Top 5... late-summer fruit and berries
Extend the growing season with these five delicious late-performing varieties
1 Blackberry ‘Chester Thornless’
Heavy crops of richly-flavoured fruit. Vigorous, thornless, semi-erect stems are disease resistant. Secure stems to wires on a wall or fence. Any moist, well-drained soil in sun or semi-shade. H/S: 1.8m (6ft).
Tip Cut back fruiting stems to ground level after harvesting, retaining unfruited canes.
From www.pomonafruits.co.uk; tel: 01255 440410.
2 Blueberry ‘Chandler’
One of the largest-fruiting varieties, producing succulent, well-flavoured berries from August to mid-September. Selffertile blossom in spring. Vigorous variety with slightly open habit. Good autumn colour. Must have moist, well-drained, acid soil in semi-shade. H/S: 1.5m (5ft). Tip Grow in pots of ericaceous compost if soil is limey or chalky. From www.trehanenursery. co.uk; tel: 01202 873490.
3 Fig ‘Brown Turkey’
Reliable variety for cropping outdoors in the UK. Deciduous tree with attractive, architectural leaves. Sweet, dark red, pear-shaped fruit from late summer. Any well-drained soil in full sun. H/S: 4m (13ft). Tip Grow in an 38-45cm (1518in) pot to keep in check. From www.thompsonmorgan.com; tel: 0844 573 1818.
4 Kiwi ‘Issai’
Self-fertile variety producing clusters of small, smooth-skinned, sweet-tasting fruits. Vigorous, diseaseresistant vine needs tying in to framework. Any moist, well-drained soil in sun. H: 4m (13ft), S: 3m (10ft).
Tip Train in espalier form on wires with horizontal shoots 45cm (1½ft) apart.
From www.suttons.co.uk; tel: 0844 326 2200.
5 Raspberry ‘Polka’
Polish-bred, spine-free primocane variety. Large, deep red berries from late July until October, two weeks earlier than ‘Autumn Bliss’. Moist, well-drained soil in sun. H: 1.5m (5ft), S: 50cm (1¾ft). Tip Cut down spent canes in spring.
From www.thompson-morgan.com; tel: 0844 573 1818.