Topic: Which order away from the shade?

[chriscross1966]

I'm planning on putting some fruit trees at one end of my plot... thing is that I have a choice about running them east-west or north-south in their rows but at the west end of my plot is some trees (edge of the site) so the western end doesn't get as much sun as the rest (not by much though, it's not that bad)... so given that I'm putting in a row of Gooseberries, two of blackcurrants and one of blackthorn should I planrt the rows east-west meaning that each type gets equal light but one end of each row gets less light than the other, or would I better off planting north-south with the plants in  order by type away from the shadey end... I'd have assumed that it would be gooseberries at the shadey end, blaccurrants then sloes....

The gooseberries I know will crop OK in that position as they did this year before the mildew got them... I've pruned them hard and reduced their numbers plus removed a couple of small trees that were overgrowing them. Opening them out and moving them a bit should reduce the mildew threat but now I know what to look out for I'll be ready with the watered down milk next year.....

chrisc

[grawrc]

Blackthorn grows quite big (much bigger than the other two) and tolerates poor and/or exposed growing conditions. Blackcurrant tolerates some shade (bigger than gooseberries too). Gooseberries prefer a sunny sheltered spot.

[Robert_Brenchley]

Do you mean blackthorn, which is a small tree, or blackcurrant, which is a soft fruit? Blackthorn would be an odd choice as if you're growing it for the sloes you need to treat it as a top fruit like apple or pear.

[artichoke]

Also it is more fun hunting down blackthorn around your local area (unless you live in a city, I suppose) and blackthorn is quite a difficult bush/tree to control. I inherited a group in my last garden, and they were forever suckering into the grass and beyond, very tough and thorny to cut back.

I have just picked about 2lb from recent roadside plantings near my plot. Fully expect an impenetrable thicket within a few years.

[chriscross1966]

Do you mean blackthorn, which is a small tree, or blackcurrant, which is a soft fruit? Blackthorn would be an odd choice as if you're growing it for the sloes you need to treat it as a top fruit like apple or pear.

Both... I was planning on keeping the blackthorn pruned back... not hard to find the plants either, I can get all the blackcurrant and blackthorn I  want delivered for about 30-35 quid...... never need to go sloe hunting again....

The gooseberries already grow closer to that end than I'm planning on having any of them.... hmm... maybe I'll put the sloes at the end... hmm....

chrisc

[Robert_Brenchley]

You'd probably get a better crop, and more controllable trees, if you went for damsons. How many sloes do you use in a year?

[chriscross1966]

Yeah but Damsons is trees and sloes is bushes... the west end of my plot gets enough shade without me planting another tree :D ....and if I was going to put a tree in it'd be a bullace..... I guess I use bout 5-6lbs of sloes per year, but thats partly cos of the hassle of picking them... my own supply I'm sure would be found a use for be it 2lbs or 20  ::)... plus a bush can be fleeced if a cold snap threatens....

[Robert_Brenchley]

Blackthorn grows into a small tree if you leave it alone.