’Jubilee’ bush watermelons bring exceptional sweetness on a compact, bushy form. Versatile across garden scales, including in pots and small spaces, the dwarf variety makes growing the hallmark fruits of summer achievable. Garden expert Katherine Rowe explores the merits of ‘Jubilee’ bush to highlight the warm season. ’Jubilee’ bush watermelons celebrate the flavor of summer. The dwarf melons boast superior sweetness on compact vines. Made for hot weather, the relative of a favorite southern heirloom stands up to heat and humidity for refreshing rewards on long summer days. An excellent melon for hot climates, ‘Jubilee’ bush is also a space-saving option with shorter vines and smaller fruits than the classically large oblongs. They’re a fit for containers and raised beds, and can grow vertically to free up ground space. ‘Jubilee’ bush expands the options for growing sweet, juicy fruits across climates and garden situations. Savor the delicious taste of summer by planting now and enjoying them later in the season. What are ‘Jubilee’ Bush Watermelons? ‘Jubilee’ bush is a prized watermelon variety for its flavor, manageable size, and ability to withstand heat and humidity with good production and disease resistance. Its high sugar content makes it a sweet selection among bush types, which aren’t always as sweet, juicy, and tender as their full-size counterparts. ‘Jubilee’ bush has lineage in the favorite heirloom ‘Jubilee’, a result of several crosses introduced by the Florida Agricultural Experiment Station in the early 1960s. ‘Jubilee’ is tops for its large, flavorful melons and resistance to wilt and anthracnose, setting it up for good yields in humid conditions. Like all melons, ‘Jubilee’ bush is in the Cucurbitaceae family along with squashes and cucumbers. Watermelons are long-maturing, soaking in the warmth and sun of summer days as they fill and sweeten. Characteristics ‘Jubilee’ bush produces light green, oval fruits with dark striping. The bright red flesh has a fine, crisp texture to complement the sweet taste. Ready for harvesting in about 90 days, ‘Jubilee’ bush produces three to five fruits per plant. The oval melons weigh 10 to 13 pounds, as compared to the 35-pounders of the standard ‘Jubilee,’ which reach over two feet long. The manageable vines spread three to five feet with resistance to common cucurbit diseases of Fusarium wilt and anthracnose. Native Area Citrullus lanatus is native to North Africa, with wild ancestors in southern Africa and the Kalahari Desert. The drought-tolerant species weren’t necessarily sweet, but they contained water for hydration. The fruits made their way to Egypt, where cultivation began for improvements in water content and sweetness. The ancient watermelons even appear in tombs in painted depictions and as physical seeds. The crop later presents in historical references in Israel, Ancient Rome, China, and Europe. The fruits traveled through colonization and the slave trade from Africa, making their way to North America. Cultivation dedicated to disease-resistant, table quality crops heightened during the last century and continues to innovate. Warm, sun-drenched growing conditions remain essential for their development. Planting In the ground, direct sow watermelon seeds or seedlings into low mounds to improve air circulation, drainage, and minimize damp conditions that lead to disease issues. Mounding also reduces root and vine competition for moisture, nutrients, and sunlight. Two to three vines planted in low, 16-inch tall mounds give vining stems room to run while elevating the crowns. Allow six to seven feet between mounds for vines to run.

The rambutan tree is a true tropical that produces some distinctively hairy-looking berries. In this expert guide by gardener Kaleigh Brillon, you'll learn the growing tips you need to grow and harvest these interesting fruits! If you live in the US or Europe, you might be wondering what on earth a rambutan tree is. It’s a heat-loving tropical plant that needs to grow in USDA hardiness zone 10 or higher, so many of you may only be able to buy them online or in specialty farmers’ markets. They’re related to lychees and grow hairy-looking fruits that you peel to reveal sweet flesh that’s a lot like grapes. Yum! While you may never grow a rambutan tree in your backyard in the majority of the US, you can give it a try in a climate-controlled greenhouse. This tree loves warm weather and lots of humidity, so you’ll need a moist environment for it to grow in or for it to bear fruit. If you live in the perfect rambutan climate or want to try your luck with some tropical fruits, read the following guide to growing this unique tree. All About The Rambutan Tree The rambutan tree (Nephelium lappaceum) originates from southeast Asia and can be found in the coastal lowlands of China, Thailand, Vietnam, and other surrounding countries at sea level. Temperatures under 50°F (10°C) can kill the tree, so it’s no wonder why it’s considered to be so exotic in the US! It has since spread to southern Mexico and Central America, specifically in Costa Rica. Rambutan fruit is sometimes called hairy lychee because of its similar appearance to lychee. (After all, they are closely-related cousins coming from the Sapindaceae family.) The soft spines create a hairy appearance, but the skin is red, and the flesh is white, just like lychee. The taste is sweet with a bit of a tang, much like grapes or strawberries. Characteristics When these trees are grown in the perfect habitat, their spreading crown can range from 32-82 feet tall! Growing them in a medium-sized to small pot in a greenhouse will likely result in a smaller tree, but you’ll still be able to get delicious fruit. The Malay word rambut translates to hair in English, and the name, Rambutan refers to the hairy appearance of the fruits. These fruits appear after budded trees flower. Flowering occurs on male trees, female trees, or hermaphroditic trees in spring through summer and again in late summer through fall. The flowers are pollinated by ants and bees. The tree has glossy green leaves with a slightly leathery feel that can sometimes be yellow-green. Although the fruit is typically red and white, the outside can sometimes look orange or yellow, and the inside may occasionally be pale pink. Uses After peeling the fruit, they can be eaten raw or cooked and canned in syrup. They’re often extremely sweet and can be enjoyed as a dessert, but they are full of vitamin C. The roots and bark are often used in natural medicine, and the seed oils can be used to make candles and soap. Silk can be dyed green with young tree shoots. Planting The easiest way to get a rambutan tree growing is to start from seed indoors in a container. They require TLC from every single seed to transplant, so keeping them in a controlled environment will be the best way to increase your chance of success. Rambutan seeds are only viable for up to one week after being harvested, so you’ll need to act fast once you get your seed. Remove the fruit from the seed and let it dry completely. Place the seed in sandy, loamy soil with good drainage. Even though rambutans like humidity and lots of water, there’s still such a thing as too much water, especially when they’re young. Cover the seed with a light layer of soil and water it well. Make sure the soil stays moist but not wet, and keep the seed under a grow light. It can take 10-21 days for it to sprout, so don’t worry if it takes a while. Once the tree sprouts, keep it indoors with moist soil and lots of light. It won’t be ready to move outside until it’s about 1 foot tall in about 2 years and won’t produce fruit until it’s 4 or 5 years old. You can plant the seed any time of year if you’re growing it indoors, and when it’s time to transplant, you can do so in early spring.

‘Fuyu’ Persimmon trees are easy to grow, readily available, and produce an abundance of delicious and nutritious fruits. Have you ever wanted to try growing a fruit tree? This is a great place to start. In this article, gardening enthusiast Liessa Bowen introduces the ‘Fuyu’ persimmon and discusses the proper care and maintenance of one of her favorite fruit trees. If you are a fan of sweet, delicious persimmon fruits, you might be very interested to know that you can grow your own! If you live in a warm climate, have a sunny yard, and can provide rich, moist soil, a persimmon tree can be a tremendously rewarding addition to your garden. The ‘Fuyu’ persimmon (Diospyros kaki) is one of the most popular varieties of Asian persimmon. These trees produce an abundance of fruits that can be eaten fresh, straight off the tree. They also store well for later snacking or use them to make persimmon jams and preserves. A single mature persimmon tree can produce hundreds of fruits each year! Persimmons are medium-sized trees native to Asia. These fruit trees are easy to grow in the right conditions and provide year-round interest. Their attractive forms make them pleasing landscaping trees. The fruits are edible, and they have spectacular red-orange fall foliage. Are you ready to grow your own persimmons? Let’s dig a little deeper into the ‘Fuyu’ persimmon so you’ll know exactly what you need to start your own thriving persimmon tree. Plant Natural History The Asian persimmon (Diospyros kaki) originated in China, India, and the Indochina region. These trees have been extensively cultivated as a food crop for over two thousand years. Through extensive cultivation and selection, hundreds of Asian persimmon cultivars now exist. ‘Fuyu’ is one of the most common varieties of Asian persimmon, known for its abundant sweet, non-astringent fruits. These trees are self-fertile and won’t require cross-pollination to set fruits, so unlike many other fruit tree varieties, you can grow plenty of ‘Fuyu’ persimmons with just one plant. Asian persimmon trees start reliably bearing fruits when they are about five years old. Characteristics ‘Fuyu’ persimmons are deciduous fruit trees. Unless aggressively pruned, they will grow up to about 30 feet tall. These trees develop a single main trunk, splitting into several primary branches with additional fruit-bearing twigs. The fruits form on first and second-year wood. Asian persimmon flowers bloom along the smaller, younger branches in late spring. The flowers are creamy-white to very pale pink and measure about 1 cm wide. These small flowers are non-showy, but they will still attract some pollinators. The ‘Fuyu’ persimmon fruits develop very slowly, appearing shortly after flowering and starting as small, hard, green orbs. They gradually increase in size until they are each about two to three inches across. Asian persimmon fruits stay firm and green throughout the entire summer. By mid-fall, the fruits begin to turn orange. Somewhere around the time of the first frost, often sometime in October, when the fruits become entirely orange, they are finally ready to harvest and eat. Persimmon trees develop a deep taproot, helping them withstand brief periods of drought. In the autumn, the semi-glossy leaves turn from green to bright red-orange and make a spectacular autumn display specimen. Propagation Would you like to try propagating your persimmon tree? Taking a cutting is the easiest way to grow a new persimmon tree. Not every cutting you take, however, will successfully start a new tree, so try taking a few cuttings in hopes that one develops roots. Take your cuttings from a smaller branch tip and make them each about six inches long. Use side shoots, root suckers, or recent branch growth. Dip the lower end of your cutting in a rooting hormone and place it into fresh, moist potting soil. Keep your potted cutting warm and moist and in a well-lit location until it starts to develop roots. It will take several weeks for a cutting to start to develop roots. You will know that a stem cutting has rooted successfully if it starts to develop fresh leaf growth at the top. Continue to grow your successful cutting (or cuttings) in a warm, moist, protected location until you are ready to transplant them outside in their permanent home. Planting Planting a persimmon tree is simple. Early spring or late fall are the best times of year for transplanting fruit trees. If you have a young nursery-grown tree or a potted cutting that’s ready to be transplanted, follow these quick and easy steps.