Cherry Pollination Groups: Why Two Trees Fail
Cherry pollination groups explained: flowering groups 1-5, the S-allele incompatibility trap, and why two cherry trees still set no fruit.
Open guideGarden advice for real British weather
Fruit and veg
Fruit
Fruit trees, soft fruit, and berry growing guides for UK gardens.
Chosen for our soil, seasons and weather 
Chilean Guava: Victoria's Favourite Berry
Chilean guava (Ugni molinae) ripens in October when nothing else fruits. Hardy to about -10C, evergreen, and reputedly Queen Victoria's favourite berry.
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When to Stop Picking Rhubarb and Why
When to stop picking rhubarb in the UK: stop by the longest day, 21 June, so the crown can rebuild its reserves for a strong crop next spring.
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Strawberry Runners: 25 Free Plants by September
Strawberry runners root in 4-6 weeks pegged into sunken 9cm pots in July. Take five per plant, sever once rooted and plant out by mid-September.
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Cape Gooseberry Growing: Husk to Harvest
How to grow cape gooseberry in the UK: sow February-March at 18-21C, plant out after frosts and pick when the husk turns papery straw-brown.
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Biennial Bearing: Why Fruit Trees Skip a Year
Apple or pear tree cropping heavily one year, barely the next? Biennial bearing is the cause. How to break the cycle with thinning in UK gardens.
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Fruit Tree Rootstocks Explained
Fruit tree rootstocks decide final size, vigour and time to fruit. Apple, pear, plum and cherry rootstocks compared, with UK heights and spacing.
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Autumn Raspberries: Grow and Harvest Guide
How to grow autumn fruiting raspberries in the UK: cut all canes to ground in February, harvest August to October, no support. Best varieties ranked.
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How to Grow Damsons in the UK
Grow damsons in the UK: best varieties, planting, summer pruning, pest control, yields and cooking uses from an orchardist with 6 seasons of trial records.
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How to Grow Greengages in the UK
Grow greengages in the UK: pick the right variety, train against a warm wall, prune safely, and harvest the sweetest plum you cannot buy in a shop.
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How to Grow Lingonberries in the UK
UK guide to growing lingonberries (Vaccinium vitis-idaea) in pots. Acid soil, top cultivars, watering and yields from 5 years of trials in Staffordshire.
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How to Grow Tayberries in the UK
Grow tayberries the right way: site, training on wires, pruning the spent floricanes, and Buckingham thornless vs the original spiny cultivar compared.
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Best Cherry Tree Varieties UK: 12 Tested Picks
Twelve UK cherry tree varieties tested for taste, hardiness, and crop. Sweet vs sour, self-fertile picks, dwarf rootstocks, and bird-proofing.
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Almonds in UK Gardens: 3 Cultivars Crop
Growing almonds in UK gardens. Climate, pollination, three cultivars (Robijn, Ingrid, Mandaline) that crop in southern England with the right siting.
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Sweet Chestnuts: A 50-Year UK Tree Bet
Growing sweet chestnuts in UK gardens. Spacing, pollination pairs, harvest, 8-12 year wait to first nuts, and 50-year productive life.
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Walnuts in UK Gardens: Trees Worth Waiting
Growing walnuts in UK gardens. Juglans regia for British plots, Broadview and Buccaneer varieties, 6-10 year wait to first nuts, walnut blight prevention.
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Best UK Plum Tree Varieties: 12 Cultivars Tested
Best UK plum tree varieties compared from a 6-year trial of 12 cultivars. Self-fertile flags, pollination groups, harvest dates, dessert vs cooker.
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Best UK Pear Trees: 12 Varieties Worth Growing
12 UK pear cultivars compared on pollination groups, ripening dates, eating versus cooking, disease resistance and how they cropped on a clay garden plot.
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Best Blackcurrant Varieties UK: 8 Bens Tested
Best blackcurrant varieties UK gardeners can grow, ranked by yield, flavour, and gall mite resistance from a 5-year Staffordshire trial of 6 cultivars.
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Perennial Veg: Plant Once, Pick for Years
Grow 14 perennial vegetables in UK gardens. Asparagus, rhubarb, sea kale, sorrel and more that crop year after year with less work than annuals.
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How to Grow Apricot Trees in the UK
Grow apricot trees in the UK with fan training on south-facing walls. Covers Moorpark, Tomcot, frost protection, pruning, and container growing.
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How to Grow Peach Trees in the UK
Grow peach trees successfully in the UK. Covers fan training, peach leaf curl prevention, hand pollination, UK-hardy varieties, and container growing.
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How to Grow White Currants in the UK
Grow white currants in the UK with this planting and pruning guide. Covers White Versailles, Blanka, yield of 3-5kg per bush, and pest control.
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Forcing Crops for Earlier Harvests
UK guide to forcing crops for earlier harvests. Covers rhubarb, chicory, seakale, and early potatoes with timing, methods, and field-tested results.
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Growing Nut Trees in the UK
UK guide to growing nut trees. Covers hazels, walnuts, and sweet chestnuts with planting advice, variety picks, and a harvest timeline from expert growers.
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Grow Melons in a Greenhouse UK Guide
Learn how to grow melons in a greenhouse in the UK. Covers best varieties, sowing, hand pollination, and harvesting sweet melons from expert growers.
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Best Apple Varieties for UK Gardens
Expert guide to the best apple varieties for UK gardens with pollination groups, rootstock picks and a 15-year growing trial from West Midlands clay soil.
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How to Grow Goji Berry in the UK
Grow goji berries in UK gardens with this tested guide. Covers best varieties, planting, pruning, container growing, harvesting and drying methods.
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How to Grow Honeyberry in the UK
Learn how to grow honeyberry in the UK. Covers best varieties, cross-pollination, planting, soil needs and harvesting the earliest fruit crop.
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How to Grow Kiwi Fruit in the UK
UK guide to growing kiwi fruit outdoors. Covers fuzzy kiwi and hardy kiwi berry varieties, pollination, wall training, and harvesting.
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How to Grow Medlar Trees in the UK
Expert UK guide to growing medlar trees. Covers varieties, planting, bletting, pruning, and making medlar jelly from 15 years of hands-on growing.
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Growing Citrus Trees in the UK
A practical guide to growing citrus trees in the UK. Covers the best varieties for pots, seasonal indoor-outdoor care, feeding, and common problems.
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Unusual Crops to Grow in the UK
20 unusual crops that thrive in UK gardens. From oca and yacon to cape gooseberries and shiso, tested growing advice from a Staffordshire grower.
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How to Grow Crab Apple Trees UK
UK guide to growing crab apple trees. Covers best varieties, pollination groups, jelly making, planting, pruning, and pests. From a Staffordshire grower.
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How to Grow Blueberries in the UK
Learn how to grow blueberries in the UK. Covers best varieties, ericaceous compost, container growing, pruning, feeding and harvesting July to September.
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How to Freeze Garden Produce
Complete UK guide to freezing garden fruit and vegetables. Blanching times, open-tray method, syrup packs, storage times, and defrosting safely.
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How to Grow Cherry Trees in the UK
UK guide to growing cherry trees. Covers sweet and acid varieties, rootstocks, planting, pruning in summer to avoid silver leaf, and bird protection.
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Grow Redcurrants and Blackcurrants
UK guide to growing redcurrants and blackcurrants. Covers varieties, planting, pruning differences, cordons, pest control, and harvesting 4-5kg per bush.
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Grow Fruit in Pots and Containers
How to grow fruit in pots and containers in the UK. Covers best varieties, pot sizes, compost types, feeding, winter care, and a monthly calendar.
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How to Grow Grape Vines in the UK
UK guide to growing grape vines outdoors and under glass. Covers best varieties, planting, pruning, training wires, and harvesting grapes in UK gardens.
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How to Grow Rhubarb in the UK
Complete guide to growing rhubarb in UK gardens. Covers varieties, planting crowns, forcing for early stems, harvesting, dividing, and common mistakes.
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How to Grow Apple Trees in the UK
Complete UK guide to growing apple trees. Covers rootstocks, pollination groups, best dessert and cooking varieties, planting, pruning, and pest control.
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How to Preserve Fruit and Vegetables
UK guide to preserving fruit and vegetables at home. Covers bottling, dehydrating, salting, oil preserving, vacuum packing, and safety rules.
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How to Grow Fig Trees in the UK
Learn how to grow fig trees in UK gardens. Covers the best varieties, root restriction, fan training, pruning, container growing, and harvesting.
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How to Grow Plum Trees in the UK
UK guide to growing plum trees, damsons, gages, and mirabelles. Covers rootstocks, best varieties, planting, summer pruning, pest control, and harvesting.
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How to Grow Fruit Trees in the UK
UK guide to growing fruit trees from apple and pear to plum, cherry, and fig. Rootstock choices, pruning, and the best varieties for British gardens.
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How to Grow Blackberries in the UK
Learn how to grow blackberries in UK gardens. Covers thornless and thorned varieties, fan training, pruning fruited canes, and harvesting 5-10kg per plant.
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How to Store Apples and Pears at Home
UK guide to storing apples and pears long-term. Covers picking, wrapping, storage conditions, variety shelf life, rot prevention and ripening pears.
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What to Harvest This Month UK
Month-by-month UK harvest calendar covering vegetables, fruit, and herbs. Know exactly when to pick each crop for the best flavour and yield.
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How to Grow Strawberries in the UK
Guide to growing strawberries in UK gardens. Covers varieties, planting times, containers, feeding, runner propagation, and pest protection.
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How to Grow Gooseberries in the UK
Complete guide to growing gooseberries in UK gardens. Covers the best varieties, planting, pruning, training as cordons, pest control, and harvesting tips.
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How to Make Jam from Garden Fruit
Complete UK guide to making jam from garden fruit. Covers pectin levels, sugar ratios, setting point tests, sterilising jars, and recipes for 6 fruits.
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Dwarf Fruit Trees for Small Gardens
Grow fruit trees in small UK gardens using dwarf rootstocks. Apple, pear, cherry, and plum varieties that suit patios, pots, and tiny plots.
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How to Grow Pear Trees in the UK
Complete guide to growing pear trees in UK gardens. Covers rootstocks, varieties, planting, pruning, pollination groups, and harvesting tips.
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How to Train Fruit Trees: Espalier
Learn how to train fruit trees using espalier, fan, cordon, and step-over forms. UK pruning guide with rootstock advice, wire setup, and seasonal calendar.
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How to Grow Raspberries in the UK
Grow raspberries in UK gardens with this guide to summer and autumn varieties, planting, pruning, support systems, and pest control for reliable crops.
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