From blueberries to peaches, fruit in the garden yields tasty results

CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, CA (Apr. 19, 2022) — Landscapes have been evolving the past couple of years to include more food-focused installations.

It began in 2020 with the surge in “Victory” type gardens. Now, many are still of the mindset to grow the fruits and vegetables they love to eat.

Blueberry bushes can be successfully grown in local landscapes because they tolerate our heat and cold. Blueberry bushes prefer partial sun, can thrive in containers and can reach 3-5 feet tall and wide depending on variety.

Patience is key when growing blueberries. Bushes take three years to mature enough for bumper yields. Therefore, installing older specimens is encouraged. Misty, Jubilee and O’Neal seem to work out great in our area. They are easily found, and many gardeners report back that they are easy to establish and grow.

Blueberry bushes need an acid soil mix at installation. Use acid soil with planting mix at a 50-50 ratio. Too much acid can burn young roots.

Strawberry plants work great planted in the ground as well as in containers. It is fun to see the fruit spilling over the side of a container of ornamentals.

Strawberry varieties

Strawberry plants need six hours of sun for best production. There are many types to consider, and folks should grow many varieties to stagger the yield seasons. Sequoia is a large, plump strawberry with an outstandingly sweet flavor. Quinault is long yielding, producing deliciously sweet fruit from late spring through fall. It’s a favorite among those who make preserves. Chandler has wedge-shaped fruit, and Eversweet bears cone-shaped fruit and works well on a patio.

Stone fruit trees are popular throughout the community and much easier to care for than citrus. Many folks already grow common stone fruit like apricots, peaches and plums. Those are excellent, but there are many other fruit trees to consider.

The Spice Zee Nectaplum is now available. This tree has bronzy, red foliage. It’s very productive and fruits mid-season. Young fruit has dark skin that ripens to pale pink. The flesh is white and has notes of nectarine and plum.

Carnival Peach has a late-season yield. This red skin, yellow flesh peach ripens in late September and is a great introduction to any backyard orchard.

Satsuma plum takes second place in popularity to the Santa Rosa plum; however, the flavor of the Satsuma is superior. Satsuma’s fruit is constantly sweet and tasty with little to no tartness.

An apple a day

It’s you’re considering an apple tree, think Red Fuji. This apple tastes sweet and has a reliably crisp texture. Also, the Red Fuji is a great pollinizer for other apple trees within the neighborhood.

Growing grapes is easy if you have the room. Table grapes such as Thompson’s seedless or Crimson’s seedless can boast bumper crops at a young age. Vine your grapes alone a fence or arbor. The fall color of the leaves is another bonus.

If you want backyard fruit without the care of fertilizing and spraying, consider fig, pomegranate and persimmon. All are almost pest-free, and their Mediterranean roots makes them tough as nails in our hot, dry climate.

Prune all fruit trees to control their size immediately after harvest. It’s a mistake to prune for control during fall.

Nicole is the Garden Girl at R&M Pool, Patio, Gifts and Garden. You can contact her with ­questions or comments by email at
gardengirl94517@yahoo.com