Growing fruit takes a lot more time effort than simply buying it from the supermarket. Still, nothing can beat the experience of the first bite from a freshly picked fruit grown by your own hands.
Wouldn’t it be nice to be able to grab a juicy fruit straight from the source?
Now, you might think that this is an impossible task, especially with a small garden or limited space. But with the many varieties of fruit trees out there, surely there’s a handful that will be the perfect fit for you and your lifestyle.
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Fruit Tree Types You Can Try
Lemon Trees
Lemons (Citrus limon) are one of the classics, jack of all trade fruits. It can be used for all courses of a meal, from appetizers to desserts.
It’s even used as an alternative cleanser by a lot of people. Those are only a few reasons why having a lemon tree in your garden is a great idea.
The lemon tree is a summer fruit tree that does best in warmer or milder climates. Cold weather and frost are a lemon tree’s enemy, so if you live in a colder area…maybe sit this one out.
Alternatively, you can keep your tree indoors. If you’d really like to have your own lemon tree, then you can circumvent the cold weather issue by keeping your plant in a sheltered space.
Treat it like your other house plants, with warmth and adequate water. After a while, you’ll be able to reap the literal fruits of your labor.
There are different lemon tree varieties to choose from. Some of the most popular are the Meyer Lemon Tree and the Eureka Lemon Tree, both dwarf varieties that are ideal for container growing.
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Lime Trees
This list wouldn’t be complete without mentioning the lemon tree’s counterpart, lime.
Lime (Citrus aurentiifolia) can be used in place of lemon in a lot of different dishes, although the end product may have a subtle difference.
Most people may confuse these two fruits for each other, but there are a few distinctions that set them apart.
The most obvious difference is the color, although some varieties of lime can turn yellow when ripe. Limes also tend to be smaller and rounder than lemons.
A lime tree produces a fragrant smell that makes it a nice addition to any household. Whether in the garden or indoors, the smell of lime makes itself present through the leaves and blossoms.
This fruit tree typically grows around 6-10 feet tall, but you can just as easily plant them in containers to help control its size. Dwarf varieties of lime trees are also readily available, the most popular being Kaffir Lime.
Calamondin
The calamondin (Citrus mitis) is the most popular potted citrus plant, which might come as a surprise to many since not a lot of people are familiar with calamondin.
At first glance, the calamondin looks like a small orange or tangerine. It can be used for the same purposes as other similar fruits, or it can be enjoyed as is.
Compared to other fruit trees, the calamondin tree is harder towards the cold, though it still needs shelter from frost and other extreme conditions.
For an anxious beginner, the calamondin is the best option. Due to its nature, it is moderately drought-tolerant and only requires medium light exposure. All things considered, it is one of the lowest maintenance fruit trees to have.
Things to Consider Before Planting a Tree
There are a few things you need to consider before getting a fruit tree. These questions are fairly easy to answer, but your tree choice relies heavily on the information you get.
What Is the Climate in Your Area?
The climate you experience will have a great effect on the plants you care for. Even hardy plants will have trouble in extreme weather conditions.
Before making a purchase, do some research on which plants have the best chance of survival in the environment you live in. Preferably, choose plants that are native to your location to maximize its survival.
Generally speaking, it’s best for beginners to start with a hardier variety of fruit trees. It offers the best chance of survival, especially for people with little to no experience with plants.
Do You Have Space for a Growing Plant?
Even for people with gardens, planting a tree can pose some problems with space. People tend to underestimate the growth that a tree goes through.
Asking this question can help you in choosing a fruit tree that does not become unmanageably large. Alternatively, you can always pot your plant.
A lot of people forget that fruit trees can thrive as potted plants too. Just makes sure to have enough space for the roots, and tend to it as much as you would any other tree.
Where Do You Plan on Placing the Tree?
Do you have a garden? Great! You don’t have the space to plant a tree? No problem. As mentioned above, you can grow fruit trees in a pot.
Make sure your trees stay in sunlit areas, and in case of extreme weather, keep them in a sheltered space.
An added bonus of potting your fruit trees is you never have to leave them behind, in case you ever need to move.
Will You Start from Scratch?
Another important question is whether you will start from a seed or purchase an already-sprouted plant from a nursery.
The cheapest version is, of course, starting from the seed. However, this will take much longer, and requires more effort on your end. Not to mention the possibility of the seeds being a dud and never growing despite the time you spend.
The safer and more efficient choice is to buy an already-sprouted fruit tree from farms and nurseries.
Establishments like the Lemon Citrus Tree Company produce trees of different age range and varieties, allowing you to choose exactly which one suits you best. They even offer warranties to give their customers an extra sense of protection.
