Growing soft fruit is something that can be achieved both by the amateur and more experienced gardener. Some fruits can be a long term project but others such as strawberries will reward you well in a relatively short time, and what could be nicer than picking a bowl of freshly picked strawberries from your garden or allotment.

Do not think that because you may have a small garden that you are excluded from growing fruit. Blueberries, gooseberries, redcurrants, blackcurrants and not forgetting strawberries can be successfully grown in containers in limited space. They are also perfect for involving young children into “growing your own”. There is a wide selection of varieties available at the garden centre to suit your circumstances.

STRAWBERRIES

Strawberries flourish well in a well-drained soil in a sunny position. It is almost impossible to provide strawberries with too rich a soil. Before planting dig in plenty of well-rotted manure or compost. Equally they can be grown in pots, troughs, hanging baskets, window boxes, hanging baskets and grow bags or any suitable container you may have.

There are two types of strawberries. Firstly the type that carry a single crop in summer and secondly a perpetual type that begin to crop slowly in summer, reach a peak in summer and then continue through to autumn.

Plant as early as possible from mid -summer to early autumn if you want a good crop in the first season. If planting in spring, remove the flowers so that the plants have a chance to get established and crop the following year.

Growing Tips

If growing in rows, space each plant 45cm (18”) apart and in rows 80cm (30”) apart. Make a hole about 5cm (2”) deeper than the root of the plant, place plant in hole and firm in. Water in and continue to water in dry conditions.

Traditionally straw has been used to keep the fruit dry and off the ground but this can encourage slugs and itself get quite wet it. Ideally use strawberry mats or black polythene as a ground cover.

Raising new plant

In the second half of the summer, small baby plants attached on runners will appear from the mother plant. These can easily be pegged down, so that they form a root or just pushed into the soil to root. In many cases they will just root by themselves. These are your future stock of plants, which when rooted can be easily potted up into containers or to form a new row in your fruit garden.

Strawberry plants need to be replaced after approximately five years as their production and vigour slows down. Either buy new plants from the garden centre or raise your own from the runners.

BLACKCURRANTS

Black currants are a versatile crop that can be used to make jams, jellies, pies, puddings and many other desserts, including ice-creams and sorbets. They are rich in vitamin C and have for a long time been used in health-boosting drinks.

Blackcurrants like a well manure soil but they are very versatile and will grow in most soils. They prefer a sunny position but will tolerate a partially shaded position.

Growing Tips

• Find a nice sunny spot, dig a hole larger than the size of your root ball and add plenty of well- rotted manure. Tease out the roots from the root ball and plant 5cm below the surface. If planting more than one bush space 1.5-1.8m (5-6ft) apart.

• Back fill the hole with soil and firm in.

• If planting in winter then prune back to 2-3cm (1”). Blackcurrants fruit best on one year old growth. If planting when the bush is in leaf wait until the autumn to prune back.

• Once you have pruned back your plant, new growth shoots will appear immediately which will bear some fruit the next year but will reward you well the year after.

• One method of pruning is to prune one it three of the main branches each year. Take out the oldest ones at the base, any that are crossing or awkward branches. This will encourage new shoots for the following year, with fruit being produced on the previous year’s growth.

• Blackcurrants are very hungry plants and will produce excellent fruit if mulched every year.

• When in fruit they will need to be provided with some protection from the birds, either with a fruit cage or alternatively covered in netting covered in netting.

REDCURRANTS AND WHITECURRANTS

These fruits are virtually the same but they have a different growing habit to blackcurrants. Again the fruit is versatile being used in jellies, jams and puddings. They produce large amounts of fruit for about six weeks from mid-summer. They are a long lived plant that enjoy a moisture retentive soil but doesn’t enjoy being water-logged. They can be trained into loose bushes, cordons and even espaliers. In addition they can be grown in a container, making them ideal for a patio garden.

Growing Tips

• These currants need to be pruned in summer after fruiting, but not too drastically. Prune lateral shoots to three to five leaves. In winter prune back leading shoots to half their length and laterals to two buds to form a strong spur. You want to be trying to produce a goblet shape with an open centre.

• CORDONS: In winter prune leading shoots by a third and laterals to one bud. Do not let the leader grow more than 1.8m (6ft).

• To raise new bushes, cuttings can be taken from the current year’s growth. Trim the soft wood off the top, just above a bud and some wood of the bottom, just below a bud, making the cutting 25-40cm (10-15”) long. Set the cuttings in a trench and then firm the soil around them. Roots should form to produce new bushes which can be planted out in the autumn.

• Pick the fruit as soon as it is ripe and use immediately.