Growing a few fruits in our little garden

[d000hg]

We've just bought a house after renting and while it has only a small garden of 8x6m or so (we live in the town centre) it is secluded and a total sun-trap. We've always wanted to grow some luxuries; it already had mint & rosemary but I've planted some strawberry plants in upright towers and just planted some small fruit trees (apple, plum, cherry).

Reading online it sounds like grubs in fruit are pretty common and I saw we already have quite a lot of aphids on the strawberry plants.

Without looking for specific advice on these things right now I was just curious; is growing a few things like this actually likely to give us nice fruit or will we face constant problems with bugs? How did everyone manage before pesticides and plastic netting?!

Thanks for any input!

[Two_Sheds]

strawberry plants in upright towers

You'll get a much better crop if you have the plants in the ground

just planted some small fruit trees (apple, plum, cherry).

Do you know what rootstocks they're on?
And if you need pollinating partners?

we already have quite a lot of aphids on the strawberry plants.

You must keep on top of those: squish them in your fingers and rinse them off your fingers with a watering can.
Ladybirds, hoverflies & lacewings will control them once their population has built up, but you need to plant things to bring in those beneficial insects (lilies & calendula are fab for hoverflies).

[d000hg]

Thanks!

The growers are more a space-saving necessity really - 12 plants in the ground might crop better than 12 in a tower but a tower takes only 1 square foot so in crop per unit area it has to be better, and otherwise we simply wouldn't have the space as we don't want the garden to look like an allotment They are actually growing remarkably well so far 4 weeks from planting tiny roots they are coming into flower.

The trees are all grafted onto special rootstock but I don't know the specifics; they say they are self-pollinating (or otherwise don't need partners). Oh... actually here is the link to what we got (not at that price I'd like to point out!) http://www.gardeningexpress.co.uk/Pr...ProductID=2183

I'd heard many bugs will eat aphids but with our garden being so small and in town, I worry they won't naturally come looking. Although the greenfly found the strawberries so maybe other bugs will find the greenfly. I'd heard about squashing them (ugh) or rinsing the plants in very dilute washing liquid (1 drop in a squirty bottle of water) - do they actually do a lot of harm?

Bugs in the fruit trees are more my concern, not that we're expecting a crop anytime too soon. So often you see wild fruit trees only to find they're full of wasps or other bugs (again ugh).

[Two_Sheds]

a tower takes only 1 square foot so in crop per unit area it has to be better

I have tried them. Twice. I gave them a really good try.

I'd heard about ... rinsing the plants in very dilute washing liquid (1 drop in a squirty bottle of water)

Not detergent, no. It must be horticultural soft soap (not the same thing as Fairy: plants don't like being washed in it, not at all)

do they actually do a lot of harm?

aphids? yep. Uncontrolled, their population explodes until the plants are absolutely smothered. They suck vital sap from the plant, and transmit viruses.

you see wild fruit trees only to find they're full of wasps

Not technically in the fruit, just feeding from it, and only in late summer
Wasp traps are very effective. Make your own with a bit of tinfoil on a glass of lemonade or sugary water. Push a pencil hole through the tinfoil. Wasp gets in, can't get out, drowns.

[d000hg]

OK thanks. I'll look into the soap thing and just have to cross my fingers on the towers. Possibly they are only doing well because the compost is brand new and full of goodness right now? Certainly the plants are growing like crazy so far but then I do make sure to water them well and they are getting a lot of sun right now. If they flop, I'll write it up to experience.