Soil prep for fruit

[qplate]

We are in the process of turning soil over on our plot. The plot has not been touched for years and we have cut the weeds, grass, etc down to ground level.
We are now digging to a spades depth and turning it all over so the frosts hopefully break the soil up.
Most of the area will be taken up with potatoes which, we are told, will help break the soil up.
However, on an area which is about 7mX3m, I intend building a fruit cage.

The question is, what else do I need to do to the soil to make it ready for fruit? And when should it be done?

Thanks,
Graham

[Snadger]

Hard fruit like apples, pears etc usually just have the planting hole filled with a good dollop of manure and a dressing of bonemeal mixed in with the planting medium.
The same would do for blackcurrants and redcurrants etc.
Raspberries and strawberries would usually just have the area mucked whilst digging and a dressing of bone meal tickled into the surface at planting time.

[sarraceniac]

As well as Snadgers preparation I would rake in about an ounce of Sulphate of potash per square yard about now if you can (but not whilst it frozen) and then another ounce psy of Sulphate of ammonia in about 3 months time. (In new money I am told that is 30 grammes per square metre). It just keeps the bonemeal topped up during the first and second years.

[snuffer]

Dito Snadger and sarraceniac but before you get to that stage make absolutly sure you remove all perenial weeds especially the dreaded couch grass. This is doubly important if planting raspberries and strawberries. Once couch grass becomes established in the soft fruit beds you'll never get rid of it.

Although many would disagree with me I really would reccomend using a glyphosate based weedkiller if you think the weeds in your prospective fruit bed warrent it. It isn't organic but will make it much easier to be organic in the future. This may meen you having to spend more time on preperation (weedkillers need to be used on actively growing plants so you would have to wait until spring for the first application). Having said that I feel sure that extra time spent now will save loads of work in the future.