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A Simple Guide to Growing Soft Fruit Bushes on the Allotment and in the Garden

The magic of soft fruit and soft fruit bushes lies in their incredible value. Just imagine – a couple of good harvests will pay back what you spent, and these lovely plants will keep treating you to fresh fruit for decades to come! What I love most about fruit bushes is how there’s something for everyone. Fancy some vitamin-packed blackberries? Or perhaps some juicy blueberries bursting with goodness? Maybe you’d prefer some easy-care raspberries or those wonderful gooseberries that happily grow in sun or shade.

Short on space? No worries! Try the lovely Scottish ‘Ben Sarek’ blackcurrant – this compact beauty grows just 100 cm tall and fits perfectly in smaller plots. Then we have strawberries of course, that can easily be grown in hanging baskets and strawberry planters – no allotment or garden is too small!

Planning Your Fruit Garden

Would you believe the secret to a thriving fruit garden lies in those first careful steps you take? Let me share my favourite planning tips that’ll help you create your perfect fruit bush paradise.

Choosing the Right Varieties for Your Allotment

Picking your fruit bushes is rather like choosing new friends – you need to match them perfectly to your space! Got a cosy little plot? You’ll love the compact ‘Glen Clova’ raspberries or those charming ‘Ben Sarek’ blackcurrants – they’re absolute champions when it comes to yields. As menioned in my blog post – Strawberries, Choosing & Planting Up Hanging Baskets – ‘Strawberry Vibrant‘ are perfect for hanging baskets as as being very robust with good resistance to mildew.

Creating an Efficient Layout Plan

Right then, let’s sort out where everyone’s going to live! Here’s my spacing cheat sheet for you if you are growing on the plot and not in containers:

  • Raspberries and blackberries need posts 3 metres apart with wires at 45cm intervals;
  • Give your blackcurrants and redcurrants plenty of elbow room – 150-180cm between plants;
  • Strawberries are more sociable – pop them in 30-45cm apart with 60cm between rows

Here’s a clever garden trick – plant your tall bushes to the north or west of shorter ones. Your sun-loving raspberries and strawberries will thank you for a nice sheltered, sunny spot. Don’t worry about those easy-going gooseberries and redcurrants – they’re quite happy in partial shade. Don’t forget to leave yourself some nice paths for picking and pruning. Oh, and here’s my top tip – think about installing a drip irrigation system around your plants’ roots. It’s an absolute lifesaver during busy growing seasons!

If you are planning to grow your fruit bushes in containers make sure they at least 24inches in diameter for dwarf bushes and at least 36 inches in diameter or more for larger bushes such as blackberries. For Strawberries aim for hanging baskets that are 12inches in diameter per 3-4 plants.

Early Season Pest Control

Spring brings some unwelcome visitors we need to watch for:

  • Those pesky blackcurrant gall mites pop up, causing those tell-tale swollen “Big Buds”;
  • Watch out for winter moth and tortrix moth caterpillars – they love nibbling shoot tips and flowers, leaving those distinctive “shot holes”;
  • Those troublesome two-spotted spider mites start laying eggs on fresh leaves, especially if plants are struggling from too much nitrogen.

Keep those eyes peeled though – these little blighters can multiply rather quickly as the season progresses! We’ve had entire bushes decimated in a matter of days before.

Summer Care and Maintenance

Summer brings the most exciting time in our fruit gardens! These are some tried-and-tested tips to help your fruit bushes thrive through the warmer months.

Watering Techniques for Soft Fruit Bushes

Here’s something many gardeners get wrong – frequent shallow watering isn’t doing your fruit bushes any favours. What they really love is a good deep drink less often. Got sandy soil? Give them a proper soaking every seven to fourteen days, making sure the water reaches 60cm deep. Those of you with clay soil can wait a bit longer – fourteen to twenty-one days between waterings works brilliantly.

Your plants get thirstier as their roots spread out. Those growing in containers need special attention – about half a litre daily when they’re in full growth. My top tip? Water early in the morning so the leaves have plenty of time to dry before nightfall.

Supporting Heavy Fruit Loads

Isn’t it wonderful when branches bend under the weight of fruit? Mind you, they do need a helping hand! Good old bamboo canes and soft garden twine work wonders for supporting heavy branches. Here’s a clever trick – cut V-shaped notches in wooden supports to cradle those laden branches.

Don’t forget about thinning – it’s absolutely crucial for healthy branches. By mid-July, you’ll want to remove some fruitlets, leaving one every 5-8cm. This lovely bit of pruning does two jobs at once – helps fruits ripen better and keeps diseases at bay by improving air flow. Your reward? Bigger, healthier fruits and stronger branches.

Bird Protection Methods

Our feathered friends love fruit as much as we do! You’ll want to sort out protection about 2-3 weeks before your fruit ripens. Here are my favourite ways to keep the birds at bay:

  • Pop some tulle fabric over your soft fruit bushes – the mesh is just right and won’t catch on branches;
  • Use clothes pegs to secure netting – makes harvesting so much easier;
  • Make some simple teepees with bamboo poles.

Those shiny tapes might look pretty, but our clever garden birds soon figure them out. Trust me, proper physical barriers are your best bet for protecting your precious harvest. Do keep an eye on your netting though – we don’t want any trapped birds! Leave about 15cm between your netting and fruit. This gives good airflow and stops those crafty birds from pecking through the mesh.

Harvesting Your Soft Fruits

The most rewarding moment in fruit growing comes at harvest time! Let me show you how to pick your fruits at just the right moment – it makes all the difference between having wonderfully sweet treats or ending up with disappointing results.

Identifying Peak Ripeness

While colour might catch your eye first, there’s more to ripe fruit than meets the eye. Your senses are brilliant guides to perfect ripeness:

  • Give your fruit a gentle sniff – ripe ones release the most delightful sweet fragrance;
  • Feel your fruits carefully – they should be firm but give slightly when pressed;
  • Look for berries wearing the same lovely colour all over;
  • Cup them gently in your palm – properly ripe fruits feel surprisingly heavy for their size.

Proper Picking Techniques

Do you know when the best picking time is? Pop out to your plot first thing in the morning. Your fruits will stay fresh much longer when picked in the cool morning air rather than under the hot sun. Handle each fruit as if it were precious – bruises are their worst enemy and will spoil them quickly.

Each fruit has its own picking personality. Those lovely raspberries and blackberries should practically jump into your hand when they’re ready. Strawberries are a bit more proper – they need their little green caps and stems to stay attached.

Remember to keep those hands squeaky clean while picking – fruits can be fussy about hygiene!

Winter Pruning and Protection

While our soft fruit bushes take their winter rest, it’s time for us gardeners to roll up our sleeves! These quiet months give us the perfect chance to shape our plants and protect them from winter’s bite.

Pruning Different Types of Fruit Bushes

Let’s start with those lovely blackcurrants. They need their winter haircut between November and March, when we take out a third of the oldest stems right at ground level. You’ll spot these older stems easily – they’re darker and thicker than the fresh growth. Remember, blackcurrants give us their delicious fruits on two-year-old stems, so proper pruning really does make all the difference to next year’s harvest.

Now, red and white currants are rather different characters. These chaps need pruning to create a smart, upright shape with fruiting spurs along their main stems. The winter pruning job here means shortening side shoots to just one bud and taking out any lazy, unproductive wood.

What about those prickly gooseberries? Well, they need a firm hand to stop them turning into an impenetrable tangle. Here’s your gooseberry pruning checklist:

  • Snip away any dead, diseased or damaged bits;
  • Take out those stems growing towards the middle;
  • Trim remaining branches back by two buds;
  • Shape them into a lovely open-centred goblet.

Winter Protection Strategies

While you’ve got your secateurs out, don’t forget about winter protection – it’s absolutely crucial for keeping your bushes safe and sound. That sneaky frost can be a real menace, causing nasty bark splits and root damage. A cosy covering of horticultural fleece or special plant wraps works brilliantly against the worst of the cold.

Here’s another wonderful winter trick – mulching! Pop on a nice thick layer (7.5-10cm) of organic mulch around the base, but do leave a clear collar of 7.3-10cm around the trunk to prevent any rot setting in. This lovely blanket keeps the soil snug and moist all winter long.

Preparing for Spring Growth

Before we wave goodbye to winter, there are a few final jobs to tackle. Give your plants a thorough once-over – check those trunks and branches for any signs of trouble. Got any apple or pear varieties? Make sure to finish their pruning by March, before those buds start stirring.

Here’s a clever tip about soil – give it a good drink before the frost comes, as damp soil holds onto heat much better than dry. Keep your eyes peeled for any sneaky pests too – some of the little blighters love to hunker down in bark or fallen leaves until spring.

Finally, treat your plants to a balanced feed in late winter. This timing’s spot on for getting those nutrients down to the roots just as growth kicks off. Mind you, don’t get too generous with the feed – we don’t want to encourage tender new growth that Jack Frost might nip!

Moore Berries UK – My Recommendation for Soft Fruit Plants and Bushes

Moore Berries UK offers a selection of soft fruit plants available for purchase, with orders delivered directly to your doorstep. All of their products are grown on their farm in Norfolk.

They are passionate about sharing the story of how they grow their plants and about educating others on soft fruit cultivation. Expect to find lots of helpful information on everything from their strawberry plants to currant bushes on their website.

Moore Berries UK sell a variety of strawberries, raspberries, currants, and gooseberries, all available online at a fraction of the cost of supermarket berries – and they taste better too!

By supporting their small family business, you’re helping one of the few remaining UK soft fruit propagators to keep this vital industry alive. Use code ALLOTMENT10 for 10% off your order.

 

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