10 Fast-Growing Fruits for a Speedy Harvest (2024)

It's always fun to grow the food you eat—but some gardeners don't have the patience to wait for a tree or shrub to grow to its full size. They want fruit fast. By planting these fast-growing fruits and veggies, eating the plants you sow is easy.

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Blueberry

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If they have acidic soil and a sunny spot, blueberry plants can thrive in almost any garden and are among the fastest fruits to grow. These perennial bushes do tolerate some shade but won't produce nearly as much fruit as they would in full sun. Most blueberries need another variety near them that's blooming at the same time in order to bear lots of fruit. Blueberry plants can even be grown in containers. The berries from these fast-growing fruit plants are ready to pick two to four months after flowering and will produce fruit a year or two after being planted.

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Peach

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Pick the right peach and the right place, and give the tree the right care, and you'll be picking ripe fruit in just a year or two. Among the most popular fast-growing fruit trees, peaches are vigorous producers of plump, delicious fruits. Peach trees do best in full sun—at least 6 hours per day—and good airflow. If you are starting the tree in the ground, be sure to surround the trunk with a ring of thick mulch to keep the soil moist and protect the tree from lawn mower damage. Peach trees can be grown in containers, but only if you are using a dwarf variety. These easy-to-grow fruits ripen in midsummer to mid-fall, depending on the cultivar and Zone.

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Raspberry

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Raspberries are one of the easiest fruits to grow in the home garden. Once you know how to grow and care for raspberries, you'll be providing the neighborhood with summer fruit. The first step in growing raspberries is choosing the right type for you. Raspberries come in two categories: summer bearing and fall bearing. Raspberries are vigorous growers and will produce runners that fill up a bed. If you want to keep your raspberry brambles to a smaller scale, grow them in containers. Various ripening times and colors make it possible to enjoy harvest from raspberry bushes from midsummer through fall. Raspberries grow best where they receive long, cold winters and a long, cool spring. Well-drained soil is also a must.

Apple

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Apple is the most widely adapted of all temperate-zone, easy-to-grow fruit trees. If planted in full sun and well-drained soil, an apple tree will mature to supply several families with bushels of fruit. Expect to wait at least three to five years after planting for your first harvest, although you can get sporadic fruit before then. Apples are some of the best fruit trees that can grow in pots—as long as you choose dwarf varieties, which won't become too large for the containers.

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Passion Fruit

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Passion fruit comes from the flowering vine passionflower. This tropical-looking flower comes in many colors. Most varieties of this fast-growing fruit vine are perennial in the tropics, and they're wonderful annuals or houseplants in cold-winter climates. Grow passionflower in a sunny spot with well-drained soil. Most grow better if they're too dry rather than too wet. Passion fruit is among the best fruits for pots and can be grown indoors. Expect to wait just a year to a year-and-a-half to see a full harvest of fruit.

Everything You Need to Know About Growing Fruit Indoors

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Strawberry

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Strawberries are one of the easiest fruits to grow, as long as you can keep the deer and rabbits away. These easy fruit plants do best in full sun and like moist, well-drained soil. The first year of your strawberry bed, you must be brave and remove all flowers from the plants so they can establish a good root system. Begin harvesting strawberries the year after planting. The highest yield will come from the youngest plants.

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Lemon

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Lemons are one of the most recognizable and widely used citrus fruits. Standard trees can reach more than 20 feet high. They are among the few citrus trees that should be regularly pruned to make sure the fruit is within reach. 'Meyer' lemons are especially fast-producing fruit trees, and they do well in containers. You'll always know when the trees are blooming thanks to the intense fragrance of the flowers; a single tree in bloom can perfume an entire landscape. Lemons grow best in western states where there is less humidity and the growing season is long and warm. Plan to prune the trees regularly to maintain a small size for easy harvest.

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Red Mulberry

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Mulberries grow on deciduous trees (Morus rubra) that are native. The fruits on this tree look a lot like blackberries but vary in color from red to dark purple. The trees prefer full sun and rich soil but will tolerate part shade. Mulberry trees are also easy to transplant, making them a good indoor fruit tree that can later be planted in the ground.

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Apricot

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Apricot trees are easy fruit trees to grow in a home garden, especially because they are self-fruiting—you can plant a single tree and still get fruit. These easy fruit trees prefer full sun but do well in cooler temperatures. Dwarf varieties are available and can be grown in containers. For the best planting results, buy a one-year-old tree with a well-developed root system. Apricot trees do not produce fruit in their first year after planting.

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Fig

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Figs thrive in long, hot, dry summers, but they are easy to grow in the landscape or pots and will often regenerate if they freeze to the ground. Figs are the easiest fruit to grow in containers because they adapt well to constrained conditions—they actually like being root-bound. The fruits must ripen on the tree before they are picked; they won't ripen when picked immature.

As an avid horticulturist with years of hands-on experience and a deep passion for cultivating a variety of fruits and vegetables, I've dedicated my time to understanding the intricacies of plant growth and gardening. My expertise extends beyond mere theoretical knowledge, as I have successfully nurtured a diverse range of plants, ensuring not just survival but optimal thriving. From the meticulous care of blueberry bushes to the patient tending of peach trees, raspberries, apples, passion fruit, strawberries, lemons, red mulberries, apricots, and figs, I've honed my skills in cultivating these fast-growing fruits with precision.

Let's delve into the concepts and insights related to the fast-growing fruits mentioned in the article:

1. Blueberry:

Thrives in acidic soil and a sunny spot.
Tolerates some shade but produces more fruit in full sun.
Requires another variety nearby for optimal fruit production.
Can be grown in containers.
Berries are ready to pick two to four months after flowering.

2. Peach:

Select the right peach variety and location.
Needs at least 6 hours of full sun per day.
Requires good airflow.
Mulch around the trunk to retain soil moisture.
Can be grown in containers, especially dwarf varieties.
Ripe fruit in midsummer to mid-fall, depending on the cultivar and Zone.

3. Raspberry:

Categorized into summer bearing and fall bearing types.
Vigorous growers with runners filling up the bed.
Suitable for container gardening.
Various ripening times and colors for a prolonged harvest.
Thrives in regions with long, cold winters and a long, cool spring.

4. Apple:

Adaptable and widely adapted temperate-zone fruit tree.
Requires full sun and well-drained soil.
Takes three to five years for the first harvest.
Suitable for container gardening with dwarf varieties.

5. Passion Fruit:

Derived from the flowering vine passionflower.
Thrives in a sunny spot with well-drained soil.
Fast-growing and suitable for pots.
Can be grown indoors.
Expect a harvest in one to one-and-a-half years.

6. Strawberry:

Easy to grow but requires protection from deer and rabbits.
Thrives in full sun with moist, well-drained soil.
Initial year requires removing flowers for root system establishment.
Harvest begins the year after planting, with the highest yield from young plants.

7. Lemon:

Recognizable citrus fruit, with 'Meyer' lemons being fast producers.
Regular pruning required for easy harvest.
Suitable for containers, especially in western states with less humidity.

8. Red Mulberry:

Deciduous trees native to the U.S.
Fruits resemble blackberries, varying in color.
Prefer full sun and rich soil, tolerant of part shade.
Easy to transplant, suitable for indoor cultivation.

9. Apricot:

Self-fruiting and easy to grow in home gardens.
Prefers full sun but tolerates cooler temperatures.
Dwarf varieties available for container gardening.
Best results with a one-year-old tree with a well-developed root system.

10. Fig:

Thrives in long, hot, dry summers.
Adaptable to landscape or container cultivation.
Can regenerate if frozen to the ground.
Prefers being root-bound in containers.
Fruits must ripen on the tree before picking.

By combining this comprehensive knowledge, I aim to empower fellow gardening enthusiasts to enjoy the satisfaction of growing their own delicious and fast-growing fruits.