Fruit Growing Guides
Growing your own fruit is capable of providing you with years of delicious and nutritious harvests.
Growing fresh, organic produce in your garden is one of the most rewarding things about being a gardener. If you’re thinking of growing fruit, here’s advice on how to prepare your soil, plant, cope with pests and diseases, and then harvest and store.
EXPLORE FRUITS
Tropical & Exotic Fruits
Growing tropical and exotic fruits allows you to enjoy fresh, unique flavors while boosting your diet with nutrient-rich produce. Additionally, these fruits can be a lucrative crop, as they often attract premium prices in the market due to their rarity and appeal.
Papaya | Mango | Dragon Fruit |
Custard Apple | Star Apple | Passion Fruit |
Cherimoyas | Starfruit | Lychee |
Jackfruit | Mangosteen | Bananas |
Pineapples | Jabuticaba | Sapote |
Mediterranean & Sub-Tropical Fruits
Growing Mediterranean and sub-tropical fruits allows you to enjoy nutrient-rich produce. These fruits thrive in warmer climates, offering extended harvest seasons and the ability to cultivate unique varieties that aren’t easily found in stores.
Avocado | Loquats | Guava |
Figs | Watermelons | Grapes |
Melons | Pomegranate | Nectarine |
Kiwi | Persimmons | Citrus |
Temperate Fruits
Growing temperate fruits provides fresh, healthy produce right from your garden, reducing your reliance on store-bought options. These plants also enhance the landscape’s beauty, offer shade, and attract pollinators, contributing to a more balanced and vibrant ecosystem.
Apples | Strawberries | Peaches |
Pears | Raspberries | Cherries |
Blueberries | Blackberries | Mulberry |
Plums | Gooseberries | Currants |
Apricots | Honeyberries | Cranberries |
Nut Trees
Growing nut trees offers numerous benefits, including providing a sustainable source of nutritious food and adding value to your property. These trees also contribute to environmental health by improving soil quality, supporting biodiversity, and sequestering carbon.
Walnuts | Almonds | Chestnuts |
Pistachios | Macadamia | Acorns |
Brazil nuts | Butternuts | Hazelnuts |
Pecans | Cashews | Pine nuts |
Looking for a specific fruit?
Growing Fruit Questions & Answers
The ideal planting time is December through April. The best spot in your garden for a fruit tree receives at least 6 hours of sun and is protected from the wind. The hole you dig should be twice as wide as the spread of the tree’s roots, but not too deep.
With careful selection of varieties and suitable growing methods, it is possible to grow fruit trees in containers. Container gardening is a great option for those with a small garden, as it keeps trees smaller than if they were grown in the ground.
You can grow fruit trees indoors, though it requires careful selection of tree varieties and attention to specific care requirements. Some appropriate indoor fruit trees are citrus trees, dwarf apple trees, and fig trees.
Fertilizing fruit trees requires choosing the right type of fertilizer, applying it at the appropriate times, and monitoring your trees’ health, you can ensure they receive the nutrients needed for optimal growth and fruit production. Check out our plant food section for comprehensive guides on how to fertilize your fruit trees.
The type of soil best suited for growing fruit trees can vary depending on the specific type of fruit tree you plan to grow, but generally, most fruit trees thrive in well-draining, loamy soil rich in organic matter. Soil pH around 6.0 to 7.5, slightly acidic, is optimal for fruit trees to absorb nutrients.
For beginners, it’s best to start with fruit trees that are relatively low-maintenance, hardy, and capable of thriving in a variety of conditions such as apple trees, fig trees, and citrus fruits.
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