Fruit Bush in shops

[Tigerella]

Hi

I just bought a redcurrant for £1 from Wilkos.

I did want some blueberries but I was put off by no variety name, does this realy matter?

On the box of the redcurrent it says plant within 2 weeks in Febuary.
Not sure were to put it yet, is it ok to plant in a large pot, for a few weeks/months?

T

[annafricangrey]

i bought a blueberry from poundland but my other half said it need ericaceous compost!! whoops


its vaccinium corymbosum

plus a ribes rubrum, redcurrant

good prices eh?

ann

[Snadger]

I was at a store called InStore (like Poundstretcher) and they have newly stocked fruit berry bushes at £1.99 each of the raspberry, blackberry, gooseberry, blackcurrant, red currant and even white currant that I haven't seen in any other store. No fruit trees (apple, pear, cherry etc) though. None of the fruits are named variety so you take your chances.

BTW they sell Suttons seeds and another unheard of brand name seeds which starts from 50p onwards (I think) but the vegetable variety are somewhat standard as with B&Q, Wilko and perhaps Woolies.

I called in the local InStore this morning and they have fruit trees in at £4.99.
I noticed Elstar and Granny Smith apples and Comice pears. There were others as well but I'm a bit of a tght git and I'll wait until other cheappo shops have them in at £3.99!

[veg4681]

Hi
I did want some blueberries but I was put off by no variety name, does this realy matter?

but surely the redcurrant that you bought wasn't named variety either, or was it? I had a quick look there last.

i bought a blueberry from poundland but my other half said it need ericaceous compost!! whoops
its vaccinium corymbosum

ann

that's what it said on mine bought last year from wilko which isn't a variety name. Unfortunately that's the problem of buying cheapie fruit berry bush like this when variety are most often not named but I bought a blackcurrant from Woolies because it was named, a Ben Lomond.

According to Bluemoon from the thread below, there does not appear to be much difference in the different blueberry variety but for me personally it's useful to have one least one cheap one and another named variety bought from your nursery. Anyway have a read of the thread that may help explains the different type of blueberry to help you decide on further blueberry if you want. BTW I'm thinking of getting another blueberry bush , maybe from £land.

http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...nts_11761.html

I called in the local InStore this morning and they have fruit trees in at £4.99.
I noticed Elstar and Granny Smith apples and Comice pears. There were others as well but I'm a bit of a tght git and I'll wait until other cheappo shops have them in at £3.99!

That's strange but they didn't have those at our local Instore or maybe they haven't got round to stocking yet, the boxes were spanking brand new. You might have better luck at Lidl, be at their door first thing on 25th Jan may help .

[Tigerella]

Hi

but surely the redcurrant that you bought wasn't named variety either, or was it? I had a quick look there last.

I just bought the redcurrent because it was only a pound, blueberries were 4 pounds.
I want a blueberry, it doesnt realy matter about the redcurrent.

T

[veg4681]

Hi
I just bought the redcurrent because it was only a pound, blueberries were 4 pounds.
I want a blueberry, it doesnt realy matter about the redcurrent.
T

BTW Blueberry is a pound at Pounland but not named variety. I remember seeing the value range of fruit berry bush at Wilko but I couldn't find the prices so I didn't bother, they must be the £1 ones then.

[pigletwillie]

can something costing £1.99 be as good as something from a garden centre costing £7- £8? No is the answer and seeing as you only tend to buy these items once per plot then the extra £6 or something you spend is nothing over many years the canes are bearing fruit, if that makes sense :-)

Two years ago I paid £30 for a 6 year old bare root victoria plum, it is top quality and gave a bit of fruit the first year and buckets full the second.

The same year I also bought quite a few Aldi £3.99 fruit trees to cordon and espallier along my plot boundaries. They established well, gave a bit of fruit the first and a bit more the second. Considering they were only 2-3 year old when bought I am over the moon with them. In the valuie for money stakes the Aldi trees win hands down and if they were the same age as the plum when bought would cost considerably more.

A £1 woolies blackcurrant is just going to be a rooted cutting from the previous year, whereas the nursery bought bushes costing £7-10 are going to be 3-4 years old and you pay for that extra maturity, they are not necesarily any better, variety or quality wise. If you want fruit that year then established bushes are the way to go, if you can wait then the cheapies are a cheap option.

I strike upwards of 80 currant and gooseberry cuttings each year and these go free to new allotment holders. Mature ones (3-4 year old) we are going to sell at our site office to bring in a little revenue at £3.50 each.

To my mind cheap does not really equate to a bad investment, just a more long term one before you start reaping the return of fruit. I will be at Lidl on the 25th and will buy 10 mixed apple and pear trees to cordon. Any fruit this year will be a bonus and the little that comes next year, very welcome.

[Burnzie]

Good post Pigletwillie.

I've had my allotment twenty years now and try to take a long-term view with permanent plantings. This time last year I was in the process of looking for a second allotment so when I saw that Aldi were selling packs of three different fruit bushes for £2.99, I got five packs.

I potted these up into five litre pots and they have grow on well into fifteen sturdy bushes ready for planting out next week (weather permitting) into lottie number two.

So, as you say, if you want a instant harvest pay the extra money, if you can wait buy cheap and nurture.

Burnzie