5 Fall Fruits That Are Perfect For Drinks And Can Be Grown In Your Balcony
Growing your own fruit requires a large garden is a common misconception, because several delicious and useful fruits can thrive in small spaces, like one’s very own balcony.
So, if you’ve been tinkering with the idea of growing fruits on your balcony, autumn/fall is the perfect time to grow fruits that will not only add flavour to your meals but can also be used as ingredients in your drinks (win-win).
Figs, lemons, blueberries, strawberries and pomegranates are all easy fruits to grow in small spaces. These fruits are quite easy to grow in small containers, but they will still require some effort.
You need to ensure that all of your pots have good drainage and that the plants are positioned in such a way that they receive adequate sunlight—a minimum of six hours a day for most of the above-mentioned fruits.
Watering your plants regularly is a must, especially for these container balcony plants, as they tend to dry out way more quickly than the ones that have been planted in the ground.
You should also consider fertilising your plants with an organic, fruit-friendly fertiliser.
Figs
Figs are actually very well-suited to container gardening and can absolutely thrive on a sunny balcony. The ‘Petite Negra’ or the ‘Brown Turkey’ varieties are perfect for small pots because they remain quite compact, all the while producing plenty of sweet fruit.
Figs are known to typically ripen in late summer till early autumn, and they lend the most unique and delectable flavour to cocktails and mocktails. Fresh figs can be used to make fig-infused water, or they can also be blended whole into your smoothies for that natural and rich sweetness.
In cocktails, figs can be muddled into whiskey or rum-based cocktails as they complement dark spirits.
Blueberries
Blueberries are best grown in acidic soil, so you must make sure that you’re using ericaceous compost when you’re planting them. Varieties of blueberries such as ‘Top Hat’ and ‘Sunshine Blue’ are extremely well-suited to small spaces and can produce delicious fruit well into the autumn months.
As a fruit, blueberries are massively versatile in drinks both alcoholic and non-alcoholic. Whether they’re blended to make a blueberry and banana smoothie, or used in cocktails like a blueberry mojito, growing this fruit in your balcony will come handy.
Lemons
Varieties like ‘Meyer’ lemons are exquisite and perfect for small spaces. They produce slightly sweeter fruit. The lemon plant will need a nice and sunny spot on your balcony, so remember to place your container where it can catch as much sunlight as possible.
Describing all the ways in which lemons can be used in drinks is an exercise in wasting our time, since it’s one of the most versatile and useful fruits out there.
Strawberries
With the right amount of care, a strawberry plant can continue producing fruit well into the fall.
This plant thrives in pots or hanging baskets, as long as it’s receiving plenty of sunlight—six hours a day at the least. Autumn-bearing strawberry varieties like the ‘Mara des Bois’ or the ‘Albion’ can keep producing sweet berries throughout the cooler months.
Strawberries can be used in a range of cocktails and mocktails and growing them in small containers on your balcony will ensure that the plants are safe from pests.
Pomegranates
The common misconception is that pomegranate trees are large plants, however, they can very well be grown in small pots, making them a great fit for little balconies.
Dwarf varieties like ‘Nana’ are perfect for smaller spaces. Pomegranates thrive in sunlight and they need well-drained soil to flourish.
The seeds can be used in many autumn drinks, from fresh pomegranate juice to sparkling pomegranate cocktails.
