The pride that you feel after cooking a meal made from fruit and vegetables from your own garden is hard to beat – ask any gardener. But taste isn’t the only reason to opt for growing your own veg. Take apples for example. According to some statistics, as many as 76% of all the apples eaten by hungry mouths in the UK are from another country, with many coming from the USA and non-EU countries. Not only does this clock up air miles resulting in pollution, but it’s also led to a decline in British apple orchards with over half of UK sites destroyed in the last 30 years. Yes, fruit doesn’t have to be imported; in fact you can grow it in your own back garden – which is a healthier, more environmentally friendly and often cheaper alternative than buying it in the supermarket. So, which fruits are easy to grow in the UK? Here we profile five excellent options:
1 – Apples
If you’ve got your heart set on a home-made apple pie then you’re in luck. To get started you need to plant an apple tree. You can purchase a young tree ready for planting from a nursery – just Google one in your area or nearby. Place it in a bucket of water for two hours to allow it to soak up moisture. Next dig a hole with some manure and multi-purpose compost to make it fertile. Place the tree in your hole and firm it down with soil until stable – try to choose a spot which has equal measures of sunshine and shade. You might also want to place down some membrane, or even newspaper, to avoid too much weed growth around it. Apple trees can grow very tall but only if you let them. If you’re worried about space then just keep on top of the pruning to manage the height to around 6-8 ft. Most apple trees will begin to bear fruit in their 3rd or 4th year of growth but this can vary from species to species and from garden to garden so be patient.
2 – Blackberries and raspberries
Another home garden favourite is brambles like blackberries and raspberries. Brambles aren’t fussy when it comes to soil but they do need good drainage and they grow best near fence posts, trellises or along walls as they need good support. Soak your blackberry root for a few hours as with the apple tree and again create a nice hole with compost to encourage root growth. Now plant the blackberry and snip the cane away so the plant is only protruding a few inches out from the ground to prevent disease. In terms of care you will need to prune your brambles once in the summer before it bears fruit and then once again after you harvest them.
3 – Cherries
Cherries are planted as trees too, usually bearing their fruit in July. Like apples and brambles, soak your cherry tree in a large bucket allowing it to soak up some moisture – you can even leave it overnight if you want. Now dig a hole with compost, manure and garden soil to make sure the cherry tree is set up with all the nutrients it needs. In terms of how deep you should plant the tree, there should be a mark on it which indicates the level it was buried too in the nursery which you should try and match. Now firm it down with soil making sure that no air pockets are left. Your cherry tree will take around 2-3 years to begin bearing fruit.
4 – Plums
Plums are another delicious treat we can grow in our gardens – enjoyable both cooked and fresh. Victoria plums are a good option in the UK which bears plenty of delicious fruit. Order your tree online and allow it to soak overnight. Now dig yourself a hole, once again with compost, manure and soil to give it a slow release of nutrients. Firm the plant in with soil, making sure that there are no air pockets left. You should aim to prune your tree in spring and summer helping to avoid any diseases and you will normally be able to harvest at the end of the summer. Victoria plum trees are known to produce lots of fruit and it can sometimes be beneficial to remove some of the smaller fruits early, to improve the growth of others.
5 – Strawberries
Strawberries are wonderful. Not only are they one of the sweetest tasting fruits but they also grow incredibly quickly and can be planted in a variety of places which can save you space for other crops to grow. Strawberries require rich fertile soil, so you’ll need to prepare some fertiliser and natural compost for it when planting. Next, begin planting your strawberries. They need to be planted in rows with gaps of around 18 inches and leaving space for a path to allow you to pick them once they begin to grow. Be sure to weed regularly through the spring and lay down slug pellets to avoid pests from ruining your fruits. Once the fruits begin to flower and turn green you will need to keep watering to a minimum to avoid damp. Finally, once the fruits begin to ripen you will need to cover the beds with netting to prevent them from being eaten by birds!
Do you enjoy gardening? Do you have any special tips on growing your own fruit or creating a garden sanctuary? Tweet us @TimeForYouGroup and let us know, or alternatively visit us at https://timeforyou.cleaning/uk/ for more tips and advice.
