• They tolerate light shade, but should be grown in full sun for best crop
• They are hardy and, once established, will tolerate wind, salt-laden air (such as coastal gardens) and drought

Plant in free-draining soil that has been enriched with well-rotted garden

Can refer to either home-made garden compost or seed/potting compost: • Garden compost is a soil improver made from decomposed plant waste, usually in a compost bin or heap. It is added to soil to improve its fertility, structure and water-holding capacity. Seed or potting composts are used for growing seedlings or plants in containers - a wide range of commercially produced peat-free composts are available, made from a mix of various ingredients, such as loam, composted bark, coir and sand, although you can mix your own.

Container growing

Choose a container with good drainage holes, and use a John Innes No 2 potting compost with added grit or sharp sand. Apply a liquid fertiliser (such as tomato feed) fortnightly during the growing season.

Harvesting

Plants begin to fruit after two-to-three years. Harvest berries from late summer until the first frosts. Only fully ripe fruit are edible. Fruit can turn black when handled so consider harvesting by shaking the berries gently from the plant onto a sheet placed beneath. 

For maximum fruiting, it is best to train plants against a wall or fence, tying the lax stems onto wires. Wear gloves for protection against spines.

Flowers and fruit are formed on the stems that grew in the previous year, so pruning aims to encourage the production of this wood.

• Prune lightly in early spring, removing dead and badly-placed shoots. If necessary, cut overlong stems back to a well-placed branch and remove some of the oldest wood
• Renovate shrubs in early spring, reducing the plant to a low framework of branches or cutting close to the base. This will cause vigorous re-growth, but initially reduces the fruiting
• To restrict growth on plants in containers, cut new growth back by up to half in summer (however, this will reduce the yield)

Sow seeds indoors in spring, covering with a very fine layer of compost; germination is best at 18-20°C. Take softwood or semi-ripe cuttings in summer, hardwood cuttings in winter; layer plants in autumn or lift and replant suckers in late winter.

Give seedlings and rooted cuttings protection in their first winter and plant out the following spring.

Aphids can be a problem and netting may be necessary to protect fruit from birds.

Suckers are produced freely and may need to be controlled.