What To Do With Your Fruit After The Harvest?

So you've put in the time and effort, and you're finally ready to sit down and reap the rewards of your fruit garden but... what exactly are you supposed to do with this bountiful harvest? Well, the simple answer is to chow down and eat it fresh, but there are other options too! There are a ton of different things you can do with your fruit once you've harvested it, and most of them don't take very long or require too much effort to enjoy. Here's just a look at some of the things you can do with your freshly picked fruit, other than eat it right away that is.

Fresh strawberry jam. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Jellies, jams, and preserves – If you've ever shopped for fruit preserves you've probably seen the outrageous prices on processed, store bought jams and jellies full of nasty preservatives and artificial additives that are most decidedly not good for you. Instead, with just a little research and a few supplies you can turn your fresh fruits into jams, jellies, and preserves that you can enjoy right away - or later on down the road! Just be sure to properly label and date your jars (or whichever storage container you choose) so you know what you're coming back to later.

A more immediate solution to your delicious fruit usage needs is to turn them into something you can eat and enjoy right away! Fruit is a core part of many different recipes and the fresher the fruit the better. Take the time to get recipes for your favorite pies or cobblers and get baking! Got extra apples? Turn them into tasty fresh cider or a delicious batch of apple sauce. You can even try your hand at natural fermentation and make some hard cider. The only limits you'll run into are your imagination and your appetite.

Last and definitely not least, you can give your fresh fruit to your friends and family. Fruit makes great gifts! Pick and choose from your harvest and personalize each gift basket with its recipient's favorite fruity snacks. Or do a mix of all three choices and deliver a set of jams or a fresh baked pie or cobbler to your neighbors. What good is having all these tasty treats if you can't share and enjoy them with those closest to you?

When it comes to the things you can do with tasty, delicious fresh fruit the possibilities are nearly endless but I'm sure you can come up with something. You worked hard all season, now's the time to kick back, relax, and enjoy all the tasty fruits that you've worked for.

Top Tips For Fruit Gardening

When it comes to gardening, the basic concepts are easy to grasp. Make sure that you keep your plants well taken care of, keep them watered, make sure they're getting enough light, keep them free of pests, etc. A lot of it is common sense, but it never hurts to have a few extra tips on hand for taking care of your fruit garden. Whether you're a seasoned gardening pro or a greenhorn green thumb beginner, here's a few ideas for your fruit garden that you should keep in mind as you plant, maintain, and harvest the literal fruits of your labor.

Patience is key, especially if you're growing fruit trees; it's not uncommon for fruit trees to take several years before you have success with them. Very much unlike regular seasonal fruit plants, you should prepare for a long term care investment because it will pay off in the long run when you can enjoy the fresh fruit of your choice on a hot summer's day.

Peach tree. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

On top of not bearing fruit right away, some trees will have “off” years and not bear fruit at all. Keep track of how often these fruitless years occur and plan accordingly.I know you've probably heard enough about waiting for your fruit, but you should also remember not to pick too early. If your fruit seems too firm, leave it on the branch or vine a little longer to ripen up. Not only do ripened fruits taste better and have a fuller flavor, they're also better for you! Ripened fruits have more natural fruit sugars (which results in that mouth watering sweet flavor) and are also rich in antioxidants as well. Waiting to pick helps you feel as good as it tastes! On the flip side, make sure not to wait too long to pick your fruits or they could end up overripe and, eventually, inedible.

Finally, make sure to check your fruits regularly to avoid disease or infestation. The last thing you want after you've worked so hard on your garden is to have someone or something else feasting on the rewards! Be sure to check for common signs of insect or animal damage and be sure to make a note of signs that something may be wrong with your plants, like discoloration of the leaves, or a lack of proper growth. A healthy garden is a happy garden. If your plants get sick, aren't receiving proper nutrients, or are attacked by wildlife or insects then you could end up with nothing to show for all of the effort you put into your fruit garden.

Gardening of any kind is a time consuming effort, but successful fruit growers will tell you it's worth it. You'll know from the first time that you sink your teeth into a fresh, juicy strawberry or crisp apple that it was totally worth the days and weeks you spent making sure that your garden turned out perfect!

The 5 Best Fruits for Beginner Gardeners

The delicious taste of fresh fruit on a warm spring or hot summer's day can be one of the best things in the world, but let's face it, not everyone knows how to grow it well. In fact for many of us who don't have a background in farming or gardening, it can seem like a difficult task to grow even the simplest of crops even with a basic or easy to tend garden - let alone tackling tricky fruits. The good news, however, is that there are plenty of fruits out there that are easy to grow, giving even beginner gardeners a great place to start and get used to gardening even if they don't have much or any experience with t to begin with.

Here's a list of the five best fruits to start with as a beginner gardener - or anyone new to growing fruit:

1. Strawberries – Good on shortcake but even better ripe and sweetly warm from the sunshine fresh from the garden. Strawberries are easy to plant and just as easy to maintain, making them a top choice for gardeners who are just getting started. You don't have to be a pro to grow and enjoy these delicious berries in a garden bed or balcony planter.

2. 

   Summer berries. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

   Raspberries/Blackberries – A summertime staple, raspberries and blackberries are delicious straight from the vine, baked into a pie, or turned into a jelly or jam with your morning toast. These berries in particular are hardy and easy to grow, but may take some special maintenance or you run the risk of the thorny vines overtaking more than their allotted space. Make sure to pick up a pair or clippers or trimmers and a good pair of gloves and you should be fine.

3. Tomatoes – Is it a fruit or a vegetable? Science says fruit and gardeners say easy! These delicious, juicy red fruits are great in a salad or stewed into a tasty tomato sauce for Italian cooking. With the wide range of available gardening accessories you can grow tomatoes even if you don't have a lot of space by using hanging planters.

4. Blueberries - If you want a fruit you can enjoy near the end of summer then blueberries have your back! All you need is some acidic soil to grow them in (it's what they like best and you can get organic acidifying agents at your local home improvement or gardening center) and you've got delicious blueberries for all of your tasty fruit pies and jams!

5. Goji Berries – You may have heard of them before, as they are often considered a “superfood” with all kinds of natural, healthy properties. Goji berries are incredibly hardy, growing even in harsher hot or cold climates, which makes them easy to grow even if you live a little north or south of ideal growing conditions for other kinds of fruit and even in windy, coastal areas. Just make sure they have a spot they can enjoy the sun in and you're good to grow!

If you find yourself having trouble getting a handle on more difficult fruits, give these a try and you're sure to be enjoying delicious, fresh fruit in no time!

Finding The Space To Grow Fruit

How many times have you seen the prices of fresh produce and wished that you could just grow your own fresh fruits instead? It would be nice, but not everyone has the space available to grow a fruit garden in their yard or home... or do they? While any kind of gardening is a space intensive project, not having a huge area you can devote to your garden shouldn't prevent you from growing fruit at all. You just have to think creatively, plan out your space, and make some smart choices and before you know it you'll be biting into some fresh, juicy fruit for dessert!

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The first thing you need to do when planning out your limited space is to look at exactly how much you can or want to spare for your fruit, along with what kind of fruits you'd like to grow. Thinking logically of course, even a small fruit tree is going to take up a LOT more space than a patch of strawberries so you have to be prepared to work with what you have. When planning space many people often look outwards when in fact thinking upwards can do just as well. Try using poles or cages to give plants something to grow on that won't take up as much space as growing the plant out over more garden space. Hanging planters work well, too!

Speaking of planters, container gardening is a great way to get fruits growing in a smaller space. You can keep your plants exactly where you want them and, with proper care, make sure that they won't grow over or out of control. Planters can be anything as fancy as decorative ones you might find at a home improvement or gardening store, or as simple as a pot, barrel, can, or other space-appropriate container that your fruit plant will grow and thrive in.

Last but not least, don't feel like you have to grow a ton of fruit; you're not growing to stock a store, just your own fridge. Pick out which fruits you're interested in growing and do the math on how much space just those fruits growing will be taking up. If you end up under your limit and want to grow more, then great! If you end up over, simply plan on either scaling back how much you want to plant, or maybe cut back and even grow fruits in cycles, depending on what kind of fruit it is and how permanent the plants are.

The last thing that you should ever feel when you're planning your garden is that you won't be able to just because of limited space. Fruits are delicious, healthy, whole foods, and having them fresh off of the branch or vine is the best way to enjoy them. If you have the time, money, and are willing to put forth the effort to maintain your fruit garden, your space should be no obstacle to the sweet taste of victory!

Growing Fruit Trees: Worth The Wait?

Welcome back! We apologize for the lack of a post last week; after moving into our new house, we had some problems getting the internet up and running.... Thankfully we are connected now, and back in action! One of the things we are planning for our new property is to plant some fruit trees. So I figured it would be a good time to explore this topic for the next few weeks. This week, we're starting off by exploring the pros and cons of growing fruit.

Nectarine (Prunus persica) fruit development over a 7½ month period, from early winter to midsummer. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

When you think about growing a garden you generally plan to plant seeds one afternoon, spend a few weeks to months taking care of them, and then finally having something you can cook or eat fresh right off of the vine or or out of the ground right away. Fruit trees on the other hand are a much longer investment of time and effort, but continue to yield results year after year even when other plants will have long since been harvested and replanted. If you're thinking about planting fruit trees, then you should make a few key decisions before you start and along the way.

First of all you have to decide if you want to reap the rewards of your work within a short period of time, or if you're actually willing to wait for your work to come to fruition (no pun intended). It can take years for a fruit tree to actually mature enough to start bearing fruit and it can be a long and arduous process of maintenance, pest control, and care that can end up failing and coming to nothing if you aren't prepared, or don't put in the proper time or effort. However, if you're the type of person who doesn't mind settling in for the long haul then you can enjoy delicious fresh fruit year after year once your tree has matured.

Something else that you should think about as you're deciding whether or not to plant fruit trees is what kinds of fruit you might want to grow. There are many factors that come into play when you decide to plant fruit trees such as the condition of your planting area (such as the yard space you have to work with and the quality of the soil) as well as the climate and seasonal harshness of the area you live in. Some places are great for growing fruit trees and will have no problems seeing your trees thrive and flourish, but if the area you live in is subject to harsh seasonal swings you may be limited in the types of fruit you can successfully grow.

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

One unique perk that fruit trees offer (one that you might not initially realize) is the value that it adds to your home and property. Even if you never plan on selling your home, think of what your fruit trees will offer to you, your family, your friends, and your neighbors. You don't just get the bonus of having a tasty treat you can pluck straight from the branches in your yard, you also have a healthy snack you send to school with your children, ingredients you can use in cooking for family get-togethers, fruit you can preserve for the winter in various ways or to give as gifts, or simply fresh fruit you can gather into a gift basket. The benefit of having fruit readily available is practically endless.

In the end what it all comes down to is whether or not you're willing to persevere through the hard work and long wait of your fruit tree maturing to the point it can actually bear fruit. Even if you start with a partially grown tree that you transplant you will still have to put in the effort of nurturing and acclimating it to its new home while also guarding its safety from insects and disease. If this is something that you think that you can do then planting a fruit tree is definitely worth the wait when you can finally sink your teeth into a crisp apple, juicy pear, or whichever delicious fruit you've decided to grow.

Be sure to stay tuned next week, when we'll discuss the first steps you'll need to think about when planting your fruit trees.

Video: Fruiting Cactus Plants

You might think of cactus as just a spiny and interesting looking houseplant, but cactus can also grow edible fruits! Some of them can taste quite delicious, although harvesting may be hazardous to your fingers, so be careful!

In this short video, he shows you a fruiting cactus, and how to take cuttings to propagate your cacti and grow your cactus garden.

Fruiting Cacti Plants - Tasting & Growing!
This video looks at three types of Cactus Fruit. Mammillaria prolifera (Texas nipple cactus), Dragon fruit & Prickly Pear. Watch to find out what they taste ...

Video - 3 Fruit Trees for Container Gardens

If you don't have enough land to have a real orchard, it can be a lot of fun and very rewarding to grow fruits, nuts, and berries in pots.This short video explains a few tips and three great varieties for growing in a "container orchard". By using dwarf varieties and grafting, you can grow your own fruit even in a small space. Some nuts will do fine in pots as well, figs are also great, and blueberries can work well as potted plants, although you will want to grow several as they will need to cross-pollinate with each other. You can also move the pots indoors in the winter if you live in a cold climate and are growing less hardy varieties.

3 fruit trees for small space yards and patios
You can grow a variety of fruit trees in your small yard if you buy the right kind of trees and plant them in containers! Garden expert Shirley Bovshow intro...


Dwarf Fruit Trees for Container Gardens:
   

Planning Your Sustainable Garden? Grab A Non-Hybrid Seed Pack

More and more people are looking to grow their own vegetables to save money and to get the best possible organic produce. Now is the time to think about gardening again, as spring is on the way, and it is the perfect time to plan your spring and summer gardens.

If you are thinking about buying seeds for the upcoming gardening season, you might want to know about the difference between hybrid and non-hybrid seeds and why one is better than the other.

Non-hybrid seeds are also called open pollinated seeds. These seeds often yield better nutritional value in vegetables/fruits and any left-over seeds can be saved and stored for next year, which adds to the sustainability of your gardening.

The Non Hybrid Seed Family Pack contains a nice variety of vegetables, grains and fruits that should supply your family with a great rainbow choice of fruit and vegetables for the year and beyond.

Seeds included in the pack are: Brussels Sprouts, corn, various lettuce, melon, mustard, oats, onion, broccoli, Swiss chard, squash, tomato, carrots, wheat, water melon and others. The leftover seeds can be stored long term.

Overall, if you are planning on supplying your family with home-grown fruit and vegetables this year and in the years to come, then you should consider investing in non-hybrid seeds for the reasons mentioned above. The family pack offers a fantastic yield of produce at a great value. (And a few other tasty seed packs are listed below.)

Where To Buy: 
www.non-hybrid-seeds.com


     

Video - Growing Dwarf Fruit Trees In Containers

Here is another great one from Patti, The Garden Girl. If you think of fruit trees as something you can't grow because you don't have enough space, think again! Patti shows how she plants dwarf fruit trees in containers on her patio. It may still take a few years for them to start fruiting, but you really can grow some nice fruit even in a small space.

One thing that she doesn't cover in this video (although she does in another video), is that you must remember to drill plenty of drainage holes in the bottom of the container before filling and planting - otherwise your tree (or any other plant) will drown, so be sure to do this whenever you are planting anything in containers, if they don't already come with holes in the bottom.

Container Gardening: Bare Root Cherry Tree
Patti, the Garden Girl, puts dwarf fruit trees into her patio container garden. Check out my Container Drainage Video for more info. Subscribe to Patt's free magazine! Click here visitor.constantcontact.com Check out Patti's websites www.gardengirltv...


Grow Your Own Dwarf Fruit Trees:
   

Pruning Your Fruit Trees

If you have just entered the tree growing world, you have no doubt heard the term “pruning” tossed around by the more veteran growers. If you're not quite sure what it is, here is a quick rundown on what, how, and why.

Image via WikipediaPruning is the removal of dead or unneeded branches to encourage the growth of flowers (and fruit). Usually a tree will end up devoting energy to branches that don’t need it, while neglecting branches which are bearing more fruit. If you remove the branches that are taking all the nutrients, you will begin to see a flourish in the other ones. Pruning also keeps the tree in shape by keeping the branches even. This prevents it from becoming weighed down on one side. Having too many branches on one side could cause the tree to become permanently crooked.

Many gardeners don’t even think about pruning their trees until they start to bear fruit. This is a big mistake, and you should never neglect to care for a tree just because it hasn’t yet begun to produce. During the entire process of growth, you should prune the tree in a way that it is even and uniform. Then, when it does start to produce fruit, the results will be significantly greater. It is very easy to tell the difference between a tree that has been pruned regularly during its growth, and one that has been neglected. Generally the shape of the tree is much more natural looking if it has been pruned.

The first thing to look for when you start pruning is any branches which are dead or diseased. These are quite easy to recognize. Usually they don’t bear any fruit, and might be misshapen or discolored. Don’t hesitate at all in chopping these guys off, as they are nothing but detrimental to the health of your tree. Sometimes a branch can be dead or diseased without making it too obvious. If this is the case, simply wait until the tree is flowering and it will become obvious by not growing anything.

Image via WikipediaThe second type of branch to look for is the branch that is too close in range to all the other ones. If it grows at such a length and angle that the end is right next to all the other branches, they might end up crowding each other out. Take off the smaller of the two branches to allow the larger one to have the breathing room that it needs. This same rule applies to the weight balance of your tree. Sometimes, for reasons we will never understand, a tree will grow several branches on one side and weigh itself into being lopsided.

So hopefully I have provided you with a basic knowledge of pruning. There are more situations and types of branches that require pruning, but what I’ve outlined is the very basic parts. These can alter depending on how old your tree is. For example, for the first 3 years of a tree’s growth it requires pruning that follows more “formative” guidelines. After the tree is well established, you will need to use “regulatory” pruning to keep it where you would like it to be. There are entire books written on how to prune trees depending on how old they are. There are far too many techniques for me to go over, so if you want to use these advanced techniques, check your local library, or grab one of the ones below.

A Few Good Books On Pruning: