Buying a fruit tree from a local market is one thing. But, planting your own seed and seeing it flourish into a healthy plant is a different feeling altogether. Let’s be honest to ourselves, as children, we all have tried to grow our own plants, somewhere down the line however, this imagination vanished and we let go of our childhood dream. Yet, since the mind is a rather strange organ, the desire of growing fruit trees from seeds is one which never really vanishes in its entirety. The only thing missing now is knowing which are the correct things to do and which must be avoided. Thus, a few tips become essential in helping us in our endeavor.

1)   The best time to plant seeds into the ground is during summer months. At this time, most fruits are at their ripest best. Furthermore during summer, the fruits which hit the market are more likely to be indigenous varieties which have been locally grown and not genetically modified or imported from abroad. Apricots, nectarines and peaches are believed to be the most easily cultivable type of seeds.

2)  The use of indoor containers is best when one wants to grow citrus trees like oranges, lemons and limes. Keeping a container indoors will give the necessary temperature and humidity to the plant, which is characteristic of its original home in the Mediterranean. Another advantage of having citrus trees in containers is that they inevitably spread a sweet fragrance around the house. However, the soil which is used in the container while growing fruit trees from seeds should not be just picked up from the backyard, but instead from a proper store. This must be done to avoid weed growth and other substances which may be harmful to the plant.

3)  The lifecycle of plant varies as per variety, and thus different fruit trees will bear fruit at different times. But as always, patience is the key. One a bud is seen, the closed petals can be lightly opened to facilitate pollination. This needs to be done gently and with something soft like a paint brush.

4) Two things that a plant requires without fail, is sunlight and water. Both these essentials have to be given in adequate quantity as per the specific plants requirements. Ideally, plants which have broader leaves when fully grown need more water than those with smaller leaves. The same is the case with sunlight. While the plant is still in its shoot phase, the amount of sunlight required is much more than when it’s fully grown while the water content in the soil must be lesser to avoid fungus and rot forming around the newly germinated seed.

5) The soil which is accessible to us humans in urban areas is of no match to those available to the plants in their native habitat. Even farms for that matter have a far poorer quality of soil than that of forests. Thus, it becomes imperative to use fertilizers when growing fruit trees from seeds so that the necessary nitrates, phosphates and other substances can be given to the soil.

You are probably already making many changes to your lifestyle in an effort to live more sustainably. There is one step you can take, however, that will not only add to your sustainable lifestyle but will also provide glorious flavor to your meals while saving you money on your grocery bills. Growing a home garden is a great way to provide high quality, nutritious food for your dinner table. Many people have the space available for a backyard garden but are apprehensive about starting one because they think it may be too hard. In truth, gardening is very easy and there are numerous vegetables and fruits that can be grown by even the most inexperienced gardener.

If you have never tried growing your own food before, start with easy to grow choices like green beans, radishes, carrots, peas, lettuce, spinach, and courgettes. Tomatoes, although technically a fruit, are a must for any well-stocked home garden and are very easy to grow if you choose the more hardy hybrid varieties. As you become more experienced, you can try some heirloom tomatoes, which are much more flavorful, as well as additional vegetables like squash, cucumbers, sweetcorn, and others.

For added flavor, try some berry vines, plants, and bushes. Growing your own blueberries, strawberries, and other fruits will add a little extra sweetness to your summer meals and can help you feed your family healthier alternatives to traditional desserts. Once you begin growing your own produce, you will likely be hooked. There are little things that can match the satisfaction you get when you harvest the first tomato of the season. In addition, you will know that you are feeding your family food that is free from harmful chemicals and preservatives. Try home gardening today and start enjoying the benefits it offers to you and your family.

Blueberries

Before you buy blueberry bushes, make sure you read this detailed quick guide to help you with your planting.

1. Make sure you have two varieties of blueberry plants so that they can cross pollinate. This will help them grow berries well and fast. You have an option of getting two varities from these three: highbush varieties that can grow more than 6 feet tall, lowbush varieties that are generally shorter than 2 feet, and half high varieties about 3 feet tall.
2. Make sure you get bushes that will thrive in your area. You can do this by reading the apt “zones” these berries grow by reading their labels.
3. Blueberries grow best in areas where the sun is out for at least 6 hours. In hot climates, make sure you help protect the growing bushes during the heat of the day.
4. Before planting the bushes, make sure the soil is slightly acidic. To do this, mulch the soil with pine needles or pine barks.

1. When digging the planting hole, make sure you dig 4 to 5 inches deeper and 2 times wider than the pot.

1. Water the bushes thoroughly. Water growing bushes two to three times a week but make sure you don’t overwater them. For grown bushes, you can water them once a week but make sure you do so with more or less an inch of water.
2. For growing bushes, make sure you clip 2/3 of the blossom. This may seem counterproductive but doing so will make the plant focus its nutrition towards the roots.
3. Make a small fence to protect the plants from small animals in your area. Make sure you also drape some net over them to prevent the birds from attacking the bushes.
4. On the second season after planting the bushes, fertilize the bushes amply. You can try using Miracid for this.

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• Berry Beneficial: Tips on Picking and Baking Blueberries (indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com)
• Healthy Wild Blueberry Bran Muffins (thismamacooks.com)