The Soft Fruit Patch

[MaryN]

For anyone who has a soft fruit patch, now is the time to get out there and start bringing things into order for the coming season. I grow all the soft fruit we eat in a year, and this week I have been out there with fork, clippers and rubbish bag.

If you have gooseberries, now is the time to give them a quick clip back. You may find that some of the lower branches have rooted themselves. This is good - new baby plants in the offing. Separate the newbie from its parent ; plant by clipping the stem between cutting and main plant and gently dig it up. Transplant to another area; watch out for those thorns. Clip out any dead branches and trim up if necessary.

Raspberry canes will be starting to sprout soon. Carefully cut out any dead stems from last year and trim any overgrown ones back to manageable sizes. If they have spread into the surrounding area, dig them up and transplant. Loganberries require similar treatment. Check that the trailing branches from last year are still alive; tie in as necessary and clip away any dead wood.

Currants do not usually need much attention. Clip out any deadwood and prop with stakes if necessary. They have a tendancy to lean and root in the ground if left to their own devices, so make sure no future shoots are wasted by contamination.

Lastly, for me anyway, the strawberry patch needs attention. Remove any leaves blown in from surrounding trees to give the plants a sight of the sun. Clip away any runners that you missed last season, and if wanted transplant to another area. Clip away any dead leaves and make sure plants are not too overcrowded. This is particularly important if you mulch your plants in summer.

Happy gardening![/size]

[Steve]

Timely advice Mary, thanks.

Last year I put small pots of soil under the strawberry runners but left them attached, the main plants are direct in the soil, so I can easily move them.

[Tartar Horde]

Done all mine Mary, and the plants are all bursting with Bud mmmm.
Got a dozen Raspberry bushes, two Goosegog bushes, one Plum tree and a Blackcurrant bush, and the Rhubarb is just starting to show. We had over twenty pounds of Gooseberries off the two bushes last year, and turned most of it to Jam. But hot Gooseberry tartlets are just superb.

[Steve]

Perhaps this is a good thread to remind people that a row of closely planted gooseberries makes a formidable fence, as well as a great source of vitamin C.

And you can make wine from them. What's not to like ?