Failing with fruit

[Finley]

I think I need to redesign my fruit bed! It's about 2.5 by 1.5 metres, covered with black plastic and planted thus:

Blueberry. Blueberry


Gooseberry

Blueberry. Blueberry

Redcurrant


Blueberry (failed whitecurrant)


They all went in in spring 2016, they've grown a little bit but still pretty unproductive. About three berries per plant, except for the currant which produced zilch. Should I reorganise them, do you think? I'm going to take off the plastic and add some goodness to the soil (chicken manure pellets and seaweed, and anything else I'm advised!). Do they just take a while to get going or am I failing to give them what they need - I'd be very grateful for any advice! The blueberries are very spindly little things and there's about half a metre between them.

[Jungle Jane]

The blueberries like acidic soil,ericaceous compost,it might be a good idea to change them around a bit or have a separate area?

[Snoop Puss]

I'll be interested to read what responses you get.

But can I ask: why the black plastic?

Plus, looking at this thread
http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...hes_40734.html
and here
https://www.growveg.co.uk/plants/us-...-bushes/?redir
it looks like they're far too close together. But maybe you had other advice.

[veggiechicken]

As JJ says, put all the blueberries together - not just for their different soil requirements but it'l be easier for them to be cross pollinated in a group.

Check out the pruning requirements for your fruit bushes. You'll probably find that the fruit will be carried on this year's new growth. - in other words, don't cut anything off this year and you should get fruit next year.

[Jungle Jane]

I like the idea of plastic under the gooseberries,leaving no chance for sawfly to drop into the soil

[veggiechicken]

.........but does the plastic stop the plants getting enough rainfall?

[Finley]

Excellent advice, thank you! I put down the black plastic as a weed suppressant (nasturtiums seem to love that bed). I'll rearrange them so that the blueberries are all together and I'll give them some ericaceous compost at the same time. Thanks!

[nickdub]

not sure on the blueberries as my soil is very alkaline - as for the rest you're definitely on the right track with more manure, hard to over do it really - apart from that some fruit like the gooseberries bear on old wood, so you're looking for an open framework like a mini-appple tree, where as black-currants come mostly on the new wood . You don't say what your site is like, but remember most of these plants need plenty of light to fruit well.

[Finley]

It's a south facing plot with as much sunshine as the Welsh rain gods see fit to spare us! I think I jut need to uncover, rework, bung a lot of good stuff in, perhaps some rinsed seaweed too to leach into the soil, then give give them another go.

[nickdub]

sounds about right, I'd probably uncover now but wait to add new compost/manure until next spring once the ground has warmed a bit. - don't forget to grow some new blackcurrants from cuttings sometimes - the bushes don't last very long as good croppers.

[TrixC]

If they just went in in 2016 they are still young plants, in my experience most fruit doesn't start fruiting well until they're a bit older and have established a good root system.

[Finley]

If they just went in in 2016 they are still young plants, in my experience most fruit doesn't start fruiting well until they're a bit older and have established a good root system.

Aha I wondered about that! Would moving them interrupt their progress, in that case? I have a giant bag of ericaceous compost to give them, I could just top dress them though. Ooohh, decisions! Only two would need to be moved so I can do an experiment and see if they come on as well as the others. If any of them do ever grow, of course!

[TrixC]

You should be fine to move them, but wait until winter dormancy. I have 5 blueberry plants on my plot and they're doing great, I must have had about a kilo of fruit off each one this year. What I did was dig a hole for each one and fill it with a good quantity of ericaceous compost, and then I top dress each year with manure and ericeceous fertiliser granules. They seem really happy with that.