5 Best fruits And Berries you can grow in your Backyard.

5 Best fruits And Berries you can grow in your Backyard.

Growing your own fruit and berries in your backyard can be a fun and rewarding experience. Not only does it provide you with fresh, delicious produce, but it also adds beauty and diversity to your outdoor space. Here are five of the best fruits and berries you can easily grow in your backyard.

Here are the five best fruits and berries to grow in your garden.

 grow in your garden
Watermelon

Watermelon

Watermelon is a popular fruit that can be easily grown in your garden without much equipment and stress. Watermelon is a fruit that has high water content and is rich in antioxidants.

Watermelon is a rich source of vitamins and minerals and also low in calories and sugar and free of fat. It is also a cheap source of iron that is packed with nutrients and beneficial compounds.

How to plant watermelon from seeds

 Watermelon requires well-drained soil like Sandy-loamy soil to grow well. Purchase watermelon seeds and dig a hole about 1cm deep and lightly cover the seeds with soil. Plant 4-6 seeds per hole. Germination will take about 7-14 days. Watermelon needs a lot of space because they are crawling plant.

watermelon

Transplanting from pot or nursery:

Gently remove the seedlings from the pot or nursery tray because the roots are fragile and damage to the root will mean the end of the plant. Transplant into your garden soil and water regularly until the plant shows signs of steady growth.

Maintenance: Water the plant regularly until it starts fruiting and always keep the soil wet and moist but not waterlogged. Avoid wetting the leaves, water the base directly. When fruits develop !.lift the fruits from the ground and place them on a bag or cardboard to prevent fruit rot. 

Harvesting: Watermelon fruits can be harvested within 70-90 days after planting. Once the fruit starts showing yellow spots or shows signs of ripening it is ready for harvest.

Benefits of watermelon:

  • It improves heart health
  • It relieves sore muscles
  • It enhances weight loss
  • Good for glowing skin
  • Aids blood circulation
  • Lowers risk of heart attack
  • Reduces kidney disorder
  • Improved digestion
  • Prevention of asthma

cucumber plant
Cucumber plant

Cucumber

Cucumber is a fruit that is low in calories and has high water content which is good for hydration and enhances weight loss. It is rich in antioxidants that can help treat some diseases, it also contains essential minerals and vitamins.

How to plant cucumber:

Mix compost with the soil or buy planting soil and mix with the soil because cucumber requires loose well-drained and fertile soil. Plant cucumber seeds about 1 inch deep and 5 feet apart.

Seedlings should germinate in about 7 days. Once seedlings start developing, water the plant regularly and make sure it gets enough sunlight.

cucumber

Maintenance: Water the plant regularly and make sure it is at the base only. If leaves show signs of wilting or drying in the morning, it indicates that the soil is dry and needs watering. Weed the planting site regularly and at intervals.

The cucumber possesses both male and female flowers. The male flowers come out first about a week before the female flowers. When the female flower comes out, it carries an unfertilized immature fruit on its stem. Fertilization is required before the fruits start to germinate. Bees and other insects pollinating insects enhance fertilization by bringing pollen from male flowers to female flowers.

Harvesting: The cucumber is ready for harvest when it becomes dark green and firm, don’t leave it till it becomes very big because it becomes bitter. This usually takes about 60-70 days.

To harvest get a knife or kitchen scissors, locate the ripe plant at cut gently at the base. Avoid causing damage to the plant when cutting as this can cause the whole plant to dry up.

Benefits of cucumber: 

  • It is rich in antioxidants
  • It aids digestion
  • Ease pain and swelling
  • Aids weight loss and control
  • Lowers blood sugar
  • Good for hydration
  • Reduces puffiness in the eye and other parts of the body.

5 fruits you can grow in your garden
Raspberries

Raspberry

Raspberry is a member of the berry family. Both its leaves and fruit can be used for the production of medicine. Raspberry is a sweet type of berry, it is a rich source of vitamins and essential minerals.

It also has high water content and low sugar, it contains no starch and it has high dietary fiber content. Raspberries can also be used in the production of jams and tarts and pies, it can be used to make smoothies and drinks.

How to plant: Raspberry is a perennial plant which means it has fruits for more than one season. Raspberry grows best in a sunny area. The soil must be well-drained soil and must not be waterlogged.

Purchase your raspberry seedling from a good nursery and a one-year-old seedling is preferred. Dig a hole that is enough for the root of the plant to spread, and plant 18 inches apart. 

raspberry

Maintenance: Mulching is essential in dry regions to conserve soil water. Water regularly but moderately as raspberries do not do well in waterlogged soil. Weed the area regularly so that weeds do not compete with plants for nutrients. 

Harvesting: All varieties of raspberry produce fruit in their second year. Berries ripen every two weeks, so picking should be done regularly. Ripe berries will remove easily from the stem, any berry that does not remove easily from the stem is considered unripe.

Benefits

  • Promotes good digestion
  • Aids in the formation of good bones
  • Helps to reduce menstrual cramps
  • Raspberry leaves help to reduce childbirth risks.
  • It is a rich source of antioxidant
  • Lowers blood pressure
  • Helps to prevent stroke and heart disease.
  • Raspberry is richer in magnesium and vitamins than strawberry.

5 fruits you can grow in your garden
Strawberries

Strawberry

Strawberry is a member of the rose family, it’s the edible fruit of the rose plant. The fruit is rich in vitamin C and other essential minerals. Strawberry has a wide variety of uses ranging from being eaten as fruit to being used as flavor food and sweets.

It is also been used in the cosmetics industry for the production of soap, lip gloss, lipstick, perfumes, etc. One strawberry plant can produce up to 40-60 fruits. Strawberry sugar is converted to starch after a few days of harvesting.

Strawberries

How to plant from seeds:

Get your viable strawberry seed and spray it with water and cover it with a paper towel for 24 hours. Sow the seeds into a pot or nursery tray and put them in a place with abundant sunlight.

Germination takes about 7- 21 days after germination raise the seedlings in the nursery until it has at least three leaves before transplanting them into the garden.

From runners:  Choose a part of the garden that has high sunlight availability and well-drained soil preferably a mixture of sandy and loamy soil. Purchase strawberry seedlings from a good nursery and purchase a disease-resistant variety.

After all, this is in place, strawberry seedlings can be planted. Dig a hole according to the size of the root but make sure the hole is not too deep. Water the plant regularly after planting and make sure the soil is not waterlogged.

Maintenance: Weed the planting site regularly to avoid pest infestation, and water regularly and moderately ( it is compulsory).

Harvesting: Take note once the plant starts blooming because harvesting starts about 6 weeks after blooming. Once the fruit is ripe, harvest ripe fruits only and check every two days for new ripe fruits.

Remove ripe fruits from the stalk without causing damage to the whole plant. Wash strawberries after harvesting and keep them frozen. They can last up to 3 months when frozen.

Benefits and uses:

  • Aids digestion of food
  • They are a good source of vitamin C
  • Increases good cholesterol
  • Lowers blood pressure
  • Improved brain and heart health
  • Anti-inflammatory benefits
  • Improved skin quality
  • Help in weight control
  • Good for smokers 
  • Helps with constipation
  • Used in the production of some skincare 
  • Used as a flavoring agent.

Muskmelon
Muskmelon

Muskmelon

Muskmelon is a member of the melon family, it is sometimes referred to as cantaloupe melons or sweet melons. The flesh is sometimes sweet and other times bland depending on the variety.

Muskmelon is an annual plant that crawls. They are a rich source of vitamin A and vitamin C. Cantaloupe melon is mostly made of water and carbohydrates. Melons are originally from Africa but have been diversified and can be grown all over the world. Muskmelon has high water and fiber content, it is also a source of vitamin A which is essential for the eye.

Muskmelon

How to plant: Muskmelon grows well in warm regions which means it requires sunlight to grow well.

To grow from seed: Soak cantaloupe seeds in water to enhance quick germination, plant the soaked seeds in a nursery or a biodegradable paper pot, and raise them for 6 weeks before transplanting seedlings into the garden.

To grow from seedlings: Dig a hole about 1 inch deep and gently place the seedling inside the hole. Cover the root with soil and water regularly till the plant shows signs of steady growth.

Maintenance: Grow melon in well-drained loose soil, add compost to the soil before planting, and area with abundant sunlight. 

Harvesting: After flower pollination, melon fruit takes about 40 days to ripen. The netting of the plant changes from green to creamy yellow when it is ripe. Gently tug the fruit from the stem and it will come off on its own if it is ripe.

Benefits

  • It improves immune function
  • Promotes weight loss
  • Reduces inflammation
  • It is low in calories
  • Supports eye vision
  • Rich in antioxidants
  • Stress reliever.

Final Thought

In conclusion, growing your own fruits and berries in your backyard is a great way to enjoy fresh produce and enhance the beauty of your outdoor space. With the right conditions and minimal maintenance, you can easily grow a variety of delicious fruits and berries, such as strawberries, muskmelon, raspberries, watermelon, and cucumber.

Not only will you save money on grocery bills, but you’ll also have the satisfaction of harvesting your own produce and knowing exactly where it comes from. So, start planning your backyard fruit garden today and enjoy the taste of homegrown fruits and berries all season long.