The Key to Successful Cranberry Production by Dennis Robinson, Michigan Department of Agriculture and Eric Hanson, Horticulture Department, Michigan State University Cranberry production requires lots of water. Water is needed to protect plants against frost damage in the spring and fall. Traditionally, plantings were flooded before predicted frosts. Most growers now frost protect by sprinkling water on plants, since this requires much less water than flooding. Irrigation is also needed throughout the growing season to meet the water demands of the plants.
Cranberry plants are shallow rooted and desiccate easily.
Sprinklers systems may also be used to cool the plants during hot summer weather. Beds that are wet harvested are flooded in October with 1 foot of water to remove the berries, and a second 1 foot flood may be used to remove trash from the bed. Beds are again flooded with a foot of water in the winter to protect plants from winter weather. Actual water requirements vary with location and management practices, and are often expressed in acre-feet. However, if beds and reservoirs are designed to recycle water, actual water use may be as little as 1.5 feet.