Soft fruit

Question 1

Name 2 cultivars of blackcurrant?

Answer 1

Boskoop Giant (early season) Large plants - 1.8m apart
Baldwin (late season) - compact suited to small garden

Question 2

How to plant blackcurrants?

Answer 2

Plant bare roots Nov-March. Containerised plants any time of year, as long as ground is not frozen or waterlogged.
Few weeks before planting clear the soil of perrenial weeds, and add a generous amount of well rotted manure.
Prepare hole at least 2x the size of the root ball and slightly deeper than the root ball.
Spread the roots out at planting.
Plants should be set in ground 6cm deeper than they were in the container to encourage new shoots from the base.
Backfill with soil and gently firm and water.
After planting all shoots are cut down to one outward facing bud to encourage strong new growth.
Mulch.
Keep 60cm clear of grass around base.
First 3 years only lightly prune, remove weak shoots, retaining a basic structure of 6-10 healthy shoots.

Question 3

Harvesting and storing

Answer 3

By picking a range of cultivars, harvesting can be from late June-September.
Cut the strigs of fruit as they turn black. Or pick historic cultivars which ripen at different times individually. Pick early/late in day when its cool.
Store in a loose plastic bag or box to maintain humidity. 1-2 days room temperature, 3-6 days in fridge or can be frozen.

Question 4

When to prune blackcurrants?

Answer 4

Prune after fruiting. Fruit forms on young wood so prune to remove up to a third of oldest wood to encourage new shoots.
In year 4 cut out approximately 1/3 of the older wood at the base using loppers or pruning saw.
Remove any dead, diseased or damaged wood.

Question 5

Top dressing for blackcurrants?

Answer 5

Need high nitrogen levels to develop new wood, so add Growmore at 100g per sq metre in February and mulch with garden compost.

Question 6

Pest for Blackcurrant?

Answer 6

Big Bud mite
Microscopic mites that infect buds and suck sap and cause them to enlarge.
Pick off affected buds on lightly infested plants and dispose of buds.
Dispose of heavily infected plants after the fruit has been picked and replace with certified stock plants which will be pest /disease free.
Choose resistant cultivars.

Question 7

Disease for blackcurrants?

Answer 7

Gooseberry Mildew
Powdery grey and white mildew on leaves and stems, which later turn brown. Patches may also develop on fruit and prevent them ripening. Stunted growth and die back of plant.
Cut out any infected stems, and dispose of as well as any fallen leaves. Space bushes out when planting to allow good air flow. Prune for ventilation. Lower nitrogen application.

Question 8

What type of soft fruit is a blackcurrant?

Answer 8

Bush

Question 9

What type of soft fruit is a strawberry?

Answer 9

Herbaceous perrenial.

Question 10

What type of soft fruit is a rasberry?

Answer 10

Cane

Question 11

What type of soft fruit is a grape?

Answer 11

Vine

Question 12

What are the two types of rasberries?

Answer 12

Summer and Autumn cropping.

Question 13

Name a summer fruiting rasberry cultivar?

Answer 13

Glen Moy

Question 14

Name an autumn fruiting rasberry cultivar?

Answer 14

Autumn bliss

Question 15

How to plant rasberry canes?

Answer 15

Likes moisture retentive, fertile, slightly acidic soil.
Sheltered sunny spot.
Plant Nov-March bare root.
Container plants any time of year, provided ground isn’t frozen or waterlogged.
Plant 45-60cm apart.
Once newly planted shorten stems to 25-30cm.

Question 16

How to prune summer fruiting rasberries?

Answer 16

Cut back fruited canes to ground level after harvesting. Do not leave old stubs.
Select the strongest young canes, around 6-8 per plant, and tie them in 8-10cm apart along a wire support. remove the remaining young stems to ground level.

Question 17

How to prune Autumn fruiting rasberries?

Answer 17

Cut back all the canes to ground level in February.
Reduce the number of canes slightly in summer if they’re very over crowded.
In early summer pull up suckers between the rows of rasberries and thin autum rasberry canes to 10cm apart.

Question 18

Top dressing for rasberries? (same as blackcurrants!)

Answer 18

Mid spring add a general purpose fertiliser such as Growmore - 100g per square meter followed by a mulch of garden compost or well rotted manure. This will prevent weeds.

Question 19

When to harvest rasberries and how?

Answer 19

Pick when fruit is fully red (or yellow) in colour, and come away easily from the canes.
Pick early or late in the day when it’s cooled.
Discard damaged fruit.
Summer fruiting rasberries harvested in June/July/August
Autumn fruiting rasberries harvested in September/October.

Question 20

How to store rasberries?

Answer 20

In a tupperware container in the fridge for a few days. Or in the freezer for several months.

Question 21

What disease can rasberries get?

Answer 21

Rasberry cane blight
Summer leaves wither and canes die. Bases of the canes become dark brown, and the bark may split.
No chemical control. Avoid dmaging canes when handling. Ensure plants are well spaced so air can cirulate. Avoid plant stress by providing optimum drainage and nutrition. Cut out infected canes below ground level and dispose of safely. Disinfect tools between cuts. Change soil if replanting new canes. Choose disease resistant varieties.

Question 22

What aspect do Rasberries like?

Answer 22

Sunny but will take a little shade.
Acidic soil 6.5-6.7
Sheltered spot for good pollination.
Well drained but moisture retentive soil.

Question 23

What is a pest of the rasberry plant?

Answer 23

Rasberry beetle
Ripe berries have greyish brown dried up patches at the stalk end.
Cream coloured grub may be found inside the fruits.
Control with Pyrethrum - spray when first pink fruits are seen, with 2nd application 2 weeks later. Don’t spray when in flower as can danger pollinating insects.

Question 24

Name 2 cultivars of strawberries?

Answer 24

Cambridge Favourite

Florence

Question 25

Why should strawberries be purchased as certified stock?

Answer 25

They are prone to a range of fungal and viral diseases and can lose vigour after 4 years. Although they propagate easily, advice is to replace stock after 3 years to maximise yield.

Question 26

How deep should I plant my strawberries?

Answer 26

So that the middle of the crown is level with the soil. Too deep and it will rot, too shallow and it’ll dry out.

Question 27

Strawberry maintenance

Answer 27

Feeding, pruning, protecting, watering, observing for pests and disease. Straw mulch.
Remove runners on first year to allow plants to establish.

Question 28

When to harvest?

Answer 28

Harvest on a dry day, when completely red all over.
Discard damaged or mouldy fruits.
Pick carefully by pinching the stalk between the fingers to ensure the calyx is not damaged.
Harvest early varieties from June, through summer into early autumn with later cultivars.

Question 29

How to store strawberries?

Answer 29

Best eaten fresh, but will keep in the fridge for a few days in a container.

Question 30

Strawberry pest?

Answer 30

Slugs

Use beer traps, or remove at night time.

Question 31

Strawberry disease?

Answer 31

Powdery mildew
White powdery deposit on he leaf surface. Leaves become stunted and shrivel.
Remedy - keep soil moist and grow in cooler location.