Growing Your Own Soft Fruit

Growing your own food is a fantastic way to cheaply supplement what you buy from the supermarket. Nothing beats the flavour of home-grown, and you can guarantee your food has been grown without chemicals. Although many people begin their home-grown adventures with vegetables and salads, fruits are really easy to grow and are often much more expensive to buy. In fact, some fruits, like gooseberries, are rarely seen in supermarkets at all.

Most soft fruits are permanent shrubs or vines. With a little annual pruning and care, they can provide delicious fruit for many years. Most prefer a sunny position in moist but well-drained soil and are completely hardy in winter. Some, like strawberries, even prefer to spend some time below freezing to set a good crop for the following summer, although frosted flowers will prevent fruiting.

If you are looking to grow a whole range of soft fruits, consider harvesting times when choosing varieties. This helps avoid gaps and gluts in production and spreads the harvest across the season.

If you do have more fruit than you can eat, remember that the freezer is your friend. Most fruits freeze very well and can be enjoyed all year round. Look for a self-fertile variety if you only want one plant.

Types of Fruit

Black Currants

• Ben Conan: Heavy cropper. (Early July)
• Ben Hope: Great for organic growing. (July-August)
• Ben Sarek: Most popular variety. (Mid July)
• Ben Tirran: Best for cooking. (Late July)
• Big Ben: Huge fruits and very sweet. (July)

Red Currants

• Jonkheer Van Tet: Heavy yields, juicy fruit. (Early July)
• Laxton: Heavy yields, high-quality fruit. (Mid July)
• Rovada: Prolific, great-quality fruit. (July to mid August)

White Currants

• White Versailles: Heavy cropper, sweet fruit. (July)

Pink Currants

• Gloire De Sablons: Sweet and juicy. (July)

Blackberries

• Adrienne: Spine free, large fruits, great flavour. (July-August)
• Bedford Giant: Large, sweet juicy fruits. (July-August)
• Karaka Black: Exceptionally long, firm, tasty fruits. (July-September)
• Merton Thornless: Heavy cropper, compact plant. (August-September)
• Waldo: Thornless, heavy cropper, large fruits. (August-September)

Blueberries

• Blue Crop: The leading commercial blueberry. (Late July)
• Brigitta: Sweet yet very slightly tart large fruits. (Late August)
• Duke: Heavy consistent yield. (Late June-July)
• Elizabeth: Large, great-tasting fruit. (July to late August)
• Miniblue: Superior flavour, small firm fruits. (July)

Gooseberries

• Hinnonmaki Green: Very hardy, prolific, large fruit. (Mid July)
• Hinnonmaki Red: Large, sweet fruit and heavy crops. (Mid July)
• Hinnonmaki Yellow: Spreading habit bush, sweet, aromatic fruit with a hint of apricot. (Mid July)
• Invicta: Very popular, huge yields, sweet fruit. (Late July-August)

Summer Raspberries

• Glen Ample: Spine free, high yields, very tasty. (Mid July-August)
• Glen Doll: Superb quality, heavy crops. (Mid July to mid August)
• Malling Jewel: Good all-purpose variety. (Mid July to mid August)
• Malling Promise: Large rosy red fruits, all-purpose. (July)
• Tulameen: Very popular, high yields. (Mid July to mid August)

Autumn Raspberries

• All Gold: Golden fruit to eat fresh or make wine. Award-winning variety. (Late August to mid October)
• Autumn Bliss: Most popular variety, high yields, great taste. (Late August to mid October)
• Polka: Great quality, large fruit. (Mid August-November)

Rhubarb

• Champagne: Long, sweet, delicious stems. (May-June)
• Glaskins Perpetual: Superb all-round variety. (April-July)
• Livingstone: Harvest in spring and autumn. (April-October)
• Timperley Early: Delicious sweet flavour. (From February/March)
• Victoria: Popular, juicy, sweet with a tart kick. (July-September)

Grapes

• Black Hamburg: Black, excellent flavour for eating or wine.
• Chardonnay: White grape for wine making.
• Chasselas Blanc: Sweet white grape for eating or wine.
• Chasselas Rosé: Very sweet red grape for eating or wine.
• Pinot Noir: The classic red wine grape.

Other Fruits

• Figs – Brown Turkey: Sweet juicy figs, water well. (August-October)
• Gojiberry: Very high in Vitamin C, a superfood. (August-October)
• Honeyberry: Long blue fruits similar to blueberries. (June-July)
• Kiwi: Vigorous climbing plant, needs a sunny wall. (August-September)
• Loganberry: Thornless blackberry/raspberry hybrid. (Mid July-August)

Strawberries

• Cambridge Favourite: Bumper crops, juicy. (June-July)
• Elan: Great for containers, high yields, very sweet. (June-October)
• Honeoye: Huge crops, quality fruit. Good for freezing. (June)
• Montana: Compact plants, sweet fruit. (May-June & September)
• Toscana: Pink flowers, tasty, good for containers. (June-October)

Planting

Fruit bushes can be planted at any time provided the ground is not frozen or waterlogged, although autumn is best. Strawberries can be planted in the ground during spring or late summer, or in containers at any time of year. Replace strawberry plants every three to four years and move them to a new bed to reduce the build-up of pests and diseases.

Blueberries require acidic soil and do not grow well in chalky conditions. Most varieties perform well in a large container filled with ericaceous compost.

Raspberries are often sold in packs of five. Remove them from the pot and separate the canes before planting them 45cm apart.

As fruit bushes remain in the ground for many years, prepare the soil thoroughly before planting. Dig in well-rotted manure or compost, remove weeds, follow the recommended planting distances and provide supports for climbing fruits such as grapes and kiwis. Water thoroughly after planting and keep plants well watered during their first two summers while the roots establish.

Maintenance

Prune your fruit plants every year to keep them productive and healthy. Each fruit has different pruning requirements, and blackcurrants in particular should be pruned differently from other currants.

Keep weeds under control, as they compete for valuable nutrients in the soil. Water deeply at least once a week, especially during dry spells, as drought can reduce cropping and fruit quality, particularly in figs.

Apply a mulch of organic matter every spring to help plants establish and remain healthy and productive. Container-grown fruit, such as strawberries, benefits from a weekly tomato feed.

Protection

Birds love fruit and will often eat it before it is fully ripe. As soon as fruit begins to form on currants and gooseberries, cover plants with tightly stretched netting over a framework. Avoid using loose netting, as birds can become trapped. Leave the netting in place until harvest.

Protect strawberries from slugs, although those grown in containers, particularly hanging baskets, are much less likely to suffer damage.

Keep an eye out for aphids. Ladybird and hoverfly larvae are beneficial insects that feed on aphids, so leave them where they are if you spot them. It is best not to spray food crops with chemicals.