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Is it ok to plant fruit trees and cover them with gravel?

pdolinajpdolinaj Posts: 50
in Fruit & veg
I have a gravel area where I want to plant some fruit trees and red/white/black currants. Is it ok just to dig a hole and plant them inside and then cover back with the gravel?
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Posts

  • pdolinajpdolinaj Posts: 50
  • fidgetbonesfidgetbones Posts: 17,618
    Yes.
  • glasgowdanglasgowdan Posts: 632
    I don't think they'll thrive in that spot at all sorry. It's tight, not much room to grow, lots of shade, a covering of membrane/gravel won't allow you to mulch or add nutrient to the roots...
  • pdolinajpdolinaj Posts: 50
    edited August 2018
    glasgowdan said:
    I don't think they'll thrive in that spot at all sorry. It's tight, not much room to grow, lots of shade, a covering of membrane/gravel won't allow you to mulch or add nutrient to the roots...
    Thanks for the advice. I know it's a terrible space to grow anything, I just don't want to leave it empty so I thought planting some berries like currants which can do in half shade could be ok? I would plant only in the first half, not in the back where it would be dark - not sure what could grow in dark?
  • fidgetbonesfidgetbones Posts: 17,618
    Blackcurrant bushes do well in shady positions. If you are adding liquid feed, it would be OK.  Mulching with compost would be better.
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    Gooseberries are happy with light shade as are blueberries ... although blueberries must have acid soil or be grown in containers with ericaceous compost and only watered with rainwater. 

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • FireFire Posts: 19,096
    I think it would be fine for berry bushes. Worth a go, certainly. You could enrich the planting areas with manure and sink some large collars so that you could feed and mulch regularly. I think it could look funky.




  • glasgowdanglasgowdan Posts: 632
    A rectangle raised bed might be a good idea for smaller bushes.
  • pdolinajpdolinaj Posts: 50
    Thanks all for the tips. I was thinking about those small raised beds ideally from oak wood, is this a DIY project or can you buy them?
  • ForTheBeesForTheBees Posts: 168
    Which way does it face? You could give the walls and fence a white wash to help bring up the light levels.
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