Fruit has a bad reputation for being difficult to grow and for needing a lot of dedicated space to be productive. But nothing could be further from the truth. Incorporating fruit, berries, and nuts into the backyard farm can be part of a healthy and thriving homestead. This chapter covers some of the easiest to grow or most common fruits, berries, nuts, and edible perennial plants that you might want to add to your backyard farm.
The best way to increase the amount of fruits you produce in your backyard is to think outside the box. Does fruit have to mean an orchard of apple trees? You can plant fruiting vines, fruiting bushes and shrubs, and fruiting ground covers like strawberries in myriad places that a traditional apple tree wouldn’t fit. (I’m not implying that there’s anything wrong with apple trees!)
You might think that you don’t have room for fruit plants, but if you have room for plants at all, you have room for homegrown fruit. Fruit on a small scale works best when you incorporate your fruit or berry plants wisely. Incorporating edibles into the ornamental landscape is one great way to do this, which we discussed in Chapter 4.
Another way to fit fruit into a smaller available area is to choose fruit plants that are more reasonably sized than a full-size 40-foot tree. Many fruit trees are available in dwarf, or upright columnar forms. These begin as short as 6 feet tall and are grafted onto dwarf rootstock to limit their growth. You could even plant these trees in large containers and provide fruit for your family as part of your patio container garden!
Some fruit trees, such as apple, pear, and plum trees, can be trained to stand against a fence or into a thinner form. This tree form is called espalier, and while it requires more frequent pruning and can limit the amount of fruit produced per tree, it is one way of increasing the number of fruiting plants on your property overall.
Fruit trees are available in different sizes based on the type of rootstock they are grafted to. Here are the size breakdowns and some of the common rootstocks you might see in each size category:
• Miniature. Grafted onto M27 rootstock; the full size is 2 to 3 feet.
• Dwarf. Grafted onto M9 or M26 rootstock; the full size is 5 to 8 feet.
• Semi-dwarf. Grafted onto M7 or G30 rootstock; the full size is between 8 and 15 feet.
• Standard. These rootstocks produce full-sized trees that vary according to the fruit type.
Apples (Malus)
Were apples the original fruit? No one knows, but there are so many apple cultivars (varieties) available it’s no wonder that people sometimes think so. With so many selections available, there are apples grown in every state in the United States and some that will tolerate from zone 3 to zone 9. Not every cultivar will perform well where you live, however, so get advice from friends and neighbors around you, or your local county extension office.
Apples are an interesting challenge in the landscape because you need a second cultivar that will cross-pollinate your trees. Sometimes you can buy specially grafted trees that have branches from more than one variety grafted into a single tree, and where room is at a premium this might be the best choice. Otherwise plant two or three different types of apples within 25 to 75 feet (closer together for the smallest dwarf types) to ensure good pollination of your apples.
THORNY MATTERS
Some apple trees produce sterile pollen. Jonagold, Mutsu, and Baldwin are three popular cultivars that will not pollinate other apple trees. If you plant one of these cultivars, you’ll need at least two other trees within pollination range. Check labels or cultivar descriptions and look for any that state “infertile pollinator” for your clue!
Apples, like many fruit trees, appreciate woody mulch underneath the trees. In fact, some holistic gardeners use the growing tips of the branches that are pruned throughout the year, chip them in a wood chipper, and spread them back with compost under the fruit trees. Apple trees also need a good amount of water and plenty of sunshine to develop those large, succulent fruits!
With apples especially, backyard farmers should try heritage cultivars or those cultivars that aren’t necessarily popular in the grocery store. Often the commercially popular types are those that are not disease resistant and require lots of spraying and chemical applications. Different cultivars need differing amounts of “chill hours” or time under 45°F where the cool temperatures ripen the apples and enhance the flavor. In warmer climates you should choose cultivars that are considered “low-chill” that don’t need as many cool-weather days.
Apple trees with fruit that matures in the summer are usually not the best cultivars for storing through the winter. For winter storage and fresh fruit to snack on during the winter, you’ll want apples that mature in late fall.
Apples can bear fruit heavily, bending branches if not thinned when fruit is small.
(Photo courtesy of Jill Browne)
Cultivars to try: Arkansas Black has a tart flavor considered good for cider and has a firm flesh that stores well. Dorsett Golden ripens early, has high yields, and only needs about 100 hours of chill time. Hardy Cumberland was developed by the University of Tennessee and is a sweet apple with good disease resistance. Jonathan is a classic heirloom from the mid-1800s that is a mid-season apple with good storage properties and full, tangy apple flavor. Pink Lady or Cripps Pink requires 200 to 400 chill hours and is a late-season apple that stores well. Winesap is a dark red, late-season apple that does well in the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic areas.
Sweet Cherries (Prunus avium) and Sour Cherries (Prunus cerasus)
Cherries come in basically three forms: sweet cherries, sour cherries, and less commonly grown bush cherries, which have several different varieties. Cherries are a great option for substituting with other ornamental flowering trees, such as redbuds or forsythia, to transform your landscape into an edible landscape. Sour cherries, and a few of the sweet cherry cultivars, are self-pollinating, which makes it easier for backyard farmers with limited space to add fruit trees to their property.
Cherry blooms are a gorgeous addition to the spring landscape. And of course, cherry trees go on to provide edible fruits for the backyard farmer later in the season.
(Photo courtesy of Tim Sackton)
Like most fruit trees, cherries grow best in full sun and well-drained soil. Cherries need to be kept consistently moist until they are fully established, because if the roots dry out they will die. This is especially important to note if you’re trying to grow them in a container. As with apples, they do well with a thick layer of organic mulch.
OVER THE GARDEN FENCE
You won’t be the only one who loves the cherries your tree is producing. Birds can clean you out! You can hang old CDs or scary “eyeballs” to try to deter them. But the best protection is to cover the bush or trees with netting as soon as the color begins to change.
You can eat cherries straight off the tree and can get as much as 25 to 150 pounds per tree. Cherry pie, juice, and preserves are all ways of storing extra cherries you’ve harvested. You can also freeze the cherries on a flat baking sheet and then store frozen in bags.
Sweet cherry cultivars to try: Black Tartarian has huge dark, almost purple fruit and tasty flavor. Lapins is one of the self-fertile sweet cherries and is a heavy producer with excellent crack resistance. Royal Lee is a low-chill cultivar that flowers early in season. Sweetheart is another of the self-fertile sweet cherry cultivars and is crack-resistant. White Gold has yellow skin and light color flesh, and is a late-blooming cherry hardy to zone 4.
The cherries on the tree are highly attractive and, of course, delicious. A true win-win in the landscape.
(Photo courtesy of Rachel Matthews)
Sour cherry cultivars to try: English Morello has tasty, rich-red flesh and is a low-chill cultivar on a naturally small tree. Mesabi is a sweeter hybrid cherry that isn’t quite as tart as most sour cherries. Surefire is a tangy sweet cherry that blooms later than other sour cherries and is highly crack-resistant.
Other cherries to try: Nanking cherry (Prunus tomentosa) is a bush cherry that is about 6 to 10 feet tall with white or pale pinkish flowers. Plant two cultivars for best pollination and use them in the landscape as a hedge alternative to increase the usefulness and productivity of your landscape.
Mulberries (Morus sp.)
Mulberry trees may be unfamiliar to some because it’s not a fruit that is available commercially. The fruit doesn’t ship well and won’t keep long, so enjoy it while it’s ripe. The mulberry fruits look similar to raspberries and have a super-sweet taste to them. Mulberry trees are hardy in zones 5 through 8.
Mulberries are highly variable—I’ve seen everything from small shrubs with multistemmed forms to huge trees 50 feet tall and wide. There are even weeping forms of mulberries, which can add an interesting shape to the landscape. They are self-pollinating, so you can add just one to the landscape as desired.
THORNY MATTERS
When you plant your mulberry, don’t put it in an area where it will overhang a walkway or driveway area. The dropping fruits can be messy and stain pavement or car paint.
It’s not a tremendously striking tree necessarily, but mulberries are fruitful, easy to grow, and have few, if any, pests to contend with. It will sometimes bear fruit the first year after being planted. But you’ll get a good crop the second year no matter when you planted the mulberry, spring or fall.
To harvest, spread a sheet or tarp (one that you don’t mind getting stained) and shake the branches. Ripe berries will fall and usually the unripe berries will remain on the tree. Harvest berries every three days during the month or more as they are ripening.
You can see how the mulberries resemble raspberries. These are just beginning to turn color and will be ready for harvesting in a few weeks.
(Photo courtesy of Jennifer Harshman)
You’ll want to use the berries right away because these sweet, soft fruits don’t last very long. Eat fresh (my kids’ favorite way to enjoy them) or make them into a wine or sauce. I’ve also seen them as pies or tarts and also canned as preserves. However you decide to enjoy them, the full, sweet flavor is one of the best tastes of the summer for our family.
Peaches (Prunus persica)
Peaches are hardy in zones 5 through 9 (some hardy to zone 4) but have a reputation for being a little more picky and difficult to grow than some of the other fruit trees. The fresh taste of a juicy peach straight off the tree can’t be beat, though, so it’s worth the effort in my opinion. Many of the problems with peaches come from frost.
Peaches have attractive (not to mention delicious) fruit, and beautiful stems and leaves.
(Photo courtesy of Steven Depolo)
Peaches can be planted on the north side of the home, barn, or stand of trees where winter shade will be provided so the temperature during fall and spring season changes will be more even instead of erratic. You can also paint the tree trunk and major branch joints with white paint after leaf fall to reflect the winter sun and help protect the tree from damage caused by temporary winter thaws.
There are tons of peach varieties to choose from, so try checking with your extension office for tips on which ones to try. In southern climates with mild winters, you should look for low-chill cultivars. Because peaches are generally self-pollinating, you can plant a single peach tree on your property. In fact, the gorgeous pink flowers can easily take the place of an ornamental pear that won’t bear fruit for you!
Peaches come in two types: clingstone peaches in which the fruit is attached to the pit inside, and freestone peaches in which the pit is more detached and separates from the flesh better. Growing your own peaches allows you to select some of the most delicious, thin-skinned peaches from years past, the likes of which you’ve never purchased at a grocery store. Commercial growers select varieties with harder flesh and thicker skins that hold up well to the abuse of shipping hundreds of miles. Your peaches only have to make it from tree to teeth.
OVER THE GARDEN FENCE
Nectarines are a naturally occurring sport (wild mutation) of peaches. Nectarines are fuzzless peaches and are produced both from breeding nectarines to nectarines and from grafting sports that appear on peach trees.
Prune your peaches and nectarines to an open, vaselike habit so sunlight can reach each branch. Peaches use a lot of nitrogen, so a good dose of rich compost and mature chicken manure each year after the leaves fall will be welcome. Because most peaches and nectarines are small trees not growing larger than 15 feet naturally, they make a great tree choice for near a house or in a small landscape.
Even in the best of conditions, peaches are generally shorter lived than other types of fruit trees. Ten years is a good run for a peach tree; 20 years is fabulous. But don’t let that stop you! They are small trees, not foundation shade trees, so easily replaced if needed.
Peach cultivars to try: Avalon Pride is a relatively new, very flavorful peach with resistance to peach leaf curl. Contender has a high chill requirement and is hardy to zone 4, making it awesome for northern climates as it has a later bloom time that won’t get zapped by late frosts. Harbelle is a small tree with productive habit that bears lots of fruit and is resistant to bacterial leaf spot. New Haven is similar to Red Haven but has a much higher disease resistance and fabulous productivity. Rio Grande has a low-chill requirement with delicious freestone peaches and unusually beautiful flowers.
Nectarine cultivars to try: Fantasia is a large freestone nectarine with a gorgeous reddish skin and sweet yellow flesh that is said to be one of the tastiest nectarines. Hardired was bred in Canada and has excellent cold-hardiness and large blossoms in the spring. Panamint is a low-chill variety with a full tangy and sweet flavor.
Pears (Pyrus sp.)
Pears are easier to grow with organic care than apples if you choose a fireblight-resistant cultivar. Fireblight is a disease caused by bacteria that affects pears, apples, and roses. Pears are excellent as a dessert fruit and for eating fresh off the tree. I also love making pear sauce when the pears are ripe to enjoy warm over pancakes, oatmeal, or ice cream for months thereafter. Consider adding a large, accent shade tree to your landscape, or plant several of the smaller dwarf pear trees as a wall, driveway edge, or espaliered along a fence.
I’ve never entirely grasped the reason for planting ornamental pears, which do nothing but bloom, when you can plant a pear tree that bears actual fruit. Most pears need cross-pollination, though, so if you plant one, you should plant at least one more suitable pollination partner to ensure a good fruit crop. Pears are generally hardy in zones 5 through 9, but an increasing number of cultivars are now hardy through zone 3.
If you have an area with less than perfect drainage that holds rainwater a day or two, that might be a better place to site your pears instead of another fruit because pears can tolerate slightly wet feet. Standard pears produce more fruit but grow much larger, while dwarf pears reach less than 20 feet and begin bearing fruit sooner.
I love how prolific the blooms are on our old pear tree. This tree is at least 40 years old and still looks amazing every year.
This younger pear tree is being well trained to an attractive espalier shape. It nicely fills this otherwise odd space along the outside of the building.
(Photo courtesy of Jill Robidoux)
Pears need more pruning when they are growing rapidly than some of the other fruits, especially if you’re training them to a small space or special shape. When they are established and fruiting they don’t need as much pruning. Pears tend to do well trained to a central leader form and usually have a naturally upright habit, but they are easy to train into gorgeous espalier shapes if desired.
This is a fully mature pear tree that has been well maintained in the espalier. The attractive bark is gorgeous, the spring blooms hint at fruit to come, and the shape is eye-catching.
(Photo courtesy of Jill Robidoux)
As with apples and peaches, you should thin your pear tree fruit when the fruit is very small so that your trees will bear fruit each year, instead of alternating years of fruit.
Harvest the European pears while they are still a touch unripe and they will ripen after harvest. The color change of the skin is your clue to harvest. Pears can store for a while, in some cases several weeks, especially if harvested underripe and kept in a cool place.
Cultivars to try: Blake’s Pride is hardy to zone 4, a boon for northern gardeners, and is a delicious, light-gold pear. Comice is a classic-shaped, large pear with a soft, sweet taste and it performs best in the West. Seckel is a small pear but it has a delicious, full flavor and is not only fireblight resistant, but is hardy through zone 4. Summercrisp is a pear known for reliable fruit production and sweet flavor that performs well in zones 3 through 5. Warren needs only 600 chill hours and is a large pear with smooth, juicy flesh and good disease resistance even in more humid climates, which is why it excels in zones 7 through 9.
Oriental persimmons (D. kai) are hardy in zones 7 through 10 and usually grow no larger than a medium tree. We had one in our Texas home that was only about 6 feet tall as it had been grafted on dwarfing rootstock. American persimmons (D. virginiana) are medium to large trees, some reaching 70 feet or more, and are hardy in zones 4 through 10.
Persimmons are rock stars in the landscape as they are gorgeous summer trees, have interesting bark in the winter, and of course, the bright orange fruits are highly ornamental in the autumn. The only season it doesn’t shine is the spring, because the flowers come later in the season and are an unnoticeable green color. Most persimmons are self-fertile but a few of them do better with cross-pollination.
American persimmons should be harvested after the fruit becomes slightly soft, usually after a frost or two. Oriental persimmons can be picked before fully ripe, but after the color matures, and allowed to ripen on the counter. Persimmons can be frozen, and in many cultures they were fermented.
Plums (Prunus sp.)
Plums have beautiful spring flowers and delicious fruit, with easy-to-grow cultivars available in most areas, but can be variable in fruit set and disease resistance. There are European plums (hardy in zones 4 through 8), Oriental plums (hardy in zones 6 through 10), American plums, and many hybrids, and each react a little bit differently. Most plums grow small- or medium-sized naturally and often have an open, shrubby growth habit.
Spring blooms are fragrant and beautiful, and the succulent fruit is a boon to the backyard farmer. We have wild plums that grow in this area that most just call “sand plums” although I don’t know what their proper scientific name is. Like apples and pears, plums do better if the fruit is thinned early in the spring. Plum branches can grow so heavy from the weight of the fruit that they break right off the tree!
Plums should be pruned to an open shape when they are young. Provide plenty of sun and clean up any old growth or sucker sprouts you find popping up in the spring. And while you should prune each year for the best fruiting results, I must admit to walking along the creek bed and picking wild plums that haven’t been touched in years. That’s the get-it-doneist coming out in me, though. When the plums are in my immediate yard landscape, they get a lot more hands-on care.
OVER THE GARDEN FENCE
Diseases are more common in humid areas and if plums are overcrowded. Disease-resistant varieties will help prevent problems with your plums, so check the labels and descriptions carefully. It will help to make sure you are planting plums that are resistant to the diseases most common in your particular region, so check with your local extension office to see which pests and diseases to watch out for.
Harvest plums when they come off the tree with a slight twist of the stem. Most of the plums on the tree will ripen all at once, so be prepared for pounds of delicious fruit at one time. Plums will store for a few days in the fridge, but then you’ll want to preserve them somehow. You can dehydrate them, make pies or tarts, and can jams or preserves.
Fruiting vines and smaller berry bushes are one of my favorite ways to sneak deliciousness into the landscape. They are easy to tuck into off spaces—along the walls and fence lines, or into the awkward spaces between trees and perennials in mixed borders. This section discusses some of the most common berries and fruiting vines that you might want to add to your landscape.
Blackberries and Raspberries (both Rubus spp.)
These brambling fruits are hardy in zones 3 through 9 depending on the type and variety. Most brambles bear on second-year canes, so you should prune one third of the canes each year to keep your brambles under control. Raspberries will spread by runners under the ground, creating larger and larger thickets each year if not periodically cut back.
Trellis your raspberry or blackberry vines against a fence, arbor, or wall to make it easier to pick them. You can also choose cultivars that are thornless, which also makes it easier to pick ripe berries. In fact, the thornless varieties make a great addition to a kids’ garden area because children are irresistibly drawn to these delicious summer berries.
There are few tastes that say “summer” better than the fresh-off-the-vine flavor of raspberries and blackberries.
(Photo courtesy of Rachel Matthews)
Raspberries and blackberries should be planted anywhere from 2 to 5 feet apart in the row in which you want them to grow. They will quickly grow additional canes to fill in the gaps in between, and in a couple years you’ll have a beautiful and fruitful living fence.
Viruses can create problems for raspberries, but especially for black raspberries and blackberries. Start by planting certified virus-free stock but be prepared to renew your beds every 10 years or so if your brambles become less productive. Find out which varieties do best in your growing area for clues on disease resistance that will work in your favor.
Raspberries are available in the classic red colors (Autumn Britten, Killarney, and Latham), purple (Royalty), black (Black Hawk and Jewel), and even yellow (Anne) so your backyard can sport myriad jewel tones. Raspberries do not store well after harvest, so pick them and eat them promptly. After a couple of days the almost-ripe berries you picked will be fully ripe and very soft, at which time your best bet is a cobbler or canned preserves. In a pinch you can freeze the berries on a cookie sheet and then store in a freezer bag, but the thawed berries will make better sauces or cobblers than eating out of hand.
Blueberries (Vaccinium spp.)
There seems to be a blueberry bush that is suitable for almost everyone. Highbush blueberries (V. corymbosum) are hardy in zones 4 through 7, lowbush blueberries (V. angustifolium) are hardy in zones 3 through 7, and rabbiteye blueberries (V. asheii) hardy in zones 7 through 9. While most blueberries are semi-self–fruitful, they all do best with other bushes around for cross-pollination, but because they perform so well in the landscape there’s no reason not to plant several!
Blueberries have pretty white flowers, beautiful fruit, and in the autumn many varieties have colorful foliage as an added bonus. The fruits are delicious and highly nutritious. Highbush berries are the ones you typically think of as blueberries, and rabbiteyes tend to be smaller even though they are very prolific. Lowbush fall somewhere in the middle and are the berries traditionally used in pies and for canning. All will provide delicious fruit for eating, baking, and storing.
Blueberry shrubs vary in size from 1 to 8 feet or more (pruning keeps them easily under control) and can be grown in rows, containers, or mixed into a woodland garden. Blueberries tolerate part shade but bear more fruit with at least six hours of sunlight each day. The main key to growing these otherwise easy-to-grow plants is providing the right soil pH. Blueberries need acidic soil in the 4.5 to 5.5 range, similar to azaleas, heather, and other woodland plants. The other main thing to watch out for with your blueberry plantings is that the soil is well-drained and doesn’t hold water.
When you plant a blueberry bush, dig a generous hole, at least three times larger than the rootball you’re planting. Amend the soil you put back into the planting hole with half the original soil, and half a mixture of peat moss and pine needles, oak leaves, or woody compost from those trees. If you are planting in a container, use this type of mixture as planting soil, and mulch with acidic mulches.
Blueberries grow easily on bushes as long as their soil pH needs are met. One of the most nutritious (not to mention pricey) fruits can be grown right in your backyard.
Blueberries don’t need very much pruning, but as with all shrubs cleaning up dead, broken, or overcrowded branches will improve the bush and help prevent diseases. Blueberries ripen over a long period, so you’ll want to pick ripe berries every couple of days or so as they turn. It’s okay to skip a couple days because berries will hold well on the bush. You know they are ready to pick when they fall off in your hands with a light tug.
Fresh berries are fabulous for eating and will last for a few days in the fridge. You can also freeze them, cook with them, bake pies, or make jams. Blueberries also dehydrate well and can be added to granola or trail mixes.
Grapes (Vitis spp.)
Grapes are a classic arbor vine, and for good reason. They provide bold foliage for shade in the summer, decorative vines, and classic fruits. There are several varieties of grapes that will grow across the United States in zones 3 through 10. The biggest consideration for adding grapes to your backyard farm is that the vines are thick when mature and need a sturdy support, and that they need yearly pruning.
There are two types of grapes that are native to the United States: the fox grape and the muscadine grapes. European grapes do best in the West with dry, hot summers. Muscadine grapes are sometimes called Scuppernong grapes, which is actually the name of the most popular cultivar, and the leaves of these native grapes turn yellow in the fall.
Grapes need full sun and well-drained soil to give their best fruit. Pruning the vines each year allows the grapes to stay healthy and productive. It is possible for grapes to overproduce their root systems, with too much cane, leaf, and fruit growth that ultimately destroy the plant. Grapes don’t need heavy fertilizing, so just top the soil off yearly with compost and a good mulch.
This newly planted grape vine will need lots of watering the first year or two as it becomes established. After that it will need less watering, but a lot more pruning!
When harvesting grapes you usually cut the entire fruit cluster at once, and leave the grapes on their individual stems. Muscadines are the exception to this and sometimes ripen over time instead of all at once. Grapes will ripen from July through September depending on region and type.
OVER THE GARDEN FENCE
Various grapes are susceptible to black rot fungal disease, which is best prevented with good pruning and cleanup of debris. Downy mildew is a problem in wet and humid climates. And of course, as with any delicious fruit, there are pests who enjoy eating them as well. Your county extension office should be your first stop in finding out what you can expect in your area.
Pruning grapes is relatively easy. Allow one or two main branches to form, and limit cane growth from there. Each year you’ll cut back the previous year’s growth to about 12 to 18 inches. There are a few different ways that grapes can be pruned, and it will mostly depend on where you’re growing the grape vines. Just keep in mind that you want to prune away the bulk of last year’s growth in late winter or early spring and you’ll be okay. Check out BackyardFarmingGuide.com for specific examples of pruning grapes.
Kiwifruit, especially the hardy vines, are pretty and productive in the landscape. They are a great option for climbing plants along an arbor, trellis, archway, fence, or wall. Kiwifruit vines have pretty foliage (sometimes variegated) and yummy, edible fruit. Kiwifruit (A. deliciosa) is hardy in zones 7 through 9, and hardy kiwifruit (A. arguta) is hardy in zones 4 through 9.
Kiwi vines need cross-pollination between male and female vines. You’ll need a minimum of one male vine for every eight female vines to make sure you get good pollination. Late frosts can damage pollen and hurt fruit production for the year, so if you expect a late freeze you can protect the vines by wrapping them in burlap or piling on straw to try to save the productivity.
Kiwifruit vines will grow huge in optimum conditions so lots of pruning may be necessary. They usually grow best in full sun, but in hot climates they’ll appreciate some part shade. Give your vines well-drained soil and prune yearly to avoid overcrowding, and you’ll prevent most diseases. Japanese beetles tend to be the biggest pest problem, so you may set traps if you see them hovering around your vines.
Prune kiwifruit vines the second year, after they put on a good year’s worth of growth. Don’t be afraid to prune them back pretty good each year in late winter or early spring to just a few inches of growth from the previous year. In optimal regions your kiwi vine is capable of growing 20 feet in a single year, so you might have to prune back the growing tips during the summer as well.
Harvest kiwifruit when they are just a tad underripe and they will soften when you pick them. Kiwi will ripen quicker at room temperature but will store for a few weeks in the fridge. Hardy kiwi has thinner skin that isn’t as fuzzy as the traditional kiwis you find in the grocery store, and is smaller in size.
Melons (Cucumis melo or Citrullus lanatus)
No vegetable garden is complete without a sweet, mouth-watering melon ripe off the vine. Notorious for being hard to grow and taking up a lot of space in the garden, I have success growing them vertically. In our small garden space I only grow a few vines of varieties that produce smaller fruit that can be trellised without breaking off the vine.
There are four main kinds of melons: watermelons, American cantaloupe (muskmelons), honeydew, and specialty melons such as Asian melons. Watermelons tend to resist bacterial wilt better than the others, but require between 80 and 100 days of true summer-warm weather. Honeydew are like watermelons, needing about 100 days to ripen. Cantaloupes tend to mature faster and need 75 to 85 days, depending on the variety.
Melons are traditionally grown on hills because they need fertile, well-drained soil to produce well. It is easy to build up a 3-foot hill of rich compost, instead of heavily fertilizing the entire garden space. The raised hill also aids in good drainage.
The Boule d’Or melon is an example of an heirloom melon that isn’t available commercially, but is fabulous in the home garden.
(Photo courtesy of Baker Creek Seeds)
You can sow melons directly into the prepared garden area, or start seedlings indoors three weeks early. If you are growing seedlings indoors, keep the light source close to the seeds to discourage leggy growth. You’ll also want to be careful to harden off the seedlings so they don’t get stressed from the shock of cooler temperatures. Tradition dictates growing three plants per hill and spacing them 6 feet apart, but I prefer to grow one plant per hill and space them about 3 feet apart. Growing one plant per hill lessens the competition for water, which is always a premium in our area.
Heat stress will hurt the production of your melon vines, as well as alter the flavor of the melons. The more leaves, and the healthier the leaves, the sweeter and more nutritious the fruit will be. If the fruits will be smaller, you can grow them up a trellis. For larger melons put a board underneath to keep them from resting directly on the ground.
Muskmelons and honeydew will slip easily off the vine when they are ripe. Watermelons will show a browning of the curled tendril nearest the melon, although it’s fun to “thump” them and impress your friends with your watermelon mind-power. Some cultivars change colors when they are ripe, making it even easier to tell.
Melons can be rather pest-prone with wilting diseases and powdery mildew topping the list. To prevent aphids and cucumber beetles from spreading disease to your plants, try covering growing vines with a row cover until the flowers appear and need to be fertilized. Squash vine borer can also infect melons, so watch for the signs.
Altaiskaya. Bushy vines that only grow 4 to 5 feet long and produce 3-pound fruits. Does well in shorter seasons as they mature within 75 days. Suitable for container growth as well.
Green Flesh. A sweet honeydew with small seed space and plentiful bright green flesh. Matures in 115 days at 3 to 6 pounds.
Jenny Lind. This popular cantaloupe matures in 80 days and weighs between 1 and 2 pounds. A sweet melon on prolific vines.
Moon and Stars. An heirloom watermelon that is regaining popularity in home and specialty gardens. A very sweet melon that has dark green skin with yellow splotches, and the fruit matures at 10 pounds.
Sugar Baby. Watermelon that matures in just over 80 days. This fast-growing melon vine produces large, sweet fruit.
Strawberries (Fragaria spp.)
Strawberries are herbaceous perennials that produce delicious red (or occasionally white) berries. They make useful ground covers in full-sun areas and can be interplanted between or in front of larger shrubs and plants. Most strawberries grow between 6 to 12 inches tall and wide. Alpine strawberries stay in neat mounds but other strawberries can spread through running stems.
This strawberry jar is an easy way to grow strawberries even with little room. It will produce fruit the first year if you start with strawberry crowns.
Strawberries need at least four hours of sun and prefer well-drained soil that has lots of organic matter or compost mixed in. Mulch will help keep strawberries from being crowded out by weeds, and preserve moisture in drought-prone areas where strawberries won’t thrive.
Some strawberry types produce a lot of berries all at once, while others produce throughout the year. The former are the kind I like best for landscaping purposes so the pretty white flowers will appear here and there all season long. Unlike many other fruits, you can harvest strawberries from the very start. Harvest your berries as soon as the color turns, but watch out for marauding birds. A covering of bird netting can help prevent loss if it becomes a big problem.
Strawberries don’t store in the fridge for very long but you can freeze them, bake them, or create jams and preserves to store them.
OVER THE GARDEN FENCE
To store strawberries as long as possible, they need to be dry and unwashed. Wrap them in a paper towel so they aren’t touching each other and put them in a lidded glass jar in the fridge. This way they will store for about a week. Wash just before using them.
These perennial plants, shrubs, or nut trees make great fruiting additions if you have the space to dedicate to them. Some, like asparagus, are perennials that need plenty of space. Others, like walnut, are fabulous shade trees but can inhibit the growth of other plants in the area.
Asparagus (Asparagus officinalis)
Asparagus is a perennial vegetable that is rather expensive to purchase in the grocery store, but very easy to grow for yourself in a garden. And if you are the type of person who likes to maximize his time, energy, and money, you’ll be pleased to find out that asparagus is a perennial vegetable. This means you will only have to plant asparagus once, but you’ll have a harvest year after year.
Asparagus plants are often available as 2-year-old crowns with a long, stable root system already in place. Because asparagus is a perennial vegetable, I have had the most success purchasing the plants already started in this fashion. Asparagus is available in seed, but it will take two or three years before any shoots of harvestable size are produced. By planting 1- or 2-year-old crowns and roots, you can begin to harvest the very next year.
These perennials are what many call a “heavy feeder.” This means that it needs to have plenty of rich, organic material to keep the soil well fertilized. This can be as simple as a thick layer of mulch or compost added onto the garden bed each year. Maintenance is easy with a yearly trimming of old fronds in the late winter or early spring. This will allow room for the new shoots that appear in early spring.
Harvesting asparagus plants couldn’t be any easier. Stalks that are thicker than your pinky finger can be snapped off at soil level, rinsed, and then cooked in whatever way you most enjoy. Stalks that are smaller than your pinky finger should be allowed to grow into leafy fronds to help the plant gather energy and nutrients. They will be larger the following year and your harvest will increase. Usually your home-grown spears will be 6 to 10 inches long. Gardeners should watch their asparagus closely in the spring, and harvest spears before the tips begin to open.
These asparagus spears can be grown year after year for very little time or money investment. A bundle like this purchased from the grocery store is not cheap.
(Photo courtesy of Rachel Matthews)
Asparagus is such a long-lasting plant, a few dozen roots will provide produce for a family for many years. The taste of the home-grown spears versus store-bought spears is incomparable, and the savings of growing your own is significant.
Elderberries (Sambucus canadensis)
Elderberry is a wild shrub in our area and grows almost anywhere along the unmowed roadsides in the summer. We dug up a few starts from a friend’s house that were taking over their fence line and transplanted them to the ranch.
Elderberries are not typically eaten fresh, but more often used in jams, wine, and tarts. We also use elderberry syrup for its therapeutic benefits to help minimize flu and respiratory illness symptoms.
The shrubby growth tends to be pretty loose and open. Elderberry is hardy in zones 4 through 7 depending on the cultivar, and when grown in favorable conditions it becomes a large, sprawling bush.
Elderberrries are pretty easy to grow and tolerate drought better than many other fruits. The flowers (also edible) are large white umbrels, resembling Queen Anne’s lace but much larger, often as big in diameter as a dinner platter. The fragrant white flowers give way to huge clusters of dark purple, nearly black berries. And while the berries can never be said to be sweet, they do have a unique flavor particularly well suited to wine and jam.
These sprawling elderberry bushes have large clusters of flowers that are already starting to turn to berries in a few places on the bush.
(Photo courtesy of Tatiana Gerus)
Harvest berry clusters when they are ripe by simply cutting them off at the stem. You can easily use cheesecloth to strain out the seeds and leave the juice for syrups, wines, and jams. Watch out for birds that will literally flock to your harvest and may beat you to it if you aren’t careful.
Pruning is easily done by simply cutting back the oldest canes each year, leaving half a dozen of the new, strong-looking stems. An established elderberry bush can even survive being accidentally mowed down with the brush hog.
Named cultivars have been developed for tolerance to various regional climates, as well as productivity, flavor, or size of the berry clusters. For example, Black Beauty does best in cooler climates and has pink flower blooms, while Wyldewood has huge berry clusters and ripens later in the season making it better suited to southern growing areas.
Mulch newly planted shrubs to smother out weeds until the plants are well established. Trouble free, disease resistant, and drought tolerant, elderberry is a great addition to the landscape if you’re able to give them room to spread.
Pecans have various hardiness depending on the cultivar. Also note that these gorgeous trees have varying disease resistances as well. Pecan trees are lovely shade trees and I love that they have the added benefit of a yearly crop of delicious nuts.
Unfortunately, even the hardiest cultivars won’t usually produce reliably beyond zone 5 as pecans need a longer season for the nuts to mature. But oh, what a delicious harvest you can obtain if you live in zones 5 through 9.
This newly planted pecan will quickly develop a large taproot and in a few years become a lovely, productive tree.
Starting pecan saplings from trees that are just a few years old can take some time. While pecan trees are fairly drought tolerant when they are well established, they need extra water when getting started. Pecans have been developed commercially for so long now, there are named cultivars suitable for most regions within the growing zone. A quick check with the extension office will help you narrow your options.
You’ll want to have more than one pecan tree in the area for the best pollination. While pecans have both male and female flowers, sometimes the male pollen is produced before the female flowers. By having two different types of pecan trees within 100 feet, you’ll be sure that more pollen is available when your tree’s female flowers are receptive.
Pruning is as simple as removing suckers from the roots, and any side branches that are growing below your clearance tolerance. Our pecan tree would become so heavy-laden with fruit that branches below the 10-foot clearance line would literally touch the ground.
Harvesting is rather simple as well, because nuts fall to the ground when they are ripe. But be quick—send your kids out to pick them up before the squirrels eat them all!
Walnuts (Juglans spp.)
Different types of walnuts are available, and you can find some hardy and productive ones in zones 4 though 9. The butternut (J. cinerea) is a walnut relative, sometimes called the white walnut, which is even hardy to zone 3. Walnuts make a fabulous shade tree as long as you have room in the landscape for a 50-foot-tall tree.
THORNY MATTERS
Black walnut can inhibit the growth of certain other plants in the landscape, so plant it in an otherwise unused corner of the yard, or plant tolerant plants nearby.
Walnuts prefer slightly alkaline soil and are usually best planted from seed. That’s because the young trees quickly develop a thick taproot that acts to stabilize the tree, and provide moisture during dry seasons. On the downside, that means you’ll have a few years of waiting before a newly planted tree will produce edible nuts for you.
The alternative is to plant a grafted walnut where a walnut-producing top has been grafted onto the rootstock of another tree species. This makes the tree more tolerant to being transplanted and can cut a few years off your wait time.
As with pecans, you should prune away suckers that develop from the root system, and any branches that die during winter or summer seasonal extremes. Otherwise, pruning needs for walnuts are minimal and a tree will usually grow well on its own.
When ripe, walnuts fall from the tree on their own. A good shake of the lower branches might help speed things along. Otherwise check the ground below the tree every day while nuts are ripening, every other day at the most, so the nuts don’t rot on the ground.
Let the nuts dry out before shelling so the meat of the nut will be more easily accessed. Nuts will store for a long time in the freezer if you have an abundance. With the high price of nuts purchased from the grocery store, a mature nut tree is an invaluable asset to the backyard farm.
Nuts turn rancid when they are exposed to oxygen. If you don’t have room in the freezer to store nuts, you can store them in a glass jar with oxygen absorbers and desiccants (available from storage supply shops) to prevent rancidity.
