueberries.)

The saskatoon fruit turns from green to red as it ripens, with fully ripe fruit eventually turning deep purple—almost black.

Saskatoon Bush Size

Saskatoon bushes can grow to approximately 5 metres (16’) high when not pruned.

But in commercial production, they're often kept shorter, under 1.5 metres (5’) high.

An Ornamental Edible

Guide to Growing Saskatoon Berries: Planting, Pruning, Care — Food Garden Life: Edible Garden, Vegetable Garden, Edible Landscaping (3)

Saskatoon bushes are a great addition in an ornamental garden too. Along with the attractive fruit, the spring bloom, with its clusters of upright flowers, is very showy.

In the autumn, the leaves paint the garden with a showy orange colour.

Saskatoon Berries Cold Hardiness

It's as tough as nails! No surprise for a plant that’s native to the Great Plains, it takes harsh, dry conditions.
There are a few things that affect hardiness, but it takes temperatures as cold as -50°C (-58°F), and probably colder.

How to Plant a Saskatoon Berry Bush

Choose a Location

Select a location with a well-drained soil. Saskatoon bushes are tolerant of many soil types. So a clay soil with some soil moisture is fine, as long as the soil is not waterlogged.

Full sun is ideal for the best fruit production. It does respectably well in home gardens with partial shade, although the harvest is less than full-sun locations.

If you get late spring frosts, a sloped location where cold air can drain away is best. South-facing locations in cold areas are not ideal, as they warm up more quickly in early spring. That causes flowering while there's still more risk of frost.

Planting a Saskatoon Shrub

When planting most trees and shrubs it's good practice to keep the depth the same as it was before. Not deeper.

There are exceptions to every rule…and the Saskatoon is an exception.

You can plant your saskatoon bush at the same depth; that's fine. But you can also plant it a bit deeper.

Here’s why:

Saskatoon bushes have a habit of suckering—of sending up new shoots beyond the original bush. The bush gets wider over time, and you can end up with a little Saskatoon thicket!

But when planted a few inches deeper, they're less likely to sucker.

After you've planted, keep it well watered for the first year until it's established. Mulch the soil surface around the bush to control weeds and keep in soil moisture.

Saskatoon Buses in the Landscape

Saskatoon berries are very versatile in a home landscape.

Here are a few ideas:

  • Saskatoon Hedge. If it’s an edible hedge you’re after, look no further than the Saskatoon! It’s really ornamental too!

  • Saskatoons in a Food Forest. In forest gardens, Saskatoons can be grown as shrubs or small trees, and are tolerant of partial shade.

  • Saskatoon Berries in Containers. Because of their excellent tolerance of harsh conditions, Saskatoon berries are great candidates for container gardens.

I have an edible hedge in my garden that has a saskatoon bush, haskaps, and Nanking cherry.

Find out how to grow an edible hedge.

Check out these 5 types of cherry bushes to grow in an edible landscape.

Saskatoon Berry Care

Pruning Saskatoon Bushes

Regular pruning helps maintain vigour and encourages annual fruit production. (With saskatoon, like many fruit trees and bushes, plants often fruit more heavily every second year, something called biennial bearing.)

With pruning, we're helping the plant grow in a way that's beneficial to us. Importantly, we want to pick saskatoon berries without a ladder! (More fruit within reach means more for you, less for the birds!)

Here are a few more thoughts on pruning your saskatoon bush:

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  • Prune out older, less fruitful wood

  • Remove diseased branches

  • The best fruit production is on wood from the previous season (older wood gives some fruit, though not as much)

  • Some saskatoon shrubs favour one main leading branch (leader) when unpruned. Prune back leaders for a well-branched bush form

  • Prune when dormant

Remember, prune your saskatoon shrub to control size and to create a multi-stemmed shrub.

With pruning, there are two main types of cut we make:

  • "Heading" cuts, where we cut a branch back only part way to the main branch they come from, encourage branching

  • "Thinning" cuts, where we cut right back to the main branch, are used to remove weak or unwanted growth

Feeding and Watering Saskatoon Bushes in a Home Landscape

If you have a well-fed soil that has been amended with lots of organic matter, you might not need to give any additional feed.

Sandy soils don't hold moisture or nutrients as well, so if you're on a sandy soil, be sure to amend the soil with lots of organic matter.

Mature service berry bushes are very hardy and won't require irrigation. While establishing newly planted bushes, water for the first year until well rooted.

When to Harvest Saskatoon Berries

Guide to Growing Saskatoon Berries: Planting, Pruning, Care — Food Garden Life: Edible Garden, Vegetable Garden, Edible Landscaping (6)

Saskatoons are self-fertile, meaning you get fruit even if you have only one bush. There's no need for a second bush.

Not all flowers open at the same time; and not all fruit ripen at the same time. Fruit on the outside and sunniest part of a bush often develop faster. So expect to pick more than once.

The fruit ripens six to eight weeks after flowering. If you're growing more than one variety, flowering and ripening times vary by variety.

As berries ripen, they first take on a red colour. Next, as they turn to dark purple, you can begin tasting them to figure out if they're close to optimal ripeness. On rip fruit, the flesh is usually pink or red.

How to Use Saskatoon Berries

Our favourite way to use serviceberries is for fresh eating. We graze some in the garden, mix with other fruits for fruit salad, or use them on cereal.

Fresh berries don’t last too long once picked because during picking the skin tears a bit as the stem detaches.

Guide to Growing Saskatoon Berries: Planting, Pruning, Care — Food Garden Life: Edible Garden, Vegetable Garden, Edible Landscaping (7)

Here are a few other ways to use the fruit:

  • Jams and jellies

  • Pie

  • Muffins

  • Syrup

  • I've even heard of wine...though I haven't tried it!

And if you want some for using later, freeze them directly in freezer bags—or make some into dried berries.

A few saskatoon berries go nicely atop a crème brûlée! Find out how to make crème brûlée—gardener style!

Propagating a Saskatoon Bush

In the nursery trade, saskatoon bushes are often propagated by cuttings and tissue culture. Sometimes they are seed-grown, but there can be more variability with seed-grown plants.

For home gardeners, rooting saskatoon cuttings is a bit more tricky, as you need controlled conditions.

But its tendency to sucker makes it easy for home gardeners to propagate. The suckers it sends out are from underground stems (called stolons). They shoot up a little way away from the main plant. These can be removed from the parent plant using a spade.

Saskatoon Berries Varieties

Because saskatoon berries are grown as a commercial crop, there are a number of cultivated varieties. You will probably find the best selection at a specialist nursery.

Here are things to look at as you compare saskatoon varieties:

  • Fruit size

  • Fruit colour (there are even white-fruited varieties...but they're usually grown as ornamentals)

  • Bush height and spread

  • Bloom time

  • Disease resistance

Pests and Diseases of Saskatoon Shrubs

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In a home garden setting pests and diseases are infrequent.

Here are three to watch for:

  • Rabbits. They enjoy snacking on young branches on new bushes over winter (use tree guards or chicken wire if this might be a problem)

  • Birds. Don't leave your harvest too late -- and consider netting if birds are likely to be a problem (or just grow more bushes so there's lots to share)

  • Saskatoon-juniper rust. This disease needs both the juniper and Saskatoon plants to finish its life cycle. It causes raised yellow areas on leaves and misshapen fruit. Cut out the woody galls on juniper that host the disease (you'll see yellow growths on them in spring). If it’s a problem, look for rust-resistant varieties (Arcadia, Broadmoor, Buffalo, Calgary Carpet)

Saskatoon Berry FAQ

Guide to Growing Saskatoon Berries: Planting, Pruning, Care — Food Garden Life: Edible Garden, Vegetable Garden, Edible Landscaping (10)

What's the botanical name?

Amelanchier alnifolia (Although there are also a couple of cultivars that are hybrids with Amelanchier stolonifera)

How long will a saskatoon shrub live?

With pruning and good care, a saskatoon shrub fruits well for decades, by which point you'll have taken off suckers to make yourself even more plants!

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Guide to Growing Saskatoon Berries: Planting, Pruning, Care — Food Garden Life: Edible Garden, Vegetable Garden, Edible Landscaping (2024)

FAQs

Where is the best place to plant saskatoon bushes? ›

Location and soils

They prefer slightly acidic soils but will grow reasonably well on alkaline soils with a pH of up to 7.5. Saskatoons bloom early, making them highly susceptible to early spring frosts. Locations with a gentle slope and good air drainage are ideal for cultivation.

Should saskatoon bushes be pruned? ›

Prune in fall or winter as it is easier to see the form of the plant. Diseased or damaged wood can be removed at any time and suckers need to be controlled. Saskatoons can be pruned to remove a few branches at the base of the shrub to allow more light and air to penetrate the plant.

What are saskatoon berries called in the USA? ›

It has a wide range: Wild saskatoon bushes are found in Alaska and Yukon, and in the harsh conditions of the prairie landscape. It has a few aliases: South of the border you might hear it called juneberry (june berry), shadbush, and western serviceberry.

When to plant saskatoon bushes? ›

Planting: Plant bare-root or container-grown Saskatoon berries in early spring or fall. Space them at least 5-8 feet apart to allow for proper air circulation and growth. Dig holes slightly deeper and wider than the root ball, and backfill with soil, ensuring the crown is at ground level.

When should I plant my garden in Saskatoon? ›

Vegetable gardens in Saskatchewan are typically planted during the last week of May, after the risk of frost has passed. However, many plants can be seeded earlier. Refer to the seed packet for specific growing instructions.

Do deer eat Saskatoon bushes? ›

Deer, black bear, and many other mammals also eat saskatoons. Plant breeders have produced a number of different varieties of Saskatoon, and some of these are readily available in local nurseries. They make excellent garden shrubs, being so attractive to birds and pollinating insects.

Are saskatoon berries safe for dogs? ›

Misinformation about Saskatoon serviceberries being toxic to dogs is just that—a myth. Veterinary science confirms their safety, provided they're eaten in moderation. Unlike some fruits that can cause cyanide poisoning, Saskatoon serviceberries are non-toxic to our canine companions.

When to spray Saskatoon bushes? ›

The second application is recommended when the white flower petals are falling off, and the final application can be made when small green fruit have formed. The fruit cannot be harvested within 38 days of the final pesticide application. Saskatoon berries at “petal fall” stage.

What are the best tasting Saskatoon berries? ›

The Northline variety is our favourite, producing the best size and best tasing berries, to which we use in our homemade products every day.

Which is healthier, blueberries or saskatoon's? ›

In Saskatoon berry, the content of C3G in Saskatoon berry (117.67 mg/100 g) is significantly higher than wild blueberry (27.48 mg/100 g), raspberry (35.88 mg/100 g), strawberry (9.53 mg/100 g), chokecherry (46.01 mg/100 g), and sea buckthorn (0.05 mg/100 g) [18].

What do Americans call Saskatoons? ›

They're also called serviceberries, prairie berries, juneberries, and shadbush, depending on where they grow. The saskatoon berry plant belongs to the rose family Rosaceae.

Can you eat Saskatoon berries raw? ›

The berries can be eaten raw, cooked in puddings, pies, and muffins, or used in combination with other berries. They can also be dried and used to replace raisins in recipes. Today, especially in Western Canada we most often enjoy them in pies or desserts or preserves for both sweet and savory applications.

Do saskatoon bushes spread? ›

Types of Saskatoon Serviceberry

'Regent' is a spreading, vase-shaped variety that grows only 3 to 4 feet tall and wide. 'Standing Ovation' is an upright, multi-stemmed shrub with an almost oval shape, growing 12 to 15 feet tall and 4 to 6 feet wide. 'Northline' works best as a hedge because of its profuse suckering.

What are the interesting facts about Saskatoon berries? ›

Saskatoon bushes grow wild across North America, particularly in sandy prairie soils, and were an important part of the culture of early Indigenous Peoples and the first settlers. The berries were consumed fresh, mashed or dried, and the leaves were used for tea.

Are saskatoon berries good for you? ›

Saskatoon berries have been shown to have many health benefits including: increased energy, improved stamina and vitality, boosted immune system function (by helping fight off illness), anti-inflammatory effects (which can reduce pain) balanced blood sugar levels, lower cholesterol levels and more!

What is the best month to plant shrubs? ›

Winter: January through March is a perfect time to plant all bare root plants, such as roses and fruit trees. These plants are dormant during this time of year, so they'll be ready to rise and shine in spring. Spring: Right before spring buds start to bloom is a perfect time to plant in most areas of North America.

Where is the best place to plant sweet shrubs? ›

Sweetshrub is a wonderful choice because of its adaptability to many soil, water, and light conditions. It will tolerate moist to well-drained soils, partial shade to sun, and can be planted on the west, south or east side of buildings.

What is the best Saskatoon berry? ›

Smoky Saskatoons are one of the most productive and widely used Saskatoons and have large sweet berries with good yields.

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