The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Growing => Fruit => Topic started by: RUSTYME on October 26, 2013, 02:50:00 pm
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Well ok alive would be preferable .
I am on a really small budget and i am struggling to get the fruit that i want , the costs of even bareroot plants is beyond me .
What i am after is some cuttings of fruit bushes such as :
raspberries ,
black/white/redcurrants
gooseberries red/green/white ,
blueberries .
I can only afford to pay a small amount for p+p at any one time , but if anyone has any suitable cuttings i would be interested .
I am picky though , lol . I am after named varieties only , the older the variety the better , but most are fine .
Any prunings going spare ?
Cheers , Russ .
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Pity your picky =- don't know what mine are - i'd have sent you some rooted rasps, tays, blackcurrants etcwithout charge.
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The reason for knowing the variety Annie , is to do with whether they are early, mid or late season where applicable , and so i can find out the history of the variety .
Also , some varieties do well in a place whilst others don't . I don't want to get an unknown variety that i find doesn't do well , and then get the same variety again , too many years go by lol .
That being said , beggars can't be choosers , and an unknown variety that produces fruit is better than a non existant named variety !
I got given some redcurrants that crop well , 7lb+ each this year , and the 20 cuttings that i took last year have taken .
No idea what the name is though , so still after a named variety there.
But unamed varieties of other fruit will do mate .
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I got some from Lidl's a few years ago - no idea what variety, though - they were cheap, that was all that mattered! The red currant does very well; the gooseberry gets battered by sawfly every year, and doesn't grow so well for that reason, but has had a reasonable crop every year, too; the black currant I never managed to plant until this year (had it in a container for three years)... Other folks who had plants from the same source also said they were doing really well; so cheap doesn't always mean they are rubbish. Pity they don't tell us the variety.
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I had the most amazing crop this year, my Black,red and white currant bushes were heaving- they are 3 and a half years old- or I purchased them then, they were just 1ft tall, now they are 5ft tall and wide.
The tags are now unreadable, but i took 12 kilos -(yes Kilos not pounds) -that is six washing up basins off each bush, next year I shall take some pics, I spent hours and hours picking them, the blackbirds took their fill too- even though they are under netting, they always seem to find a way in.
In the end I ended up with 140 jars of jelly and jam, still have around 80- left, made 40 apple and blackberry pies- in the freezer now, and blackcurrant winter tonic too.
I am extending that fruit area and am cutting them all back- whenever is the right time- never actually done it before-hence why they went mad I suppose?!
When you mentioned regards early or late, i did not know there was such a thing, all of mine ripened at the same time- well over around 4 weeks.
If you Rusty or anyone else wishes for any cuttings, you are most welcome and I would only charge the actual postage.
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Wow Mel you really have got green fingers ;D . We have just pulled out a dozen old black and red currant bushes that must be over 30 years old and well past their best. Finally decided to replace them with a poly tunnel so we can work in a bit of comfort :fc: . Must be a sign of age :roflanim:
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Interested in some cuttings mel . Any will do , but i am limited to £5 p+p max .
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Hi Rustyme. I know the feeling, it takes ages to afford a decent amount of stock - enough to get at least one good helping from!! Am currently digging up some of mother-in-laws tayberries as unfortunately ( :excited:) they have spread and she only has a tiny garden :innocent: and I am trying to get to a point of fruit self sufficiency! Long way to go though, better keep digging!!
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Yes MCL , fruit bushes from the catalogues are now beyond my budget , long story .
I did have some before , but visits from next doors goats , pigs and cows , wiped the lot out (different people there now ) .
Just down to redcurrants and gooseberries now .
Had a lovely crop of both this year , but the birds got the lot , due to me falling to bits .
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Hope things are picking up for you now. :fc: