Who doesn’t love
farm-fresh fruits? To grow your favorite fruits all by yourself, you don’t need an acres-wide orchard. Apples, figs, strawberries, rhubarbs, and many more delectable fruits can easily be grown in your compact backyard. If you are short of planting space, these fruits can still be planted in containers, and guess what? Strawberries would even thrive well in hanging baskets. Here are ten easy fruits that you can grow in your garden without any plantation hassles.
Strawberries are love! Especially when picked straight from the yard, these juicy, fresh, sun-ripened berries make the favorite fruit of all. Strawberries are versatile and can be easily grown in hanging baskets, window boxes, containers, or even flower pouches. They love sunshine, and under the right growing conditions, you can enjoy an abundant supply of sweet red, juicy, pulpy, mouthwatering strawberries during the hot months.
Raspberries can genuinely win the rank of the ‘least demanding and most rewarding’ berries. This self-supporting berry grows best in raised beds but would also go well in containers or clumps across the garden. Harvest it anytime from late Summer to early Autumn to enjoy a healthy crop. And did we mention Raspberries are the simplest to maintain? Every time you harvest the crop, remove the branches that produced fruit and leave the rest in the ground for another juicy crop the next year!
Do you tend to grow easy crops in containers? Try Blueberries. All they ask you for is an acidic (ericaceous) soil and rainwater, that’s it. Rainwater for the hard tap water may erode the soil acidity over time. They offer amazingly scented plants during Spring, hot colored autumn foliage, and a whopping, shinning crop of juicy blueberries during Summers – a perfectly all-rounded crop for every yard. And let’s not forget how attractive they look standing on a patio, making the focal point of their environment. They have fewer maintenance needs and will begin fruiting no later than three years of age. If you are short on space, go with the ‘Top Hat’ variety of Blueberries.
Mediterranean taste can be bred in your own space, how? Grow your own figs. They must be grown against a west or south-facing hot wall, and they grow best when their roots are limited. This makes them perfect to be grown in containers. However, while growing figs, you might have to be a little patient as these autumn crops won’t be ready for harvest till the next summer. Once you munch on these fresh-picked, sun-cooked figs, you’d know it was worth the wait!
Gooseberries are your kitchen-garden friends – this versatile fruit can be cooked into savory sauces, or used in cakes, cordials, or crumbles upon ripening. Or a better idea; gulp them in straight from the bush, delectable, fresh and ripe. For scarlet-skinned, pulpy fruits that are sweet in taste and tender in looks, opt for the ‘Xenia’ variety among Gooseberries. On the other hand, for an abundant crop that is perfect for cooking, the ‘Invicta’ variety serves the best.
There is always an apple size and kind to suit your garden. An apple tree is a one-time investment that will help you yield rewards for many years to come. Be wise while you choose the breed and size of your apple tree – make sure it fits your garden upon maturity and is in line with your taste preferences. Growing two or more apple trees is well-advised for spacious gardens as it helps the pollination process. However, if you have a compact space, you might want to grow these trees in tubs. Or a dwarf family tree can also help the cause whereby up to three varieties are incorporated in a tree making it perfect for a container in your balcony or patio. Need something fancier? Try a step-over apple tree variety.
If you are not very fond of consuming blackberries, let them rather serve as the hedgerow fruits of your yard. Plant them in that connecting nook of your shed or tune them alongside that poor old fence – growing fruits couldn’t have been easier. Blackberries are easy fruits that won’t demand too much of your time, attention, or care and will grow almost anywhere. Tune their stems on wires for an easy harvesting exercise. To save the prickle, try using a thorn-less type like the ‘Apache’.
Don’t go after their sweet-sounding polite name – honeyberries are incredibly hardy and resistant plants that would stand all the problems that come their way. They need little maintenance and won’t ask for much of your time. Honeyberries are much like blue-berries; they are loaded with antioxidants and would make a finger-licking pie when picked straight off the bushes. For ideal results, grow them in pairs, which enhances cross-pollination.
Let alone the weird-sounding name; Goji berries are rich in nutrients and have a sugary flavor. Also known as a superfood, these berries are hardy enough and would grow in all sunny positions, sometimes in windy and coastal areas, too. Try adding them to your daily cereals and juices, and head start your day deliciously.
If you are a dessert-lover, you must know what goes up there for eye-popping decorations on desserts. Red, black and white currants are tender fruits that make excellent decorative pieces for desserts, jellies, jams, pies, and even sauces. Also, since they can be frozen, you can feel the summer vibe to your food during chilly winters, too. For compact yards, the ‘Rovada’ redcurrant is excellently trained to grow in containers.
