The first flowers will appear 2 to 4 weeks after planting coldstored strawberry plants.

Strawberries in 60 Days

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Traditionally new strawberry beds were planted from fresh dug ‘runners’ whether taken from your own plants or purchased as bare root plants in October/November from a specialist nursery. Fresh dug runners are still widely planted but the drawback is that they are only available in October/November when the ground may not be in a particularly fit state for planting. The modern way to establish a new strawberry bed is to plant in the spring/early summer using coldstored (frozen) runners. Continue reading →

A bundle of fresh green asparagus spears tied together with string rests in a wicker basket. The closed tips have a purple hue, indicating freshness. Set outdoors with grass in the background, it evokes the joy of harvesting after months of diligent asparagus gardening.

How And When To Harvest Asparagus

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Harvesting asparagus is one of the most rewarding experiences for any gardener. Those tender, succulent spears emerging in spring signal the beginning of the growing season and offer a delicious treat vastly superior to store-bought options. If you’ve planted asparagus crowns from Pomona Fruits, you’re in for a pleasant surprise – you can begin your asparagus harvesting journey earlier than most gardeners expect.
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Sibley’s Patio Trees – A Range of Fruits for Small Gardens

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It’s more than fifty years and over three million grafts since I first held a grafting knife in my hands and was captivated by clonal propagation techniques. I marvelled at how a plant with roots would accept what is no more than a small shoot cut from another tree and that in a very short space in time, that shoot would grow and flourish and bear fruits attached to its newly adopted parent. Continue reading →

Two New Raspberry Varieties for 2018

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With a year-on-year sales increase in the shops of over 20%, the popularity of raspberries has never been greater. This increase in berry sales may be due to several reasons, not least of which are the health benefits. Raspberries contain a high level of anti-oxidants, fibre and vitamin C and are linked to reducing heart disease, maintaining healthy blood cholesterol levels and contributing to a strong immune system. They also taste fantastic and with sweeter varieties being bred that are increasingly appealing to the British palate. Continue reading →

Renovating & Restoring Neglected Fruit Trees

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Many people move to new homes where the previous owners or even the builders had planted fruit trees. In pre-war years there was often an emphasis on providing new homeowners with two fruit trees – an eating apple and a cooking apple. The reality is that these trees usually get left unpruned or get hacked about as the garden owners have no time or knowledge to manage the trees. Continue reading →