DELIVERY INFO: If you order spring plants today we expect to ship from mid-May onwards. - See FAQs for more info.
Elderberry – Ranch (Potted)
1 Plant (1L Bio-pot)
Organically grown plants
Plants come in bio-degradable pots
Good for pots & containers
Estimated delivery from mid-May
£9.99
In stock
Give your immune system a boost!
This is a productive plant that’ll give you a good crop to cook with (don’t eat them raw!) Elderberries are easy to grow in any soil type and they are very hardy plants. The berries are packed full of vitamin C and antioxidants and are a great one for helping to fight off those winter colds – try cooking it down with water and sugar into a syrup. The ‘Ranch’ variety is relatively compact and will only grow to 2 metres high. You can harvest the berries from August to September.
Number of plants: 1 potted plant (1 litre biodegradable fibre pot)
In the kitchen: THEY MUST BE COOKED! Use Elderberries in crumbles, pies and other fruit puddings or they make delicious jam. If you’re feeling adventurous you can even make your own elderberry wine!
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[post_content] => Once they've finished fruiting, some of your fruit plants will need a spot of pruning. This is our quick guide to what needs doing and when to do it.
[post_title] => A Quick Guide to Pruning Fruit
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[post_content] => Soft Fruit plants grow surprisingly well in pots and containers. It's all about size! Here's our list of the fruits that will do best in pots so that you can happily add them to your garden, even if it's a little on the small side!
[post_title] => Best fruit for growing in pots
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[post_content] => You can actually grow your own fruit in quite a small plot quite successfully, even just using a few large pots. The key is to choose the right varieties and a suitable root stock which we list out below.
Wait, what is Rootstock?
If you don't know what rootstock means, the simple explanation is that, rather than growing fruit trees from seed, most growers graft them onto the rootstock (roots and stump) of another tree. This is done to restrict the height of the tree, and to improve the health of the tree. For our range of fruit trees, we have chosen the rootstock that we feel is best suited to both novice growers and growers with smaller spaces. (They are equally suitable for experienced growers and larger gardens, but we wanted to make sure we kept things simple for those who are starting out.)
Please note that other suppliers may provide the same variety on a different rootstock which may result in a larger/smaller tree once fully grown.
Which fruit trees & fruit bushes are best for small plots and containers?
[post_title] => Best fruit to grow in smaller gardens (& pots)
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[post_content] => Whether you choose to grow Whitecurrants, Blackcurrants, Pinkcurrants or Redcurrants, they all do extremely well in pots, making them an excellent choice if you're new to growing fruit.
What size pot?
When the currant plants arrive, plant them into a pot that is slightly bigger than the bio-pot that they arrive in. Use a good quality potting compost, and add a couple of handfuls of wormcast fertiliser - this will release nutrients slowly and helps to keep the plants nourished.
Where to place the currant plants
They will tolerate light shade, but choose a sheltered spot an avoid putting the pots in a frost pocket over the winter months as you may find that frost restricts the crop the following year, which would be a shame.
Repotting & Pruning
Repot the currants every three years. You can carefully tease them out of their container, give the roots a little trim and then loosen off some of the soil/compost before planting back into a slightly bigger pot with fresh compost. You don't really need to worry about pruning until the fourth or fifth year, and at this point all you really need to do is cut old, woody stems that no longer bear fruit right to the base. You can also thin out a few stems to open up the plant if you've been finding them hard to pick.
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[post_content] => Growing soft fruit is really quite straightforward, and growing from potted fruit plants makes it even easier. If you're keen to try your hand at growing some fruit, have a read of our FAQs below.
Can I plant fruit in containers?
Absolutely. Soft fruit is great for growing in containers. You just need to make sure the container is big enough for the roots to fit into with a little extra space to grow. Since the fruit plants are likely to be in the container for many years be sure to use a good quality compost which is well drained (placing small stones or pieces of broken terracotta pots at the bottom of the container will aid drainage). As a general rule, you should look to re-pot fruit plants every three years.
What do I need to do when the plants arrive?
When your fruit plants arrive, all you'll need to do is give the plants a thorough soaking before planting them on a day when the ground is nice and soft. Dig a hole comfortably large enough to take the entire root ball and pop it in the hole ensuring that the top of the root ball is level with the surrounding soil or up to 1cm deeper. Firm the soil around the root ball and water-in thoroughly.
How far apart should I plant fruit bushes/plants?
This depends on what sort of fruit you're growing, but please don't worry, we'll send all this information and some other top tips together with your plants, so just follow the guides and you'll be fine.
How do I care for my fruit plants?
It's a good idea to add a mulch around the base of the plant as this helps both to keep the soil temperature even and to retain moisture during dry spells. When the fruit starts to form in the summer it's wise to add a netting to stop birds from eating your crop. Other than that, the key things are training and pruning your fruit. This is actually very simple, and you'll receive all the information you need in our growing guide when your plants arrive.
When will I be able to harvest my fruit?
Most soft fruit will be harvestable during summer/autumn months.
Which are the easiest fruits to grow?
We'd recommend starting with some strawberries (all you need to do is plant them 30cm apart, and keep them watered during the summer!) along with Autumn fruiting raspberries (these are a little easier to prune - you can just cut them back to the ground in winter) and Lingonberry which is very similar to cranberry, but it is an evergreen and is very hardy and disease resistant, it also grows well in shade. Currants are also very easy to grow.
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[post_content] => Growing fruit, particularly soft fruit like berries and currants, is really quite straightforward. But many people think it's a tricky process and can be put off the idea of growing their own fruit by words like "cordon" and "espalier". If you're one of them, then please read on and be converted!
Where do I plant my fruit bush/plant?
Fruit is best planted in a sheltered spot that gets plenty of sunshine during the winter months when the plants are 'dormant' (i.e. not producing leaves or fruit and generally looking twig-like!) It's during this dormant stage that we send most of our fruit plants, so they probably won't have leaves when they arrive with you.
Can I plant fruit in containers?
Absolutely. Soft fruit is great for growing in containers. You just need to make sure the container is big enough for the roots to fit into without needing to curl them up or fold them over. Since the fruit plants are likely to be in the container for many years be sure to use a good quality compost which is well drained (placing small stones or pieces of broken terracotta pots at the bottom of the container will aid drainage).
What do I need to do when the plants arrive?
When your fruit plants arrive, all you'll need to do is give the roots a thorough soaking for a couple of hours before planting them on a frost-free day when the ground is nice and soft. Dig a hole comfortably large enough to take the entire root ball. Most fruit plants that we send are bare-rooted (i.e., not in a pot - if it is in a pot, take the plant out of said pot before proceeding) and pop it in the hole ensuring that the top of the root ball is level with the surrounding soil or up to 1cm deeper. Firm the soil around the root ball and water-in thoroughly.
What if the ground's too hard to plant them?
If it's frosty or if the ground is too hard when your plants arrive, don't panic. Just give them a drink and temporarily plant your fruit bush in a big bag of compost (leave the plant in its original pot if it arrived potted), and put it in a sheltered spot until a warmer spell comes along.
How far apart should I plant fruit bushes/plants?
This depends on what sort of fruit you're growing, but please don't worry, we'll send all this information and some other top tips together with your plants, so just follow the guides and you'll be fine.
Once I've planted my fruit, then what?
As spring arrives and the weather warms up you'll start to see some growth. This is a good sign that the plant is establishing properly. It's a good idea to add a mulch around the base of the plant as this helps both to keep the soil temperature even and to retain moisture during dry spells. When the fruit starts to form in the summer it's wise to add a netting to stop birds from eating your crop.
Other than that, the key things are training and pruning your fruit. This is actually very simple, and you'll receive all the information you need in our growing guide when your plants arrive.
When will I be able to harvest my fruit?
Most soft fruit will be harvestable during summer/autumn months.
That's all there is to it really, it's not much work at all and since fruit comes back year after year you'll be harvesting your own berries and currants and strawberries and....well, all sorts, for years to come.
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Soft Fruit plants grow surprisingly well in pots and containers. It’s all about size! Here’s our list of the fruits that will do best in pots so that you can...
You can actually grow your own fruit in quite a small plot quite successfully, even just using a few large pots. The key is to choose the right varieties and...
Whether you choose to grow Whitecurrants, Blackcurrants, Pinkcurrants or Redcurrants, they all do extremely well in pots, making them an excellent choice if you’re new to growing fruit. What size...
Growing soft fruit is really quite straightforward, and growing from potted fruit plants makes it even easier. If you’re keen to try your hand at growing some fruit, have a...
Growing fruit, particularly soft fruit like berries and currants, is really quite straightforward. But many people think it’s a tricky process and can be put off the idea of growing their own...
I just like to thank your company for my past issues in my order… I appreciate your customer service and this is why I will always stick with this company
A.S
“”
I have now received all the plug plants in my orders and wanted to say how impressed I am with the quality of the plants and your very efficient service.
L.G-N
“”
So many ideas and prompts on what to do and when. I remember learning so much from my grandad about growing, the weekly ideas is like having a perpetual grandad!
