new to growing anything.. help please...

[rubywoo]

I have recently been given some garden supplies from a family member (including 2 cloches, lots of compost, pots and a small greenhouse).

I have no experience whatsoever in growing anything, but would love to grow some fruit, especially raspberries, gooseberries and redcurrants but have no idea where to start really! Seeds? Plants? Put them in the garden soil in the cloches, or put them in pots in the greenhouse?

I have been trying to read up on things, but keep reading conflicting info! Would appreciate some advice (very basic please, I am a beginner, but keen to learn!!)

Thank you

[SarrissUK]

All those berries are very easy to grow. Just go to any supplier or garden centre (or indeed the pound shop or Lidl - I've just bought gooseberries, raspberries and red currants from there!), dig up a spot for them, get some well rotted manure if you can get hold of it and dump it in the bottom of the hole and plant the bushes. The rest is mostly done by the bushes!
Good luck Ruby

[Vince G]

Lucky old rubywoo, being given all that stuff free. Gooseberries are good to grow as you don't seem to see them too often in the supermarket, but they're so good! Mine are the size of a very small pea already, so I don't know if it's too late for you to plant these and still get a worthwhile crop, but there will be other people along in a minute who are far more experienced at these things than me, who can say for sure.

Sounds like you like fruit for cooking, get some rhubarb too, really easy to look after and again something you can pick up in the pound shop/Lidl type shops.

None of these need to go in a greenhouse really, save the space in there for more exciting things like toms, peppers, cukes, chillis etc. all of which you've still got plenty of time to plant if you buy small plants.

[greenishfing]

If you want to grow fruit in the greenhouse why not have a go with melons. They taste amazing warm and ripe fresh off the plant - so sweet

[Vince G]

Good idea greenishfing, I'm having a crack at melons in the polytunnel this year.

[singleseeder]

Hi Rubywoo, welcome to the Vine. You have come to the right place for advice and sometimes just a chat about how things are going.

I agree that the fruit you mention is a good thing to start with. Bung them in and watch them grow really. What you get out of plants is always improved by what you put into the soil. So if you can get manure, (which has probably not been on your radar so far in your life!) so much the better, but also start making compost.

The greenhouse will be your friend - tomatoes, cukes are good to start with. Also, really good for bringing on seedlings for planting out side.

Now you are interested in growing, you will read up on it and just try things out; you'll learn by seeing what happens really. It's taken decades for some of us to get to where we are and we can still learn from others.

Just enjoy it all..........

[Bigmallly]

Welcome to the vine Ruby, a must fruit to grow are strawberries. They can be grown indoors, outdoors in the soil or in pots. They are so easy & you get the bonus of new plants for next year. Most of the bushes from £ shops & lidl etc tend to be very young so don't be dissapointed if you don't get a crop this year. Have a look through the vine (particulary "What I did today"). There is also a section dedicated to growing fruit, just have a browse. Good luck & enjoy your new found hobby.

Edit: Sorry, didn't notice you was in the fruit growing section..........

[rubywoo]

Thank you for the replies everyone!

If I wanted fruit this year, where would you recommend I buy plants from? And how to grow them? (Indoors, outdoors, greenhouse... in pots, planted etc?) I really am a beginner, I don't have a clue lol

Going plant shopping tomorrow morning so any advice would be much appreciated!

[Bigmallly]

This may help Ruby.

When To Sow And Plant Fruit - Channel4 - 4Homes

[rubywoo]

So I bought redcurrants, strawberries, gooseberries, raspberries and blueberries from a local garden centre. Also got a couple from the pound shop, as I was curious!!

At the minute they are still in the garage as the weather was so bad today I couldn't be outside for long, and I've still not put the green house up!! Fingers crossed tomorrow will be better.

Anyone got any advice of the best location for these plants?? And how to best look after them?

Thanks

[veggiechicken]

Welcome Rubywoo! It would help us if we knew where you live as conditions vary so much in the UK. Could you put your location on your profile - as mine shows Sunny South Wales,
Redcurrants, gooseberries and raspberries are planted out in the ground. Strawberries can be grown in pots or in the greenhouse and blueberries may need to be potted up or given some additives to the soil - depending on what type of soil you have in your garden. Mine is quite acidic and blueberries are happy here.
Do you have a large garden for fruit?

[Vince G]

Do you know what sort of soil you've got? Acid or alkaline? If you don't know, plant the blueberry in a nice big container of ericaceous compost. If you haven'y got acid soil, and just plant it in the garden, it will survive, but won't do as well.

Rasps shoot out underground shoots which pop up a couple of feet away as new plants, so I sunk some slabs round my plants to a depth of about 1 foot to try and box them in, but the buggers still escape.

Reducurrants and gooseberries are easy, just plant them and let them get on with it, although you might want to look up pruning requirements - the RHS website is good. Strawbs fairly simple too provided you get crown of the plant at the right level, just slightly proud of soil level but not too much.

You'll need to net the lot too, otherwise the birdies will get em.

[rubywoo]

Ooops wish I'd seen this earlier, I put them all in pots in compost today! I do plan to eventually put them in the garden, but they just looked too small at the minute and the weather is still quite unpredictable here (I live in Lincolnshire!). They are currently all in my little greenhouse in the garden.

I've probably killed my first few already then - that was even quicker than I thought it would be!!

[Bigmallly]

Many gardeners grow their fruit in pots so wouldn't worry too much there. My Gooseberry & Blueberries are in pots. As has been mentioned, the blueberries prefer acidic soil & possibly another variety to pollinate it, have a check on the label it should say. Don't give up, it's all a long learning curve (well it is for me anyway).

[Peas'n'Kews]

Welcome Ruby, and if my blackcurrents, redcurrents, and rasps are anything to go by, you can't kill 'em that easy!

What would life be without raspberries??