Soft Fruit, including Raspberries, Strawberries, Gooseberries, Currants etc, can be grown by everyone, even where gardens are smaller. There are varieties which are ornamental as well as productive. They can be grown in a mixed border or in pots on the patio and they love to grow against a sunny wall or a fence. Soft Fruit will grow well in most soil types, but ideally should be grown in well drained, loamy soil that is not too heavy. Dig over the soil in the planting area before planting, to relieve any compaction and dig in some soil improver or granular fertiliser.
When you receive your 'Potted Plants', remove from packaging and position in a sheltered spot. Make sure water can drain freely from the bottom of the pot and give the plant a generous watering. The potted plant should then be allowed to rest for a few days before planting. Whilst the plant is resting, keep it moist but not saturated.
If you've ordered 'Bare Root' specimens, un-pack the plants immediately on receipt. In all cases, aim to plant as soon as possible to reduce the possibility of the roots starting to dry out and failing to establish. If you can't plant straightaway - because the ground is too wet or frozen for example, store the plants in an un-heated out building such as a shed or garage, making sure the roots are moistened and loosely covered with a sack or compost. Alternatively, dig a hole in a sheltered position and 'heel in' the roots temporarily
Planting: for any type of bare root plant, soak the roots in a bucket of water for a couple of hours before planting. Dig a hole wide enough and deep enough to take all the roots without them being doubled up. Plant bare root Strawberries and Rhubarb with the very top of the growing crown set level with the soil surface. Back-fill the planting hole and press the soil down firmly. Water after planting.
Canes and bare root bushes, such as Raspberries, Currants, Gooseberries and Jostaberries need to be planted slightly deeper than they were in the nursery. The nursery soil mark should be visible, but if not, just make sure the entire root-ball is under soil, along with about 1cm of the stem. After planting, press the soil down around the plant and water in.
Chinese gooseberry. Kiwi fruit. Vigorous woody stemmed climber. Heart-shaped leaves, bearing cup-shaped white flowers followed by edible, hairy, brown fruits. To obtain fruits both male and female plants must be grown. Height 10m. Flowers from June to July. Deciduous. Sheltered Site.
Common Horseradish. Clump-forming perennial with long puckered dark green leaves rising from the fleshy roots. Panicles of white flowers May to August. Height 1m. Spread 40cm. Herbaceous. Use roots to make peppery tasting sauce.
A very fertile late variety. It blooms from June to August. The flowers are white or pale pink. Harvest in early August to September. It produces big, black, conical-ovular shaped fruit - extremely juicy and tasty. Perfect eaten raw and processed in jams, jellies and preserves.
Triple Crown will bear consistent huge fruit yields year after year. Fruits ripen to a juicy sweet flavour over a 5-week period. The plant is semi-erect and thornless and bears large, flavourful fruit. Strong canes can support many pounds of fruit without trellising.
A strong grower producing large fruits of vitamin rich blackcurrants. Self-fertile. Mildew resistant.
Neat growth habit, high yields. Mid season, large fruit, delicious flavour, crops early July to early August. A great northern variety from Sweden!
A great blackcurrant with heavy crops in July. Early to mid season, large, sweet fruits of excellent quality and flavour. Vigorous grower.
A dense upright shrub with arching stems of green leaves, turning red in autumn. Pale pink to white flowers in late spring are followed by edible, sweet blue-black berries. Height 1.5m. Spread 1.5m. Flowers from May to June. Add peat to soil and keep moist.
Duke is one of the heaviest, most consistent producers, often yielding over 20 lbs per bush when mature. A handsome shrub with three seasons of interest. White, pink-tinged spring flowers. Large, light blue summer fruit and vibrant orange and yellow autumn foliage.
A dense upright shrub with arching stems of green leaves, turning red in autumn. Pale pink to white flowers in late spring are followed by edible, sweet blue-black berries. Height 1.5m. Spread 1.5m. Flowers from May to June. Add peat to soil and keep moist.
An outstanding new variety. The worlds first two-cropping blueberry, producing its first crop in July, followed by a second in September. Perfect for patio containers.
Vigorous, upright, deciduous shrub. Glossy, dark green leaves, turning red in autumn. In spring, pendent, terminal racemes of cylindrical, white flowers. Large, edible, light to mid-blue fruit ready for harvest in midsummer. Likes acidic soil. Water with rain water.
A mid season fruiting blueberry. White flowers in late spring followed by edible, large, sweet blue-black berries. Heavy cropper. Height 1.5m. Spread 1.5m. Fruits from July to August.
A dense upright shrub with arching stems of green leaves, turning red in autumn. Pale pink to white flowers in late spring are followed by edible, sweet blue-black berries. Height 1.5m. Spread 1.5m. Flowers from May to June. Add peat to soil and keep moist.
A dense upright shrub with arching stems of green leaves, turning red in autumn. Pale pink to white flowers in late spring are followed by edible, sweet blue-black berries. Height 1.5m. Spread 1.5m. Flowers from May to June. Add peat to soil and keep moist.
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A dwarf version of the standard cape gooseberry. Ht 60cm. Produces tasty small round yellow - orange berries. Harden off before transplanting into the ground end may - beg June.
The Goji berry (also known as Chinese wolfberry) is a deciduous shrub with spiky branches and violet-coloured flowers. It produces rounded, reddish-orange berries.
A mid-season dessert gooseberry that is semi-upright so picking is much easier. A consistently prolific cropper of very large, well flavoured sweet fruit. Mildew resistant.
A new red mid-season dessert gooseberry that is semi-upright so picking is much easier. Good flavour and sweet taste. Mildew resistant.
A high yielding cooking gooseberry with oval smooth skinned pale green fruit on prickly stems. Mildew resistant. Fruits from July.
A vigorous grape vine that produces masses of edible black fruit in late summer. Plant in rich soil, in full sun either against a fence or wall, or in a greenhouse. Prune carefully in early years and thin grape bunches.
An edible variety of a dessert grape that does not need spraying for mildew. A sweet medium sized grape. Plant in a sunny position in well fertilised soil.
A vigorous grape vine that produces masses of edible black fruit in late summer. Plant in rich soil, in full sun either against a fence or wall, or in a greenhouse. Prune carefully in early years and thin grape bunches.
Grape Vine. A woody climber. Produces edible grapes in autumn. Height 7m. Flowers from June to July. Fruits from September. Deciduous. Hardy.
A Blackcurrant x Gooseberry. Yielding large, juicy, round, black fruits in July. A heavy cropper. The fruits are twice the size of normal blackcurrants. Large thornless bush. Good mildew resistance. Excellent for freezing and jam making.
French muskmelon with an excellent fragrance and flavour. The quality is admirable, 1 - 1.5kg, high yielding and robust. Early ripening.
Popular, high quality smooth Charentais melon. Very aromatic. Early ripening.
Mini watermelon that stands up well to U.K conditions. Sweet, very crisp red flesh with few, if any, seeds. Early ripening. Compact habit.
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An old favourite with small 15cm diameter fruits with pale green flesh. Delightful aromatic, sweet flavour.
New variety of dwarf mulberry that is covered with a profusion of pretty white blooms in May and June followed by a succession of succulent berries continuously from July until November, colouring from ruby red to glossy black.
An autumn type raspberry with medium dark red fruits of excellent flavour. Short erect spiny canes need little support. Fruits from August to early October. Heavy cropping. Cut all stems down to ground in winter before February.
A mid season raspberry with very large firm fruits of good flavour. High yielding. Spineless with very upright canes, sparse leaf which makes fruit picking easy. Fruits from June to July.
A good yielding early variety with vigorous growth useful for processing and freezing.
A mid season raspberry with large firm fruits of good flavour. Canes have no spines. Fruits from June to July. Good aphid resistance. Small autumn crop.
A late season raspberry with small-medium fruits of good flavour. Canes have no spines. Fruits from mid September-October. Good aphid resistance. Prefers a warm spot.
A good all-round mid season variety. Spine free, vigorous growth, resistant to blight, botrytis and some viruses. Excellent flavour, firm texture, high yields. Fruits mid July-mid August.
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Any questions? Email us or give us a call on 01904 400092.
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