5 Types of Fruit You Can Grow in the UK: How to Make It Happen

Many people think that fruit is only available in the summer, but this isn’t true! In fact, there are many types of fruits you can grow in the UK year-round. Avid gardeners across the UK are producing fruit in abundance in their fruit cages with great success. 

So, if you’re looking for a way to increase your fruit intake or want to experiment with something new, here’s a list of 5 types of fruit that you can grow in the UK: 

1) Apples 

Growing apples in the UK  is relatively easy. You can grow fruit trees in most soil types, but they tend to do best on soils with clay or chalk in them because these soils have more nutrients for apple growth. 

Apple trees need cross-pollination from another apple tree, which means you’re going to want to plant at least two different varieties!  Also, you’ll want to grow your tree in a sunny location. 

Once ripe, the fruit will begin falling off naturally and will be soft when pressed against your finger. You can harvest apples before this point as well – be careful not to damage or break them too much! 

2) Cherries 

To grow cherries in the UK, you need to plant a bare-root tree in the winter. When planting, make sure that there are at least 18 inches of soil above your cherry pit and water it after planting for about two weeks, so the roots have time to establish themselves before summer hits. 

Cherry trees are self-fertile, which means they only require one tree to produce fruit. However, if you want a bigger crop, plant more than one tree! Cherry trees are often used as border plants because of their beautiful white flowers that blossom in the spring. 

3) Peaches 

Peaches are one of the easiest fruits to grow in the UK. They require at least six hours of sunlight, so make sure they’re not shaded by other plants or buildings. You’ll also want to plant them on a sunny slope because peaches prefer cooler climates! 

To protect your peach trees from pests and diseases during winter, plant a hyssop shrub underneath them. You can also use a deep mulch to keep the soil warm and help prevent frost from damaging your peach trees. 

Peaches are ready to harvest in August or September when they give slightly under pressure. Be careful not to damage them when picking! 

4) Pears 

Pears need a good amount of sunlight, but they don’t like dry soil. That’s why it’s important to make sure you plant them on the south-facing side of another fruit tree or larger shrub that will provide shade during summer and sun during winter! Pear trees are self-fertile, so once established, trees will produce fruit. 

Due to their delicate skin, make sure you harvest pears when they’re ripe or not at all… otherwise, you’ll easily bruise them during harvesting. 

To ripen your pears, place them in a brown paper bag with an apple for two days at room temperature. The apple gives off ethylene gas which will speed up the process! 

5) Apricots 

Apricots grow best in cooler climates. You can plant them in a container and move them indoors during the winter, but they’ll do better if you plant them directly into your garden soil at least 18 inches deep! 

You should also ensure that there’s a shade over your apricot tree because this type of fruit doesn’t like dry soil either! Additionally, you’ll want to make sure that your apricot tree is protected from the wind. 

Apricots are ripe once they’re soft and come off of the tree easily when gently tugged on them with a little bit of pressure – just as long as there are no brown spots or bruising! 

Summary 

There are many different types of fruit you can grow in the UK, and today we covered our top five. From apples to apricots, we hope you have time to get out in the garden, plant some fruits and get to enjoy the yield at the end of the season! 

© Copyright 2021 Antonia, All rights Reserved. Written For: Tidylife