Home » Misc » What fruits grow fast

What fruits grow fast


The Fastest Growing Vegetables and Fruits Every Survivalist Should Know How to Grow

Sharing is caring!

97009 shares

In times of scarcity, we can’t always rely on the food industry to provide us with enough to eat. If you look back to the world wars where food was rationed, civilians were encouraged to grow their own produce in Victory Gardens to supplement what the state could provide. If you’re aiming toward self-sufficiency, then you should focus on the fastest-growing vegetables and fruits to get you started.

There are plenty of crops that will grow with very little intervention if you follow some simple guidelines:

Following are some of the fastest-growing vegetables and fruits that are sure to keep your table full throughout your growing season.

The Fastest Growing Vegetables and Fruits

1. Sunflower shoots – 12 Days

This might seem like an odd start, but Jerusalem artichokes are of the sunflower family, so it stands to reason that its distant cousin could be edible. You eat sunflower shoots as they appear with their first leaves. They are tiny, but delicious and packed full of nutrition.

The shoots appear after just 12 days; just plant a handful of seeds in a large seed tray for a quick and easy harvest. The plant isn’t going to grow to maturity, so you don’t particularly need depth – a couple of inches of growing medium will be fine. Lightly cover your seeds with soil or whatever growing medium you are using and keep it moist. 

Once the shoots have appeared and have grown two healthy leaves, they’re ready to eat. Don’t leave the shoots too long to harvest, because the larger they grow, the more bitter they become. 

2. Radishes – 21 days

Radishes are crunchy, delicious, simple to grow, and well-known as one of the fastest-growing vegetables you can have in your garden. You don’t need to wait for a particular season to plant them, but they’ll thrive in temperatures between 50ºF and 65ºF.

Radish seeds germinate quickly; about three or four days after planting you’ll spot the leafy green shoots appearing. Plant weekly for a constant supply of these crunchy salad favorites.

3. Scallions – 21 days

Onions grown to maturity take around six months, but scallions are the crop that just keeps giving. Grown from seed, they should be ready for the plate in 21 days.

One of the best ways to harvest scallions is to cut them rather than pull the full root out of the ground. Once the green shoot has reached six inches in height, cut it just above the soil and add it to your salad bowl or soups.

The plant will keep producing for the rest of the season, and often for years to come. Even in the coldest climates, green onions are usually the first plant to show up in the garden as spring approaches and the last to die off in fall when nights get frosty.  

4. Lettuce – 30 days

Lettuce also has a great reputation as one of the fastest-growing vegetables; it is a fast germinator and a speedy developer. What’s even more valuable about this salad favorite is that you can just break off the leaves you need and the plant will continue to grow and produce.

Planting new seeds every 14 days will ensure a constant supply of young salad leaves all season long. 

Lettuce prefers cooler climes – between 60ºF and 70ºF is best – but some varieties are tolerant of hot weather. In climates with very hot summers, most lettuce can still thrive in a shady corner of your yard or in pots on a balcony. 

5. Spinach – 30 days

Spinach is particularly hardy, often able to cope with below-freezing temperatures. It grows quickly and can be planted as soon as the ground has thawed.

Pluck the outer leaves and re-sow seeds every couple of weeks for successive harvests. You should pick spinach regularly because the leaves will become bitter once the plant has reached maturity.

6. Turnips – 30-55 days

Mature turnip roots take just two months to grow, but you can pull baby turnips up much sooner for a tender, mild-tasting, sweet root vegetable.

When the leafy greens have reached a diameter of 2 inches, you can pick them and add them to salads and the roots will continue to grow.

7. Beets – 35-60 days

Beets are sweet and delicious, and like turnips, the entire plant is edible. The leaves make delicious, earthy additions to the salad bowl. Only snip off one or two leaves per plant at a time – otherwise, you could impede root production.

When the top of the beetroot globe starts to show above the soil, it’s time to pull them for eating.

8. Zucchini – 40-95 days

Zucchini is a fast grower and each plant will produce around 6 to 10 pounds of fruit. Sprinkle used coffee grounds into the soil and around the plant to give the plant a caffeine-kick that gets it growing rapidly.

Zucchini flowers are edible and the fruits are delicious stuffed with cream cheese or fried. When spiralized, zucchini also makes an excellent pasta replacement. 

9. Broccoli – 40-60 days

Broccoli is a fast germinator and delicious when picked young. Broccoli microgreens are one of the most nutrient-dense foods you can eat. Plant “Quarantina’ or “Sessantina” for quick harvests.

10. Baby carrots – 50 days

Carrots can be left to grow to full size or picked early for tender, sweet roots that are delicious when added whole to stews or roasted. Carrots grow quickly, and if you plan to eat them small, you don’t need to space them out. You can grow a ton of baby carrots in a pot quickly.

Like some of the other root vegetables we’ve mentioned, young carrot greens are also edible. They taste great in soups, salads, and smoothies. 

11. Cucumber – 50 days

Cucumbers grow bitter with age, so pick them while they’re small and young. The fastest-growing varieties are Bush Crop, Straight 8, or Sweet Success. Harvest the fruit regularly as it encourages new fruit to develop.

The Fastest Growing Food Plants

In a world that’s becoming more and more reliant on mass production, perhaps it’s time to consider what we can produce for ourselves. If you’re concerned about the chemicals that go into the production of your food, grow your own. There’s nothing like knowing exactly where your food comes from to enhance the satisfaction of eating the fruits of your labor.

Growing is about trial and error, but the fastest growing vegetables and fruits are often the simplest to get started. Take care of your soil and you could be enjoying fresh produce in no time.

***

Aaron Green lives in Melbourne, Australia and loves spending time in the garden with his two young kids. You can find more of Aaron’s writing over at https://www.essentialhomeandgarden.com

10 Fastest Growing Fruit Trees For Your Backyard Orchard

405 shares

Fruit trees take upwards of seven to 10 years to produce a harvest, and no one wants to wait that long to eat fresh fruit grown at home.

Instead of growing the average tree that takes too long to set fruit, you’ll want to plant some of the fastest growing fruit trees in your backyard orchard. 

Why do these trees stand out?

Some of these fruit trees take only two to three years to set and produce fruit. That’s a fraction of the time it takes for other trees to grow fresh fruits. Stop waiting so long and plant some of the quickest fruit trees.

Seed vs. Grafted Trees: Why It Matters

Before I dive into the fastest trees, I wanted to touch on whether or not you should grow fruit tres from seeds or a grafted tree. If you’ve never grown fruit trees, you might be confused by the differences, and it does matter. 

If you go to a local nursery, you’ll find grafted fruit trees. They look like much smaller trees, but they are a solid choice because you will get fruit much earlier than if you tried to grow the tree from seeds.  

The negative of grafted trees is that they cost more, but you’re shaving years off when you have to wait for a harvest. I think it’s worth the money.

Growing from seeds can take 8-10 years before fruit production, but it’s much cheaper. It’s a practice in patience.

Top 10 Fastest Growing Fruit Trees 

It’s important to remember that each fruit tree has different types. There are dozens of apple tree varieties, and some of them produce faster than others. Also, you’ll need to select a variety that handles your USDA zone and climate the best. 

That’s why I highly suggest that you buy fruit trees from a local nursery, if possible. Local nurseries will only carry trees that grow well in your locale.

Fruit trees are an investment into the future, and you don’t want to waste your time growing trees that don’t handle your climate nor produce well where you live.  

Here are 10 of the top picks that not only grow fast but taste delicious too.

1. Peach Trees

Peach trees are fun to grow and some of the fastest-growing, but they don’t handle growing in an area with a lot of frost or cold temperatures.

I live in zone 5B, and it can be troublesome for a peach harvest if we have an unusually cold winter. Be sure to select peach tree varieties that are cold hardy. 

Make sure you select a well-draining area; peach trees don’t handle soggy roots well. 

You can’t plant just one peach tree unless you find a self-fertile variety, which is possible, but there are fewer options.

When you select your second peach tree, find one that is different but blooms at the same time. This allows the plants to cross-pollinate. 

An average peach tree takes three years to fruit, but poor care will lead to a more extended period before a full harvest. Correctly cared for peach trees harvest faster than neglected ones.

2. Mulberry Trees

We have a large mulberry tree in our backyard that has been producing berries for decades with no signs of stopping. The only problem we face is that mulberries tend to send up volunteer trees all over the place, and mulberry trees grow fast, typically 2.5 feet per year.  

The rate in which they grow is impressive. A grafted mulberry tree can produce in as little as 12 years, continuing to provide for decades. 

You do need to realize that these trees are massive, so be sure that you have the space for a mulberry tree. A three-year-old mulberry tree can reach 12 feet tall. Our tree is, at least, 30 feet tall and just as wide. 

Mulberry trees are heavy producers. Once established, the tree will yield dozens of cups of berries. One year, my mother-in-law and I made over 100 jars of jam and still didn’t pick all of the berries off the tree. 

Unfortunately, mulberries have a bad reputation because of their habit of growing everywhere. Their berries aren’t as juicy and plump as others, but they make a delicious jam.

3. Apple Trees

If you live in an area that doesn’t have some cold weather, you won’t be able to grow apple trees because they require chill hours. That indicates how much cold weather is needed for the plant to produce fruit. 

If you live in an area with a milder climate, some apple tree varieties require low chill hours. Those are the ones you should go for instead. 

Wondering what a chill hour is? When you see chill hours noted on the description of a tree, your fruit tree needs a specific number of days when the temperature is at or below 45℉ in the winter as it enters spring. This leads to the end of dormancy and encourages the plant to flower.

Apple trees also need to cross-pollinate with another apple tree to produce fruits. Otherwise, you’ll end up with a tree that looks great but doesn’t produce any fruits.

4. Citrus Fruit Trees

The ability to grow citrus trees depends on your climate and where you live. Most regions don’t have consistent temperatures high enough for you to plant them outside because these trees don’t tolerate any frosts. 

That’s why most people don’t consider growing citrus trees, which is a shame because they’re among the fastest-growing fruit trees and prolific in their growth. 

Don’t let your location stop you from growing citrus fruits if you want to do so. These trees grow well indoors. Try growing Meyer lemons or Satsuma oranges.

These are two varieties ideal for containers because they’re dwarf trees. You bring them inside each winter when they go dormant. 

One of the nice things about growing citrus fruit is that they’re self-pollinating. You don’t need to worry about growing more than one tree. Best of all, citrus trees start to produce fruits the year after you plant them, and a full harvest arrives three years after planting.

5. Apricot Trees

Not all apricot trees are quick growers, but you can look for varieties known for fast growth. Two fast-growing apricot varieties are “Early Golden” and “Moorpark.” On average, it will take three to our years to produce fruit. 

Apricots are self-fertile, so you don’t need a pollination partner. That’s such a nice part of growing apricots.

Apricots grow better in colder temperatures; the trees need 700 to 1,0,00 chilling hours to set fruit!

6. Mandarin Fruit Trees

I put mandarins as a separate category because, while they’re a citrus fruit, mandarins are considerably easier to grow than traditional oranges or lemons.

If you’ve never grown any type of citrus, starting with a mandarin tree is a smart idea; their requirements are easier and less maintenance required overall. 

If you have kids, mandarins are a popular snack, and you can find dwarf varieties that will grow in your climate.

You still need to bring the trees inside if you have colder weather or any frost. Your home, a heated garage, or heated greenhouse works perfectly. 

While it’s possible to grow a mandarin tree from seeds, it’ll take about seven years to see a harvest. It’s better to start with grafted trees, and you’ll see a harvest in two to three years. 

If you’re nervous about growing fruit trees, mandarins are an excellent choice. Not only are they easy to grow, but they also don’t require any pruning. That’s a huge advantage, especially if pruning seems intimidating to you.

7. Cherry Trees

Like apricot trees, not all cherry trees quickly produce a harvest, and these trees are massive.

It’s not abnormal for black cherry trees to grow up to 50 feet tall, so consider the future and make sure you have ample space for their growth. Dwarf trees still need to be planted at least 10 feet apart. 

Sweet cherry trees are self-sterile, so you do need to have other varieties of cherries in the same area.

These trees can take up to four years to produce a harvest. Sour cherries produce sooner than sweet cherries, and they take three years for a harvest.

8. Fig Trees

In our previous home, my husband planted a fig tree in front of our porch. I told him that he was insane because our climate doesn’t handle figs well, so I assumed we would never see a harvest.

I was wrong. While we do need to bring it outside as the temperatures turn colder, fig trees produce a harvest quickly and are easy to grow when compared to other types of fruit trees.

Figs prefer warm weather, so keep your tree in a container and bring them inside as the temperatures dip. 

Fig trees are self-fertile, so you only need to grow one tree to have a harvest. They don’t flower; you’ll just find fruit on the branches. It only takes two years for fruits to grow and be ready for harvest. 

If you do have a fig tree climate, you can plant it outdoors in the ground rather than in a container. In-ground fig trees can reach up to 30 feet tall if left to grow.

You’ll still get a harvest just as fast, but it will continue to grow rapidly over the first five years.

9. Pear Trees

Not all pear trees produce quickly, but if you pick the right one, they will. Pear trees grow well in a range of USDA zones, and just like apple trees, you can select from a wide range of varieties.  

Most pear trees reach tall heights, around 20 feet tall. Not only are they large, but pears tend to be easier to grow because they have fewer disease and pest problems. You will need to have two plants for successful pollination. 

In general, it can take three to four years for the early pear varieties to flower and bear fruit. Some types take up to 10 years; those are the ones that you want to avoid.

10. Moringa Trees

Chances are you’ve never heard of this little tree, but it’s full of nutrients that your family can benefit from having in your backyard. Moringa trees prefer warm climates, but just like citrus fruit trees, you can grow these trees in containers and bring them inside during the winter. 

The seed pods, beans, and leaves are edible parts of the moringa trees. You can add the leaves in soups or dehydrate them for a delicious tea blend. The pods are similar to green beans. 

The coolest thing about growing moringa is that it’s a super fast-growing fruit tree. It can grow 15-20 feet in a single growing season.

Container grown plants won’t grow as prolifically, but inground plants continue to come back each year so long as the roots don’t freeze.

6 Tips for Growing Fruit Trees in Your Backyard

Fruit trees seem intimidating and harder than growing vegetables, but once you try it, you’ll see that they aren’t complicated. 

Here are some simple tips for picking the right fruit tree for your property and proper care. I promise it’s easier than you imagined.

1. Pick A Tree With The Right Heat Tolerance

Always match a tree with your region’s climate. Knowing what type of weather a tree prefers will decrease problems in the future.

For example, apples need cold nights and warm days and several days or weeks under a specific temperature to set fruit. Peaches, on the other hand, love long, hot summers.

2. Check Out Pollination Needs

Do you need a second tree for cross-pollination? You don’t need to have two of the same type, but you’ll want two trees.

For example, you can plant two apple trees, but have one red delicious and one yellow delicious. They just need help with pollination.

On the other hand, some fruit trees self-pollinate, which means you don’t need to have more than one tree.

3. Use The Right Container Size

Some dwarf fruit trees grow fine in containers, but you have to pick the right container size.

You’ll need something that is at least 15-20 gallons with plenty of drainage holes at the bottom of the pot.

Some gardeners like to add rocks or gravel at the bottom of the container to help with drainage. You don’t want soggy roots.

4. Dig A Deep Hole

Be sure to ready to directions that come with your fruit tree and dig a large enough hole.

Typically, the hole needs to be 12-18 inches wide and deep at the minimum. Some trees recommend a larger hole. 

Aside from the hole depth, but sure that the grafted joint is two inches above the soil line. That’s important to remember.

5. Never Overwater

All plants and trees need and love water, but dwarf trees don’t need to be overwatered.

No plant wants to be overwatered, but so many people don’t understand that overwatering is as detrimental as underwatering. 

Watering correctly is crucial, especially if you’re growing trees in containers. All you need to do is water once or twice per week.

During hot, dry weeks throughout the summer, a third watering can be beneficial, but that’s all that is needed.

6. Don’t Forget To Feed It

Setting fruit takes a lot out of your fruit tree, so feeding is crucial. It’s a wise practice to add compost around your tree once or twice per water.

You also can buy fruit tree supplements and fertilizers to try. Feeding is especially important if you’re growing trees in containers. 

Try Growing Fruit Trees

It might seem intimidating to grow fruit trees, but they’re relatively straightforward. If you pick the fastest-growing fruit trees, you can see a harvest much faster than expected.

Typically, with these ten trees, you’ll have an abundant harvest within three to four years.

Which fruits grow fast? TOP 13 for a garden and an apartment in Russia

The question of which fruits grow quickly is often asked by novice gardeners. They can't wait to get the harvest as soon as possible. Such a desire is understandable, because there are still so many things I want to try to grow! So what fruits can be grown quickly in the garden? And which ones are the fastest to grow in an apartment?

There are a couple of words that need to be said before announcing the list of champions. Due to warmer conditions, most fruits grow fastest indoors anyway. Another thing is that some are more expedient to grow in the garden, on the street or in a greenhouse.

Fruit is defined below as fruit only from a culinary point of view. Those that can be found in the supermarket under the sign “fruits” and those that the average neighbor will offer you to choose from. Scholars with a degree in botany are requested to hold their own and not express their professional opinion on the classification.

Which fruits are the fastest to grow - leaders

Annual fruits can be grown the fastest. They are grown both in the apartment and in the garden. You probably grow tomatoes anyway. But they can also be attributed to the list of fruits that grow quickly.

As for more exotic fruits, watermelons will grow the fastest. True, in most of Russia, with the exception of the south, watermelon can only be grown in an apartment, or in a very warm greenhouse. For growth, he needs a temperature of at least 25 degrees. Seeds are planted from the end of April. Watermelon ripens in 40-60 days. In general, the fruit grows quickly and does not require special care.

The same with melon. The fruit is growing fast. Being an annual plant, the melon ripens in the same year in which it is planted. Like a close relative, watermelon, the fruit will grow fastest in an apartment. Although it is also grown in greenhouses and greenhouses. The melon ripens 60-120 days after the appearance of gatherings.

What other fruits grow quickly, but you will have to wait a couple of years

Many garden fruits can be grown quickly if moved to an apartment or house. Most fruits grow on trees; fruit plants in the form of a vine are less common. In all of them, flowering and fruiting begins 1-2 years after germination, not earlier. In some cases, you have to wait 7 or 10 years. Time depends not only on the type of plant, but also on its variety. So, in apples, for example, with the existing variety of varieties, fruits can appear both in the 2nd year and in the 10th.0003

When growing fruit trees, you should think in advance how you will cut them. Even undersized varieties may be too large for an apartment or house. Consider how big you will allow the tree to grow.

Fruits you can grow at home: 7 popular exotic fruits

Citruses

Photo: pixabay.com

Lemons, tangerines, oranges, grapefruits, sweets and pomelo are the easiest fruits to grow at home from seeds. They are sown in pots to a depth of 1 cm in loose soil. Pots should be kept warm at a temperature of about 25 ° C. Before germination, it is important to keep the soil moist, so it is better to cover the crops with a film.

Seedlings usually appear within a week. As soon as the sprouts hatch, they need to be placed on the lightest window sill or provided with a phytolamp.

At home, citruses bear fruit well, but the first fruits of seedlings appear after 10-15 years. But even without them, the tree will please you: if it is formed correctly, it will be fluffy. And what is even more pleasant, all citruses purify the air in the premises, because they release phytoncides.

Persimmon

Photo: pixabay.com

Persimmon does not get sick and practically does not require care (1). But it's in the open. And at home it is more difficult to grow it: it will need a cool content in winter.

The fruits must be ripe, otherwise the seeds will not sprout. And in stores they often sell immature ones, because they last longer. To bring the fruit to ripeness, put the fruit in a bag along with a banana or an apple: they release ethylene, which speeds up the ripening of persimmons. It is impossible to freeze persimmons: the seeds from such fruits will not sprout.

Soak the extracted seeds for two days in a weak solution of potassium permanganate. Then carry out warm stratification - for 2 months to withstand at a temperature of 50 ° C (for example, you can put it on a battery). Before sowing, the seeds must be filed with sandpaper hard ribs.

Persimmon seeds are planted to a depth of 1.5 cm in a pot with loose soil - it is better to use a mixture of sand and peat in a ratio of 1:1. Since persimmon is a deciduous tree, in winter (from the second year of life) it needs a cool content at a temperature of 5-10 ° C. You can remove the pot with the plant in the cellar or put it in the refrigerator (during the dormant period, the plant does not need light).

Persimmon grown from seed begins to bear fruit in 5-7 years.

Lychee

Photo: pixabay.com

This tree can also be grown at home, and without unnecessary tricks.

Lychee seeds removed from the fruit lose their viability within 4 to 5 days, so they should be sown as soon as possible. The stone is embedded in loose soil to a depth of 2 cm. Until shoots appear, soil moisture should be high. And the temperature is also - in the range of 25 - 34 ° C. Sprouts usually appear within 1 to 4 weeks, but sometimes longer. The first leaves of the lychee are reddish in color. As soon as they appear, the pot must be placed in a bright place.

At first, the lychee grows quickly, in just a few weeks the seedlings reach a height of 20 cm. But then growth is inhibited: in the first 2 years the seedling barely reaches 30 cm. This is also the norm, the plant actively grows roots.

Litchi from the stone begins to bear fruit in 8-10 years (2).

Mango

Photo: pixabay.com

Growing a mango from a stone is not an easy task, but an exciting one. Seeds from ripe fruits are suitable for germination. Determining the degree of ripeness of a mango is simple: if the pulp is easily separated from the stone, the fruit is ripe. The removed bone should be washed well, and the remaining pulp should be scraped off with a knife. And then it needs to be… split. Yes, yes, it is to split, since the whole bone, most likely, will not germinate. Inside the seed there will be an embryo with a green seedling.

Mango is a rather large tree, so it is better to plant a sprout immediately in a large pot. The soil is suitable universal, from the store. The seedling is planted horizontally, so that about 1/4 of the seed remains above the soil surface. After that, the pot is covered with a film and placed on a warm, light windowsill. Once every 2 - 3 days, the edges of the shelter are slightly raised to ventilate and prevent the bone from rotting. After about 2 to 3 weeks, the first shoots will appear.

Mangoes begin to bloom and bear fruit at the age of 6-7.

Passion fruit

Photo: pixabay.com

Perhaps not everyone knows, but passion fruit is the fruit of the edible passionflower. This is a vine that not only bears fruit, but also blooms very beautifully. So at home it will become a real window decoration. But it is important to remember that passionflower is a very powerful vine and will need pruning at home, otherwise it will take up all the space available to it (3).

Seeds are sown in individual tall pots. It is important to put drainage at the bottom (expanded clay, crushed stone, brick chips) with a height of at least 2.5 cm. The soil for germination should be both loose and breathable (leaf humus, compost, sand, soddy soil).

Seeds are pre-scarified - lightly rubbed with sandpaper. Then they are treated with any growth stimulant. Sowed to a depth of 1 cm. The pot is covered with a film. The optimum temperature for germination is 20-25°C, humidity is 75%. Seedlings appear after 30 days or more. As soon as they appear, the film is removed.

Pitahaya

Photo: pixabay.com

Pitahaya is a large climbing or creeping forest cactus (Hylocereus) without thorns. Its flowers are large and fragrant. Disperse at night.

Pitahaya seeds are sown in separate pots at a depth of 0.5 cm. To prevent the soil from drying out, it is better to cover the pot with foil.

Hylocereus can be grown in the shade - in nature it grows in forests, where it can do without an abundance of sun.

Begins to bear fruit in 5-7 years.

Avocado

Photo: pixabay.com

Germination of seeds in avocados is 100%, but provided that they are collected from ripe fruits. To check for ripeness, press down on both sides of the fruit with your palms, then release. A ripe avocado will restore its structure.

Seeds should be planted on the day of collection. It is usually recommended to pierce them in 3 places with toothpicks and immerse them in water by a third, but this requires skill, and you will have to constantly monitor the water level. So do not bother: avocado seeds germinate perfectly in the soil, it is enough to dig into the loose earth 1/3 of the blunt ends down. And water once a week.

Avocados do not like stagnant water in the roots, so a 2 cm high drain must be put on the bottom of the pot. As soon as the seedling appears, place the pot on the brightest window sill.

Gives first fruits in 3-5 years.

Popular Questions and Answers

We talked about growing exotic fruit crops with agronomist-breeder Svetlana Mikhailova.

Learn more