Fruit Growing guide

We are lucky in the UK with the ease and variety of fruit it is possible to grow in our gardens and greenhouses. From Nectarines to Mulberries, Strawberries to Rhubarb. Most prefer a sunny spot but will cope with part shade.

With the introduction of newer compact varieties, it is easy to collect quite a lot of attractive and productive fruit in a normal back garden.

Quick Tips for Growing Fruit Plants:

  • Fruit plants can produce crops for many years.
  • Most fruit plants thrive in full sun but can tolerate partial shade.
  • Enrich new fruit beds with plenty of soil improver.
  • Mulch fruit beds each late winter with materials like bark chippings or garden compost.
  • Feed your plants in spring with a general fertiliser like Vitax Q4 or bonemeal.
  • Many fruit varieties can be grown in pots or raised beds, making them ideal for patios.
  • Keep your fruit safe from slugs and snails.
  • Pot-grown fruit requires minimal pruning.
  • A 12-litre pot is a good size for fruit bushes.
  • Fruit plants need plenty of water once the fruits begin to grow.

How to Grow Fruit Plants

Blueberries (Vaccinium)

Blueberries are a delight through every season—starting with small, bell-like white flowers in spring, followed by juicy blue fruits in summer, and vibrant autumn foliage in red, yellow, and purple. They thrive in full sun or part shade and prefer moist, acidic soil, so plant them in John Innes ericaceous compost. Make sure they stay hydrated, especially during flowering and fruiting, and protect the ripening berries from birds with netting. While most blueberries are self-pollinating, planting two or three different varieties will result in bigger crops. In the first two years, no pruning is needed, but after that, trim any weak or damaged wood and remove some of the oldest stems. Aim for a balance of one-third old, one-third middle-aged, and one-third young stems for healthy growth.

Blackberries (Rubus fruticosus)

Garden blackberries produce large, sweet berries that are far more manageable than wild varieties. Prune them annually, removing old, fruited stems after harvest to encourage new growth in the spring. These vigorous plants are best grown along horizontal wires on a wall or fence, though compact varieties can be grown in pots if space is tight. Blackberries ripen from mid-summer to early autumn, depending on the variety, and they’re packed with vitamins and antioxidants.

Strawberries (Fragaria × ananassa)

Strawberries are juicy, sweet, and incredibly productive, making them perfect for small spaces like borders, pots, raised beds, or hanging baskets. With a mix of varieties, you can enjoy strawberries from early summer to the first frost. They love well-drained soil and full sun for the sweetest fruit, but if your garden is shady, try Alpine strawberries for their small, aromatic fruit. When planting a new patch, enrich the soil with farmyard manure or compost to give them a good start. For potted strawberries, multipurpose compost works well. Feed them each spring with Vitax Q4 or Bone Meal, and during dry spells, keep them well-watered. In summer, boost their fruiting with a high-potassium feed like tomato fertiliser. Mulch around plants with straw or use weed-suppressing mats to conserve moisture and keep the fruit clean. As your plants age, it's best to replace them with fresh, healthy, disease-free varieties for continued productivity.

 

 

 

Recipes

White Currant Wine Recipe
  • 4-5 lbs ripe whitecurrants
  • 2½ lbs granulated sugar
  • 6½ pts water
  • 1 crushed Campden tablet
  • 1 tsp yeast nutrient
  • 1 pkg Burgundy wine yeast
  1. Put the fruit in primary and crush.
  2. Add 1 quart water, crushed Campden tablet and yeast nutrient and stir. Meanwhile, add half the sugar to 1 quart water and bring to boil while stirring to dissolve.
  3. Add to primary and stir. Cover and allow to cool overnight.
  4. Add activated yeast, recover, and stir daily for 5-6 days.
  5. Strain through nylon sieve and transfer juice to sanitized secondary and fit airlock.
  6. Bring another quart of water to boil and stir in remainder of sugar until dissolved.
  7. When cool, add to secondary and refit airlock.
  8. After 3 additional days, top up with water, refit airlock and set aside until fermentation stops.
  9. Rack, top up and refit airlock. After 60 days, rack again, top up and refit airlock.
  10. After additional 60 days, rack into bottles and age 6 months before tasting.
Raspberry Ripple Jam Recipe
  • 750g raspberries hulled
  • 450g white cane sugar
  • 1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 1 vanilla pod halved and seeds scraped out
  1. Pre-heat the oven to 130°c 110°c fan oven gas mark 1
  2. Put 3 280g jam jars in the oven for 15mins to sterilise them.
  3. Put half the raspberries into the pan and crush them gently, then add the remaining half of the raspberries along with the sugar, lemon juice and vanilla seeds.
  4. Stir the mixture over a low heat until the sugar has dissolved, then ring to a rolling boil and cook for 5mins.
  5. Test the set by using the plate test: place a small drop of jam on a cold plate and leave for 1minute, then gently push it to see if you get a wrinkle. If so, its ready. If you want a firmer set, pop the pan back on the heat for a further 2-3mins and repeat the tests.
  6. Once setting point is reached, remove any scum. Cool the jam for 5mins - this will ensure that the raspberry seeds do not float to the top of the jam when it is poured into the sterilised jars.
Blackcurrant Curd Recipe
  • 450g blackcurrants, de-stalked
  • 450g cooking apples, peeled and chopped
  • 225g unsalted butter, (for each 450g fruit puree)
  • 4 large eggs, (for each 450g fruit puree)
  • 450g caster sugar, (for each 450g fruit puree)
  1. Put the blackcurrants and apples in a pan with a drop or two of water, and cook slowly until softened.
  2. Pass through a nylon sieve.
  3. Measure the puree and assemble the unsalted butter, eggs and caster sugar, following the guidlines above.
  4. Put the puree into a double saucepan or a bowl over a pan of simmering water.
  5. Add the butter and sugar and dissolve.
  6. Beat the eggs lightly, strain into the mixture and stir until it thickens. Do not allow it to get too hot or boil as it could curdle.
  7. When thick, pot and store. Eat within 3months and keep in the fridge once opened.
Blackberry Chutney Recipe
  • 500g blackberries
  • 1tbsp olive oil
  • 1 red onion, finely chopped
  • 3cm ginger, finely chopped
  • 2 large red chillies, finely chopped
  • 45g caster sugar
  • 30ml red wine vinegar
  1. Heat the olive oil in a heavy-based saucepan.
  2. Add in the red onion, ginger and chilli.
  3. Fry gently for 4-5mins until softened.
  4. Add blackberries and cook for 3-4mins, stirring now and then.
  5. Add in the sugar and vinegar, mixing well.
  6. Bring to a boil and simmer for 15-20mins until thickened.
  7. Allow to cool.
  8. If being stored, spoon into sterilised jars, when still hot and cover.
Blueberry & Pear Cake Recipe
  • 200g blueberries
  • 450g (1Ib) wholemeal self raising flour, sifted
  • Pinch of salt
  • 250g (9oz) butter, diced
  • 350g golden granulated sugar
  • 4 large eggs, beaten
  • 4 large pears, peeled, cored and sliced
  • Pre-heat the oven to 190°c/375°f/gas mark 5
  1. Grease and baseline a 20.5cm round tin.
  2. Rub together the flour, salt and butter until they look like breadcrumbs.
  3. Add 250g (9oz) of the sugar and the beaten egg and stir.
  4. Spoon half the mixture in the bottom of the tin, top with the sliced pears and blueberries, keeping a few slices of pear and a few blueberries back.
  5. Sprinkle with some of the remaining sugar and spoon over the remaining cake mixture.
  6. Place the remaning fruit on top, pressing down slightly, and finish off the left over sugar.
  7. Bake for 1hr-1hr 10mins, or until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean.
  8. Cool and remove from the tin, serve either warm or cold.
Red Currant Jelly Recipe
  • 1.8kg (4lbs) red currants
  • 1.8litres (3 pints) water
  • 450g (1lb) sugar per pint of juice obtained
  1. Wash and drain the red currants without removing the stalks.
  2. Put the fruit into a pan with the water and stew until the fruit is pulpy.
  3. Test for pectin.
  4. Turn into a jelly bag and leave to strain for 3 or 4 hours.
  5. Measure the juice and heat in a pan.
  6. Add 450g (1lb) warmed sugar to each pint of juice, stirring until the sugar has dissolved.
  7. Bring to the boil and boil rapidly until the jelly sets when tested.
  8. Remove the scum.
  9. Pot and seal whilst still hot.