What else for the fruit beds?

[chriscross1966]

 I've got a pair of 18 foot by 4 foot beds now earmarked for fruit in the plan as I decided to cut back to just a 20ft x 6ft for Asparagus... this is in the garden, I don't think I'd want to put fruit on the allotment.... once I've got the big GH up and setup a space for compost etc (as well as the new sheds going in now) then I was left with five 18 foot by 4 foot beds, I need three for a rotation of sprouts and other winter brassicas, a bed of sweetcorn and salads and a bed of celeriac/parsnips/winter carrots. I'm doing it like that becasue having had the celeriac and sprouts in the garden this year I've realised how much more convenient it is when it's dark and you want some veg for your tea if it's in the garden you go and get it from there.... if it's on the plot you start scrabbling around in the freezer....

I've got a smallish cherry tree that will go in the north-eastern corner and a few blackcurrants and raspberries that I've been growing in pots for a year plus some blackcurrants I got earler this winter that I potted up from bare roots..... I'm guessing the Cherry will want a few feet round it but other than that I'm guessing I can get in about 20 or so fruit bushes..... I'm intrigued by the Honeyberry but will probably grow them in a big tub at the front of the house, I don't like Kiwi fruit, I'm not interested in apples or pears (or medlars or quince) I was considering a thornless blackberry and even possibly a dwarfing rootstock bullace or damson.... other recommendations including varieties welcome plus good named varieties of blackcurrant (ie your recommendations based on experience) welcome.... anybody ever grown a Tayberry or a boysenberry?

chrisc

[chriscross1966]

[saddad]

My lottie neighbour had a Tayberry which grew well... but I didn't like the fruit too "perfumed" taste for my palate..  :-X

[realfood]

Blackcurrent Ebony is much more palletable than the traditional varieties.
Tayberries are one of my favourite fruits, especially if they are allowed to ripen to a purple colour. I have grown one on a sunny wall for 20 or so years and it never fails me with the first ripe fruit of the year.
See this page for information :- http://www.growyourown.info/page81.html

[manicscousers]

our tayberry is very prolific and we love the flavour, very painful spines, though  ;D

[chriscross1966]

Thanks for all advice so far, all useful (I love the signal to noise ratio on this board).... keep it coming please :D

[jennym]

You may want to consider the number of fruit bushes you put in and limit it to less than 20. I might have got it wrong here, but think you are saying you have 2 beds, each measuring 18ft x 4 ft.
A full grown blackcurrant will take up about 4 - 5 ft diameter circle, some are a bit smaller, Ben Gairn is what I grow, that doesn't get so big. Redcurrants same.
Jostaberries can take up a good 6 - 7 ft circle
Gooseberry Invicta and Whinhams do ok for me, a bush will take up about 3 ft diameter.
My tayberries are prickly too but you can get thornless ones if you send off for them, one will need about a 10 ft run along posts & wires, but you can get away with about 2 ft width, same goes for loganberries, I grow thornless LY654.
Blackberries same again on space or more length, but I'd stick to fairly managable varieties like Oregon thornless.
Personally I wouldn't put blackberry or loganberry or damson or bullace in my back garden as they can get a bit vigorous, and IMHO they're fine on an allotment because so much fruit is usually produced that you can suffer a bit of wastage due to birds or folk. Also rhubarb as it's so hardy
Strawberries might be nice for you to pick as you please from the back garden, I like Maxim and Bolero but theres plenty to choose from, raspberries would be nice too, I find Joan J, an autumn type to be good.

[pumkinlover]

Have you thought about blueberries? I can't give you variety names unfortuantly.

[birdsrfun]

If you have blueberries don't forget they like acid soil so you will need to make an acid patch for them.

[shirlton]

Blueberries are nice but not as prolific as blackberries . Ours is only 2 years old and we have just planted another 2 in the peat bed. I'm so glad that Tony doesn't like them.

[chriscross1966]

Thanks for the advice re: numbers, I might well need fewer plants then, not fond enough of gooseberries to want more than the couple I've got on my plot.
Blueberries are a symbol of everything that is wrong with the world, an insipid American interloper that means you can't find an honest pot of blackcurrant yoghurt in a syupermarket, I'd cherrfully get every blueberry plant outside of America, pile them up in France and set fire to them..... :D

If I was going to stick a bullace in it would be down the end where the composting and sheds etc is, would minimise the impact of a big plant on the rest of the growing stuff... Though  I might put the cherry down there now to increase space in the fruit beds.....

chrisc

[birdsrfun]

bit of a raw note  there...     I enjoy them, mine taste great (depends when you pick them)and they give lovely autumn colour. If I don't eat them the wildlife do so that's good as well, can't see a problem myself, most of our fruit have a foreign influence somewhere in it's makeup anyway.

[pumkinlover]

Blueberries are a symbol of everything that is wrong with the world, an insipid American interloper that means you can't find an honest pot of blackcurrant yoghurt in a syupermarket, I'd cherrfully get every blueberry plant outside of America, pile them up in France and set fire to them.....

chrisc

I felt apprehensive till I tasted them-especially my own grown! Just eating defrosted ones in porridge, rice pud or yoghurt at the moment.
OH says they are tastless, I think they are full of taste.  ??? ??? ??? 

Hope you find what you want Chriscross because there is nothing better- or cheaper than buying big pot of plain yoghurt and adding your own fruit,  blend with a stick blender and put into little tubs to take to work for lunch.! :D :D :D

[Digeroo]

What about logan berries.  But they produce quite large plants.  But you could try growing them up the perimeter fencing they need a bit of something to cut down on the impact of them. 

I normally have a few rooted tips every year so you could try one for free.  LY654 the thornless one.

[chriscross1966]

What about logan berries.  But they produce quite large plants.  But you could try growing them up the perimeter fencing they need a bit of something to cut down on the impact of them. 

I normally have a few rooted tips every year so you could try one for free.  LY654 the thornless one.

Many thanks Digeroo and yes please.... iuf I move the Cherry down to the bottom of the garden then I'll have two beds for fruit, strawberries can go in big pots on the patio anyway so I don't need to worry about space for them... looks like I'll be getting a Tayberry as well, so maybe if I add a couple of redcurrents and another pack of blackcurrants from a German Supermarket to the pile I'll have enough..... thinking about mulching the soil.... slates? I've got a load, be easy enough to pull them out to cultivate but they'll trap moisture in the summer really well....

chrisc