Unusual fruit you can grow in your Gabriel Ash greenhouse

12th May 2011

Adding a Gabriel Ash greenhouse to your garden gives you the chance to experiment with different plants, including your own fruit and vegetables. Growing your own fruit can be challenging, but with plenty of care and patience, you can successfully grow many different types of fruit and enjoy the benefits. Here are some of the most unusual types of fruit that can be grown in your greenhouse.

1.   Grapes
Grapes may seem like an ordinary type of fruit but there are many varieties available, so you can experiment with something new and interesting. For those looking for something unusual, the Lakemont grape is a good choice. Lakemont grapes are seedless and offer a unique flavour. Extra care will need to be taken when growing grapes, as the vines are susceptible to mildew. Pests will need to be kept at bay and the conditions within your greenhouse will need to be just right.

2.   Dragon fruit
Dragon fruit is a cactus type plant that is native to Central and South America. Also known as the pitaya plant, dragon fruit offers an exotic flavour and is known for providing a number of health benefits. In order to grow dragon fruit successfully, you will need to keep your greenhouse warm and allow the plants plenty of access to sunlight. You may need to add extra lighting or heating to your greenhouse to help the plant thrive. For best results, dragon fruit should be grown in the summer, as the plant is more likely to flower in the warm weather.

3.   Melon
Melon is already a well known fruit, but there are many unusual varieties that can be grown in the greenhouse, such as the African Horned Melon. The African Horned Melon is native to Southern Africa and although rare, seeds can still be obtained from a number of different stores. The horned melon has yellow, spiny skin, with green and yellow pulp inside that has a similar taste to banana. The fruit can be grown in a similar way to cucumber, but with less water.

4.   Buddha’s hand
This unusual type of fruit earned its name because of the long segments that it produces, which resemble fingers. Also known as the Fingered Citron, this unique plant does not produce any seeds or juice. The fruit is not edible, but is still worth growing simply to see the fascinating results. The fruit produces a strong fragrance and in some countries is often used for perfume. In some Western countries, the zest of the fruit is used in cooking.

5.   Paw Paws
Paw Paw fruit is native to America and grows on deciduous trees. The fruit is dark skinned and similar to a mango in appearance. The leaves of a paw paw tree will fall mid-autumn and will grow again during the spring when the tree has bloomed.