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If you’re keen to grow as much of your own produce as possible but don’t have much
time on your hands, then planning a low-maintenance fruit garden is a great solution.
In this video we’ll show you how spending a little time and effort planning and preparing
your fruit garden can result in maximum harvest with minimum time and effort.
When choosing the perfect spot in your garden to grow fruit, the most important consideration
is your soil. Most average garden soils are adequate for successful fruit growing, but
all soil types benefit from the addition of organic matter such as compost – it will
lighten heavy clay soils and enhance nutrient- and water-retention in sandy soils.
Avoid any very wet areas in your garden or consider installing drainage, as waterlogged
soils are rarely good for growing fruit, although cranberries can tolerate more boggy conditions.
Likewise, a very dry part of your garden is best avoided unless you’re willing to install
irrigation – for low maintenance, you don’t want to spend half your summer watering plants!
Drip irrigation looped around the root zone of your plants is very effective.
Most fruit grows best in a sunny, sheltered spot, although some bushes such as currants
are quite happy with some shade. Avoid frost pockets which can result
in buds or flowers being damaged by the cold early in the year.
A sheltered environment away from cold winds is essential to ensure that your plants flower well,
are pollinated by insects and set fruit successfully.
For windy areas, growing a hedge
as a screen alongside your fruit, or taking advantage of the protection given
by walls or fences will make a big difference.
It's tempting to cram as many fruit bushes and trees
into your garden as possible but overcrowding will result in none of them growing well.
That's why a plan is essential. You can use our Garden Planner to mark out boundaries
and fences, and work out how many plants will fit. As trees and bushes are added,
the grey circle around them shows how much space their roots require.
It's easy to grow a wonderful fruit garden,
only to find that the local wildlife enjoys all your harvest, so
protecting your fruit garden from them is essential.
Rabbits can usually be kept at bay with two-foot high chicken wire,
also extending one foot down into the ground to stop them from burrowing underneath.
To exclude deer you’ll need a higher fence
– at least 6 feet, or 1.8m, high. If you only have a few fruit trees it might
be easier and cheaper to fence off the trees individually rather than the whole garden.
Birds are a major pest of soft fruit, so in many areas it will be essential to net against them.
A fruit cage is the easiest option. Use metal or wooden posts for the frame, and
netting or wire mesh for the sides. The top is best made out of light netting that can
be rolled back for winter, as the weight of snow on top can collapse even very sturdy fruit cages.
Bare earth is an open invitation for weeds, and young fruit trees or bushes are particularly
vulnerable to competition for moisture, so to avoid having to spend hours weeding, make
sure you cover the soil. Remove all perennial weeds before you start, then keep the soil
covered with mulches such as home-made compost, bark, straw, leafmold or grass clippings.
After a few years, grass or clover can be allowed to grow up to the trunks
of fruit trees as a living mulch.
Grass will need to be cut every week or two if you want to keep
it short, but if you use a mulching mower you won’t have to keep stopping to empty the bag.
Plus, leaving the grass lying will enhance moisture-retention and fertility in the soil.
Rhubarb also has a place in the fruit garden – while technically a vegetable, it is often
used as a fruit and is perennial, low maintenance, and a fantastic weed suppressor.
Choose your fruit varieties carefully. In the Garden Planner you can use the Filter
function to narrow down your selection.
Make sure they are hardy enough to be grown outside all year round in your area without protection,
and are not prone to particular diseases.
Select high-yielding types to make sure that the work you put in is amply rewarded,
or choose one plant that can do two jobs – for instance some apple varieties
are just as good used for cooking as for eating fresh.
Apples, plums and pears are best grown as free-standing trees, which are much lower
maintenance and require less complicated pruning. But, if your garden is small, it's worth considering
space-saving trained forms such as espaliers or cordons.
Finally, choose varieties to stagger your harvests so there is not too much harvesting
to do all at once – most fruits are available in early-, mid- and late-season varieties.
When your plan is finished, you'll be ready to prepare the soil
and order your plants. Don't forget to check out our video on How to Plant a Fruit Tree
for tips on giving them the best start...
Once established, fruits are some the easiest and most rewarding crops to grow.
What are your favourite tips for planning a low maintenance fruit garden?
You can share them with us by leaving a comment in the box below,
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