Growing soft fruit is really quite straightforward, and growing from potted fruit plants makes it even easier. If you’re keen to try your hand at growing some fruit, have a read of our FAQs below.
Can I plant fruit in containers?
Absolutely. Soft fruit is great for growing in containers. You just need to make sure the container is big enough for the roots to fit into with a little extra space to grow. Since the fruit plants are likely to be in the container for many years be sure to use a good quality compost which is well drained (placing small stones or pieces of broken terracotta pots at the bottom of the container will aid drainage). As a general rule, you should look to re-pot fruit plants every three years.
What do I need to do when the plants arrive?
When your fruit plants arrive, all you’ll need to do is give the plants a thorough soaking before planting them on a day when the ground is nice and soft. Dig a hole comfortably large enough to take the entire root ball and pop it in the hole ensuring that the top of the root ball is level with the surrounding soil or up to 1cm deeper. Firm the soil around the root ball and water-in thoroughly.
How far apart should I plant fruit bushes/plants?
This depends on what sort of fruit you’re growing, but please don’t worry, we’ll send all this information and some other top tips together with your plants, so just follow the guides and you’ll be fine.
How do I care for my fruit plants?
It’s a good idea to add a mulch around the base of the plant as this helps both to keep the soil temperature even and to retain moisture during dry spells. When the fruit starts to form in the summer it’s wise to add a netting to stop birds from eating your crop. Other than that, the key things are training and pruning your fruit. This is actually very simple, and you’ll receive all the information you need in our growing guide when your plants arrive.
When will I be able to harvest my fruit?
Most soft fruit will be harvestable during summer/autumn months.
Which are the easiest fruits to grow?
We’d recommend starting with some strawberries (all you need to do is plant them 30cm apart, and keep them watered during the summer!) along with Autumn fruiting raspberries (these are a little easier to prune – you can just cut them back to the ground in winter) and Lingonberry which is very similar to cranberry, but it is an evergreen and is very hardy and disease resistant, it also grows well in shade. Currants are also very easy to grow.
