Fruit bush winter care?

Hello,

I'm making an effort to tidy the garden for winter. I'm also moving house in January and want to take a lot with me, so my aim is to tidy up pots and planters that are coming to make it easier for the movers.

I've just pruned my blackberry back. It was easy as the floricanes are very obvious (still thick and green). I pruned down all the dead wood to ground level and have bundled the floricanes tight together about 6ft tall (taller than me!) and tied them up to a central post in the planter so they can easily be moved. Also did the same with the blackcurrant.

The raspberry I'm not sure how to handle and am looking for advice. It's an autumn fruiting plant but was bought too late to bear fruit this year. Should I cut autumn fruiting canes right down to ground level? I just cut one that I thought was maybe dead wood but although it's dark and dry on the outside there is still green in the stems.

Also any other winter tips welcome! I've pruned down hydrangeas of their flowers and put them in fleece bags for the winter (and also easier to move). I've pruned my mint right down to ground. I think most of the herbs I will dump and replant fresh next year. Rosemary gave a little prune as it's unruly but left it otherwise. Strawberries I really want to take as I know they are meant to be a lot better in 2nd and 3rd year (didn't produce much this first year) so was planning to get a few planting trays and dig them up to move, then replant in the spring.

 

Hi,

Sounds like you are doing all the right things

The Autumn rasps should be all pruned down to ground level, even any young green canes.
If not in a pot, would think in a week or two when its gone colder then that would be a good time to put then into one.

Same with the Strawbs, now is a good time to cut the old leaves off and move them into pots and pot up any runners as well.

Just one thing to add, is the buyer ( if applicable) aware you are taking a lot of the plants with you, could lead to a dispute if not.

 

Thanks for the advice! I think knowing that the raspberries can be cut down to ground level it might make more sense to move them into smaller plastic pots for transport, as they're just going to be roots and crowns. I currently have them in a big wooden square planter. It would probably be ideal for the strawberries actually, as I have about 20 plants plus a few runners so need more surface area. I'll do that in a few weeks time I think

I don't own my house, so no buyer. Buying my first property and moving in in January! I've always gardened everything that is perennial / evergreen in pots and planters due to renting so I knew I could take them with me.

 

Sounds a good plan, though does your new home have a garden where you can plant out into the soil /make raised beds etc as you will get better crops.

 

Yep! New house has huge garden which was part of the desire to buy there. Also may have secured myself some allotment space (through a charity that works with kids in the area to help them grow food) so the dream is to have long-term crops and fun things fro the kids (I'm thinking potatoes, onions, pumpkins, plus some other more fun beans etc) at the allotment space and then fruits/berries/green leaves/herbs at home. Very excited.

 

Excited for you, nothing to beat a new house with a proper garden

You will have to post pics of the new garden, before and after.

If you do not already have them, well worth getting some of the many seed catalogues that have been sent out lately, the Kings Seeds being a very good one for veg and herbs plus lots of info.