Page 23 - Simply Vegetables Winter 2024/25

Gooseberry cordons 'White Lion (left) & London (right)
Chalky soils can create problems for gardeners particularly if the chalk is
just below the surface. It is very easy to contemplate just stripping out the chalk but this is very difficult indeed, so I do not advise it. You have two options, therefore, one which will be more expensive although effective. The cheaper and more usual option is to dig out planting holes where you wish to plant your trees. By dig out I mean you may well have to pickaxe out! Dig out to a depth of 600mm (24inches) and backfill with topsoil which you have either obtained from another part of the garden or have imported. You may need to water your trees for the first year to get the roots growing well. The alternative method of growing on chalk is to import a load of topsoil into the garden and spread it to a depth of at least 450mm (18inches) but this is a very expensive operation! All top fruits
Ficus carica fruit
can be grown in this type of soil although in the case of apples certain varieties such as Bountiful, Charles Ross, Fiesta, Howgate Wonder, Lord Derby, Lord Lambourne and Red Devil are reputed to better than most. However, you will have to experiment and get as much topsoil into the planting hole or area as you can. I also suggest that
you choose the apple rootstocks M26 or MM106 (but never M9 or M27) and the pear rootstock Quince A.
If you have a really acid soil you will
be one of the lucky few who can grow blueberries directly in the ground! Yes, you can grow them in pots or in ericaceous compost filled holes in the garden but there is nothing better for these plants than growing directly in the soils that they thrive in. Cranberries and lingonberries will also thrive in these conditions. It is highly likely that acid soils will be fairly water retentive
Fig on wall
Cherry 'Morello' Fan
but if it is not try and bulk it up with a few bags of pine needles as this will not affect the acidity.
In certain areas wind can be a problem and the real issue here is that of pollination. Most pollinating insects avoid windy sites as they are unable to fly in strong wind
and therefore fruit trees that are not self- fertile will often be poorly pollinated. This can be overcome by the introduction of either living or artificial windbreaks or by growing self-fertile fruits where less visits by pollinating insects may be required. Damsons, plums and to a certain extent cherries will do reasonably well as will fruiting hedging plants such as bullaces, elderberries and sloes. Blackcurrants and blackberries will also do well, but I would avoid red and white currants as their pollen can be quite sensitive.
And whilst not problem areas as such consider how to cover fences, walls sheds – along these you can grow fan trained cherries (a shady wall for Morello cherries remember), apricots, nectarines, peaches and plums or espalier trained apples and pears. You can also form your boundary with an edible fence as I outlined in the February blog.
So hopefully you will now realise that what you might think are problem areas in your garden are nothing but mild challenges!
Simply Vegetables 23