Healthy, fun, cost-effective: Growing your own

Who doesn’t like fresh fruits and vegetables, particularly when they’re grown organically? Why not consider using your own yard as a garden for plants and trees that will yield organic produce. There are many benefits to growing your own produce.

Health

When you grow your own fruits and vegetables, you don’t have to use any pesticides or artificial additives. This is a great health benefit, because you won’t be eating these additives that are used during mass produce production. Unless you buy organic produce, you can usually count on pesticides and preservatives being used in cultivating the crop. So, it is always a good idea to wash all your produce thoroughly before eating.

I used to wonder why the tomatoes in the supermarket never had any flavor to them, and why they were always so hard. I would think about the tomatoes I would eat when I was growing up and how very different they tasted. They were incredible, with great flavor and texture. I learned later that the tomatoes I ate growing up were vine ripened and the mass produced tomatoes in the supermarket are picked green and then dyed red.

Financial

By growing your own produce, you can save money. With the price of food continuously on the rise, it is more beneficial than ever to grow some of your own produce. One good example is to simply plant an avocado tree somewhere in your yard. Once established and mature, one avocado tree can produce hundreds of avocados each year. One of the great things about avocados is that they will stay naturally preserved on the tree until they are picked, at which time they will fully ripen. My favorite kind of avocado tree is haas, which has a very rich buttery taste. Also, avocados are full of vitamins and nutrients.

Other examples of crops to plant are tomatoes, squash and melons. They are all easy to grow, and in season will produce ample supplies.

Fun

I enjoy gardening and get a lot of pleasure out of growing my own produce. I started out very slowly, but over the last few years I have planted avocado, lemon, orange, grapefruit and lime trees. I have very limited yard space so I have to be creative with where and how I plant my trees. But I have had a lot of fun and take pride in growing some of my own produce. I have been able to share it with friends, neighbors and family. We even do some fruit and vegetable swapping.

If, like me, you are limited on yard space for growing your own vegetable and fruit garden, you can consider the following:

Plant dwarf fruit producing trees

Today there are many dwarf fruit trees that are easy to grow in San Diego and will produce a good crop. Most citrus trees, like orange, grapefruit, lemon, lime and tangerine all come in dwarf varieties. You can also find avocado and many other dwarf fruit trees.

I remember when I lived in L.A. I had an avocado tree in my backyard that must have been at least 90 feet tall. When an avocado would drop off that tree, you had better not be under it. So remember, it is important to plant trees that will fit the area that you have for them.

Use trellis and fencing

There are many plants that use little space, like grape vines. I planted grape vines on both sides of my house and have them climbing on my fence. This saves space and looks very beautiful from a landscaping point of view. My vines produce red seedless grapes that I can eat as fruit or let them turn into raisins. I also use the grape leaves for cooking, and they are very nutritious and delicious.

Plant in pots

You can plant fruits and vegetables in pots and planters around your yard. This is a great way to save space and to make your yard or patio look more attractive.

Plant indoors

There are even small indoor gardens available today for people who have no yards. This is perfect if you live in a condo or apartment. I know people who have planted small gardens on roof tops.

Participate in a community garden

There are many areas today that have community gardens that you can use.

If, like me, you did not grow up on a farm and are not familiar with growing your own produce don’t worry, as learning to grow your own is very easy. San Diego has one of the best climates in the world year-round, and as a result, we can grow almost anything here. So keep in mind some of the ideas above and consider having your own fruit and vegetable garden. It is healthy, financially beneficial and fun.

Trent St. Louis is a licensed Real Estate Agent and a member of the National, California and San Diego Association of Realtors. You can reach Trent at trent@tns.net or at his office in Hillcrest, The Metropolitan Group. DRE#01273643.