Rapidly Expanding Fruit Species to Cultivate Immediately
Smash your taste buds with a bountiful harvest from a DIY fruit garden! Nothing beats the sweet, juicy rewards of farming your very own produce. Fruits, unlike veggies, tend to grow at a more leisurely pace, with many being perennials and taking seasons to mature. "Growing fruit crops can be a slow game," admits Justin Ballew, Horticulture Program Team and Extension Fruit and Vegetable Research Associate at Sandhill Research and Education Center, Clemson University. "Most fruits aren't annuals, unlike many vegetables, and can take a year or more to establish, such as blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries."
Eager to expand your orchard? Here are seven speedy fresh fruits Ballew and Jen McDonald, garden guru and co-owner of Garden Girls, have picked as excellent choices for your garden:
Strawberries
Strawberries are among the ripest and quickest fruits to grow, typically appearing at farmers' markets in the spring. "Strawberries might be perennials, but they're mostly cultivated as annuals by commercial growers," explains Ballew. "In commercial settings, strawberries are usually planted in the fall, grown throughout the winter, and harvested in the spring." At this time of year, you'll find strawberry seedlings, or transplants, available for home gardeners. "Springtime is the most common time for nurseries to stock strawberry seedlings," says Ballew.
- Scientific name: Fragaria × ananassa
- Preferred Light: Full Sun
- Ideal Soil: Well-drained, Sandy, and slightly acidic
Cantaloupe
Cantaloupes are round, beige fruits with an orange interior. "Cantaloupe planting can commence in the spring right after frost season has passed, with a harvesting period of around 80-100 days, depending on the variety," says Ballew. Cantaloupes are annual plants, making them quicker to grow compared to many other summer fruits, explains Ballew. For a bumper crop, be sure to conduct soil tests and ensure adequate irrigation and fertilization.
- Scientific name: Cucumis melo var. cantalupensis
- Preferred Light: Full Sun
- Ideal Soil: Well-drained, Sandy to loamy
Honeydew
Sporting a light green flesh, honeydews are delightful melons that can be grown from seedlings or seeds, given the right conditions. "With the right combination of fertile sandy loam soil, 6-8 hours of sunlight per day, and consistent watering, honeydews will be ready to harvest in just 80-90 days," says Jen McDonald, garden expert and co-owner of the Garden Girls.
Allow a pole or trellis to support the vines as they tend to spread rapidly. "Vines can multiply quickly," says McDonald. "You'll barely watch as your honeydew grows by a whopping 6 inches in just a couple of days!"
- Scientific name: Cucumis melo L. (Inodorus Group) 'Honey Dew'
- Preferred Light: Full Sun
- Ideal Soil: Well-drained, Sandy to loamy
Watermelon
Taste the essence of summer with homegrown watermelons, typically ready to harvest in approximately three months from seed to fruit. "Watermelon plants are like athletes, spending most of their time developing sprawling vines that help absorb sunlight," says McDonald. "These vines produce flowers, which then ripen into succulent fruit." Remember to exercise patience when it comes to harvesting, as the remaining growth period is used to develop sweetness.
- Scientific name: Citrullus lanatus
- Preferred Light: Full Sun
- Ideal Soil: Well-drained, Sandy to loamy
Blueberries
Don't be disheartened by a lack of initial fruit production from blueberries; patience is key with these sweet berries. "Blueberry plants tend to grow taller before producing substantial fruit," says McDonald. Pick a suitable blueberry variety for your region and test your soil annually to ensure it's properly nourished. Additionally, blueberries thrive in slightly acidic soil. "Blueberries love acidic soil and moderate amounts of fertilizer, so be sure to check your soil every year and adjust your fertilization plan accordingly," advises Ballew. Blueberries typically take six years to become prolific producers, but their lifespan extends for up to 50 years!
- Scientific name: Vaccinium sect. Cyanococcus
- Preferred Light: Full Sun
- Ideal Soil: Well-drained, acidic
Blackberries
Savor the taste of summer with juicy blackberries. They thrive in sandy loam soil and boast a sturdy root system, which helps them spread quickly. "Blackberries need time to establish, so don't expect an immediate fruit yield," says McDonald. In their first year, blackberries devote all their energy to vertical growth but fruit production commences in the second year. A single blackberry bush can produce up to 10 pounds of delectable berries per year, making them a worthwhile endeavor if you have the space and patience.
- Scientific name: Rubus subg. Rubus
- Preferred Light: Full sun
- Ideal Soil: Loamy, well-drained
Raspberries
Raspberries are another summer sensation with their plump, magenta berries. Similar to blackberries, raspberries need time to establish before producing fruit. "Once developed, raspberry canes grow rapidly, but it takes over a year to bloom and produce fruit," says Ballew. "Raspberries usually bloom and produce fruit on year-old canes, so it takes a little over a year for new shoots, blooming, and production." Raspberries aren't heat tolerant, so they are only cultivated in the northern regions.
- Scientific name: Rubus idaeus
- Preferred Light: Full sun
- Ideal Soil: Fertile, well-drained
- For a quick and rewarding gardening project, consider planting strawberries, which typically appear in the spring and can be harvested just a few months after planting.
- Cantaloupes can be planted in the spring after the frost season and will usually be ready for harvest around 80-100 days later, making them one of the faster summer fruits to mature.
- Honeydews, with the right conditions, can be ready for harvest in just 80-90 days, making them a prime choice for those looking for a speedy melon crop.
- If you're in a region suitable for blueberries and can exercise patience, these sweet berries will typically take six years to become prolific producers, but their lifespan can extend for up to 50 years.
