[Jasper1]

I want to grow soft fruit in a raised bed the same as I grow my veg. I use raised beds because my soil is full of stones and is on a slope.
If this is possible, when should I by and plant my soft fruit. and how do I prepare the bed. 

[gillie]

Making a raised bed for them is probably pampering them unnecessarily.  I don't think that soft fruit would mind either the stones or the slope as long as you dig a good big hole, mix in a little fertiliser into the soil,  plant them firmly and give them a good mulch.  Black currants are particularly greedy so I usually spread fertiliser round them in the early Spring. 

I have placed an order for soft fruit now, and expect delivery in September/October.  That way the bushes will have time to establish before the winter.  However you can plant them up to about February if you need to.

Cheers,

Gillie

[Jasper1]

I think you are right the beds are not a good idea they will need to be 18" to 2ft high too much work and soil etc I will have just have to dig down.

I will wait to see if globe artichokes grow


Thanks 
 

[Trillium]

I've just build wooden raised beds so I can use the area on the perimeter of my septic weeping bed area, one where I cannot dig down into, but can build up on. I raised the bed to about 16" above ground with a treated base and painted non-treated uppers for saving money and keeping durability. I lined the whole bed with 6 mil plastic coming over the top edges, and am just adding 2x2 treated lumber to hold down the top edges of plastic. I also popped small holes everywhere in the base plastic so there's drainage. The beds were filled with a mix of good top soil, peat moss, composted manure and sulphur as we cannot get ericaeous compost over here. I have blueberries and cranberries to put in these two beds (once I harvest all the berries) and next year I'll attach posts for protective netting as our local birds love blueberries.

I'll have to regularly check the dampness of the bed and add yearly chicken poo, but that's okay. The crop is worth it and puts it higher and easier for me to pick. For other beds, I'll simply line the inside base with cardboard against weeds but not add any plastic liner.

This was the guideline I used:
 http://www.gardenersworld.com/how-to/projects/blueberries-cranberries-growing/

As for stoney soil, that's what my raspberries and currants grow in, although I did remove larger rocks when I planted out and rotovated the area. Every year I try to add as much shredded leaves and old manure as I can get to keep the plants healthy.