Vitamin-rich fruits and berries you can grow yourself

Growing your own fruits and berries is not only a way to enjoy fresh and delicious produce, it is also a fantastic way to get essential vitamins straight from the garden. Many fruit and berry varieties are packed with nutrients and can be grown with relatively simple means. Here we present a list of vitamin-rich fruits and berries that you can grow yourself. These plants are not only useful but also beautiful features in the garden, and they offer a colorful pantry all year round.

The classic – an apple tree is both beautiful and a fantastic source of vitamin-rich fruit. If you have a small plot of land, you can opt for a family tree where several apple varieties have been grafted onto the same rootstock. That way, you won’t have any problems with pollination, and you can harvest fruit over a longer period, as the different varieties ripen at different times.

Keep in mind that some cherry trees can grow up to 15 meters tall, so it is important that you choose a variety that suits your garden. Dwarf cherry trees have a weak-growing rootstock and therefore do not grow as large. In addition, they bear fruit already at a young age. 'Stella' has large, sweet berries, grows about three meters tall and is self-pollinating.

Garden blueberries (also called American blueberries) are large shrubs that produce larger berries than their relative, the wild blueberry. They thrive in full sun and preferably in soil with a low pH value. It is best to plant two different varieties to get a larger harvest. A slightly easier-to-grow alternative is honeyberries, which can be planted in regular soil, even in the far north of the country, as they are very hardy. The berries are dark blue and slightly oblong, and ripen in late summer.

Both gooseberries and currants are easy-to-grow berry bushes in large parts of the country. For those with little space, staked plants are a good alternative that also gives a good harvest. A currant bush on a stake can yield between five and ten liters of berries. Can be grown both in pots and beds.

Summer raspberries bear berries on last year's shoots and ripen in July. Cut away the branches that have produced berries. Autumn raspberries bear fruit on annual shoots in August/September, and the entire plant is cut back after harvesting. It is important that you choose a variety that will mature where you live - 'Ariadne', 'Boheme' and 'Carmen' are three good options. Raspberries thrive in a sunny spot and like a little extra nutrition, e.g. cow manure or algomin, in the spring. Water as needed, and you will get large berries.

A grape that is hardy up to zone 5. Plant in acidic soil (low pH) in a warm and sheltered location, where the plant gets plenty of sun in late summer when the grapes ripen. Produces small, sweet berries of varying color, depending on the variety.

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