The first step for most new food gardeners is the addition of a few vegetable and herb plants. Yet once they’re hooked, the desire to grow more and different plants and varieties grows as well. From the classic food garden, this episode takes home gardeners to the next step – growing fruit.

Blueberries are easy to grow, require little care, and are seldom bothered by pests. But they do have specific soil requirements and birds love them just as much as we do!
Follow along as host, Joe Lamp’l installs several fruit trees and shrubs on the GGW GardenFarm™, while sharing everything you need to know to create your own personal backyard orchard.
To assist Joe in adding a fruit orchard is Melinda Myers from Stark Brothers Nurseries, the oldest fruit nursery in America.
Melinda, a horticulturalist & certified arborist, helps Joe plant a variety of fruits around the garden, from fig trees to raspberry plants.
In the process they provide some important tips on how to keep your fruit plants, trees, and bushes, producing throughout the season.

Not only are homegrown fruits more delicious than store-bought, but they also add beauty to a property year-round.
Next, Joe shows us how to plant fruit trees that he purchased through mail order. From inspecting the packaging to make sure the trees were sent correctly to planting the trees in the ground, Joe and Melinda show you how easy it is to get started.
Be sure to check out the information below for more help and tips on growing fruit as well as links to the resources Joe mentioned in this episode.
Links & Resources
Growing a Greener World YouTube Episode 1109: Expanding Your Food Garden By Growing Fruit
Growing a Greener World Episode: Gardening with the Masters: Growing Unusual Fruit with Lee Reich
Growing a Greener World Newsletter sign-up
The joe gardener Show Podcast Episode 098-Uncommon Fruits for Every Garden with Lee Reich
The Online Gardening Academy and Master Seed Starting Notification Signup
The joe gardener Amazon Storefront
Growing Raspberries – a valuable resource no matter where you live
Organic Controls for Fruit Trees & Plants
Stark Brothers – our source of choice for the fruit trees and shrubs used on the show and at the GGWTV Garden Farm.
Water Right Inc. – Where to find the hose and wand seen in this episode.
*Disclosure: Some product links in this guide are affiliate links, which means we would get a commission if you purchase. However, none of the prices of these resources have been increased to compensate us. None of the items included in this list have any bearing on any compensation being an influencing factor on their inclusion here. The selection of all items featured in this post and podcast were based solely on merit and in no way influenced by any affiliate or financial incentive, or contractual relationship. At the time of this writing, Joe Lamp’l has professional relationships with the following companies who may have products included in this post and podcast: Rain Bird, Corona Tools, Milorganite, Soil3, Exmark, and Park Seed. These companies are either Brand Partners of joegardener.com and/or advertise on our website. However, we receive no additional compensation from the sales or promotion of their product through this guide. The inclusion of any products mentioned within this post is entirely independent and exclusive of any relationship.