Six years ago, I bought a few fig trees on a lark.
Why do some plants produce fruit prolifically while others cant seem to set any fruit at all?
Why do I wait all summer for tomatoes and then they all ripen the same week?
Yes, were talking about flower sex.
This is also true of fruit trees like elderberry, peach, and pomegranate.
What the labeldoesntsay is that even self-pollinating plants do better when theres another one nearby.
This is true of tomatoes, squash, cherries, and all other self-pollinating plants.
The more pollen nearby, the better.
Kiwi vines are either male or female, and to get kiwi fruit, youll need both.
For instance, blueberry varieties are always marked by when they ripen during the season.
Within each bang out are many varieties that will bear early, mid, or late within their season.
Mixing and matching means you could have strawberries all summer.
The same is true for raspberries, with some types even bearing fruit through the fall.
These zones represent frost dates and expected lengths of growing time in the summer.
If you want plants that produce, you have to grow plants that are designed for your growing zone.
My prolific raspberries wouldnt survive the summer in Phoenix, where that Meyer lemon longs to be.
You also need to consider regional types of pests or blight.
The owners of our homes bought them together 30 years ago so both could benefit.
Every pollinator-friendly flower you plant benefits everyone in the neighborhood.
Know what kind of pollination is required, how much space you have, and what your zone is.
