Blanket Bogs and your Christmas Dinner?

Over the festive period many of us had cranberry sauce with our Christmas dinner.  Do you know that a native cranberry grows in our blanket bogs?

The high annual rainfall and cool climate experienced in the west and upland areas of Northern Ireland provides ideal conditions for the formation of blanket bogs.  Formed on areas normally over 200m, by slowing degrading plant matter, blanket bogs are an internationally important habitat because of the many rare species of plant and animals it supports. One of these  plants is the native European species of cranberry.  

Commerically grown cranberries are traditionally harvested at this time of year with the fruits used mainly to make cranberry sauce, an accompaniment to many Christmas dinners. The fruits are also sold fresh or processed into products such as juice, and sweetened dried fruit. The nutrient content and anti-oxidant qualities of these berries has given them the commercial status of a “superfruit”.

The native cranberry has little significance with regard to our food but it does provides a home and a valuable food source for many insects and birds including the red grouse. Through proper management of our blanket bogs agri-environment scheme participants can ensure that the native cranberry, along with other important plants such as heather, mosses, and bog asphodel, are able to flourish.

These plants require wet nutrient poor soils to survive. Where excessive drainage has occurred in the past it may be helpful to restrict or block drains.  This will raise the water table keeping the bog wet and prevent it from drying out.  It is also important to follow the timetable set out in your agri-environment agreement as to when stock must be removed.  

The delicate balance of nutrients on blanket bog is disrupted by the addition of chemical or organic fertiliser. Supplementary feeding and the application of lime, slurry or farmyard manure are prohibited.

By managing our blanket bogs we protect a valuable resource for ourselves and ensure that future generations can experience our native cranberry and other plants in their natural environment – not just on the Christmas dinner.

Cranberry growing on blanket bog. Photo courtesy Christian Fischer (CC)