How to grow Sea buckthorn

Hippophae rhamnoides · sea-buckthorn, seaberry

Sea buckthorn is a thorny deciduous shrub or small tree, 2–5 m tall, with narrow silvery leaves, grown for its bright orange, sour berries that ripen in late summer. It is extremely hardy, drought- and salt-tolerant, and male and female flowers grow on separate plants, so a crop needs a male plant growing near the females.

Quick facts

Type	Fruit tree
Family	Elaeagnaceae
Light	Full sun
Soil pH	6.5–7.5
Frost	tolerates light frost
Sowing to harvest	1095 days
Where it grows	Open ground

When to plant

Planted as a young plant from a nursery while it is dormant — in early spring before the buds open, or in autumn after leaf fall.

Harvest from August to September (northern hemisphere).

Care

Open ground

Stage	Watering	Temperature	Feeding
Growth	every 7 days	—	—
Flowering	—	—	—
Fruiting	every 7 days	—	—
Harvest	every 7 days	—	—
Winter rest	—	—	—

Growing notes

Light

Full sun only; it cannot tolerate shade even when young.

Soil

Grows best in light, well-drained sandy or loamy soil with a pH near neutral (6.5–7.5); it copes with poor and salty soils.

Care

Plant at least one male for every 6–8 female plants. Water young plants every week of the growing season when there is less than 2.5 cm of rain. It needs no nitrogen feed, as its roots fix nitrogen, and little care apart from pruning, done after flowering to keep the shape. The plants spread by root suckers and have thorns, and the berries cling to the branches, which makes picking slow.

How to tell it is ripe

Berries have turned yellow-orange to bright or dark orange, depending on the variety.
Round to oval berries sit in dense clusters tight along the branches.
Ripe berries look juicy, with a smooth, tough skin.
A ripe berry tastes tart, with a citrus-like flavour.
Ripe berries do not drop off on their own and need some force to pull free.
Cut small fruit-laden branches with secateurs and freeze them, which makes the berries far easier to shake off, and mind the thorns.

Sources

Figures checked against these sources.