Pakistan is a fertile land that is the best for cultivating fruits. Fruit pants in Pakistan have become a popular business for local consumption and exporting fruits. Over the years, the popularity of growing fruits has increased because people are now more aware of selling and earning through the fruits. So, let’s go through the best types of fruit plantations in Pakistan.
Importance of Fruit Plants
Once you have experience growing fruit plants at home or commercially, fruit plantation is a wonderful activity. It requires little care, but you can grow your favorite seasonal fruits. Fruit plantation provides delicious tropical and seasonal fruits, and fruit trees offer clean and pure air for breathing.
Benefits of Growing Fruit Plants at Home
Below, you will find some wonderful benefits of fruit plants at your home.
Access to the Fresh Fruits
When planting fruit trees in your backyard, everyone waits for the fruit to ripen. Waiting for the fruit to ripen fully lets you connect to nature. These fruit plants provide you with fresh and fully ripened hygienic fruits anytime.
Affordable
As you know, imported fruit has become especially expensive. Therefore, homegrown fruits are the best to consume. You shall need a little investment and care to grow the fruit, and it is still an affordable option to buy the fruits from a fruit shop.
Habitat for Wildlife
The fruit plants at your home provide a proper habitat for the wildlife. The birds, animals, and insects consume that fruit to survive. So, your fruit plants will produce food for the wildlife, too.
Overview of the Popularity of Fruit Gardening in Pakistan
If you look at the commodities exported in Pakistan, fruit exports rank high. Both Punjab and Sindh contribute to producing and exporting oranges and mangoes. That is because of the environmental conditions that support the growth of these fruits on a large scale. Thus, large exports of fruits maximize revenue collection.
Climate and Environment
Climate and environment can affect the growth and production of fruits. With the moderate climate and accurate environmental conditions, you will see that fruits grow healthy and abundant.
General Climate Conditions in Pakistan
The upper region of Pakistan remains cold and dry during the year, while the lower part of Pakistan remains hot and humid. The citrus fruits, oranges, kinnow, and their other types grow in the plains of Punjab. Mangoes, on the other hand, require a hot climate for their growth. So, Punjab and Sindh produce a wide variety of mangoes. Some fruits like apricots and berries grow in northern Pakistan’s cold climate.
How the Climate Affects Fruit Plant Choices?
Climate significantly affects fruit plant choices because every fruit requires unique specifications to grow. If the climate is unfavorable, it will affect the fruit growth, sweetness, flavors, and even the size of the fruits. Sometimes, precipitation has a diverse effect on the fruit plant choice. Similarly, temperature again dramatically affects the choices of fruit plants.
Due to global warming, the temperature intensity increases. You would experience extreme summers and cold winters that might not be favorable for the fruit plants now.
Adapting to Local Conditions for Optimal Plant Growth
The only option left for limiting the climatic effects on the growth of the fruit plant is to adapt to the local conditions. For example, if a fruit requires plenty of water for its growth and low precipitation is decreasing. Then, the best option is to use alternatives to supply the water to the fruit plants. Similarly, if the fruit trees require shade to grow and extreme sunlight can harm the fruits and plant leaves, you can use a net or cloth to prevent direct exposure to sunlight.
To improve the soil, you can mix other nutrients, which will boost the growth of the fruits and meet the fruit’s nutrients.
Popular Fruit Plants in Pakistan
You will find popular fruit plants in Pakistan below.
Apricot Plant (خوبانی)
Apricots require mild temperatures for cultivation. It provides a great source of minerals and vitamins.
Fig Plant (انجیر )
You need to provide moist soil for the fig plant. It cures many gastrointestinal diseases.
Grapefruit Plant (گریپ فروٹ)
Grapefruit plants can grow in the summer and winter seasons. It is an excellent source for health.
Guava Plant (امرود)
The fruit grows in the season from May to June. It requires well-drained and loamy soil. Guava plants can cure high blood pressure.
KINNOW Plants-KINNO Tree (کینو)
The ideal season for kinnow plants to bloom is from February to March. You shall only provide it with water once a week. It is suitable for heart health, skin rejuvenation, and brain functioning.
Mango Plant (آم)
The overall cultivating season for mango lies between May and September. Mango provides a great source of vitamins.
Mosambi Plant (مسمی)
The mosambi fruit appears green when fully ripened. It requires sandy soil and watering once a week. Mosambi provides an abundant source of vitamin C.
Peach Plant (آڑو)
The blooming season for peach plants is from March to April. Peach plants require cold weather to grow. Also, it requires loamy and fertile soil. This fruit contains antioxidants.
Pear Plant (ناشپاتی)
Pear plants mostly bloom from February to March. It requires sandy and loamy soil along a well-drained system. It can cure the digestion problems.
Plum Plant (آلوبخارا)
The plum plant requires direct sunlight to survive. It requires fully prepared organic-rich soil to grow.
Pomegranate Plant (انار )
The blooming season for pomegranates is from April to May. The soil type doesn’t matter for its growth, but you should always keep it well-drained. It can cure blood pressure, heart disease, and gut health.
Selecting the Right Fruit Plants
The selection of fruit plants is easy when you are aware of their characteristics. Selecting the right plant might be challenging, but you can do it easily by reading this blog. So, let’s go through the factors.
Factors to be considered
Climate
Climate has a great effect on the quality of fruit plants. That’s because extreme temperature or a change in moderate temperature can prevent the fruit from maturing or can affect the size of the fruit. An adverse climate causes a drop in the production of fruits. Similarly, fruits require a proper environment to survive.
Soil Type
The soil type affects the growth of fruits. That’s because soil contains nutrients that help a fruit plant to thrive and flourish. Some soil types are loamy, sandy, loamy, and clay type. Every fruit type requires a unique kind of soil. Also, a fruit plant requires slightly acidic soil to survive at 5 to 7 pH.
Space
Space is another factor that can influence the growth of fruit plants. Some fruit plants require extra space to grow. In an over-occupied space, a plant might not be able to flourish. So, you shall provide a plant with proper space for its growth.
Caring for Fruit Plants
Follow the care tips below to ensure that the fruit plants grow well.
Watering Guidelines
Fruit plants require adequate water supply, not less than or not too much. So, for the plant’s growth, you shall keep its soil moist and damp. Besides this, you shall provide a proper drainage for the extra water to drain.
Light Requirements
The sunlight requirement for every fruit plant varies. Some fruit plants require six to eight hours of sunlight daily, and some need less than that; if a plant doesn’t get enough sunlight, it will not ripe fully.
Soil and Potting
Soil is essential for the plant’s growth. You must provide organic matter, plants, microbes, and moisture regarding soil. When a fruit plant receives such type of combination soil, it will give the proper nutrients to the plants. Also, you shall insert the appropriate minerals, clay, and sand for potting.
Fertilizing Fruit Plants
The best way to fertilize fruit plants in Pakistan is to opt for organic fertilizers. You can use the peels of fruits, vegetable leaves, and kitchen waste as compost for fertilizing purposes. However, if the fruit plant has grown, you can choose the nitrogen-based fertilizer for efficient fruit growth. Similarly, you must ensure you selected the right time to fertilize the plant.
Pest Control
Pests often attack when the fruit is fully ripened and ready to be picked from the trees. It would help to opt for pest control before pests attack the plants. You can get pest control and spray them according to the requirements.
Seasonal Planting Guide
Every season has its fruits, and in Pakistan, you can get a variety of seasonal fruits. So, let’s introduce you to the specific seasonal fruits.
Best fruit plants for each season (Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter)
Spring
Spring season arrives around the beginning of March. Different berries, like strawberries, cherries, blackberries, and blueberries, are common to grow. Besides this, it is the best season for citrus fruits like oranges. You can also grow bananas, apricots, plums, peaches, jamun, etc.
Summer
In summer, the best fruit to grow is litchi, apples, mango, kiwi, pears, guava, and cantaloupe. Also, mango is the king of summer fruits, so that you can experience great types of mangoes.
Autumn
The Autumn season arrives mainly around September. This season’s best fruits are pears, grapes, guava, sapota, and kiwi.
Winters
Winter season arrives around December onwards. Oranges are common to grow in winter. Plums, figs, and pomegranates are some common fruits found in winter.
Seasonal Care Tips
Seasonal fruits grow in a specific season; therefore, such fruits require special care. Whether it is summer, winter, autumn, or spring, you must put extra care into the seasonal fruit plants in Pakistan.
- You shall always keep a check and balance on the plants by regularly visiting plants daily.
- Use different disease-resistant sprays to prevent disease from infecting the fruits.
- Provide an adequate water supply to the fruit plants according to their requirement.
- Ensure that the soil is nurtured so that plants get proper nutrients.
Common Problems and Solutions
If you are putting effort into caring for your fruit plants, such as watering them properly, pruning them, and adding nutrients to the soil, then the plant’s growth is perfect. However, if you lack any factor that affects its growth, then it is likely that the plant encounter an issue. So, below, let’s guide you through the fruit plant problem and solutions.
Yellowing Leaves
Yellow leaves are a sign that you are providing the plant with excess water than its requirement. It will result in the removal of oxygen from the soil and cause it to become under air. Hence, it will make the roots rotten, which causes the leaves to turn yellow.
To avoid this issue, you shall reduce the water supply. Also, you can create holes in the pot to let the water drain quickly.
Overwatering/underwatering
Overwatering will cause the fruit plant leaves to turn yellow. Also, you would experience a bad smell from the soil. To prevent this from happening, you shall provide the water as per the fruit plant requirement.
Underwatering can turn in drooping leaves. Also, the tips of the leaves turn brown. In such a situation, you should give the plant enough water for hydration.
Pest Infestations
A pest infestation can destroy or rot your fruits. Discoloration, holes in the fruits, and dimpling on the fruits are common signs to observe when pests attack the fruit plants. To avoid them from attacking, you shall spray the pest control medicines that will prevent the insects from landing on the fruits.
Lack of Fruit
You are good to go until and unless a fruit tree produces enough fruits. However, if you observe a decrease in the number of fruits, it is alarming. Sometimes, the reason behind this is pest infestation and lack of nutrients. By regular spraying of pest infestation control, you can prevent this from happening.
Benefits of Growing Fruit Plants
Fruit plants in Pakistan can benefit you in many ways.
Habitat for Wildlife
Fruit plants serve as a habitat for wildlife, providing them with a home to live. Along with this, it offers abundant food for the wildlife.
Abundant Fruits
Homegrown fruits always allow you to enjoy free fruits anytime. You can share the fruits in the neighborhood, too.
Organic Fruit
Organic fruits taste sweeter and healthier. Such fruits have the best nutrients and minerals to consume.
Saves Money on Grocery
You can save money by reducing the money spent on buying fruits from supermarkets. Instead of buying the fruit, you can pluck the homegrown fruits from the trees.
Environmental Impact
Planting fruit plants will reduce carbon dioxide in the environment. The fruit plants will clean the air and purify it, promoting a positive environmental impact.
Where to Buy Fruit Plants in Pakistan?
When purchasing fruit plants in Pakistan, you will find numerous options. The choice of seller depends on your preference for buying it.
Local nurseries
If you buy the fruit plants from local nurseries, you get a chance to experience the plant before buying it. Also, the seller shares the tips for taking care of the plant. Sellers often provide the essential information to help grow the plant with fruits.
Online stores
You can buy fruit plants from online stores, too. It might cost you a bit more than the local nurseries. However, they never compromise on the quality of the plant. But you should contact a reputed online store.
Recommendations for trusted sellers
You will find excellent options by exploring the internet for trusted sellers of fruit plants in Pakistan. Gulab. Pk, plants. Pk, and many other online stores, you have many fruit plants. You can go through their reviews before purchasing through them.