A Complete Guide on How to Grow Exotic Fruits

India is the world's second-largest producer of exotic fruits. This is due to the fact that a nation with a diversified climate and culture can grow a wide variety of fruits. The country's changing seasons are signaled by the perishable parts of store aisles and the large variety of fruits on stalled carts of street vendors.  Some exotic fruits are tropical.

The growing popularity of exotic fruits is largely due to changing consumer preferences and their positive health effects. Many people are consuming plant-based foods and adopting exotic fruits into their regular diets due to their great taste and multiple health advantages.

Advantages of Exotic Fruits

It will give your platter a refreshing change. While savoring these unique fruits, you might imagine yourself in your exotic tropical holiday home. Scientific research on exotic fruits and their advantages to health is heavily funded.

In the off-season for fruits, stores are stocked with exotic fruits. For instance, while imported apples are constantly available and are now gaining in popularity, local apples are usually only available during the winter months. Collagen serves to maintain the health of the skin, ligaments, tendons, and cartilage. Also, vitamin C supports immunity.

Growth of Exotic Fruit Business in India

The growing popularity of exotic fruits and their numerous health advantages have a significant impact on the business. Due to its incredible taste and plethora of health advantages, many people are embracing plant-based meals and adopting nutrient-dense exotic fruits into their regular diets.

Farmers from Himachal Pradesh to the southern states of Kerala and Karnataka want to grow exotic fruit varieties as they can generate good profits. When compared to local fruit, foreign produce is more expensive and carries a premium of at least 50%.

Cultivation of Exotic Fruits

Exotic plants can all be grown in patio tubs or other pots. Select a container that is the right size for the plant you are growing if you are planting in one. In a small container, a plant with plenty of fruit and foliage can easily tip over in severe winds. Concrete, plastic, a tub, or a wooden half-barrel work well as patio containers. Good drainage is important for planting in tubs. Drilling holes into the container's base and possibly its sides are necessary. Avoid setting the container on a surface where water will collect. To help with drainage, the container should ideally be placed on a few house bricks or gravel.

Create a hole that is roughly twice as big and twice as deep as the plant's container. Before backfilling to level, the soil, use a fork to loosen the soil around the hole's edges and bottom. You can restore the soil you originally dug, or, ideally, with that soil and 25% organic matter, such as well-rotted compost (not fresh compost) or compost, to give your plant the best start possible.

Make sure the final planting depth is equal to or slightly deeper than the initial planting depth before setting the plant in the hole (indicated by a soil or compost mark on the stem). Backfill with garden soil you've already removed or your own soil/compost mixture. Water the dry soil after cooling it in a well. No stimulants, fertilizers, or bonefish should ever be used while planting because they will "burn" any new root growth and could potentially hinder the growth of your plant.

In order to avoid competition for moisture and nutrients, keep the area surrounding the base of your plant clear of weeds and grass. It's a good idea to mulch your plant with well-rotted compost, chipped bark, or something similar to help it retain moisture even more. It will also help in reducing weed growth.

Conditions for growing exotic fruits

The majority of exotic fruit trees require a southern location next to a house or other building that offers cover and warmth during the winter. Additionally, exotic fruit plants require soil that drains well and has a lot of organic matter.

To keep the root ball moist, new fruit plants need frequent watering. During the hottest months of the year, it could be essential to water multiple times per day. Never fertilize exotic plants with pesticides during the first two years. Compost that is in good condition will release useful nutrients as it breaks down.

Choose the right fruits: Look at the fruits you wish to grow before you start anything. Passion, kiwi, pineapple, guava, and avocado are among the best exotic fruits. These fruits are highly resilient and, if damaged, can tolerate cold temperatures. Install specialized tools. For the fruit to be as delicious as possible, you must make sure you have the best ingredients. First, make an investment in a high-quality polytunnel or greenhouse. You can change the temperature and light in the polytunnel as necessary to meet the needs of your exotic fruit.

Check online or with a garden center expert for particular instructions before planting your fruit; certain fruits need to be planted in the open ground, while others do well in tubs and containers. To give your plant the best possible start in life, always take additional care while planting.

Aftercare: After choosing and planting your fruit, you must be sure to take good care of your planting. Make sure your plants are properly watered during the first growing season; it's frequently advised to water them thoroughly once a week. Every season, you should maintain your fruit trees to promote healthy growth.

It can be difficult to cultivate exotic fruits in your garden, but it is well worth the time and effort when you can consume the fruits you raise. All of these fruit species experience their highest growth and fruit production throughout the summer. Because of this, success with tropical fruits at this time of year depends greatly on proper feeding. The only care you need to provide your tropical fruit during the growing season, except for watering and mulching, must be feeding.

The most vital part in growing these crops is water, therefore surrounding your tropical fruit trees with a thick, thick layer of mulch will benefit the soil, the plants, and your wallet. Your soil will be able to absorb five times more water due to that layer of mulch than it would without it. The root system will be protected and kept cool in hot weather. Mulch will also save you money by preventing the soil's water reserves from evaporating. As it breaks down and creates humus, a favorite food of your garden's companions, the earthworms, it will enhance the soil's quality.

It's very simple to feed tropical fruit trees. By going natural, you can avoid additional work, extend the shelf life of the plant foods you use, feed the plant more naturally, and protect the environment from toxic chemicals.

List of Exotic Fruits in India

Japani Phal or Persimmon:

It was originally from China, but European settlers introduced it to India. It is cultivated in the Himalayan region, particularly in the Nilgiri Hills, Uttarakhand, and Jammu & Kashmir. The fruit's physical resemblance to tomato is what makes it unique.

The vitamin and mineral-rich Japani fruit have several health advantages. Fully ripe fruits can be tender, tasty, and sweet. potassium, carbs, and vitamin C are all abundant.

The native Himachal term for the unique, intensely orange-red, juicy persimmon is "Japani fruit," which is a temperate fruit. The fruit is delicate, sweet, and delicious when it is fully ripe. The fruit is indigenous to China, and early 20th-century European settlers introduced it to India. Additionally, it includes manganese, which helps fight against lung and mouth cancer and maintains healthy mucous membranes and skin.

Water Apple

Its scientific name is Syzygium samarangense, and it belongs to the Myrtaceae family. It’s not an apple.  It is a tropical fruit that grows throughout Southeast Asia, including Malaysia, southern India, and Indonesia. It is a medium-sized tree that can grow to a height of more than 8 meters if it is planted in the ground.

Water apples, commonly referred to as rose apples, have many health advantages, including enhancing immunity and improving heart health. A yellow berry with a diameter of 2 to 4 cm serves as an edible fruit. Its interior structure enlarges to the point that it creates a hollow fruit with a bell-like seed. 

Jackfruit

It is a rare tropical fruit with a sweet taste that is popular around the world. It was recently proclaimed as Kerala's official fruit. The fruit is hence worthy of being mentioned first. The huge jackfruit, which hangs from trees, is very nourishing when it is ripe and raw. The fleshy fruit within the jackfruit is worth the fun of peeling it, which is an art. Many recipes made in the style of Kerala can be made with this fruit.

Longan (Dimocorpus)

The Sapindaceae family includes the exotic white-fleshed longan fruit. It is a type of tropical tree that bears edible fruit. It is indigenous to the hills of Assam and Meghalaya as well as southern China. A cool environment, a pH of 6 to 6.5, and sensitivity to acidic soil conditions are necessary for growth and flowering. West Bengal and Bihar are well-known longan-growing states in India. The tree has many branches and measures between 9 and 12 meters in height and 8 meters in breadth.

Avocados

Tropical and subtropical regions are ideal for growing avocados. A wide range of non-saline soil pH levels of 5-7 is suitable for growing the fruits. It is not resistant to frost or hot, dry winds. In the eastern Himalayan states of Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Sikkim in India, avocado is grown on a small scale.

For protection from cold, dampness, and frost, avocados must be grown in pots on a sunny patio in the summer and placed in a greenhouse or conservatory in the winter. Avocados can grow to a height of 5-7 feet in a container (1.5-2 meters). 12 to 18 months after flowering, fruits typically start to appear. On the tree, the fruit will keep growing, but it won't ripen until it is picked.

Breadfruit

The classification of breadfruit as a fruit or a vegetable is up for debate. Although it is extremely similar to jackfruit, it must first be cooked, much like potatoes or yams, in order to be consumed. The tropical fruit is grown in the southern state of Kerala and along the coast of Karnataka (parts of Mangalore), but it was first cultivated in western Micronesia after traveling from New Guinea to the Indo-Malayan Peninsula. The tropical rainforests of Indonesia, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, and South India are home to breadfruit.

Kiwi

Kiwi fruit grows well in hot and humid climates.  It requires healthy, wet soil that drains well. However, high winds should be avoided at all costs as they can easily harm your kiwi plant. One of the rarest fruits ever is the kiwi, which is indigenous to most of China, particularly the woods in the Yangtze River Valley. It was introduced to New Zealand in 1904 and has subsequently been grown for its edible fruit in many temperate areas.

Dragon Fruit

The dragon fruit tree is grown as an ornamental fruit plant.  Although it can handle poor soil and temperature variations, it thrives in tropical temperatures and low-rainfall regions. Dragon fruit is an exotic fruit. Plants that produce dragon fruit thrive in hot climates. If the soil has sufficient drainage and a good fertilizer density, dragon fruit can be grown in any type of soil. Swamped land cannot be used for cultivation. The cultivation of dragon fruit is ideal for the tropical climate.

Dragon fruit plant also needs less rain, but it needs more warm weather, and if there is frost in winter for a long time, the yield will be lost. Dragon fruit plants enjoy warm weather and are often planted in full sunlight; too much sun in dry or particularly hot areas can damage the stem. The main key is that their soil is moist, rich in organic matter, and well-drained.