Maybe you've had a tomato plant or herb garden before. Great fun and easy too! Well, there are many more fruits and vegetables that you can grow at home. Often an excuse is: 'It will take so long before you get something in return'. But if you think back? How many avocado seeds have you thrown away over the years? They could have been beautiful trees by now! We have been working on our own orchard for a while now ???? . Would you like some tips for growing fruits and vegetables at home? Read more!

I don't have the stuff for this at home, right?

This is what people think, but actually you don't need that much at all. You only need 4 things:

  • The pit, seed or small plant you want to grow
  • A container in which you can grow the plant (this can be anything and doesn't have to be big)
  • Good soil in which the seed can grow
  • A windowsill where you have light and where it's warm

You already have the seed from the piece of fruit or vegetable you ate. You can use any bowl or container you like. Now the soil might be more difficult, but this too is not that bad. With some seeds you can even start without soil. Then you put the seed in only water first. If you do need soil, you can always pick up some soil from a park or your lawn. This may not be the perfect soil, but in many cases it will work. This is because the nutrients the plant needs are in the seed itself. Later when there are more roots the soil will become more important. You can always choose to get some special soil from the store if you want. Then all you need is a nice spot. In most cases a place on the windowsill with enough light is enough to let the seeds germinate. So actually you already have everything you need to start growing your own fruit and vegetables!

What fruits and vegetables can you grow at home?

You can grow almost anything at home. Here in the office of BE Fresh Produce we have started to produce our own stock ???? . We have Limelons, Carolina Reapers, Avocados, Red peppers, and more! We have some more ideas we're going to try like mango and pineapple!
Now, you're wondering: Which fruits and vegetables can you grow at home, and how?
Here are some popular examples:

How to grow avocados at home?

Avocados have been very popular lately to grow at home. This makes sense because it is very easy and is a beautiful plant to have. But it takes a lot of time and some luck before you can actually harvest the fruits. It can take up to 5 years before the plant is mature enough. At some point you have to start so let's do that now:
*There are multiple methods online about how you can grow an avocado, this is the way we did it, this doesn’t mean it’s the only or best way to do it.

  1. Carefully remove the seed of the avocado without damaging it. If you can remove the brown skin around the seed you can do so. This will also dry out later, then it's a bit easier.
  2. Insert 3 skewers into the seed. This will not affect the growth! Don't stick them too deep but do it so they are firmly in place.
  3. Fill a glass or container with water and let the seed rest halfway in the water. Put it on a warm place with enough sunlight. Now it's going to take a while for something to happen. Try changing the water every few days. After some time the seed will split and start growing. This can take a up to a few weeks/months.
  4. You can keep the avocado in the water for quite a long time. When there are leaves starting to grow you could choose to transfer to a container with soil.
  5. Make sure you keep watering the avocado because it needs a lot of water! Enjoy your avocado tree!

How to grow (bell) peppers at home?

There are all kinds of peppers you can grow. Most of them grow the same way and this isn’t hard at all. They're also fun because you get results pretty quick. If you have a spot where it’s nice and warm you can have a small plant in a couple of weeks! There are a lot of options: Bell peppers, Sweet pointed peppers, Jalepenos or even the Carolina reaper!

  1. Remove the seeds from the peppers. Remember to be careful and wear gloves if you remove them from hot peppers. Pick out a lot of them so you have a lot of seeds. Not all of them will become plants so it's good to have plenty. Then let the seeds dry for at least 1 to 2 days on a paper towel.
  2. Fill a container with soil. Make sure the soil is not too solid but a little loose. Spread the seeds over the container and put a small layer of soil on top. Then pour or spray some water over it.
  3. Keep the soil a little bit moist for the next few days. It doesn't have to be completely wet. Over time, the seeds will germinate and grow out.
  4. When the plants are bigger you can carefully put them in separate containers so they can grow bigger.

Enjoy your own homegrown peppers! (don't forget to pollinate the flowers)

How to grow (water) melons at home?

Growing melons at home is also very simple and delicious! The plants grow quick so you don't have to wait years before you get a melon. Generally, the different types of melons grow the same so the process is the same too.

  1. Carefully remove some of the seeds from the melon. Keep these aside and dry them so that there is no pulp left. Let the seeds dry on a paper towel for at least 1 to 2 days.
  2. Fill a good sized container with soil and place the seeds about 1 to 0.5 cm deep. Keep at least 3 cm of space around each seed. This also makes it easier to move them to a bigger container later.
  3. Give the seeds some water and keep the soil slightly moist. Over time, the seeds will germinate and the small melon plants will grow.
  4. When the plant is bigger, it is useful to guide it with a string or stick. You can also let the plant grow up if you guide it. When you do so, you'll need to support the melon when it grows so that the plant does not break under the weight of the melon.

Enjoy some delicious melons!

How should you grow Dragon Fruit (Pitahaya) at home?

This is a special one, but you can also grow it at home! The fruit grows on a cactus-like plant. One plant can produce a lot of fruits! Apart from the fact that this fruit is very tasty, it is also looks very cool.

  1. Cut the fruit in half to expose the seeds. Next, use a paper towel and carefully scrape some of the seeds out on the paper towel.
  2. Now fold the paper towel in half so that the seeds are in between. Take a container and fill it with soil. Place the paper with the seeds on the soil and put another small layer of soil on top.
  3. Moisten the soil. Do not make this too wet but do not let the soil dry out. To speed up the process you can put a firm plastic bag or plastic bottle cut in half over the pot. This will keep the seeds warmer.
  4. When the plant is about 30cm tall you need to guide it with a stick or string. It is a climbing cactus so it has to climb. If you plant it in the open ground it can already give fruit after 8 months. In the pot it takes longer.

Enjoy your own Dragon Fruits!

How to grow a mango tree at home?

A mango, like the avocado, is a more like a project that takes several years, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try it. Mango trees can also grow very big but to reach that they need to be in the ground. In a pot they won't reach that size. That’s probably for the best because you don’t want a 20 meters long tree in your living room.

  1. This is a good start because in order to get the seed from the mango, you have to eat it first! When you have the seed, you'll need a sharp knife. This is because the real seed is protected in the hard shell around it. With a sharp knife, carefully make an opening in the shell. It is best to do this on the narrow side. Then break open the shell with a blunt knife and there you have the real seed of the mango.
  2. Leave the seed in a glass of water for about an hour. This will bring the seed 'alive' and it will be ready to go into the ground.
  3. Fill a pot with soil and put the seed with the rounded side into the soil. Do not bury it completely but leave the top edge above the ground. This is where the plant comes out.
  4. You can also put a plastic bottle cut in half or plastic bag over the pot to provide extra warmth. Keep the soil moist but not too wet. After some time the plant will grow and when it is bigger you can move it to a bigger container.

Good luck with your Mango tree.

Want to know more?

If you want to know more about how you can grow all kinds of fruits and vegetables at home, we recommend you follow 'creative_explained' on Instagram! He shows all kinds of possibilities with fruits and vegetables. He shows how to grow them, but also useful tips to use leftovers for other purposes.
Good luck with your own vegetables!

How to grow your own fruits and vegetables at home! How to grow your own fruits and vegetables at home! How to grow your own fruits and vegetables at home! How to grow your own fruits and vegetables at home! How to grow your own fruits and vegetables at home! How to grow your own fruits and vegetables at home! How to grow your own fruits and vegetables at home! How to grow your own fruits and vegetables at home! How to grow your own fruits and vegetables at home! How to grow your own fruits and vegetables at home! How to grow your own fruits and vegetables at home! How to grow your own fruits and vegetables at home!