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Old 09-02-2008, 11:59 PM posted to uk.rec.gardening
Bob Hobden Bob Hobden is offline
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First recorded activity by GardenBanter: Aug 2006
Posts: 5,056
Default Tips wanted on growing veg and fruit


"Zamarano" wrote ...

As you can see from my question I am a novice when it comes to
gardening. I planted two bushes, rasberry and blackberry against our
garden wall last weekend and want to know if I the plants need
protecting in anyway. How long to they take to fruit?


Neither of these would I describe as a bush.

Rasberry canes are not normally grown against a wall, they should be cut
down hard now and they will grow new canes from the roots during this year
and these will fruit next year (2009) after which they too are cut down
almost to the ground leaving next years new canes to fruit the following
year...and so on. They fruit on the previous years canes.
If they are Autumn fruiting then the same applies, cut the fruited canes
down after they have finished fruiting and new ones will form for the next
year.

Blackberries are treated virtually in the same way but they are fast growers
and native so can get out of hand if you let them, they will certainly need
something to tie them to, wires etc.

You also don't mention the aspect of the wall. I do hope it's South facing,
but if it is I would have rather planted a peach or nectarine or apricot.

I have also planted some tomato, pepper and strawberry seeds which have
germinated and are about 2 inches tall. When do I transfer to a larger
pot? I am thinking of keeping them in the conservatory until we get to
the end of May.

Tomato and pepper seedlings, if they are two inches tall already I suspect
you have a problem. Not enough light and/or too much heat is probably making
them grow thin and leggy.
Are they for planting outside? If so I won't plant mine until about the end
of March at the earliest as they can't go out until the end of May beginning
of June after all chance of frost is passed.

Strawberry plants do not come true from seed so most gardeners don't grow
that way, they buy in plants propagated from runners etc. That way you get
named varieties with known qualities.

--
Regards
Bob Hobden