A few tips on growing soft fruits...

Afew tips gleaned from years of growing soft fruits might not go amiss. I never keep strawberry plants into a fifth year because they lose vigour with age, are more susceptible to pests and diseases and become less productive. Replace the oldest every year with young plants that appear on the end of runners.

These form roots of their own accord as summer progresses but speed up the process by pegging them into the soil surface or a small pot of compost placed alongside the plant. Tidy the bed in deepest autumn and apply an organic mulch between the rows.

Raspberries have roots just below the surface so go easy with any hoeing.

Pruning of summer fruiting types comes immediately after the crop is picked. Remove all canes that have borne fruit down to ground level and tie in the young canes that remain.

Canes of autumn bearing raspberries are also pruned to ground after fruiting to encourage new growths in spring.

Plant young blackcurrant bushes slightly deeper than they were in the pot to encourage a regular supply of growths from below soil level in future.

As the plant matures, prune out one or two of the old fruit-bearing stems each year.

Do this immediately after fruiting or wait until leaf fall for a clear view of the plant shape.

Don’t allow the centre of a gooseberry bush to become congested for that encourages mildew and harbours pests. Train main stems to canes that radiate outward from the base of the bush creating a goblet shape. This facilitates air circulation and allows easier access for picking.

Nutritious blueberries prefer an acid to medium soil. Plant the cultivar ‘North Country’ for the bonus of cheerful white spring flowers and attractive autumn foliage.