Published by: Gourmet Sleuth Last Updated: 08/23/2019
How'd you like to grow something as exotic as the Caper-bush right in your own garden or planter? Here's something that Greek and Roman gourmets used in cooking thousands of years ago!
You know what capers are, — those tiny zingy pickled green things you find in those little vials on the deli shelf. You probably didn't realize that they're actually the flower buds of a plant known as Capparis spinosa, but now that everyone seems to be into either herbs or exotic plants, why not try your skill with this beautiful flowering plant that's a little bit of both? When I included slides of capers growing in my backyard at a recent showing sponsored by San Francisco's Strybing Arboretum Society, I was deluged with phone and mail requests for information about them. They may not be the fastest plants to grow from seed, but once established, they'll hang in there until they're Senior Citizens. My Caper-bush is now in its late teens and is budding and growing more each year. It tends to be deciduous, leafing out anew each spring, and it has nicely survived winters as low as fifteen degrees.
Like so many other herbs, Capers grow wild along the Mediterranean Sea, and since my wife is a native of Malta, that tiny island in the middle of that sea, I was determined to raise not only Capers, but the Carobs and Jujubes she remembered, as well. Then, about ten years ago, during one of those “see Europe in three weeks" tours, we decided to sneak away for a few days to visit Malta. Sure enough, Caper-bushes could be seen everywhere, tenaciously growing from the nooks and crannies of stone buildings and walls, some now acknowledged to be the oldest known to man. They are not only attractive two-to-three-foot plants, but have very pretty two-inch pink-and-white flowers, resembling the cleome, a close relative. Much-used in native cuisine, we saw boys peddling freshly-picked bags of buds to restaurants along the roadsides. Now, doesn't that whet your appetite to grow something that few people have seen, let along grown?
Seeds of Capparis spinosa used to be difficult to find but thanks to the internet they are readily available online, see sources at the end of this article. Furthermore, seeds are not as fast or as easily germinated as radish seeds, certainly, but indoors I have found that sprouting begins in three weeks to a month and may continue for three to four months. Here's the method I've used with good success with these, as with most other seeds. The picture below shows a matured caper bud which has burst open and shows the little seeds.
Simply get one of those little plastic tubs that once contained cottage cheese, ricotta or ice cream. Make sure it is clean, so as not to promote mold or fungus. Fill to about half-way with 50/50 mix of vermiculite and perlite, both sterile planting mediums, and moisten well with water. Do not saturate. Sprinkle some of the mustard-like caper seeds on the surface of the mix. Mist them with water from one of those plastic squeeze bottles to assure that the seed coverings are moist. Immediately place transparent plastic-wrap over the container opening, held tightly in place by a rubber band. You may want a label with date, and this can easily be provided by a piece of masking tape. That's all there's to it. Easy; no? No watering, just peek at the tub from time to time, to see if any sprouting is taking place. As to location, a well-lit window sill is your best bet, which means a southern exposure, if possible, and screened from the hot sun, if too severe. You should see the first germination in about 3 weeks, although some seeds may not sprout for several months. Fortunately, the seedlings can tolerate high humidity, but as they grow, puncturing the plastic covering with a pin here and there to provide aeration is advisable. Under these conditions, the spindly plants can "stay put" for a few months while they're growing first permanent leaves, prior to transplanting. You can increase the perforations and "harden up" the little plants by gradually uncovering the container, but watch carefully that they do not dry out and shrivel their leaves at that stage.
Next comes the critical transplanting. You'll find that even these delicate-looking seedlings have some pretty strong-intentioned roots. Taking care not to injure plantlets or roots, transfer into 2 or 2 1/2-inch pots of any good planter mix, preferably lightened by 25% perlite. Soak-down well and place pots on pebbles in saucers or pans containing a bit of water to provide a humid condition around the plants as they become accustomed to their new environment. The other alternative would be to start out by planting your seeds in some of those specially prepared self-contained, self-sustaining starter pellets made of peat moss. These only need to be soaked in water before planting your seeds. Just follow instructions included, adding water later, as needed, but plant's roots will not have to be disturbed for transplanting, as entire planting pellets, including plants, can he set out with their roots intact. I've used both methods successfully. Take your pick. Once on their own, Capers definitely are not one of those plants that demand lots of water; in fact they thrive with little water.
Keep the seedlings in a sunny location, and as with most plants, weak solutions of liquid fertilizer at monthly intervals will be helpful. They are not fast-growing, hut when, after a few months, their roots are becoming pot-bound, move to a larger size pot. If your winters are too severe, you'd best be prepared to leave them in pots or other containers, only keeping them outdoors in late spring and summer.
The bushes tend to have a compact spreading habit, with whips up to two feet in length, so they are ideal for growing in tubs. When devoid of leaves in mid-winter, only the maroon-colored stems remain. When the tender new growth begins in spring, it often falls prey to a hungry horde of slugs and snails, so keep a sharp lookout for these tiny flea-beetles, such as attack egg-plant and pepper plants, may perforate the leaves in summer, and if so, you'll probably have to control them by spraying.
Almost everyone looks forward to cutting capers at some time, so why not give it a try? You could be cutting your own!
This article was contributed by Charles Holtz; member Garden Writers Association Of America, Inc.
I took this picture today, August, 2019 so you can see the variety of bud sizes we seen on our caper grown here in California. The little unopened flower buds are what we use to pickle to make "capers". If those little buds are allowed to open, then they produce a large (in comparison)fruit which which is know as a caperberry (caper berry). You can pickle these just like the caper buds although the taste is not the same. Typically you see these used in cocktails. In Italy the caper berries are battered and deep fried.
Harvesting capers is a continual process which takes place between May through about September, depending on your climate. Most caper bushes can be harvested after 2-3 years.