[rainbow1]

Hello everyone

I am planning a fruit cage for our brand new allotment and as I've never grown fruit I'm after some advice. I plan to start with five currant/gooseberry bushes and some raspberries.

Obviously I'll need to leave space around everything to harvest, prune, etc but the question is how much? I've read that I'll need to leave 5ft between rows of raspberries but how far in from the edge of the cage should I plant them? And how far in from the edges should I plant the currant bushes & how far apart?

Any help gratefully received!

Thanks

[Minty]

Hi rainbow and welcome,

5ft between rows seems a bit too much in my opinion,Iv' just put 30 canes in in 3 rows of ten and left enough space between the rows to comfortably get between later in the year to pick the fruit.I suppose all in all the bed is about 10ft x 8ft.When I cage it in the mesh will be up against the bushes at the edge's as I'll be able to reach all the fruit from the walkways.

All my other fruit is in a 8ft x 4ft bed so that everything can be reached from the sides without having to walk amongst the bushes and this will also be caged it pretty much up to the bushes at the edge.I think as long as they have enough room to grow without being cramped by the mesh you will be fine.

[rainbow1]

thanks Minty

Sorry for delay - just back from my hols now to find as much snow here as there was there!

Am thinking of less than 5ft between rows now as that did seem a bit big. But don't want to cram too much in & make it a pain to harvest.

All we need now is a bit of sunshine and we can get on with the construction!