Are you looking for a tree that produces intense flowers and delicious fruit? Look no further than productive and easy-to-grow ‘Rainier’ cherry trees. In this article, plant expert Matt Dursum covers how to plant, grow, and care for these wonderful cherries. It’s hard to beat cherry trees for your edible landscape. They’re easy to grow and thrive in a variety of climates. Plus, they put on a show of soft blooms in the spring. ‘Rainer’ varieties produce tons of golden-red fruits and big, beautiful blooms. Their fruit is juicy, sweet, and perfect for eating raw, right off the tree. If you live in a colder climate, these cherry trees will thrive. Let’s dive into how to grow and maintain these highly productive and stunning stone fruits. What Is It? The US produces two types of cherries: sour and sweet. While sour cherries are great in canning, pies, sauces, and infusions, sweet cherries are delicious when eaten fresh. There are around 900 varieties of sweet cherries on the market, including our beloved ‘Rainiers.’ ‘Rainier’ cherries are varieties bred for their sweet, golden to soft red fruit. They have a mild, very cherry-like flavor that’s juicy and nutritious. They are vigorous fruit producers and stay relatively short in stature, which makes them easy to harvest! Besides their fruit, they explode in gorgeous blossoms in the spring. The white flowers put on a light, floral scent that’s hard not to adore. Plant them in entryways, landscapes, or home orchards, and you’ll quickly fall in love with them. Characteristics These small cherry trees grow up to 30 feet tall and produce dense clusters of beautiful white flowers in the mid-spring. They mature and bear fruit in around 4 to 5 years after planting. When they fruit, they form dense clusters of cherries that are easy to harvest. As they grow, they form an easy-to-maintain pyramidal shape. Besides their flowers and delicious stone fruits, they’re fantastic at attracting pollinators. Birds also love them as food sources and nesting grounds. They make great additions to a pollinator-friendly garden outside their invasive range. Native Area Cherry trees are native to Europe and Asia, where they’ve been cultivated for centuries. There are hundreds of species in the Prunus genus. Many, like Japanese Sakura, are grown for their ornamental blooms. Botanist Harold Fogle bred ‘Rainier’ cherries for the first time in 1952 at Washington State University. Fogle crossbred ‘Bing’ varieties and ‘Van’ varieties to get a new variety of Bings that would last for longer in the season. ‘Rainiers’ arrived in nurseries in 1960 and continued to accompany ‘Bing’ cherries in orchards. People propagated them as pollinators for the more common ‘Bing’ varieties. In the 1980s, that all began to change when growers and customers realized ‘Rainiers’ had such amazing fruit. The parent species of this tree, Prunus avium is invasive to areas of North America. Make a note of these areas before planting, as sweet cherries escape cultivation in these regions, crowding out native species. Planting Plant these wonderful cherry trees in the spring, just before they break out of dormancy. They’ll thrive in well-drained soil in an area that’s elevated for better drainage. Make sure the area gets full sun. If you’re growing a transplant or bare root sapling, moisten the root ball before planting. Dig a large hole, about twice the size of the root ball, and gently place your young tree inside. The area where the roots connect to the trunk should be barely visible. If you’re planting a grafted tree, ensure the graft is above the soil line. Add loamy soil around the newly planted tree, covering the roots. Give your transplant a good amount of water so the soil stays moist. Try adding a layer of moss or mulch around the base of your tree. ‘Rainier’ cherries are not self-fertile. Therefore, plant yours with another cherry variety for cross-pollination. ‘Bing’ or ‘Stella’ varieties are recommended companions.

When hot summer days arrive, biting into a homegrown melon is one of the best treats. Join farmer Briana Yablonski to learn how to grow honeydews from seed to harvest. When it comes to melons, honeydew might not be at the top of everyone’s list. However, don’t count these green melons out if you’ve only eaten them as part of a store-bought fruit salad. Homegrown honeydew has a refreshing juiciness and subtle floral flavor that makes it compete with beloved favorites like watermelon and cantaloupe. Honeydew melons grow best in warm climates with plenty of sun and space to spread. But with a little planning and care, even gardeners in cooler regions can enjoy these sweet fruits. In this guide, I’ll walk you through everything you need to know to grow honeydews at home—from seed starting to harvest. What Are Honeydew Melons? Honeydew melons are a type of muskmelon known for their smooth, pale rinds and slightly sweet, light green flesh. They lack the musky fragrance found in cantaloupes and other types, but produce similar trailing vines. While you may be most familiar with the standard honeydew, there are dozens of cultivars with varying skin colors and flavors. All are members of the Cucumis melo species, which also includes cantaloupe and crenshaw types. Unlike their cantaloupe cousins, honeydews don’t emit a strong aroma when ripe, which is how they earned the name “inodorus,” meaning “without scent.” Because they don’t continue to ripen after harvest, proper timing is key if you want to enjoy the melons at the peak of flavor. Characteristics Honeydew melons typically have smooth, slightly waxy skin that ranges from pale green to golden yellow when ripe. The flesh is usually light green, but you’ll also find orange and white-fleshed varieties. The fruit size varies by cultivar, but most of them are between five and ten pounds when mature. Each plant produces long, trailing vines that sprawl multiple feet in every direction. The vines bear yellow flowers, which turn into melons after they’re properly pollinated. Native Area Most historians believe that melons originated in Africa and southwest Asia, with honeydews developing through centuries of cultivation. They made their way to Europe and the Americas through trade and exploration, and became popular in the United States by the early 1900s. Planting Most honeydews take around three months to mature, so it’s important to get them in the ground early enough to ensure they can ripen before cool fall days arrive. However, since these heat-loving plants don’t tolerate cold, wait until after the last spring frost to plant. Honeydews can grow well when directly sown in the garden or transplanted. The best growing method depends on your climate and preferences.

The papaya tree is a lovely tropical tree with tasty fruit. Carica papaya fruit is rich in nutrients and aids in digestion. It is also a tasty option for fruit salads when ripe, in Thai cuisine when still green, and makes an excellent dried snack. Sarah Jay will got through an in-depth to share all you need to grow your own papayas at home. Are you interested in growing a tropical fruit tree, but you can’t commit to 20 years of care? Well, look no further than the papaya tree. Papaya trees produce nutritious papaya fruit and have a relatively short lifespan. They’re easy to grow in containers, too! I don’t know about you, but I adore papaya fruit. It’s something I spring for when it comes to improving digestion, and it’s so good fresh. Green papaya is excellent in Thai salads and ripe fruit is lovely when sliced and served up for breakfast. Dried papaya slices are my go-to for long hikes and camping trips. Growing papaya trees is beneficial, not only through enjoying the papayas but also by learning something new in the garden. So let’s discuss how you can grow this lovely tropical tree at home. What is The Papaya Tree? Carica papaya, the papaya tree is also known as paw paw, Okwuru-ezi, Okwuru- bekee, Mgbimgbi among Igbo peoples, and Ibepe among Yoruba peoples. Native Area Papaya cultivation began in Central America, southern Mexico, and South America. Today it’s popular all over the world, with India being the largest producer, and the United States leading the consumption of the fruit. The papaya tree grows in rainforests in southern Mexico, or along the coasts of Florida where it rests under tree canopies, thriving for only three to four years at a time. Afterwards, production slows significantly, and trees survive for just a short while longer. Characteristics Papaya trees top out at 33 feet tall, where spirally arranged large palmate leaves that are deeply lobed rest on a central trunk that is scarred at the bottom where previous leaves formed. The trunk is hollow, much like a palm tree, and the root system is somewhat shallow. After about 11 months, papaya trees begin blooming small, cream-colored, star-shaped flowers just under the leaves in early spring. All parts of the tree secrete latex. In the wild, male and female trees must be cross-pollinated, and small fruit forms primarily on papaya in late summer or early fall. Male flowers and flower buds are small, clustered, and sit on inflorescences that have multiple stems. Female flowers are single, with five petals that gather at the base. Flowers of both female and male trees bloom at night, awaiting pollination from wind or insects. Hybrid trees use self-pollinating to produce fruit, and this is the preferred variety of the three possible fruit trees. In cultivation, papayas are often hybrid. Papaya fruit is produced under papaya leaves from the leaf axils. Male trees can carry out papaya production, but their ripe fruit isn’t as delicious as the larger female fruit. After successful pollination, the flower of female and bisexual trees ripens and forms papayas – which are technically a berry. Each female papaya grows to about 18 inches long with a one-foot diameter. Hybrid papayas don’t grow as large, but they do have a smaller seed cavity. This cavity is chock full of round, black, spherical seeds. The developing fruit is green, with white flesh. Ripe fruits are carrot-colored with a pinkish-orange hue. Nutrition Papaya fruit is prized for its phytochemical composition, containing high amounts of vitamins C, A, and E. These vitamins are beneficial for those looking for a source of antioxidants that prevent cholesterol blockages in the human body. The fibrous fruit of papaya is excellent for regular digestion and has been traditionally used to treat inflammation related to asthma and arthritis. Recent studies have focused on papaya fruit in relation to reducing the risk of prostate cancer. Uses The flesh of green papaya is used in raw salads. My favorite version is a Som Tom Thai salad made with green papaya, fish oil, lime, shredded peppers, and carrots. The ripe fruit is delicious sliced or dried, and the latex within the fruit is used to tenderize meat. Planting Sow seeds in mid-spring when the soil is adequately warm. Because papaya trees have a relatively short life span, and a limited period for fruit production, they grow quickly from seeds. However, you’ll need several seeds to obtain healthy sprouts to grow papaya. Sow about six to ten papaya seeds per pot, and ensure it’s large enough to accommodate a tree. About 15 to 20 gallons is the minimum size. Papaya trees have shallow roots, and their seeds should be planted where they will live out their life. Grow the seeds in rich, well-draining soil and keep the soil moist. Place them in full sun. For places with cold winters, plant seeds against a south- or west-facing wall that absorbs heat during the day and releases it at night. Then, as seedlings emerge with young leaves in two weeks, remove the weaker young trees. You can carry out this process in the ground in tropical regions, but ensure the young trees you select are at least seven to ten feet apart in their planting location.