Warm weather might seem like a distant memory but now, in the winter months, is the best time to think about bringing fruit trees and bushes into your garden for a summer bounty next season, and in the years to come. This is the ideal time, when the plants are dormant, to plan and plant up your orchard or fruit garden, whether you want raspberries for your cheesecake or apples for your pie. Our resident gardener Claire Ratinon shares her tips for fruit to plant in the winter months.

What to plant
There are a number of types of soft fruit that would make a wonderful addition to any garden, even those with only a small amount of sunny space. Raspberries, blackcurrants, gooseberries, red and white currants and all the hybrid berries (jostaberries, loganberries and boysenberries) can be planted at this time of year (and until late winter).

If you have a little more space, you might consider planting some stone fruit trees. There’s a wide variety of plums, from the traditional Victoria to the delicious greengage, and if you like to make preserves, the best jamming plum (in my opinion!) is the damson. Cherries come in sweet (best for eating fresh) and sour (which are good for cooking, baking and preserving) varieties, and they produce the most beautiful fragrant blossoms in spring. If you’ve got a warm, sheltered spot available, you might consider growing apricots or even a peach tree which will only do well if it can be protected from the cold.

The traditional grow-your-own choice of fruit is the apple tree, and making space for one in your garden will open you up to a remarkable range of tastes and textures far beyond what is available in most shops. Pears too are a classic and there’s a surprising number of varieties that grow well in Britain’s climate.

Considerations
There are a number of factors to consider when deciding which fruit bushes and trees to introduce into your growing space.

Size
It’s essential to research the mature size of the plant you’ve chosen to ensure that there is adequate room for it to grow – both above and below ground. There are a number of dwarf varieties of most fruit trees that are ideal for smaller spaces where a full-sized tree wouldn’t thrive. Even if you have no garden soil, fruit bushes and even small trees do well in large-enough containers with an annual mulch of compost and diligent watering while they’re actively growing and producing fruit.

Aspect
Plants that fruit need sunshine to develop and ripen and so, unfortunately, if your garden is very shady, it might not be the right place to grow fruit. Also, if your soil is prone to getting waterlogged, then growing fruit (especially stone fruit) isn’t the best idea.

Pollination
In order to produce a harvest, flowers need to be pollinated and for some fruit trees that can be achieved alone, whereas others need a partner. Check the pollination group that your choice is in ­– if it is labelled as ‘self-fertile’ then you only need that plant alone to ensure fruit appears but, if not, you will either need to obtain an additional tree (or two!), or check whether your neighbours have a compatible variety growing in their garden.

Variety
And lastly, the most enjoyable part is choosing the variety. Read through the tasting notes and pick the fruit to suit your palette, considering whether you want to eat your harvest fresh or prefer it cooked in a pudding or preserve, and whether you want it to arrive early or later in the season.

How to plant
Fruit bushes and trees sold at this time of the year will arrive as bare-root plants. This means they will not be in pots full of compost, but will instead arrive with exposed roots, ready to be planted. It is possible to buy plants in containers that can be planted at other times in the year, but they tend to be more expensive and more cumbersome to handle. Avoid planting out when the ground is frozen or when really bad weather is forecasted while your plants are finding their feet.

Firstly, remove all the perennial weeds from the place where you plan to plant your tree, bush or cane. As they’re going to be living there for a number of years at least, you want as few pernicious weeds competing for resources as possible and they’ll be harder to remove at a later stage.

Next soak the roots of your plant in water while you dig a square-shaped hole large enough to adequately accommodate the root system. Put your plant into the ground ensuring that it is at the same soil level as it was before it arrived (the line should be evident) and backfill with soil firmly, being careful not to compact the earth. Install a stake to support young trees as they establish and, if rabbits or deer visit your garden, protect their trunks using a tree guard to prevent hungry mouths from munching on their bark and damaging them.

Lastly, water (if the ground is dry) and mulch with compost or well-rotted manure, keeping the area immediately around the trunk clear to prevent it from rotting.