When you think about growing fruit, you probably imagine trees and orchards. Plenty of fruits grow on trees, but there are also vine fruits. Vines, whether they produce fruits or not, are interesting and useful plants. Instead of growing out, vines grow up, which makes them an excellent choice for cramped garden spaces. If you are dreaming of a homestead but living in an urban setting, growing food from vines might be for you.
There are a few fruits that grow on vines that you may consider growing in your garden. Some are common, like different varieties of melon, while others are a little more exotic, such as kiwis and passion fruit. Depending on your climate and soil conditions, you may be able to grow these unusual but delicious fruits and enjoy a fresh, organic harvest each year.
Vines are not necessarily much different in terms of care than other plants. Each type of vine has its own individual requirements and needs. The main difference from other plants is that vines need a structure to climb. Before you pick out your plants and purchase them, make sure you have decided where they will grow and how they will climb. Some can climb right up the side of your house, while others will need a trellis. Some vines will grow prolifically and need a lot of space to grow. Consider each plant’s needs separately and have the right structures ready to go before you bring them home for planting.
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Grapes
Grapes are the classic vine fruit. They have been grown for millennia, mostly for producing wine. There are many different varieties of grapes, and you can grow them for eating (table grapes), for making wine (wine grapes), or just for decoration. They can grow on trellises, fences, and arbors and are a great way to create natural shade. Because there are so many kinds of grapes, you must do your homework to grow them successfully. Be sure that you understand the soil, watering, and weather conditions of the varieties that you choose before you begin. If you live in the eastern U.S., you are likely to find concord varieties, while in the west, European vinifera varieties are more common. Many things can go wrong when you try to grow grapes, so do your homework and keep the following in mind:
- Be patient. Your grapes will not produce fruit for the first couple of seasons.
- When planting your new grape vines, take care of the roots. Don’t let them dry out before you get them in the ground. You can keep them in a bucket of water for up to one full day. After that, plant them in the ground in a temporary location until you are ready to put them in their permanent place.
- A good location for your grapes is where other plants refuse to grow! Many varieties thrive in rocky, sandy soil, and on slopes of hills. They need good drainage, which is why a slope is a great place for them.
- Water your plants frequently during the first month after planting. They need to stay moist so that the roots can become established.
- Some grape vines need plenty of space. The roots from a single vine can spread three to six feet out from the base of the plant. Others, which are considered low-vigor vines, need to be closer together. Know your variety!
- Train your vines on the trellis or other structure. To ensure your grapes get maximum sunlight and do not get tangled, you have to help them grow correctly. This takes some effort, but is worthwhile.
- Pruning is also important for grape growth. In the spring, you need to remove about 75 percent of the last year’s growth to make sure you get maximum fruit production. The manner of pruning depends upon the variety.
Passion Fruit
If you live in a warm climate, you can grow this tasty vine fruit. If you get frosts, you can grow it in a container and bring it indoors in the winter. Passion fruits are small, purple, roundish globes with a gooey and seedy center that you eat. The fruits can also be juiced or used in baking and are very nutritious with plenty of vitamins.
A passion fruit vine needs full sun, so plant it in a sunny spot that is sheltered from winds. The soil should be light and well draining. Use compost in your soil to lighten it and to feed the plant. If your soil is heavy, you might also consider mixing in some sand. Passion fruit roots are shallow, so they require frequent watering, especially when flowering and fruiting.
Make sure your vine has something to climb and as it grows, train it to go upwards. You can do this by pinching off new growth that is heading off to the sides. Pruning is also essential for good production the following year. Prune in the fall only. If you give your passion fruit all the care it needs, you will be rewarded with fruit rather quickly. Your vine should produce within eight to nine months of planting. The fruits are ripe when they turn purple and easily come off the vine.
Kiwi
Another exotic plant for the U.S. is the kiwi, but if you live in zone 5 or higher, you can grow and enjoy this tasty vine fruit. Kiwi plants need full sun, but they will tolerate a small amount of light shade. They prefer soil that is slightly acidic. Good drainage is essential for kiwis. Many vines do not survive the first year because of poor drainage. They are also sensitive to fertilizer and will not tolerate too much. Use a layer of rich compost instead.
The kiwi vine is very vigorous, so have a strong, tall trellis or other structure for its growth. They can reach up to ten feet in height very quickly. For this reason, kiwi vines are great for creating shade. Train the main vine to grow straight up and clip off new growth once it reaches the top of your trellis. Clip off most of the side shoots, but let a few grow. Prune your vines each year in the spring. Harvest your kiwi fruits when you feel they may be ready. Let them sit to soften for a few days, and if they ripen well, you can harvest the rest.
Melons
Melons are a much more common vine fruit in the U.S. and can include honeydew, cantaloupe, muskmelon, honey rock, and many other varieties. Many of them prefer warmer weather, so if you live in a cooler climate, choose varieties with a short growing season. Melons prefer soil that is warm, well drained, and that has a pH that is close to neutral. Water your melon plants well until the fruits are tennis ball-sized. Depending on your climate, you may need to start seeds indoors to keep them warm or cover them with fabric if planted outside.
Although melons grow on vines, it is not necessary to grow them on a trellis or other support structure. If they lay on the ground, the fruits are more resistant to rot and insects than other vine fruits are. They are vulnerable however, so if you grow them on the ground, consider raising the fruits up onto wooden blocks or overturned pots. If you grow your melons upwards, provide slings to hold the fruits in position. Old pantyhose work very well for this purpose. Your melons will be ready to harvest when they are easily plucked from the stem.
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Vine such as grape vines like this muscadine vine
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A sweet, low chill, self pollinating Rabbiteye variety. This selection has been trialled and developed on the North Coast of NSW and is suitable for commercial and backyard production. A vigorous growing upright bush with medium to large flavourful berries. Blueberries prefer a moist, acidic soil and will grow well in full sun to part shade- protection from hot afternoon sun can be beneficial during Summer. Fruit yield will increase with cross pollination with another rabbiteye variety such as Powderblue, Brightwell, Rahi, Tifblue, Maru. One of the best fruits you can grow. Blueberries grow very well in containers or in the ground- provided the soil is acidic or amended to be so.
A vigorous vine with large white fruit cooked as a popular vegetable. They are delicious when eaten at a small size. Very versatile and often used as a pear and apple substitute or supplement in cooking. Very hardy. Choko plants are perennial but die back in winter and the tuber will sprout again in spring. They grow best in hot conditions and are frost tender so chose a site that gets full sun to plant your chokos.
A low growing shrub with distinctive papery lantern-shaped husks surrounding the fruit. When ripe, the cherry sized fruits are yellow-orange with a sweet pineapple flavour and tend to fall on the ground, lending them the name, Ground Cherry. It is an annual that prefers areas free of frost. They must be eaten when ripe as the fruit contains toxins. They are perfect eaten fresh but can be used in preserves and for drying
Lorocco is a vine grown for its edible, unopened flower buds. The flowers set in large clusters and their texture is crisp and succulent. The flavour is reminiscent of vegetables, such as artichoke and chard, with a floral sweetness. Sweet, tangy and robust tasting, it is a popular part of El Salvadorean cuisine.
Rubus sp
Generally regarded as cool climate plants berries will produce worthwhile crops in the subtropics. For best results stake and mulch well in order to keep the foliage and fruit off the ground. Remove old canes (2 year old canes that have born fruit during late spring, early summer) and tie current seasons growth up onto trellises.
Vaccinium spp
These varieties of blueberry plants perform well in warm conditions and provide a good bounty of berries. To grow successfully provide organic matter and ample moisture along with a soil pH of 5.5, also ideal for azaleas. Blueberries make excellent potted specimens provided 25% of Peat Moss is added to the potting mix. Potted plants are a great gardening project for Children who delight in harvesting the fruit. Low chill varieties such as 'Misty' and 'Sharpblue' can be pruned after cropping to induce a second crop that will ensure a supply of delicious fruit throughout the year. Blueberries apart from being delicious have many fantastic health benefits. They are extremely high in antioxidants, and have anti-inflammatory properties, as well as lowering cholesterol in the blood, it is also claimed that they improve motor skills, balance and co-ordination in elderly people. The longer the fruits are left on the bush to mature the greater the health benefits are so if you can beat the birds leave the fruits to the last minute to pick.
Hylocereus sp
Also known as the Dragon Fruit, the Pitaya is a stunningly beautiful fruit with an intense colour and shape, magnificent flowers and a delicious taste. Once only seen in the finest restaurants it is fast becoming common-place throughout Australia as a garnish and a delicious fresh fruit. To eat the fruit serve chilled and cut in half. Scoop out the flesh and seeds much like a kiwi fruit.
Vitis vinifera
White grapes range in colour from pale yellow-green to light green, and black grapes from light red to purple-black. Grapes are categorized by their uses, either as a table grape or wine grape. Wine grapes have high acidity and are therefore too tart for general eating, but some, for example, Chambourcin are sweet if left to ripen well on the vine. The grapes listed below are suited to a wide range of climatic conditions. Those with disease resistance are good for humid, coastal conditions and others are suited to warm temperate and inland, more arid areas. It's not just their fruit that is delicious, but their leaves as well. Blanch them and wrap them around a rice and herb filling for a delicious snack or platter filler.
Closely related to the Gooseberry and similar in appearance, the flesh of the hardy kiwis looks much like a regular kiwifruit with small black seeds and an emerald green colour. Fruit size is much smaller and hang in bunches. Hardy kiwis are generally sweeter than regular kiwifruit. Pollination can be achieved with the normal male kiwifruit.
Actinidia deliciosa
Kiwifruits grow on a vigorous and long lived deciduous vine.Kiwifruit is a great tasting, highly nutritious treat. To eat, cut the fruit in half, then scoop the delicious flesh right out of the skin. They can be added to fruit salads and desserts as well as to savoury dishes, they go particularly well with avocado's, fish, chicken and prawns. They do not however combine well with yogurt as there is an enzyme in it that they react to.
Vitis rotundifolia
Muscadines are well adapted to the warm, humid conditions of the south-eastern U.S. and therefore will grow well in all humid areas of Australia where European grapes are unsuitable. Both east and west coasts and through the “top end” provide the climatic requirements for growing muscadines successfully. They are vigorous vines and should not be planted where they can escape into native bushland, as they would quickly smother trees and shrubs around them.
Passiflora sp.
As well known for its striking flowers as for the fruit itself. Passion fruit vary from round to oval, purple, red or gold. A fast growing vine that usually returns a crop within 18 months of planting.
Rubus idaeus
An autumn bearer with good quality berries. These berries are best treated as an annual. Growing Raspberries successfully requires cutting low to the ground each winter. An easy way to do this is to have them in a position where they can be mowed over. They will re-shoot in spring. Good disease resistance.
Fragaria virginiana
One of the best fruits for small space, strawberries are perfect for pots and patios. The name strawberry is often thought to come from the fact that a mulch of straw is perfect to keep the fruit off the ground, however it more likely originates from the old name strewn berry referring to the fact that the runners love to spread themselves from the parent plant. A delightful fruit used in desserts and sauces, but always best picked and eaten straight from the garden.
One of the most widely recognised red grape varieties, Cabernet Sauvignon is grown in almost every grape growing region of the world for the high quality wine produced from the fruits. Well suited to regions with cool winters and long dry summers.Grafted onto 101-14 rootstock
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A vigorous heavy bearing table grape, it is a hybrid of Thompson and Cardinal that produces large clusters of medium-large sweet red grapes. The vines require a long growing season and perform badly in cool damp areas or hot humid coastal climates. It is well suited to areas with hot dry summers.
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Perhaps the most widely eaten grape and one of the older varieties of seedless grapes. Oblong shaped grapes, with a light green skin, very sweet and juicy with a high sugar content, with half as glucose, and half as fructose. Prefers hot dry climate free of humidity.
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Consistently high yielding the Carina currents are deliciously sweet, with an even colour. Perfect for baking or snacking on.
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Widely grown mid-season wine grape. Small, white grape that matures early, developing a golden hue when ripe. The grape loses acidity when ripe so does not hold on the vine for the purposes of wine making. A vigorous vine with extensive leaf coverage that can inhibit yields. Pruning during the growing season is desirable. This variety is highly susceptible to powdery mildew so must be grown in areas with hot, dry summers.
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