How to... grow sunshine fruits

Enjoy fruit from sunnier climes

While there is no doubt that eating locally produced, seasonal fruit is best for you and the environment, sometimes it is nice to indulge in something a little more exotic. Rather than clocking up thousands of food miles to get unusual or tropical fruit to your plate, why not try growing them yourself? Many varieties are easy to cultivate and will bring new fragrances and foliage to your garden.

Citrus fruit

Oranges and lemons crave sunshine, but you should be able to produce enough fruit to make the occasional glass of your own freshly squeezed juice. Citrus plants grow very well in conservatories and are ornamental, too. From the end of May, plants can be moved outside to a sheltered spot, but introduce them to sunshine gradually, as sudden changes in temperature will cause all their leaves to drop. Once accustomed to a sunny spot, they should thrive all summer.

Grapes

If you like climbers, grapevines are a good choice - they are beautiful and can provide an edible crop. It's a myth that the grapes we produce in this country are only good enough for wine. As long as they are planted against a south-facing wall or pergola, many varieties will produce sweet, juicy fruit in the summer, and most vines will survive in sub-zero temperatures over winter. For the first two to three years, concentrate on training the vines rather than fruit production. By the third year, the vines will give you grapes fit for the table.

Figs

These sun-worshipping Mediterranean fruit trees crop up to three times a year in sunnier climes, but in Britain they usually manage to fruit just once, or sometimes twice, a year. Give them the hottest spot in the garden and they will reward you with sweet, succulent fruit. Best grown in large pots, fig trees have strong roots, which should be confined or they will spread and cause structural damage. If you do decide to plant them, they should be grown in a trench lined with rubble or concrete to stop the roots from destroying nearby pipes and foundations. Fig trees should be brought in during the winter months or, if planted outside, wrapped in protective fleece.

Olives

Like us, olive trees love long, hot summers. They can grow in British gardens, but to flower and fruit they need to be kept in a conservatory or greenhouse during winter. To give your garden an olive-grove look, you can move them to a sunny terrace in summer. They grow well in terracotta pots with raised feet for drainage.

Pineapples

Native to Brazil and Paraguay, pineapples were first brought to Europe by Columbus. The Victorians were fascinated with the fruit and devised effective growing techniques using pits and hot beds of rotting manure, and manipulated greenhouse temperatures using steam. Our summers are not warm enough for pineapples to be grown outside - they will only thrive in hot greenhouses. They need lots of light and very warm soil and air around them. To grow them from the crown of an existing fruit, slice off the top and plant it in well-drained compost. You will know when it has rooted because new leaves will appear in its centre.

Melons

If you are bored by cucumbers, try a more adventurous member of the same family and grow melons instead. Being native to Asia, however, they are difficult to cultivate in this country. In the past, the same hot-bedding technique used to propagate pineapples was applied to melons. But you'll probably find that a heated greenhouse is a more effective and less messy option. It should be kept humid, particularly in high summer - putting a bucket of water in there should do the trick.

Subscribe Save up to 47%

Related Articles

What's on in the countryside

Check out our pick of the events on in the...

Grow your own herbs

Once you've done it, you'll wonder how you...

Made in Britain Food...

Gigha Halibut from the Isle of Gigha, Argyll...