Early Spring Season Fruits

Everything has its time and season, and this includes fruit. Multiple governments, health enthusiasts, penny pinchers, farmers and environmentalists have put emphasis on this concept for a variety of reasons. First off, when you buy fruits that are in season, you will likely be supporting local farmers which boost your town's economy. Consequentially, you will be reducing pollution because transportation trucks will not have to travel as far as to deliver produce from the farm to the store. In addition, you will not have to pay as much for fruits that are in season when they are in the season compared to fruits that are not in their season at the store since in-season fruits are often produced in abundance which drives down their prices. This being said, early spring is a great time to get started on the eat-in season trend because your local farmer can be yourself! As the weather slowly but eventually starts to warm up the snow will melt away from your garden and create a fresh space teeming full of potential. So what’s in season right now you may be asking? Here are some early spring fruits that you should get your gardening gloves on right now.

Strawberries

Who doesn’t love this berrylicious, ruby red cutie? Strawberries have many health benefits such as being high in vitamin C reduces the risk of catching a cold and strengthens the immune system. A fun fact about strawberries is that they don’t ripen after being harvested. This means that if a strawberry has a hint of green on it when it is harvested, then that area will remain green. So, when harvesting your own strawberries you should always wait until a particular berry is fully ripe. Don’t worry, however, as strawberry plants produce their berries at a quick paste. Therefore, this attribute makes the strawberry an ideal early spring fruit crop as it allows farmers to pick the berries before a perceived last minute frost hits which happen quite often during the early spring growing season.


Rhubarb

With a tart kick and long stem that cascades in an ombré from a rich pink to luscious green, this crunchy stalk will be a beautiful addition to anyone’s garden. Rhubarb has many health benefits such as being high in vitamin K which reduces the risk of osteoporosis and strengthens bones. An important fact to consider when preparing and using rhubarb is that the leaves of the rhubarb stalk contain a naturally occurring chemical known as oxalic acid, which is deadly to humans when consumed. Therefore, it is crucial to remember to discard and not to eat the leaves of a rhubarb plant since it could cause irritation when exposed to skin. Rhubarb is a stalk, which means that it grows partially in the ground. However, this attribute makes the rhubarb an ideal early spring fruit crop as the dirt will provide heat for the plant which will protect the rhubarb from the cold nights that are usually associated with the early spring growing season.


Apricots

With a hint of gold, it’s velvet resembling softness, and a taste so sweet, this amazing fruit is sure to win over anyone’s heart. Apricots have many health benefits such as being high in fibre improves colon health and aids the body’s digestion process. A cool fact about apricots is that the state of California, which is located in the United States of America, produces 95% of the worlds apricots! When growing your own apricots in your personal garden it is important to remember that an apricot tree, as well as the fruit that it produces, are quite small. The average height of an apricot tree is around 12 to 36 feet, while the average apricot fruit is roughly the size of a golf ball. This means that the apricots produced on your tree will have to be harvested quite quickly. However, this attribute makes the apricot an ideal early spring fruit crop as it can easily avoid a surprise, last-minute cold spell, which can often happen early on in the spring growing season.