Edible Fence Plants
While ornamental features are sure to attract plenty of positive attention to your garden, few plants are as exciting as edible ones. Growing edible plants near a fence can be an incredibly rewarding experience, but there are some insights you should be aware of before you set out to raise an edible fence plant garden.
The Pros and Cons of Edible Fence Plants
The most apparent benefit of growing edible fence plants is that you’ll get to enjoy tasty produce while basking in the satisfaction of knowing you grew it yourself. This outcome is not only satisfying, but it also makes for a healthier lifestyle as you’ll have fresh, healthy fruits and vegetables available in your own yard.
The major disadvantage of growing edible plants is that they tend to require significantly more labor on your part. Edible plants usually need plenty of attention, including specific pruning, fertilizing, and harvesting chores. These chores can be made more difficult when growing edible plants near fences, as fences can influence environmental factors and your plant’s growing space.
The effort required to grow edible plants can surprise and overwhelm some. However, if you are aware of the challenge and prepared to meet it, you’ll get the reward of a bountiful harvest in your fence garden.
Selecting the Best Edible Plants for Your Garden
The most important factor when selecting edible plants is to ensure that you choose plants that will survive in your region. Many of the popular fruiting plants that you buy in the grocery store will only survive in hotter climates. As such, these plants will not be ideal to grow outdoors near your fence if you live where the winter is cold.
By contrast, some fruiting plants, like apple trees, are cold hardy and will be capable of growing near your outdoor fence. These plants can have the opposite problem of warm weather loving plants, in that they may not survive hotter climates.
You should also consider the size, soil needs, sunlight needs, and ornamental features of your edible plants. Match these characteristics and needs to the appearance and growing conditions that your fence provides.
Creating a Bountiful Harvest
The key to creating a bountiful harvest with your edible plants is to follow the ideal care routine. Most fruiting plants need specific types of pruning and different amounts of water and fertilizer. It’s up to you to understand these needs and provide your edible plants with the conditions and maintenance they need.
Keeping up with edible plant maintenance can be a struggle. However, if you know what will make your plants grow best and check on them regularly, there is little in your way of creating a bountiful fence garden.