moving fruit bushes
nin
Posts: 216
I have a fruit garden with currents gooseberries and raspberries and need to move the plants into large pots (polystyrene boxes with holes punched).
I know its not ideal to move fruit. but would love some advice on moving the plants at this time of year. If they are not moved they will be skipped and I do not want that.
Background as to why now as opposed to later, I was planning on moving to East anglia preferably or A. N other rural area in around 2 years.
Recently my house has started to have a few floors and ceilings cave in; it sounds worse than it is. We need to move out to have the house gutted and re fitted. We also do not fit in my home town any more as it is becoming so much a suburb of london. We have decided its best to have the work done on the house and sell. take our money and run for the hills
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The area we live in is met line commuter belt; next to nobody gardens, many have plastic lawns. We have decided to get the best value for the house we need a large patio area so dig up the fruit beds.
Any advice would be gratefully received.
Posts
Bushes are all no more than 4 years old most much younger many I grew from layers and only went in last year, last summer was to ill to take any cuttings or layers first time since started the bed.
Water them really well - really well - cut back any soft top growth. If you look at the ones being sold in garden centres in pots they are all fairly hard pruned - you want to reduce the amount of leaf the roots need to support. Dig around the root as wide and as deep as you possibly can to fit it into the box. Lift it with as much soil on the roots as you can manage. Water it well once it's in the box. Keep your fingers crossed.
Autumn raspberries will be fine, they are tough and still only just beginning to grow. The others are all (probably) in bud by now. If you accept they won't fruit this year - or probably better try to stop them fruiting by pruning down the fruiting stems - you can probably keep most of the plants alive as long as you get most of the root. If they fruit they may over-tax themselves. They will all fruit well enough in big enough pots - it's the timing rather than the move that's difficult.
Good luck
“It's still magic even if you know how it's done.”
I recently (last couple of weeks) moved currants, a young gooseberry and various rasps and a new apple tree stick as I had to move allotments.
I watered them heavily before moving as the new allotment had drier soil and they were fine, went a bit limp as I moved on a hot day.
I suppose your plants are further along than mine (I'm in the north-east) but it sounds as though you'll be on hand to look after them after the move.
Good luck
Thanks raisingirl, cutting off the growth will feel like staking myself in the heart all just beginning to show first signs of fruit.
This is so hard but to know my fruit will be flattened to a patio and my lovely hardy perennials covered by a plastic lawn brings out the mother hen in me. So I am digging up all and taking with me.
Whilst the building is going on everything will be stored in the veg patch in pots. I will still grow a couple of veg beds salad and beans, it will give me somewhere to be (hide) whilst I am staying with family.
Thanks victoria sponge that gives me hope.
Sorry to hear of your problems Nin. E Anglia is a great place to live
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To be honest I think Pansy's advice is the best and most practical.
Bare root raspberry canes are very cheap to buy next year in the spring - I think I paid £5 for 10 canes of Polka and Glen Ample last year, and taking cuttings of the currants and gooseberries will give you small, manageable, easily transported pots which will be ready for planting out next spring.
We all get a bit upset when we have to leave a garden we've tended and loved but a few cuttings / divisions taken this year will give you an emotional link to your old garden and a flying start in your new project.
Don't get hung up on the thought of binning your treasures - they're plants - not animals or people and their babies will flourish in your new garden.
Last edited: 17 April 2017 10:26:28
Thanks for all the help,
I might try everything, plants will have to sit in pots here for 6-12 weeks whilst building is going on and house is being sold .
So will have time to see if stock plants make it before we "run for the hills/flats". If I prune the stock plants back before moving them I can use these prunings for cuttings and also try to box up the stock plants. What evers good once the house is sold can come with us the rest will have to go to the dump.
We are looking at buying a place with around 5 acres and building a large veg garden, orchard and separate soft fruit garden and keeping a few productive animals.
Its going to cost a lot to do this project right, I want to save money where I can and plants is one area I can save a fortune with cuttings etc. I was originally thinking take the plants from here and use as stock plants, not sure why I had not thought to take some cuttings here first.
Stay in touch on the forum Nin.
Several of us do regular seed / cuttings / plant swaps if we live close enough to meet up or if the cuttings / seeds etc are easy to send through the post. Most of us have half full packets of seeds lying around and lots of us get a bit carried away with cuttings or seed sowing. It's nice to see them go to a good home rather than the compost bin.
Take a look at the 2017 thread here - there are others for earlier years
http://www.gardenersworld.com/forum/the-potting-shed/seed-and-plant-swap-2017/991304.html
Doesn't matter if you don't have stuff to swap to start with. I am very grateful for the donations I've had to my new garden and it's rather nice than I am now able to start to repay the favours.
There are no right or wrong answers to this - do what you want to do to the best of your ability then there's nothing to repine later if it doesn't all work.
Sounds like a huge and hugely exciting project you're setting out on - really hope it works for you and next year you are eating the fruits from your own plants, however you come by them - transplants, cuttings, new bought or donations
Last edited: 17 April 2017 14:23:43
“It's still magic even if you know how it's done.”
raisingirl and topbird many thanks for the kind words and advise.
Seed and plant swaps would be good , I must admit I got totally carried away with layering fruit bushes a few years ago it is just so easy, I was begging people to take my babies.
Yes it is hugely exciting , we are very lucky to be able to afford to do this.