Category Archives: Growing Guides

Gooseberries

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Conditions

Not many fruits are as easy-going as gooseberries, which will grow happily in most soils and can even tolerate partial shade. They prefer cooler conditions, so are great for northern gardens where other sweet crops may struggle. The further north you are, however, the more important it will be to plant your gooseberry in full sun, to make the most of its warmth. Pick a site that’s free of frost pockets, too. The plants may be very hardy – but they flower early in the spring and can suffer at the hands of a late cold snap, which will damage the blossom, reducing the number of fruits that set.

Any well-drained soil will be suitable for a gooseberry. As plants will be in the ground for anything up to a couple of decades, it is worth taking some time to prepare the ground diligently. Incorporate very generous quantities of compost or well-rotted manure to boost the nutrients available. If you have the time, dig this organic matter in a month or two in advance, to enable the soil to settle back down. Alternatively, enrich the growing medium at planting time by digging out generous holes and filling the bottom of them with a layer of compost or manure. Cover this over with another of soil before placing the gooseberry, to prevent root scorch.

Planting:

Gooseberries are available either bare-rooted or container-grown. The former may be planted in the autumn as soon as they become available, or in February or March once the worst of the winter weather is over and soil conditions allow. Container-raised plants can be set into place at any time of the year, barring the middle of summer – spring is an excellent time of year to think about planting one.

The easiest way to grow a gooseberry is as a bush on a short leg (stem) of about 10cm from which all the branches emerge. Bushes need enough room to grow and also to make the fruits easy to pick, so leave 1.5m between them in each direction. Set plants into their holes so that the nursery soil line is level with the ground, and firm in as you fill. Container-grown plants simply need the top of the compost matching with the soil level. After planting, sprinkle a general purpose fertilizer such as blood, fish and bone over the surface of the soil.

Cordons can be planted much closer, giving you the opportunity to try a couple of varieties in a relatively small space. They will need wire supports – grow them up against a fence onto which horizontal, galvanised wires have been stretched at 30cm, 60cm and 90cm intervals from the ground. Tie the main stem of the cordon gooseberry loosely to a bamboo cane and tie this in to the wire supports. Leave 40cm between each cordon and 1.5m between rows.

Care:

While you will struggle to kill off a gooseberry, it will take a little attention to guarantee a bumper crop of up to 5kg per bush. Begin the season’s care by adding a fresh sprinkling of organic fertilizer in February, then topping up with a layer of organic mulch in March, taking care it doesn’t touch the stem. Making this last addition at least 5cm thick will improve moisture retention in summer months – essential to help the berries swell properly – and will slowly feed plants over the growing season as it rots down or is taken into the soil by earthworms.

Watering is important, especially in early summer when the fruits are developing. A sudden wash of water applied after a prolonged dry spell will see berries swell quickly to split the skins – a sure-fire way of increasing disease risk. From the end of May it’s advisable to remove about half the fruits to give the remainder enough space to grow on properly. The thinned berries needn’t be discarded – use them for cooking. This process may be completed in stages.

Plants require protection in two ways. First you may need to cover them over with horticultural fleece at flowering time to avoid frost damage. Draping the material over bushes will be all that’s required, but remove it by day so pollinating insects can do their bit. Birds can be a nuisance in some areas and will peck at mature berries. If you haven’t got a fruit cage to keep them off then support netting tightly over bushes. Weigh down the edges with stones so that blackbirds can’t creep in at ground level to snaffle your crop.

Harvesting:

Gooseberries are relatively early to produce their haul of juicy berries. Thinning in May will give the first fruits, though this process can be carried out in stages until they are well spaced, allowing those that remain to get progressively larger. Mature goosegogs will be ready to take from June onwards, with the latest-fruiting varieties cropping in August. If you want to prolong your enjoyment of this obliging fruit then plant early, mid and late-season varieties to give the widest possible harvest window.

Dessert gooseberries are best picked minutes before enjoying them, when they will be at their peak of both flavour and goodness. However, they will keep for over a week in the fridge and gluts are suitable for freezing. When picking the fruits cut them free with the little piece of stem that joins them to the plant. If you simply rip them off, the skin will tear and the gooseberries will not keep for nearly as long. Your harvest can be used in so many ways – but it’s hard to beat the heavenly experience of fresh dessert berries folded into Greek yoghurt with just a drizzle of honey.

Pruning:

The object of pruning your bushes is to encourage a balanced, open structure and plenty of vigorous growth. This will in turn improve air circulation and reduce the opportunity for diseases such as American gooseberry mildew to gain a foothold.

Formative and maintenance pruning is best carried out in late February, just before plants burst into leaf. This has the advantage of keeping them naturally protected from bullfinches, which devour winter buds – the plants’ spines help to form an impenetrable barrier. A second, summer pruning around June to early July sees all new sideshoots reduced to just five leaves. This allows more light into the bush to help any fruits ripen, and maintains a healthy airflow.

Start pruning by selecting four or five of the strongest shoots on one-year-old bushes and reducing these by a half to three-quarters. Cut out any stems coming from the leg, and surplus growth back to where it is emerging. The nursery may have completed this initial pruning for you. The following February, cut back new growth by a half, aiming to leave eight to ten of the strongest branches in place to create a pleasing goblet shape to the bush. Prune back all other shoots to where they emerge, making cuts just above a bud. In subsequent winters, prune new growth back by half and cut out any excess branches to keep an open, even shape. Snip back laterals to two buds.

Cordons are pruned at the same time by reducing the previous season’s leader shoot growth by a quarter, which will stimulate more fruit-bearing sideshoots. Those from last year should be cut back to just two buds to maintain the columnar shape.

Citrus Fruits

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Conditions:

All citrus need warm conditions in order to thrive, although they can cope with surprisingly cool temperatures so long as they are not over-watered and have plenty of ventilation. Some daring growers with advantageous microclimates have even been able to grow the hardiest citrus trees outdoors all year round. If you want to try this, you will need to have a south- or west-facing brick wall that will radiate back any stored heat from the day to the plants at night. You will also need to be living on the west coast where the influences of the warming Gulf Stream are at their peak.

Otherwise, check that you have a suitable home for your citrus for both the summer and winter months. If you don’t have a frost-free greenhouse or conservatory, it is possible to keep your plants in a bright position indoors. If you want to do this, you will need to make sure that the humidity is kept high (see box, ‘Overwintering’). You’ll find that the sweet-scented flowers, glossy leaves and colourful fruits have considerable ornamental appeal when grown under cover throughout the cold weather and outside on the plot in summer.

The other major consideration when cultivating citrus is the compost. The plants need a nutrient-rich growing medium that is also free draining, as they can’t abide waterlogged or excessively damp roots. Buy some purpose-made citrus compost or create your own. For a homemade citrus compost combine four parts loam-based compost, such as John Innes No 3, with one part drainage material, such as bark chippings, perlite, horticultural grit or sharp sand. This mix will achieve the ideal balance of moisture retention with good drainage

Planting:

All citrus crops are best grown from bought-in plants, and a number of specialist nurseries have sprung up to supply a dizzying selection from which to choose. These are available at any height from 15cm tall to a mature tree. Most varieties will have been grafted onto a rootstock, which will limit their ultimate size and make them suitable for container culture. Smaller plants will take longer to reach the fruit-producing stage but will be more adaptable and likely to settle in quickly. Larger types will be ready to crop immediately, but will cost considerably more to buy.

Plants can be bought and planted up at any time of the year. Pick a container that is only slightly larger than the one your citrus arrives in; about 5-10cm wider and deeper is perfect. It is better to pot on in stages than to ‘swamp’ a plant in too large a tub. Ensure there are plenty of drainage holes and prop it up onto pot feet so that any excess water can escape unhindered from the base. Place a few crocks or stones into the bottom of the container before adding some of your compost. Position the citrus rootball on top of this and infill around the edges, pressing down on the compost as you do to remove any air pockets. Thoroughly water-in the newly potted plants to further settle the soil and top up with more compost if necessary.

Growing:

Position citrus plants in a bright and warm position. During the summer, they will love being outdoors where the access to fresh air and higher light levels will give them a real boost. Any pests that have built up under cover, such as scale insects, will clear up once the plants are moved outside. As mentioned, a sunny, sheltered patio is ideal – the extra warmth will encourage fruit formation. Plants can be moved outside from May, as soon as the possibility of frost has passed.

Citrus need very little pruning, but some formative work on young specimens will help them achieve a desirable shape. Remove lower branches to the main stem so that you encourage a single, clear trunk. Any badly placed, excessively long branches or those that are damaged or diseased may also be cut right back. Do this in spring, just as the trees are starting into growth, and use a sharp, sterile pair of secateurs for the job. Additional pruning can be carried out as needed during the growing season.

Once your tree is mature, almost no pruning will be necessary but unproductive branches can be removed, as should long, straight stems emerging near the base of the plant, known as ‘water shoots’. Very long and flexible branches can be tied down to the main stem to encourage fruit production in a technique called ‘festooning’.

Care:

Watering with consideration is essential and different times of the year will dictate different approaches. The trick is to keep plants moist in the summer, but never wet. In the winter, when temperatures are low and plants are growing very slowly, watering sessions should be dropped back to just once or twice a fortnight so that the compost almost dries out entirely in-between.

Container plants will need regular feeding if they are to flower and set fruit successfully. Special citrus feed is available, but during the growing season it is also possible to use a liquid tomato feed or liquid seaweed solution. Apply this every week or two, according to the instructions. Established plants will need to be potted on into the next size of tub as soon as the roots reach the base of their existing pot. Do this in winter and use fresh compost around the sides. Once the container size reaches 60cm in width and depth, it will be tricky to pot your citrus on much further. To give such plants an additional boost, scrape back the surface layer of compost from the pots each year in late winter and top-up with fresh compost mixed with a little general purpose organic fertiliser that is rich in trace elements.

Pests can become a nuisance under cover where the air is still. To counteract this, provide optimum ventilation – even during the winter (so long as it isn’t too cold outside). Aphids, scale insects and whitefly may be suppressed under cover using ‘biological controls’ – these are predatory insects that can be introduced to feed on the pests. Alternatively, you could spray the plants with a homemade soapy solution. These problems usually disappear when the plants are moved outside for the summer. If you want to keep them under cover all year, regularly damp down the floor and provide some shading during the sunniest, hottest months.

Harvesting:

Citrus fruits take up to 12 months to mature, the exception being grapefruits which take even longer! For this reason, it is quite normal to have both flowers and fruits at different stages of growth on one plant. Young plants should only be allowed to set four fruits, but older ones can be left to produce as many as they can – any excess will naturally drop off. The heaviest crops are achieved when average night-time temperatures are above 16°C for the six months following flowering in spring. If you want maximum fruit production then you may need to supply additional heat in early autumn when plants are brought back in under cover.

Consider supporting heavily-laden branches and pick your crops as soon as they are the right size and colour. Ripe fruit may be left on the plant for up to two months without deteriorating, and this is the best option to maintain their juiciness. Cut them away using a sharp knife or a pair of scissors, taking care not to pierce the branches.

 

Blackcurrents

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Conditions:

A sheltered spot with a reasonably fertile, moistureretentive and well-drained soil is preferable for blackcurrants. If it has a slightly acidic pH (around 6–6.5 – testing kits are cheap and widely available) that’s all the better, but it’s not essential. Avoid placing them in frost pockets, as a late frost can damage the flowers and lead to a smaller harvest.

Although blackcurrants will tolerate partial shade, the fruits taste better when exposed to plenty of sunshine, and shaded bushes may become weak and leggy. A few weeks before planting, always clear the ground of weeds, especially perennial types such as dandelions or docks, and enrich the soil with plenty of well-rotted manure or compost.

Planting:

Most blackcurrant bushes are sold as bare-rooted plants and the ideal time for getting them in the ground is late autumn to early winter. Any time up to mid-March is also fine (as long as the ground isn’t waterlogged or frozen) but they will have less time to settle before starting into growth. Container-grown specimens can also be purchased from garden centres or nurseries and planted throughout the year – but whenever possible, opt for the autumn, early winter or spring. Whatever the month, planting should always be avoided if the ground is very dry, frozen or waterlogged due to heavy and persistent rain or poor weather conditions. For the best results, select bushes that are certified as virus and disease-free and have at least three obvious stems.

Space the bushes 1.5m apart in the ground, and set them about 5cm deeper than they were planted in the nursery – an obvious soil mark is usually visible on each plant. This will encourage the stem bases to form roots as well, and eventually give the bushes more support.

Once the new bushes have been planted in the ground, it’s absolutely essential to water and firm them in well. A 7.5cm-deep mulch of garden compost or well-rotted manure should be spread around each plant – this will help to feed the blackcurrants and keep down unwanted weed growth. At this stage, the main stems also need to be pruned to two buds from ground level (these buds should face outwards rather than inwards as that’s where you’ll want your fruit to appear). The reason for this is to channel the plants’ energies into establishing the root system in the soil and encouraging the production of lots of healthy new stems (from above and below ground) in the spring and summer. It’s these that will produce the first crop of fruits the following season.

Growing:

New and established blackcurrant bushes must be kept wellwatered during long spells of dry spring and summer weather, and weed control is vital all year round. However, the plants have a wide-spreading, shallow root system and so using a spade, fork or hoe around them could mean you can damage it accidentally; a combination of hand weeding and mulching is less likely to cause damage.

For bumper crops, feed the bushes with an organic fertiliser (applied at a rate of approximately 100g per square yard) in the early spring and top-up the mulch of compost and manure around each plant every April. The plants can also be given a boost by applying an organic liquid fertiliser when the fruits are starting to swell in the summer.

Care:

In harsh winters, the roots (or rootballs) of new bushes can sometimes be lifted out of the ground by hard frosts. If this happens, firm them back in immediately. The flowers of some varieties (notably older types) are prone to cold damage and, if a frost is forecast while they are blooming, it is a good idea to carefully drape horticultural fleece over the bushes.

Unfortunately, currants are sometimes sought out by hungry birds and the developing and mature fruits may need protecting by covering with a sheet of fine netting. Alternatively, dangle old CDs from string nearby or hang thin strips of recycled tin foil from the stems – these will glint in the sunlight and rustle in the slightest breeze to frighten away any passing birds.

Harvesting:

Blackcurrant fruits are ready for picking in the mid to late summer (July and August) and are at their best about seven days after they have turned blue-black. They can be gathered individually or, if you want them to stay fresh for a little longer, you can harvest them as whole trusses. If possible, pick the blackcurrants in dry conditions, as wet fruits often don’t store well and may turn mouldy. The fruits can be eaten immediately, or stored in a fridge for one to two weeks. Alternatively, they can be frozen for eating later – they should last at least six months this way.

 

Apples

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Conditions:

Apples will grow in most conditions but bear in mind that trees will be fruiting for a considerable number of years. Give them the best possible start by picking a reasonably sunny and sheltered spot that is clear of any frost pockets (late frosts may damage the blooms of early-flowering varieties). The soil should be free-draining and definitely not waterlogged or too shallow. Aside from these simple demands, apples will grow in most soils, so long as they are not excessively alkaline or acidic.

Prepare the soil well in advance and at least a month before planting by digging it over and adding plenty of well-rotted manure or garden compost to the planting site. The ground should then have enough time to settle down before the tree is moved to its final growing position. Aim to prepare an area of soil that’s at least a metre in diameter and 60cm deep as this will give your tree plenty of well-prepared root space. If you want to plant freestanding apples in a lawn, then prepare the ground as described but add an extra boost of nutrition by working in a few handfuls of bonemeal at the same time.

Planting:

Apple trees will either be supplied bare-rooted in their dormant state or as container-grown specimens. Container trees may be planted at any time of the year but bare-rooted types, while considerably cheaper, must be planted while the tree remains in its winter state, usually from October through to March (late autumn provides the optimal time to get them in the ground). Order your fruit early – September is the perfect month to do so – as you’ll be getting first dibs on the fullest selection of varieties. Opt for a two- or three-year-old tree as these will already be partly trained.

Planting in the open ground involves digging a hole into the prepared soil that is large enough to accommodate the roots, then simply positioning your tree, filling back with soil and firming it in to make sure that the earth is in complete contact with all the roots and that there are no air pockets which might cause the tree to rock in the wind. There are a number of other considerations too. Firstly, do not add any extra fertiliser at this stage as you will only encourage soft growth at the expense of fruit production. Secondly, make sure that the union between the rootstock and scion – which can be identified from the distinct bulge in the stem – sits about 10cm clear of the ground; taking care to match the new soil level with the level the tree was buried to in its nursery pot, or to the soil mark on its stem, will be a foolproof way of doing this.

Most trees and all varieties on a dwarfing rootstock (M27, M9, M26 – see box: Rootstocks) will need support. Before planting your tree drive a 5cm-diameter stake into the bottom of your planting hole so it sits at least 30cm beneath its base. Place it at a 45° angle so it faces the oncoming prevailing wind and site it about 7cm from the stem of the tree. After filling back your planting hole and firming the earth in, loosely connect a tree tie 10cm from the top of the stake to the stem of your tree. Tighten it up after a few weeks once the tree has settled in. As the tree grows and its stem thickens you will need to periodically loosen the tie to stop it from cutting into the bark.

Care:

Trees will need watering in dry spells, particularly as they are establishing and as their fruits begin to swell. Older and larger trees will be better able to cope with drought but apples in containers will always require a steady supply of water. It is worth applying a mulch of manure or compost in early spring to help retain moisture and suppress weeds. This will also rot down to add valuable nutrients to the soil. Before applying the mulch, sprinkle some general purpose fertiliser over the ground to cover an area slightly larger than the diameter of the tree’s crown, which will roughly mirror the spread of the tree’s roots.

Left to their own devices apples will form lots of fruit one year and fewer the next in a natural cycle of plenty then famine. Leave all fruits to grow on and you also run the risk of lots of apples but all of a small size. Young fruitlets naturally fall away in early summer during the ‘June drop’ but extra thinning can help. Begin by removing the central ‘king apple’ at the centre of each cluster of fruits as this rarely forms a pleasing shape. Then thin the remaining fruits to leave 10-12cm between apples of dessert varieties and 15-25cm between larger cooking varieties. Smaller trees such as minarettes and dwarf pyramids won’t need much thinning, so only remove fruits if it looks like you’ll otherwise have an excessively heavy crop.

Harvesting:

There’s a simple, fail-safe technique for testing when your apples are ready for picking: cup an apple in the palm of your hand and gently lift it upwards while twisting at the same time. If the apple comes away readily from the spur then it is ready to pick. Never pull an apple vigorously from a tree, as this could cause damage. If you do harm any, eat them within a few days as they won’t keep successfully.

The earliest varieties of apple should be eaten fresh rather than kept over long periods of time. Late varieties that are specifically described as suitable for storage must be prepared before they are packed away. Wrap each apple in old newspaper and store the fruits in open trays. The newspaper will keep them dry and prevent the apples from touching and spreading disease. Always handle your apples with extreme care so as not to bruise them. Your apple store should be cool but frost-free, with minimal temperature fluctuations and devoid of strong-smelling paints or other industrial liquids that could taint the apples’ flavour. Garages, cellars or an unheated spare room make ideal storage spots. Check over stored apples weekly to inspect them for any signs of rotting or brown patches and remove these immediately as problems can spread rapidly between fruit kept in storage. Some of the best keeping varieties can be stored right through to April.

Pruning:

There are a number of ways to grow your apple trees, such as: wall-trained espaliers with parallel horizontal branches; single-stem cordons against wire supports; fans trained to fill a wall or fence; free-standing as a simple dwarf pyramid shape or as a more rounded bush tree. This section explains how to prune free-standing trees to create a space-saving dwarf pyramid. If you can only plant in containers or are looking for an even simpler alternative then try the compact columnar shape of minarette apple trees, which can be planted in the ground as close as 60cm apart. These have a vertical stem with multiple short, fruit-bearing spurs and will require minimal pruning. They are also available with more than one variety grafted onto the plant’s rootstock.

Dwarf pyramid trees will require pruning immediately after planting to encourage a good, even ‘Christmas-tree’ shape. Ask your fruit supplier for a ‘feathered maiden’ tree as this lends itself well to the formation of a pyramid. The central leader (the main stem of the tree) will need to be cut back to leave 25cm of growth. Make the cut just above a bud that is pointing in an upward direction. The other branches should then be pruned to 20cm in length – make the cut just above buds that are facing outwards and upwards.

The next pruning takes place in late summer when the bottom third of each new shoot has turned woody and the leaves have taken on a dark green colour, indicating maturity. The summer pruning process uses the ‘modified Lorette system’, which sees pruning only of shoots that are longer than 20cm. Begin by cutting back sideshoots emerging from new growth to just three leaves above the cluster of leaves closest to the stem (these are known as the ‘basal cluster’). Sideshoots emerging from older wood that has not been produced in the current year should be cut back to one leaf above the basal cluster. New shoots emerging after this summer pruning should be cut back to one bud in September. As well as completing this modified Lorette system of pruning, in this first summer’s pruning you should reduce the length of the main branches, other than the central leader, to six leaves above each branch’s basal cluster.

Subsequent winter pruning sees the central leader cut back to leave 25cm of last season’s growth to maintain its size, followed in the summer by the modified Lorette system of pruning.