Page 6 - Thrapston Life February 2023

GET FRUITY
Growing fruits in dry weather
With the potential of another long, hot summer in 2023, now is the perfect time to begin to prepare your fruit plants to give the best harvest in warmer months, come what may!
trees are often easier to mulch as they are larger and separated from each other.
Strawberries can be planted from October to April and should crop from May to October
When deciding what fruit to choose, allotmenteers new to fruit growing should consider the slope, aspect, and soil type of the plot. If the allotment site is on a slope, the top of the plot
Fruit can be relatively simple to maintain
depending on the variety chosen. Mulch will keep moisture and warmth in the soil and deter slugs. Wet soil will rot the plants making them a great fruit to grow when water is scarce.
Fruits like raspberries and blackberries require water during the fruit swelling stage which could
is usually drier than the bottom. This
means it may be beneficial to plant
perennial fruit bushes at the damper bottom.
Fruit can be relatively simple to maintain when the weather is unseasonably dry. Most fruit plants are perennial so they can take advantage of water early in the season and fruit
be impacted by drought or lack of rain. Blackcurrants are a good alternative and need far less watering. They aren’t fussy with soil conditions, but they prefer to be in full sun. Should raspberries be an established part of a
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