mulching

[anemone]

I've inherited some fruit bushes - gooseberries, blackcurrant and whitecurrant. They are growing fine but surrounded by grass & weeds. I've strimmed the grass right down but noticed on well tended plots the bushes have tidy circles of bark around them. Do I need to try to dig out the grass in a circle and then add compost (or something else?) and bark?

[anemone]

[tonybloke]

I've inherited some fruit bushes - gooseberries, blackcurrant and whitecurrant. They are growing fine but surrounded by grass & weeds. I've strimmed the grass right down but noticed on well tended plots the bushes have tidy circles of bark around them. Do I need to try to dig out the grass in a circle and then add compost (or something else?) and bark?

you could just cover the grass with a light-excluding mulch. this would kill the grass and weeds, and return their nutrient to the plant.

[Deb P]

I use flattened cardboard boxes around the base of fruit to keep the weeds down, wet it well and cover with something like mushroom compost, manure or your own compost which will break down slowly and feed the tree too. Simples! ;D

[anemone]

Thank you ! that sounds much easier :)

[Geoff H]

I agree with that. Don't dig it out. The fruit bushes have quite shallow roots which you would damage. I would strim down the grass and weeds before putting on the mulch.