Nine adorable miniature fruit and veg to grow
Delightful miniature fruit and veg you must grow nowCREDIT: ALAMY· Miranda Evans
28 OCTOBER 2015 • 12:00PM
Most things are cuter when they're small, and miniature fruits and vegetables are no exception.
Perfect for small gardens and children's lunchboxes, these tiny versions of everyday fruit and veg are bound to be a hit in your household.
Not only are they perfect for garnishing a cocktail, or adding interest to a Sunday roast, it's also cheaper to grow your own. Take the miniature kiwi for example - Waitrose were selling them for £2.50 per 125g.
So why not take a look at this definitive list of cute fruit and veg - and give growing them a try.
Cucamelons
Named after their appearance and taste, cucamelons have a ‘cucumber and lime’ taste and are originally from Central America.
Sow April/May and from July to September you will have a delicious crop of cucamelons.
Once they have finished fruiting, dig up the cucuamelon’s radish-like root and keep in slightly moist compost in a cool, dark place over the winter. Plant out the roots again in April.
You can grow cucamelons by getting seeds here
Cucuamelons are perfect in a cocktail CREDIT: ALAMY
Miniature Kiwi 'Issai'
Hardy over winter, miniature kiwi ‘Issai’ are a tasty, healthy treat. They can be planted throughout the year and are self-fertile, unlike other kiwi plants.
Make sure to feed with a citrus fertiliser and harvest from late September through to November.
They don’t need a lot of maintenance, although pruning is a must. Cut back by around half a metre every year, around May, to make sure that new side shoots can sprout – ensuring you have a tasty new crop of kiwi.
Fancy popping this mini kiwi in your children's lunchboxes? You can buy seeds here
Miniature kiwi are perfect for adorning a cheesecake CREDIT:BAKKER SPALDING
Miniature Aubergine 'Ophelia'
These adorable mini aubergines are perfect for roasting and need little tending.
Sow indoors from January through to March, or outdoors from May to June, and harvest from July through to September. You'll get best results from growing these in pots indoors or on a sunny balcony outside.
Make sure to keep the seedlings moist at all times and plant them in a sunny place. Don't plant outside until the risk of frost has completely gone.
They only grow to 50-60g each.
Although you can't sow until January, you can still be prepared
Miniature aubergines perfect for a moussaka CREDIT: PLANTS OF DISTINCTION
Miniature courgettes 'Eight Ball'
Courgette ‘Eight Ball’ are easy to grow and only reach 10cm in diameter at most. You can pick them smaller if you like.
If sowing indoors, do so from from April to May, and make sure to feed them every two weeks with a potash fertiliser. From July to October they’ll be ready to harvest – make sure to keep picking. The more you pluck, the more veggies you’ll get.
If sowing outdoors, make sure to use a well-drained soil, and plant early in June. Courgettes are big feeders, so nourish them every two weeks with a potash rich fertiliser. Harvest from July to October.
Get your mini courgettes seed from Sow Seeds
Round carrots ‘Paris Market Atlas’
These sweetly round carrots will cause a sensation when you serve them with your next roast dinner.
They can be sown outdoors from March through to July in a well-drained soil, and harvested from June through to October – it is as simple as that.
Instead of buying carrots, why not grow them? Get seeds here
These cute carrots are the perfect novelty for a Sunday meal CREDIT: ALAMY
Miniature cauliflower 'Igloo'
Sow these darling little cauliflowers from March to April, and they’ll be ready to harvest from July through to August.
Make sure to plant them closely, as then they’ll grow quickly with cute little miniature heads.
Miniature cauliflower would be perfect with cheese - get some from Suttons
Cute cauliflower CREDIT: SUTTONS SEEDS
Alpine strawberries
Alpine strawberries are perfect for the summer. The plants produce fruit from July right through to September.
They can be grown in baskets or containers, as well as straight in the ground, and should be sown from January through to April in seed trays inside. When the seedlings have grown and the risk of frost has gone, they should be planted outside in sun, or light shade.
If you're very lucky, you might already have alpine strawberries growing wild in your garden, if not, get the seed from Thompson & Morgan
Alpine strawberries are perfect for a summer treat CREDIT:ALAMY
Tomato 'Orange Fizz'
These adorably orange, sweet tomatoes will be a delicious addition to salads.
Sow in March/April into moist, well drained compost and acclimatise them to the cold when the last of the frosts have passed. They're fairly heavy feeders though - so make sure to feed with high potash plant food.
Chiltern Seeds supply these sweet little tomato seeds
'Orange Fizz' tomatoes are perfect, so long as they're gown in sunny conditions CREDIT: CHILTERN SEEDS
Tiny potatoes
The trick to getting little potatoes is simply to harvest when they are still small.
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