Which soft fruit varieties?

[wardy]

Am just about to sit down and order some fruit for my lotty.  Before doing so I'd be grateful for people's recommendations regarding taste etc so I don't waste my hard-earned dosh  :)

I want some strawbs, rasps, blackberry and a gooseberry.  I thought I might order a Pax guzgog but don;'t know if it tastes as good as it looks.  Any suggestions?

Wardy

[wardy]

[Mrs Ava]

Nope!  ;D

However, being sensible and growded up like.....

My rasps are summer fruiting Glen Ample, and I have been picking off them since July!  Picked another small bowl full last week, and there are still flowers coming!  The fruits are big and very very tasty!

I have loads of different strawbs, the more the merrier as some are early, some are late, some are big, some are small, but as they are number one daughters most fave, so long as they look and taste like strawbs, we is a happy family!

Goosegogs were inherited so no idea, apart from the red one my sis bought for me, but have lost the label!  Doh!

I think get as much variety as you can afford, to prolong the season, and have oodles of variety as you go!  ;D

[Moggle]

I too have Glen Ample summer raspbs. They only went in in April this year, so nothing in the way of fruit this year. I chose that variety cos I'd picked them at the pick-your-own, and the fruits are huge and tasty!

Also got some Galante, which are autumn raspbs, but are apparently vigourous to have a summer and an autumn crop. Again, they were only planted earlier this year, but the few raspbs I have had off them have been divine!

I am a big fan of Symphony strawbs, again tried at the pick-your-own. Lovely shiny fruits, the best strawberry I have ever tasted. Picked up a few plants this year, and am planning on expanding my stocks in the next few years!

[Obelixx]

We have yellow raspberries which have excellent flavour and the birds don't pinch them because they don't recognise them.  Sorry label gone.  We also have autumn bliss but they're new this year so no fruit yet.  Our blackberry is excellent and is 'Oregon thornless' so easy to handle.  A local fruit specialist recommended Loch Ness but it has yet to fruit.  I've also got two varieties of blueberry in pots which do very well.  One is Berkeley and the other has lost its label.  It does get very windy here!

I loathe gooseberries but OH loves them so I've compromised and planted some Worcester berries as OH hails from there.  They're good in crumbles.   They look like gooseberry plants and can be grown in the same way, as cordons, standards or bushes.  The fruits are smaller and purple but look like gooseberries.

[Jesse]

I bought autumn bliss raspberries and although it's their first year they have fruited and the taste is very good.

All my other fruit is inherited or was given to me so don't know the names, sorry.

[beejay]

I'm afraid I've forgotten which soft fruit varieties most of ours are, very poor. I think ! of the gooseberries is Pax which is a very heavy cropper. I do know that the blackberry is Helen which I would recommend - she is thornless but very compact which is good as they sometimes take over. The berries are large & tasty. It is very early tho' which you might see as a disadvantage as it crops at the same time as lots of other fruit.

Why don't you look at what the RHS AGMs are as an indication of a good plant which you could then match up with recommendations.

[Doris_Pinks]

I love my Autumn Bliss Raspberries, they are cropping away now and are huge this year!

[Diana]

I agree with Obbelix - yellow rasps are great. Bit sweeter than red ones + agree about the birds too

[jennym]

I can recommend:
Strawberry 'Maxim' (large and tasty, starts about end June)
Blackberry 'Oregon' (although mine went thorny, it's extremely prolific, cropping now)
Blackcurrant: 'Johanisbeere', starts about end June)
Raspberry 'Joan J' (large fruits now, very tasty and holds shape well for freezing) also Glen Ample.
Whitecurrant 'Blanka' (prolific, end July/August)
Jostaberry (don't know variety, someon gave it to me)
And if you have room for a small tree (5 ft high) try damson 'Shropshire Prune' - cropping very heavily and only four years since I got it via Marshalls.
And as an annual, if you haven't already, try Physalis edulis.

[giantseye]

Hi Wardy,

For the strawberries I would recommend Hapil, Honeoye and temptation. There are also some newer varieties coming out which have female names like Alice.  All of the above are disease resistant and virtually impossible not to get fruit on, and they also taste beautiful.  :D :D ;D

I have planted 4 types of raspberry this year, with differing results.

(1) Glen Moy - Very large fantastic tasting fruit.  Highly recommended.

(2) Octavia - Milder tasting fruit but still large.

(3) Glen Ample - very nice tasting fruit.

(4) Autumn Bliss - Very disappointed with this one this year.  All the books say that this one is the best choice, but, my fruit have been very small and bitter tasting.  I have put this down to the plants only being planted in June this year.

All varieties are still flowering ang still producing fruit, and they have been since the beginning of july.

Cheers

Ruth

[hemajo]

I'm interested in what you have decided upon Wardy - I am considering raspberries - will have to sort out an area to put them in though first! 

[flowerlady]

Hi Wardy,

I bought strawbs this year.  Thought they were Symphony but when I got home, found the label!! 

They are Alice.  The taste is really really good!  ;D

Another small tree if you like jelly.  A John Downie crab apple.   Very pretty oval orangy fruits.  Fabulous taste.

[pakaba]

Hi
I just got my lottie in June, but am determined to have raspberries growing there asap.  Is this the right time to buy and plant canes? And can anyone give me advice on preparation and care of the ground/plants so I don't end up killing them.  I haven't decided on a variety yet but have read with interest the previous posts.
many thanks
P

[Robert_Brenchley]

I inherited a lot of soft fruit when I took my plot on. The gooseberries are OK, so are the currants, though the family don't like them so I'm gradually eliminating them in favour of gooseberries. The strawberries are crap though. What are reliable traditional varieties?

[jennym]

I think Maxim is good. (Marshalls)

[organicartist]

Red dessert gooseberries were a revelation to me when one of my lottie neighbours persuaded me to try some of his. Big fruits with amazing sweet flavour, reminded me of plums and red grapes, I'm going to be propagating a few shoots from his large bush this winter, but don't know the variety.

[MikeB]

Recommend

Blackberry - Oregon - Heavy cropper and great taste

MikeB

[Ed^Chigliak]

Blackberry - Waldo (large fruit are longer in shaped and easy to pick, thornless canes, ripen early, never sour even picked slightly red unlike 'loch ness' which makes my jaw ache just thinking about them. Actually 'loch ness' are OK but you have to leave them longer until they almost fall off with ripeness and then they are very delicate and easily damaged when picking)

Raspberry - I can recommend Hillbo Top for autumn cropping. Tried one yesterday, good flavour and just about to ordered 10 canes for myself. My summer canes are Glen Ample not yet established and the birds took most ripe fruit so cannot comment but was recommended to me so I think they will be good.

[Bagpuss74]

Hi Wardy,

Where are your raspberries from?  I'm looking to put some in during the autumn.  Also, I should have a few spare Cambridge Favourite runners after I put in my new strawb bed next week - let me know if you would like some  ;)