Page 24 - SV 3 2024

Growing Fruit in Scotland
As I live in the south of England, it is difficult to write on fruit and vegetable growing in Scotland as there are a good number of differences in the climate, but I found a book in a charity shop called Fruit and Vegetables for Scotland by Kenneth Cox and Caroline Beaton which I can recommend to our Scottish and Northern branch members. In this article which is based on the book I will cover fruit and in the next one vegetables.
I am well aware of the differences in daylength both summer and winter, the general temperature differences as well as the later frosts in spring and earlier autumn giving a shorter growing season which affects sowing and planting dates. The authors commented that growing outdoor tomatoes and sweet corn is impossible
in much of Scotland (although this may improve as climate change progresses
– Ed). But the Scottish climate is very suitable for many fruits and vegetables like strawberries, blueberries, potatoes and kale, I can still remember a fact from my college days that there were more raspberries grown within a 20-mile radius of Blairgowrie than anywhere else in the world; I am not sure if that is still true, but Scotland still produces a lot of raspberries.
The authors also comment on the variability of the Scottish climate from mild and wet in much of the western
side to cooler and dryer and sometimes windier on the eastern side. There are
also areas on the western side prone to high winds as well as the islands, northern parts and areas at high altitudes. One interesting comment is that Scotland was self-sufficient in apples, tomatoes, and
a number of other crops 100 years ago, now most are imported some flown long distances (we need to produce more of our own food throughout the U.K., it would help greatly if we stuck to using seasonal fruit and vegetables and not importing out of season – Ed).
Looking more at the climate Scotland
is influenced by the gulf stream as well as its northerly latitude. The climate is much milder than many areas at a similar latitude, generally the climate is cool summers, low sunlight intensity, plenty of rainfall and lots of wind! (The wind is often not considered by growers south of Hadrian’s wall although this has become more of a problem in recent years – Ed). Some form of wind protection is essential in many parts of Scotland especially if near the coast.
Starting crops indoors is also well worth considering for many crops as this gives an early start and extends the growing season. Therefore greenhouses, polytunnels
and even cold frames are really worth considering, but make sure they are wind proof. An interesting comment in the book is that Jedburgh is further
One of the points the book makes is that wind damage is one of the major causes
of plant failure in Scotland. The prevailing wind is from the southwest to west, but the coldest winds come from the east in the spring. Winds can not only cause physical damage to young leaves, but also desiccate them by drying them faster than the roots can take up moisture. Strong winds can also cause wind rock which damages the young roots resulting in stunted plants. Taller vegetables like peas and beans are often damaged by winds in the spring especially if cold easterly in the spring or westerly gales.
Scotland has a significantly higher number of strong winds and gales than the rest of the U.K. If my memory serves me correctly the Wester Ross is the windiest
from the Shetland than the South coast of England; this is why there is not a one size fits all gardening advice for Scottish gardeners.
Starting crops indoors is also well worth considering for many crops as this gives an early start and extends the growing season
place in the U.K. As stated earlier some form of wind protection is well worth while whether it be hedges, mess netting (windbreak netting), palisade or slat fencing, fleece, or mesh. Sunken gardens with low fencing or turf mounds
or walls can give some protection in windy areas.
Fruit grows better on the east side of Scotland where rainfall is lower, on the west side there can be over 1000mm of rain a year which tends to
The main thing in
helping to grow fruit and
vegetables is to choose the
right cultivars and adapt
the growing conditions and
also getting your sowing
and planting timing right.
Owing to the variability
of climate it is well worth
looking at what grows well
locally and consult local growers to see what is successful.
encourage disease like canker and scab.
In northern cooler areas of Scotland fruit
is better grown on sheltered walls which provides some protection and warmth. This is especially important in the spring during pollination as if it is too windy and cool many honeybees will not fly and pollination could be poor. When choosing fruit cultivars, it is well worth choosing Scottish bred cultivars which are more likely to thrive than cultivars bred further south especially from the south of England. There are a very good range of Scottish bred cultivars as it is famous for fruit breeding at James Hutton Institute.
The following cultivars are suitable for many parts of Scotland:
Apples
Bloody Ploughman – raised in Scotland at Megginch in the 1880’s, it is better on the eastern side of Scotland as it is prone to scab.
Bramley Clone 20 – raised in England but does O.K in Scotland.
Cambusnethan Pippin – Scottish bred eater, scab free and good in both the east
South and west facing aspects are even more valuable in Scotland than elsewhere in the U.K and even more valuable are south and west facing walls which are ideal for fruit and climbing vegetables. This is one reason for the many walled kitchen gardens in Scotland.
As frosts tend to continue later in the spring some form of protection is very useful whether it be fleece, glass or polythene cloches or the use of polytunnels or greenhouses. It is wise to learn when
the last frost is likely to occur in your area as for example this can be in April in mild coastal areas but June in inland valley
and other cooler areas especially valley bottoms along rivers. For colder areas the book recommends currants, gooseberries, rhubarb, Brussel sprouts, chard, kale, leeks, parsnips, radish, chives and mints.
Some of the cities and large town may have a bit of a heat island effect as well as being more sheltered which should help growing.
Bloody Ploughman
24 Simply Vegetables
KELVIN MASON