10 Fruits To Grow In Your Garden - Tips And Guidelines

With changing lifestyles and times, we all are more inclined toward eating a healthy and organic diet. While commercialization has led to a dip in the quality of fruits & veggies, one can cultivate delicious diet-enriching fruit plants at home for nutrient-filled meals. Fruits are not only abundant with nourishment, but they are also quite delicious and savory. Let’s learn about fruit gardening for beginners in India, along with some tips for their easy cultivation.

What Are Fruit Plants?

The fruit plants are basically that side of greenery that yields nutrient-rich and mouth-watering fruits. Although Indians have been cultivating their fruits for a long time, homegrown fruits are sort of a new thing. These plants mature to become magnificent trees that are laden with lip-smacking fruits in the growing season. Apart from the bounty of tasty fruits, these trees offer a vast space for shade and coolness. However, some of the varieties stay dwarf, growing like shrubs, so they can also be cultivated in large floor planters.

What Are The Best Fruit Plants For Home Gardens?

We are sure that most Indians can name a plethora of fruits, as they are a part of our staple diet in the Indian subcontinent. Nonetheless, here’s a list of easy fruits to grow in a garden for every gardener - beginner or expert:

1. Papaya

Scientifically called Carica papaya, this plant grows old with flowy branches that shoot from a single robust stem. The foliage is often bright green, and the fruits are stuck on the crown. Although this plant can grow a maximum of twenty-five feet, it also comes in dwarf varieties that stay short and compact. Papaya fruits should be harvested when they appear half-yellow, and the harvest period falls after nine to eleven months of propagation. This fruit is known for its skin and immunity benefits and tastes a bit musky.

2. Banana

This is one of India's well-known and cultivated fruits, especially in hot and humid regions. Botanically called Musa, this plant grows tall with green stems, out of which rise large leaflets; these are also used for serving food in South India. The banana fruits take about a year to turn up in clusters, often called hands in the gardening world. One should look at the color of the fruits to check whether they have properly riped. The ripe ones generally fall on the yellowish side with a plumpy interior. Bananas are an excellent source of vitamins and fiber.

3. Ber

Ziziphus Mauritania, locally known as Ber in India, is a plant that grows old with a lush-green crown and voracious growth. It matures with a bushy crown laden with several drooping branches that not only carry bright green leaflets but also carry oblong-shaped fruits. This plant will take about two to three years to produce Ber, and initially, the fruits will look green, gradually taking a red appearance when ripe. Moreover, don’t expect each fruit to ripen simultaneously, as they all have a different maturity timeline. The Ber fruits also have a seed inside their body, so one basically eats the flesh and throws the ‘Guthli’ away.

4. Sitaphal

The custard apple, Sitaphal, or Annona Squamosa, is a fruit plant famous for its delicious fruits that imitate the apple’s taste to some extent. Alike its leaves, the fruits also have a shade of green with a tough exterior that almost resembles a grenade. In India, shakes and icecreams made of the Sitaphal fruits are quite cherished. These sweet fruits also hide black seeds inside them, which are not for consumption. Overall, it is an excellent delicacy low in cholesterol and high in nutrients like vitamins, potassium, iron, etc. This plant will yield fruits in two to three years, but we promise it will all be worth the wait.

5. Guava

If you love slow gardening, propagating Psidium Guajava through seeds will be your forte, but if you don’t, we suggest cultivating this plant through cutting or grafting for a faster yield in one to three years. Nonetheless, the guava plant is easy to propagate and cultivate, and its fruits are known for their sweet & sour taste. People often add guavas to their fruit salad, make juice, consume it raw, and cook chutney. The fruit’s green outer surface can be peeled or consumed with its whitish insides, packed with several cream-colored edible seeds.

6. Mulberry

Although the mulberry plant will take a long time of six to ten years to provide fruits, its grafted versions are known to offer ‘Shahtoot’ a bit faster. Also called Musa in the botanical world, this plant gets fame for its sweetest berries, called Shahtoot in Hindi and mulberry in English. These berries stick to the branches and the glossy green leaves and appear red to purple based on their maturity. One may simply pick them when they look red enough and enjoy their savory taste on the go!

7. Lemon

Maybe Indians are so fond of lemons because they were first cultivated in the northeastern regions of India, mainly Assam. Its popularity is widespread globally for its citrusy taste, being the richest harbinger of vitamin C. This plant grows hassle-free in partially shaded areas and plant soil that stays drained for long durations. Known as lemon x citrus in the scientific community, this plant is a must-have for all fruit gardeners in India. It serves us with small ball-shaped yellow fruits that have citrusy fibers inside. These easy fruits to grow in pots are not only popular in the cuisine industry, but they are also an integral part of Indian households.

8. Apple

We all know about the ample benefits associated with apple fruits, as we have all heard people say, ‘an apple a day keeps the doc away.’ Although apples are available throughout India through the convenience of transportation, they are primarily grown in cold regions falling in the northern parts. Apple plants prefer cold temperatures falling below seven degrees to thrive best. These do well in loamy soil that stays rich with nourishment throughout the growing season. These are perfect fruits to include in daily meals, whether raw, in shakes, or in icecreams.

9. Mango

No fruit plants blog can be complete without mentioning the king of all fruits - the Mango. This single plant has over a hundred varieties worldwide, out of which the richest ones belong to India. From Dusseri to Langda to Akbari, India holds numerous mango varieties close to its heart. This plant is generally grown in areas that receive less rainfall and humidity. The fruits are colored with yellow, orange, and green variegations, which also depend on their ripeness. This tree is a seasonal fruit producer during the year's summer months. One may pickle them, eat them raw, make milkshakes, icecreams, & chutneys, etc.

10. Dragonfruit

This plant gets pregnant with dragonfruit, supposedly the most sophisticated fruit in the fruit industry. These are considered exotic fruits and are always available at high prices in the market. However, the good news is that we can grow them at home and enjoy these exotically delicious fruits for twenty to thirty years after propagation. This plant is also pretty flexible with its choice of soil, as it can grow well in loamy, sandy, and clay soils, considering sandy soils the best for its growth. Its growth requires dry conditions with minimal watering.

Tips and Guidelines For Growing Fruit Trees For Home Garden:

Although growing small fruit plants for home is not rocket science, certain factors must be considered before propagating them in the backyard. Read further to learn about the list of garden fruits guidelines before jumping to the online gardening website to make an order for fruit tree seeds:

★ Propagation Location

Location involves all the factors considering the weather outside, the size of your garden, and the potential size of your fruit plants. Firstly, understand that not all fruit plants will flourish at every location, so it is better to go for the ones which are local to your area. Secondly, consider the peak height of your chosen plant and match it with the size of your backyard. Fast-growing fruits in pots can turn into gigantic plants with a robust root structure, so choose wisely. If the area is not large enough, we recommend dwarf and semi-dwarf varieties.

★ Propagation Depth

An excellent tip to ensure your fruit tree grows with health & joy is to propagate it at an adequate depth in the beginning. At propagation time, ensure the hole is deep enough for the plant roots to spread adequately rather than folded under the soil. Also, if the plant is a grafted version, the grafted part should be two to three inches above the ground when you close the hole.

★ Propagation Soil

Most fruit trees are flexible with the choice of soil, given the soil is rich in nutrients and stays dry. These plants will not tolerate waterlogging that can cause root rots. One may add garden manure and cocopeat & coco chips to the soil to make it ideal for the fruit trees. Also, fertilization in the initial growing season is not recommended as that might burn the young roots.

★ Timely Watering

We all know how essential hydration is in growing healthy plants, and it also stays the same for fruit plants. In the initial days, hydrate the plant generously unless the water gets rainy or the plant likes to stay dry. Although watering also depends on the weather outdoors, it is suggested to hydrate the young fruit plants daily for the first two weeks and then alternately.

★ Staking Trees

Although there’s an open debate on whether one should stake their trees or not, we speak for the matter. One should stake the young trees to keep their root balls immobilized and afterward remove the stakes when the plants have matured enough to have a stable existence. Settle the stake about a foot away from the plant and ensure the roots are not damaged during the process.

★ Pruning

Trimming the young plants is not as necessary as it is at the beginning of their journey, but after the plant begins to take a legit form and shape with a lush-green crown, feel free to groom it occasionally for better growth and yield. Pruning will not only make your fruit plant appear stunning, but it will also pave the way for a healthy yield.

★ Mulching

One of the most underrated gardening chores, mulching can prove to be highly beneficial for fruit trees when done right. Prepare a mulch of dried leaves, wood chips, grass clippings, straws, etc., and make a two to three inches high donut-shaped mulch around the tree’s trunk. Ensure the mulch doesn’t touch the trunk, which might cause rotten roots.

★ Cross-pollination

We must remember that fruit trees require cross-pollinators to produce any fruits. Although not every fruit tree will ask for a friend, some of the varieties will need another cultivar next to them to grow fruits. Also, if you pick a cultivar that blossoms with pollinating flowers earlier than the other one, this setup won’t work. So, gauge the differences between the cultivars and then propagate them almost side by side.

Overall, fruit trees are an excellent option for gardeners to enjoy these mighty trees' shade, flowers, and fruits. The best part about growing them is that you will be grateful when the tree finally yields mouth-smacking fruits. Growing fruits and vegetables at home is also an excellent way to nudge the young ones toward gardening gently!

FAQs About Growing Fruit Plants In India

Ques: How Long Will My Fruit Plants Take To Yield Fruits?

Ans: The yield and harvest vary from one fruit plant to another, so we suggest you check their growth inclinations beforehand.

Ques: How Many Fruit Trees Can I Grow In My Backyard?

Ans: The number of fruit trees grown in the backyard should depend on your chosen plants' peak height and size. They will require enough space to flourish beautifully.

Ques: Should I Fertilize My Fruit Plants?

Ans: Fertilization will help your plant grow a better yield, but ensure it is not done when the plants are still young.

Ques: Which Is The Best Fruit Plant For Home?

Ans: At home, one may easily grow lemon, guava, mulberry, strawberry, watermelon, etc.

Ques: What Fruits Grow In 30 Days?

Ans: We can’t claim on thirty days, but strawberries and blackberries take the least time to sprout with fruits.