Episode 21

Apricot ‘Gold Cott’
Grape ‘Siegerrebe’
Blackberry ‘Oregon Thornless’
Blackcurrant ‘Ben Sarek’
Blueberry ‘Bluecrop’
Gooseberry ‘Invicta’
Redcurrant ‘Rovada’

Planting a fan-trained apricot
How to store packets of seed
Planting up a winter container
Lifting turf
Planting a blackcurrant

Helleborus x hybridus, Lenten rose x 1
Erica carnea ‘Myretoun Ruby’, Winter heath x 4
Erica carnea f. alba ‘Whitehall’, Winter heath x 4
Cyclamen coum x 6
Viola ‘Magnifico’ x 6

Autumn is the traditional time to buy fruit. New stock will have arrived at garden centres and so with luck you’ll have plenty of choice. Plants will be sold in pots at this time of year, but as the weather gets colder and the leaves fall off the trees, bare-rooted plants will start to become available.

This is a reliable, compact variety that won’t take up loads of space. It has a good level of resistance to mildew and frost, and in July will produce a heavy crop of large berries rich in vitamin C. Look for a two-year-old plant with at least two good stems.

Blackcurrants benefit from having plenty of well-rotted organic matter dug into the soil beforehand. The site itself should be open and sunny with some degree of shelter from northerly winds. To encourage lots of new shoots to sprout from the base, plant your blackcurrant an inch or so deeper than the soil marks on the stems suggest. You’ll also need to cut each stem right back to one bud above soil level.

This is a late variety that bears high yields of large, well-flavoured fruit in long bunches. In warmer areas less prone to late spring frosts, you could try ‘Jonkheer van Tets’ instead. Look for a bush with three or four evenly spaced branches with lots of buds.

Redcurrants don’t shoot from the base like blackcurrants and so don’t need to be planted any deeper than they were in the pot. They’re also less demanding as regards soil fertility and will put up with a certain amount of shade. If you’re short of space, consider growing one as a fan or cordon against a north-facing wall or fence. The berries won’t colour up so well or taste quite as sweet, but it’s worth a go if you’ve got nowhere else to put them.

This is a heavy cropping variety with tasty green fruit and some resistance to mildew. Plants have large thorns and a vigorous, spreading habit. Gooseberries are normally sold as two- or three-year-old bushes, but fans, standards and cordons are not uncommon. When buying a bush, select one with 10-20cm (4-8in) of clear stem above the roots and at least four or five young branches.

A moist but well-drained soil is essential for gooseberries, so it’s worth digging in plenty of well-rotted organic matter beforehand. Where possible, choose a sunny, sheltered spot although they will tolerate a bit of shade. Newly planted bushes are best pruned in spring when all the new growth at the end of each branch needs to be cut back by half.

Also known as the parsley-leaved blackberry, this thorn-free variety has attractive, finely-divided foliage with good autumn colour. The berries have a good flavour and are produced in abundance from late August through September.

Blackberries will tolerate partial shade, but to get the sweetest fruit you’ll need to grow them in full sun. A sheltered site is important to prevent the fruiting canes from being damaged by the wind. Improve the soil with well-rotted manure or compost prior to planting and erect your support. Spread the roots out and cover with no more than 7.5cm (3in) of soil. Cut back all of the stems to about 20cm (8in) from the base.