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 →

Hawthorn - A fast growing hedge producing masses of scented white flowers in the late spring followed by small bright red berries (haws) in the autumn. The fruits are edible and can be made into jellies, jams and syrups.

Planting an Edible Hedge

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Yes I really mean an edible hedge! It’s certainly a much cheaper and more attractive way of creating a boundary than erecting a fence or building a wall and if you don’t have space for a boundary hedge or have an existing hedge which you can’t convert, how about screening a compost bin, shed or vegetable plot? Perhaps the best thing is to consider an edible hedge as an extension to your existing fruit plot thereby extending your range of fruit cultivation to the very limits of your garden. Continue reading →

A Vigoroot Planter will enable the roots to develop without spiralling

Growing Fruit on the Patio

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Although many TV gardening programmes would have you think otherwise a very large percentage of the UK population have a very small garden or perhaps just a patio. This makes those owners of these small spaces wonder what they can grow. My advice is always that you can grow many plants nowadays in containers so why not have a go yourself if the majority of your garden is a patio? For many years shrubs, perennials and even small trees have been grown in containers but – despite a small following – it is only recently that there has been a trend towards growing fruit in containers. Continue reading →

Pomona Fruits

The Benefits of Autumn Planting

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Over the years there has been much discussion as to whether it is best to plant fruit trees in the autumn (late November/December) or spring. So much so in fact that the novice and often more experienced gardener becomes totally confused! I have always been an advocate of planting in the autumn and I preach this message wherever I go; most certainly I very rarely plant anything in my garden in the spring unless there are real extenuating circumstances. But why plant in the autumn when there is still so much to do in the garden? Continue reading →

Merryweather Damson is sweet enough to be used as a dessert plum when fully ripe.

Damsons for the Finest Jams

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Although generally considered to be part of the plum family, damsons (and bullaces) are of the species Prunus insititata whereas plums are of the species Prunus domestica. The name ‘damson’ is derived from Damascus in Syria where it is considered that it originated and was introduced into England, in due course, by the Romans. The damson is also known as the damson plum or Damask plum in parts of Europe where it is used to make the spirit slivovitz. Bullaces, which are more acidic and lower in sugar than damsons, are considered to be native to Britain. Continue reading →

Young blueberry bush growing in a fruit cage

Growing Blueberries

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With the recent availability of a reasonable number of very good varieties for the amateur fruit grower, blueberries have become very popular for growing at home or in the allotment. However, at this early stage there has to be a word of caution here as blueberries will only be successful if grown in an acid soil. If you have a neutral or alkaline soil you will only be able to grow them in pots or containers using ericaceous compost and fortunately many blueberry varieties make very good container plants. Continue reading →

Tabletop systems have revolutionised commercial strawberry production in recent years.

Growing Tabletop Strawberries

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The strawberry today is as popular as ever before and whilst they can be easily grown in the ground in the garden or allotment, I suggest that you consider growing them at a raised level in growbags and this will make the whole process of strawberry cultivation much easier. This is known as tabletop growing and is what the commercial growers do now so there is every reason to follow them. Continue reading →