Why berries?
Classic Scottish fruit, bursting with flavour and vitamins, some form of berry and there are many, should be included in every growing space. As with all other fruit and veg in Scotland, growing a few different varieties to flower and fruit at different times ensures nectar for the bees and fruit for you over a longer period.
Where?
Choose your sunniest spot for berries, though currant and gooseberries will tolerate partial shade. Berries grown in the open ground need good fertile soil; garden compost, well-rotted manure or a general organic fertilizer before planting.
When?
Grow: Fruit can be planted year-round in pots; strawberry runners can be planted into warm autumn soils, and hardwood cuttings from disease-free plants can be taken in winter months to increase plant numbers.
Eat: June (undercover), July, August, September, October
Depending on what you grow, you can pick fruit from mid-June until the first frost in September -October.
Growing tips
For autumn and spring tasks disease-free strawberry runners (clean green leaves) can be planted into new growing areas or potted up. Make sure any existing strawberry plants are not congested, and each young plant has plenty of space around it to grow into.
Currants need a regular winter prune to ground level to remove thicker, woodier stems and encourage new growth for fruiting. Hardwood cuttings can be taken (Nov-March) from currants over winter months.
Winter is the time to source good value ‘bare root’ fruit direct from the grower and soil free. A range of fruit will keep you picking all summer.
Get to grips with when to prune, and possibly train, your fruit; to promote young healthy growth and have good ‘air flow’.
Every growing space and every season is different and changes how we grow. Grow 6 is a place to start to practice and learn how to grow and adapt to these changes. Along with supporting new growers through regular updates, your tips and experiences are welcome as we all ‘Get Growing’.and
