How To… Grow Your Own Fruit

With health and improving yourself being the reoccurring theme every January, there is no better time to have a slight overhaul of your diet, and start the new year as you mean to go on! With this in mind, what better time to start planning for eating your own fresh and fruit? Growing your own means you can have an endless supply of free food, whilst honing your gardening skills!

Blueberries

Blueberries are super easy to grow, and a really adaptable fruit to use. You can pop them on your cereal, eat as a healthy snack, or even cook up in a cake! There isn’t much food that the humble blueberry won’t go with. The good news is that they are so easy to grow and look after, even if your gardening skills are basic! Blueberries are happy enough in a pot in the sun, and although they do prefer rainwater to tap water, are easy to maintain and gorgeous to eat when they are ready!

Raspberries & Blackberries

Raspberries and blackberries are another great all-rounder to grow here in the UK. They go with so many menu choices, and are high in fibre and vitamins, and antioxidants, meaning they can help provide protection against diseases such as diabetes, cancer and heart disease. They are also super easy to grow. Plant them in your borders – or a big enough pot if you don’t have outdoor space – and some canes for them to grow up once they get bigger, so they don’t snap under their own weight.

Strawberries

A firm favourite in most British households, and luckily for us are another relatively easy one to grow, either in pots or direct into your borders. You can also grow them in hanging pots, which makes for a nice treat every time you leave your house – if you can beat the birds to it! Once ripened, you can’t beat the taste of a freshly picked strawberry. You also have the option of washing and popping in the fridge for a limited time, or you could get really creative and make jams, breakfast bars and other healthy snacks!

Fruit Trees

Apple, Pear and Plum trees all thrive in UK climates. They are also extremely low maintenance once established. Typically they are best planted in a sunny yet sheltered position, with good soil drainage. Depending on the size of your tree when planted, they may benefit from some help initially, such as a rootstock or stake. Once established, they require little watering unless going through a particularly dry spell, and flourish with a yearly dose of fertiliser sprinkled around the base. They can be pruned once a year to keep under control, and it also pays to put a grease band around the lower part of the trunk once the tree bears fruit. This helps discourage insects, particularly wingless female moths from climbing the tree and laying eggs, which would then hatch and eat the fruit.