Forum home› Fruit & veg

Blackcurrants by the sea

SallyatthebeachSallyatthebeach Posts: 2
in Fruit & veg
Hello, I'm about to move to a coastguard cottage very close to the sea. I'm passionate about growing fruit, though not very experienced, so it's not ideal from that point of view. I will have a garden behind the house, so protected by the building. Do you think I will be able to grow blackcurrants? And maybe plant a plum or two?  Thanks

Posts

  • raisingirlraisingirl Posts: 6,910
    I'd give it a go - blackcurrants are pretty robust. Maybe go for one of the smaller forms.

    I'm not sure about plums - I've not had much luck with them on my windy site, although we're not by the sea and it may be the cold rather than the wind that they don't like. The best thing to do would probably go for cordons against the wall, if you have a sunny wall space. Apples and cherries may be more suitable.

    Blackberries and the various hybrids - loganberries and boysenberries etc - will probably be fine if you can train them along a fence. Raspberries seem to grow anywhere.
    “It's still magic even if you know how it's done.” 
  • SallyatthebeachSallyatthebeach Posts: 2
    Thanks Raisingirl. I'm looking at apples and cherries too. I have young plum tree I was thinking of taking with me, but I'm not sure, it's a very windy spot. 
  • laurafulcher7laurafulcher7 Posts: 2
    hmmm, Raisingirl, my raspberries keep dying. They have done this twice now so I'm not sure I agree with your optimistic statement  about them growing anywhere. What could I be doing wrong??
  • SkandiSkandi Posts: 1,718
    Mirabelle plums do fine in high winds, the trees end up looking twisted and on bad years lose half their leaves but they still produce a good crop. Red currents might do better than black they tend to be smaller and have smaller leaves which helps with wind.
  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 10,953
    I've got a 3 yr old blackcurrant Ben Sarek which is about 1m atm and stays small compared with others.
    The stems are stout too, much more so than the Ben Conan that I also grow.
    Good luck with whatever you go for

    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 86,138
    I believe the Ben prefix indicates a Scottish heritage, so they ought to cope with a bit of ‘weather’ 😊 

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 10,953
    That's true Dove - good point
    Mind you we've all had a lot of weather of late...

    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 86,138
    Ah but @Pete.8 ... there is ‘weather’ and then there’s ‘WEATHER’ 💨 ⛈ 🚣‍♂️ 🙄 

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 10,953
    :) and it looks like there's more WEATHER on the way..

    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 86,138
    Oh flamin’ ‘eck ... roll on Flaming June 😓 🏖 

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





Sign In or Register to comment.