How to Grow Top Fruit and Berry Superfoods

Everyone knows that fruits and berries are powerful superfruits, packed jam-full (pardon the pun) of antioxidants and vitamins. In the grocery store these same fruits and berries can be pricey. What’s a gardener to do? For a little food independence, try cutting out the middle man‚Äîgrow fruits and berries in a backyard forest garden instead of purely decorative bushes and hedges. That’s the idea behind food forest gardening.

Growing Fruit and Berry Superfoods

So what are the best fruit and berry superfoods to grow in a food forest garden?

Blueberries

Blueberries top the charts when it comes to ORAC scores (the measure of total antioxidants), so they’re a natural addition to any forest garden. Research has also shown that blueberries slow age-related mental decline and promote the health of the urinary tract.

Growing information. Blueberries are hardy to Zone 4 and grow anywhere from four to twelve feet tall, depending on the variety. They prefer sun or partial shade and a moist, acidic (pH 4.5 to 6), freely-draining soil. Because they’re not self-fertile, more than one variety is required in order to obtain good yields. And here’s a tip: blueberries don’t grow well with blackberries or raspberries.

Plums

After blueberries, plums are second on the ORAC list of foods rich in antioxidants. These relatives of peaches and cherries are high in dietary fiber, help the body produce and absorb iron, and have cancer-fighting properties.

Growing information. Most varieties of plums prefer the warmer climate of Zone 7, although the 24-foot American plum is hardy to Zone 3. Plant these trees with bee-attracting flowers for pollination in sun or partial shade and fertile well-drained soil.

Saskatoon Berries

The little-known Saskatoon berry is nearly as oxidant-rich as a blueberry when it comes to its antioxidant potential for fighting cancer and heart disease. Saskatoon berries are also high in dietary fiber, which can help regulate diabetes, and are a source of five essential vitamins and minerals.

Growing information. Saskatoon bushes produce delicious sweet berries that taste a little like apple. The bush is hardy to Zone 2 and prefers a sunny or partially shaded spot in rich loamy soil, but can thrive in any soil that is not excessively dry or water-logged. The only drawback to the Saskatoon berry is that the birds love them and unless the plant is protected, they will strip the bush of fruit.

Bush Cherries

The vitamins and high levels of antioxidants in cherries have been linked to arthritic pain relief and a reduction in risk factors for heart disease, diabetes and some cancers. Bush cherries also contain melatonin, which helps regulate sleep patterns, relieve jet lag, prevent memory loss, and delay aging.

Growing information. There are many, many varieties of cherries, but bush cherry shrubs are compact, very hardy, and a good choice for a forest garden. Hardiness varies with the variety, but some can be grown as far north as Zone 2. Bush cherries require moist, well-drained, fertile soils and fruit best in full sun, though they tolerate part shade.

Elderberries

Elderberries are super-charged with vitamin C and are powerful antioxidants. The berries lower cholesterol, improve vision, boost the immune system, improve heart health, and have been used to treat colds, flu, and bacterial and viral infections. Elderberry juice was even used to treat a flu epidemic in Panama in 1995. The flowers are edible.

Growing information. Elderberries grow wild as far north as Zone 3 in Ontario, and although they are usually found in moist soils rich in organic matter there is a variety of elderberry that even grows in the desert. Elderberry shrubs grow in either full sun or partial shade and can spread rapidly, so they must be pruned back occasionally to keep them under control.

Food Forests: Superfood in the Back Yard

Anyone with a yard can easily grow a food forest just outside their door and enjoy healthy, nutritious fruits and berries for years to come.