AMERICAN GARDENER

Bell peppers are among the most rewarding crops for gardeners who want a high volume of produce from a relatively small growing area. A healthy plant can continue setting flowers and developing fruit over an extended season, particularly when temperatures, nutrition, moisture, and pollination are favorable. However, the amount harvested depends heavily on the variety. … Read more

Sweet peppers are among the most versatile vegetables—or, botanically speaking, fruits—you can grow in a home garden. Unlike hot peppers, sweet pepper varieties contain little to no capsaicin, the compound responsible for the burning sensation associated with chili peppers. Instead, they offer a wide range of flavors, colors, shapes, and textures, from crisp bell peppers … Read more

Lemons are themselves a hybrid fruit, believed by geneticists to have originated somewhere in northeastern India, northern Myanmar, or southern China as a natural cross between the bitter orange and the citron, long before traders eventually carried the fruit west into the Mediterranean and Middle East. Argentina has grown into the world’s largest lemon producer … Read more

Persimmons are among the most distinctive fruits grown in temperate and subtropical regions. Their smooth skin, brilliant orange or reddish color, and unusual combination of sweetness and astringency make them easy to recognize. Depending on the variety, a persimmon may be round and flattened, acorn-shaped, elongated, or almost tomato-like. Some can be eaten while still … Read more

Persimmons are among the easiest fruits to recognize once you become familiar with their distinctive appearance. They typically have smooth, thin skin, a rounded or slightly elongated shape, and colors ranging from yellow-orange to deep reddish-orange. Many varieties also have a prominent leafy calyx at the top, which gives the fruit an especially recognizable appearance. … Read more

Oranges are believed to have originated in southern China several thousand years ago as a natural hybrid between the pomelo and the mandarin, making the common sweet orange, scientifically classified as Citrus sinensis, a hybrid fruit rather than a truly wild species in its own right. Brazil has grown into the largest orange producer in … Read more

Apricots are small, round to oval stone fruits best known for their golden-orange skin, soft flesh, and sweet, slightly tangy flavor. Their relatively small size and warm color make them easy to recognize, but they are not the only fruits with this appearance. Several other fruits can look surprisingly similar to apricots, particularly when they … Read more

The Solo papaya is one of the most popular types of papaya grown for its small-to-medium fruit, sweet flavor, attractive orange-red flesh, and relatively convenient size. Unlike many large papaya varieties that can produce fruits weighing several pounds, Solo papayas are generally much smaller, making them particularly appealing for home gardeners and families. The name … Read more

USDA Zone 7 offers gardeners a particularly favorable climate for growing berry bushes. Winters are generally milder than in Zones 5 and 6, while summers are warm enough to support a wide selection of fruiting shrubs. Depending on the specific location, Zone 7 includes areas where average annual minimum temperatures fall between approximately 0°F and … Read more

Growing berry bushes in USDA Zone 5 can be a rewarding way to produce fresh fruit while adding attractive shrubs to the landscape. Zone 5 includes regions where average annual minimum temperatures can reach approximately -20°F to -10°F (-28.9°C to -23.3°C). While those winter temperatures can eliminate many tender fruiting plants, a surprisingly wide range … Read more