Essential summer tasks for growing fruit

Our resident fruit expert David Patch takes a look at three essential summer tasks for fruit growers.

I make no apology for concentrating on the basics when it comes to looking after your fruit. The term ‘marginal gains’ has been around for the past 10 years or so, and comes from the world of elite sports where, in the pursuit of excellence, coaches would try and find small techniques which individually would make an imperceptible improvement in performance, but when added together might make the difference between a gold medal and coming fourth. I think it’s easy to get distracted by these final touches, the tips and tricks which promise perfection and neglect the fundamentals. The basics may not be so exciting but they do form the bedrock for success. So let’s look at the three tasks which will get your fruit into the best shape possible.

Watering

The past two summers have been exceptionally dry, so watering correctly is absolutely essential for a good crop of fruit. Obviously, I realise that in writing that sentence I have pretty much guaranteed that the coming summer will be the soggiest on record and you’ll be reading this while sheltering indoors and listening to the rain beat against the windows. I have previous form in this – having not booked a holiday for years, I finally got my act together and booked flights and accommodation for a dream trip to New York the following year.

Unfortunately, this was November 2019, and four months later the world ground to a halt with Covid and all travel to the US was banned. I haven’t rebooked.

On the assumption that there won’t be biblical rain, it is key to keep on top of watering over the summer months. Fruit trees that are subjected to periods of drought will drop their fruit early; the fruit that remains will be smaller and less sweet, and the plant itself will be much more susceptible to pest and disease. Established trees and bushes can normally fend for themselves, so prioritise anything growing in a pot and any new trees planted in the last six months. Invest in as many water butts as you can, but don’t forget that grey water – washing up or bath water – is perfect too.

Just as important is to try and keep moisture levels as constant as possible. Periods of dryness followed by heavy rain cause a lot of soft and top fruit to split. If you see it early, the fruit can still sometimes be salvaged, but often wasps, birds and brown rot spores will spot the damage before you do and the crop will be ruined. Mulching is key – the only trouble is that you should only mulch when the soil is already damp, so ideally it should have been done in spring. However, during the summer you will have access to a surprisingly effective mulch – grass clippings. The trick is to apply little and often – a 2cm (3/4in) deep layer every time you cut the lawn soon builds up into a barrier to stop water evaporation and also keeps weeds under control. By only putting thin layers on at any one time you allow the clippings to dry out and they won’t turn into a smelly, slimy mess.

Although mulches are traditionally applied in spring and stay in place all year, you can use temporary mulches in the summer. If we do have a short spell of heavy rain, take advantage and mulch as much as possible to lock in the moisture. Using layers of newspapers under soft fruit plants not only helps with water conservation, but the lighter colour of the paper reflects sunlight and will help fruit ripen. Newspaper is especially good under strawberry plants – you can easily tear it into shape to fit around plants, and it isn’t such a good hiding place for slugs as the traditional straw. Use a layer three or four sheets deep, and water lightly after application as this helps keep it in place.

Finally, you can also better utilise the water available to the plant by thinning the crop. Traditionally only done for top fruit, it can be done with any fruiting plant and has several advantages. It allows the remaining fruit to grow larger, the fruit will ripen better, and it stops trees getting into a biennial cycle where a glut is followed by a year of slim pickings. As a rough rule of thumb, aim to take out 30% of any fruit that has set, leaving the remaining fruit as widely spaced as possible.

MULCHING AROUND A FRUIT TREE:

Feeding

Over the summer months, most fruiting plants shouldn’t need much additional feeding – sunlight and adequate water will be enough for the plant to generate all the energy it needs. However, liquid seaweed applied as a foliar feed is a superb tonic for any plant. It doesn’t contain any of the major nutrients– nitrogen, potash or potassium – but it does have a whole host of minerals and micronutrients which can overcome any deficiencies in your soil. Apply every few weeks or so – but don’t be tempted to make it too strong, as it can burn. If anything, make the solution at half strength and spray slightly more often.

Tomato feed is also good to have on hand. High in potash, it encourages the production of fruiting spurs for future years, and can also improve the flavour of the current crop. Fast acting and relatively inexpensive, it’s certainly worth giving to any plants which aren’t producing as much as you would like. Aim for one feed every month.

Pruning

Whole books have been written on the intricacies of pruning fruit trees. There’s certainly not enough room in the whole of this month’s magazine, never mind this article, to cover everything. Instead, in the spirit of keeping it simple, let’s go back to the fundamentals. Learn why you prune, and you’ll be able to apply these principles across the whole garden.

When we prune, we are trying to achieve one or both of the following:

1: Control the size and shape of the plant

2: Improve the health of the plant

That’s it! It’s really not rocket science. The first aim of controlling size and shape covers everything from trimming back a plant which is outgrowing its allocated space, to training the most elaborate espalier or double cordon. The key here is to remember that winter pruning encourages growth, while summer pruning does the opposite and keeps plants in check. So summer pruning is essential for keeping all trained trees in the desired shape and stopping them from escaping. It’s also perfect for more mature trees which have got as big as we would like.

Improving the health includes the basics of removing dead or diseased wood, but also includes opening up plants and reducing congested growth to improve air circulation. Fungal spores thrive in damp, overcrowded places – thin out and you’ll have a much healthier and happier plant. Summer is also the only time you should prune any members of the Prunus family – plums, cherries, etc – to avoid issues with canker and silverleaf.

Finally, the key summer task I would most strongly encourage you to adopt is a weekly walk round, observing your garden. You can see this as a health and hygiene check if you want to be formal, but just a casual wander will do. The best gardeners are not the ones with the most knowledge, or some innate talent for horticulture. They are the ones who take time to look and see what is happening and notice any changes. They see how plants respond to pruning, feeding and growing conditions and adapt accordingly.