Growing Fruit Trees: How to Grow Cherry and Avocado Trees in Your Backyard

Irrespective of your location, as long as you have some land, you can easily grow fruit-bearing trees. You don’t have to be based in a rural location, you can grow fruit trees even in the urban space. It can be easier to grow fruit trees if you have a few yards in the front or back of your house. However, even if you do not have a front yard, backyard, you can grow trees in the containers, on your terrace, or on balconies. In order to grow trees in containers, the only thing you will have to consider is choosing a variety that is favorable to your climate and choosing species that do not grow very big.

If you are thinking about growing fruits in your garden and thinking about what variety of fruit to choose from, we suggest you start growing cherries and avocados. Well, cherry and avocado both are big trees, however, with proper pruning and care, you can easily grow these fruits in a small land or in containers. However, make sure you choose the dwarf variety.

Growing Cherry Trees

Planting cherry trees in your garden is good because they give lovely flowers and fruits. However, a lot of people lack the knowledge of how to grow cherry trees in their homes. The trees give a very nice scene especially during the spring as they are full of white and pink flowers, and then beautiful fruits that are not only great to taste but also very good for health. The article explains how to grow cherry trees on your farm or urban garden.

The cherry is available in two varieties, namely the sweet cherry and sour cherry.

The sugary cherry varieties are common in many places, trees are dense and bear a lot of fruits. It is interesting to note that they can survive in harsh environments. When planting you require at least 2 or 3 plants for pollination to take place effectively. With science in agriculture, there has been an improvement and development of a self-pollinating cherry tree. The sour cherries are usually used in the kitchen for preservative purposes. The cherry is smaller compared to the sweet cherry. The plant can be grown in temperate areas. The cherry tree begins to bear fruits during its 4th year. But the shorter varieties bear fruits in the 3rd year.

How To Plant Cherries

They are planted during the early springs when soil is are and contains a lot of moisture. In the case of the sweet cherries, they are planted close to one another for better pollination. Cherries are planted in open spaces away from buildings for good circulation of air and access to the sun. The trees require deep soils with good drainage. The distance between the sweeter variety of cherry plants should be about 30 feet, whereas, for the dwarf variety, it should be about 10 feet. As far as fan trees are concerned, you will have to make a supporting staff and the distance between the plants should be kept about 12 feet. In the case of the bare roots, you plant the stock in the soil inside a deep hole. Remember, the root shouldn’t bend. Those who like using containers to grow cherry, just have the rootball removed and then cut. Avoid covering the rootball top.

How To Care For Cherry

Both sweet and sour cherry requires the same care and maintenance. Mulching is recommended to conserve moisture. Nets are used to prevent birds from feeding on the fruits, and if you are planting in a warm climate, you will have to water regularly. The trees are pruned yearly mostly during the cold season to promote fruiting.

Pest and Diseases

The plant can be attacked by caterpillars, aphids, brown rot, Japanese beetles, and black knot. The tree may be invaded by bacterial diseases as well. Pesticides are available to cater to all kinds of pests.

Harvesting

The fruits are harvested when ripe, that is red, yellow, or black depending on the varieties. The cherries are harvested, eaten, and cooked. Avoid handpicking the fruit as you may get injured and infected.

Tricks and Tops To Grow An Avocado Tree

Just, like cherries, avocados also grow into big trees, however, you can find dwarf varieties to be grown in your urban location or even in big containers. If you want to grow fruit trees, you should definitely choose avocado because it is not only healthy fruit but also saves you a lot of money as these are very expensive fruits.

Growing an avocado tree may sound very simple but it requires patience. It may sound simple because a first-time gardener, whether an adult or even a child, may easily grow avocado. However, you need a lot of patience and special care to grow avocado. You might even need specialized knowledge and skills. Here are some of the things to consider:

  1. You can grow avocado from seeds or cutting. Growing from seeds is a lot easier. However, if you get cuttings from a nursery, you might also easily grow avocado from cuttings.
  2. Whether you have seeds or cuttings, plant in your garden or container. However, when you can planting in a container, you should keep it outdoors.
  3. Caring for your avocado starts from day one.
  4. You need a lot of patience until you can harvest.

So, patience is the key to growing avocado.

How to Plant the Avocado Tree

You don’t have to be a professional gardener, you can grow avocado even if you are a hobbyist gardener or even a first-timer.

  1. You can use seeds from the store-bought avocado, however, make sure the fruit is properly matured. When you get the seed, wash and dry it.
  2. Add water in a jar to the brim.
  3. Insert two toothpicks into the seed from two sides. The purpose of these toothpicks is to suspend the seed in the water.
  4. Place the seed inside the jar. However, make sure the broad end is facing down and the pointed end is facing upwards, and the toothpicks are resting on the top edge of the jar.
  5. Place the jar away from direct sunlight, but make sure it gets enough light. A window sill is highly recommended.
  6. Replenishing water is required.
  7. After two to six weeks the pit start to sprout.
  8. If there is no visible sprout, you should restart the process with another seed.
  9. When the sprout reaches six to seven inches it should be cut by a half.
  10. When the root is thick, and leaves are growing in the stem, transfer the seedling into a pot with a bigger diameter. Make sure the entire root is burried in the soil and the avocado seed is slightly exposed.

Planting an Avocado tree Outdoor

Avocados are tropical plants, which means they are not meant for very cold places. Therefore, even when you are growing in containers, make sure to place avocado plants outdoor. When you are planting the seeds, the ideal time is when the winter ends, right at the beginning of spring. If you are based in a cold climate, you should protect your plant from winds and frosts. Avocados should not be planted deep on the ground since they have shallow roots.

Taking Care of Your Avocado Plant

Here are some key points to consider while growing avocado tree:

  1. Avocado plants require a good amount of sunlight, therefore, always plant in the areas where it gets enough sunlight.
  2. Keep the plant moist and not saturated by watering it frequently and make sure that the soil drains very well to prevent saturation.
  3. Cut down the stem if it grows to more than six inches to encourage a bushier look.
  4. Plant your seed when it is big enough for those who live in a warm climate. After some years it will definitely bear fruits.
  5. Fertilizing is also very important, fertilizing will not only help during the growth stage but also during the fruit-bearing stage.

You don’t have to be based in a rural area to grow avocado, you can also grow in an urban environment. All you need is about 5 square meters of garden area. Urban gardeners have also grown avocado in containers, and if you do not have enough garden area, you could definitely try growing in a container.

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