Question

I've spotted fruit trees (apple and pear) in my local Tesco - 2 for £10, and fruit bushes (blueberries, blackberries) for £2. Our garden is a fairly blank canvas and I'm trying to decide whether to buy and where to put them. Any suggestions please? And how close together can the trees be? With the berries, we planted raspberries at our last house but they were a menace, popping up on the lawn, further along the border etc. Any idea if there's a max distance they will invade? Should we just plant them well away from the lawn or would they survive okay in pots? Love the idea of growing fruit but it's all a bit new to me! Thanks in advance  

Answer 1

Blueberries need to be in ericaceous compost. raspberries, blueberries and blackcurrant bushes will thrive well in suitable sizes pots

Answer 2

I would put the blackberrys in a pot. they can go nuts and then you spend ages trying to get rid of them

Answer 3

Blueberries work well in pots. Raspberries and blackberries should definitely be confined to pots or grow bags though else they will be everywhere before you know it.  

Answer 4

Fruit trees also do well in large pots but will grow better in the ground. Plant them anywhere they won’t overshadow or ‘invade’ each other’s space.  

Answer 5

I have fruit trees in big pots - half barrel size, dotted about the edge of the garden spring to autumn, all clumped together in a sheltered corner over winter for protection.  

Answer 6

Think you need 2 each of fruit trees for pollination - don't plant too near a fence, or house - 10 - 15ft apart allows trees to grow to full potential

Comments

@goethe1 not usually, though they do tend to pollinate better.  

Answer 7

I was once told you need two blueberry bushes for a good crop? (Good idea to pot so can be in ericaceous)

Comments

We had a blueberry bush last year and got loads of berries. hoping for the same again this year.  

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@grub37600 we got one 2 years ago and had 2 great crops. gonna put fresh ericaceous compost in this time to keep up the feed

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Ours has loads of leaf buds on it already. got a bigger pot ready and some eric compost. my grandson is a fruit monster and devours blueberries, apples, strawbs oranges and grapes. just wish I could grow everything. would save us a fortune in fruit alone.  

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I'll second blueberry bushes - got 2 in the first year then another 2 all kept in pots for a couple of years and now they have their own ericaceous bed  

Answer 8

You can plant apple & pear & train along a fence - keep them cut small. The others plant in the Countryside - not relevant for a back garden

Answer 9

I had a similar problem with my raspberries in our old garden. We still grow them, but in very large tubs. They seem quite happy and fruit well.  

Answer 10

Thanks everyone. I definitely will be putting the trees straight in the ground but sounds like large tubs are a better bet with the berries.  

Answer 11

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