Small Fruits for the Garden

Fruit Trees

Fruit trees can be planted this month. Choose early, mid-season, and late varieties for a continuous harvest from late summer into winter. Fruit trees can also be pruned this month. If you’re not sure how, take advantage of one of the fine classes being offered this month.

Roses

Roses should be pruned in February near the end of the dormant season. You can clean them up now, however, by removing all the old leaves on and around the plants.

Outdoor Container Plants

Check the watering of outdoor container plants, especially if they’re located under the eaves or porch where rain can’t reach them.

Houseplants

Houseplants will brighten your indoor environment and clean the air during the winter months.

Small Fruits for the Garden

Wonderful fruits come from the home berry patch. In addition to fresh eating and luscious pies, cobblers, and strawberry shortcakes, berries are easy to freeze and can be made into delicious jams and colorful juices. Small fruits come in a wide assortment of colors, flavors, shapes, and sizes. They are very productive and most kinds bear a year or two after planting.

• Grapes: One of the oldest fruits in cultivation. With just a few vines, you can harvest enough fruit for delicious, fresh grapes, grape juice, grape jelly, or raisins. Plant early, mid-season, and late varieties for an extended harvest. Grapes must be pruned to get top production from your vines, and now is a good time to begin that job.
• Brambles (Raspberries and Blackberries): Frequently treated as gourmet fruit because they don’t ship well. They are easy to grow in our climate, so choose some of your favorite cultivars now and start your own bramble patch.
• Bush Fruits:
  • Blueberries: There are three types: Northern highbush, Southern highbush, and Rabbiteye. Northern highbush are the most popular home-garden blueberries and do best in locations with some ocean influence in the summer. Southern highbush and Rabbiteyes are ideal for warmer climates.
  • Currants: Produce generous quantities of tasty fruit with very little maintenance.
  • Gooseberries: Wonderful for preserves and refreshing summer wines. They will grow in full sun or partial shade.
  • Huckleberry: Native to redwood forests and makes tasty little fruits that are delicious in pancakes!
• Strawberries: The favorite home-grown berry. Picked ripe from the garden, they are rich and flavorful. Fresh strawberry shortcake, strawberry ice cream, and strawberry pie are just some of the ways to use them. The plants are inexpensive and bear a full crop within a year of planting.

Berries of all kinds can be planted this winter for delicious harvests in the future.