Posted on July 3, 2007 in Gardening Ideas
What’s better than a chilled fruit salad for dessert or maybe homemade strawberry ice cream or a kiwi cheesecake? Only the thought that these fruits are literally the “fruit” of your own labor. With just a bit of hard work one can grow a variety of fruits and nuts- apples, pears, peaches, berries, pomegranate, pecan, grapes, bananas, jackfruit, hazelnut, chestnut, walnut…the list is virtually endless.
- While growing fruits and nuts, you need know the conditions of the state in which you live and what grows best in these climatic conditions. This is of prime importance. For example, Avocado grows best in mild-winter areas such as California and Florida, while Strawberry grows easily in Iowa; Papaya grows best in Central America and Pomegranate thrives in Georgia, Arizona and Virginia. So instead of choosing the fruit you would like to grow, you might want to choose a fruit that grows well in your state’s climate and soil.
- The next step in building up your fruits and nuts garden would be to procure the right kind of trees, meaning healthy trees and the trees of the right variety. Your local nursery should be able to order these for you. These days, online stores are a very convenient alternative and you also have the advantage of viewing the fruits and nuts while ordering them. The online stores also provide guides for growing these trees.
- While selecting a tree you could opt for either a potted tree or a bare root tree. In case of a potted tree, it is better to choose a younger potted tree, which adapts more easily to your garden soil than an older one. Bare root plants, however are inexpensive and sturdier. A well adapted tree bears fruit easily. You will need to prepare the soil before planting the tree. Here you have the choice of growing an organic tree by adding organic compost to the garden soil. Trees may be self pollinating or may have to be planted in pairs. Trees may also be dwarf or standard sized depending on the size of your orchard.
- Trees can be pruned by using gardening tapes or nylons to grow branches horizontally. This promotes fruit-bearing. Some trees need to be supported by crutches. Apple Maggots, Tent Caterpillars etc are pests that could ruin the fruits of your tree. So you will need to protect you orchard from these using suitable methods. But it also helps to keep in mind that most insects are more beneficial than harmful. Bees help pollination; so it helps to plant flowering shrubs around the fruit tree.Patience, hard work and a lot of care are needed to grow fruit and nut trees. A tree may bear fruits many years after planting, but then once it does, it continues to do so for many years. It’s a pleasure to eat home grown fruits or nuts; if only one were to invest in the gardening, the rewards are plenty.
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