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Fresh fruits in the garden

Grow Fruit & Berries in Cold Climates

Your Mini-Guide to Growing Delicious Fruits in Canada

From juicy berries to sprawling melons and fruit trees, this guide helps you feed your garden — and perhaps the neighbourhood critters too!

Espalier - Fruit Trees

Berries

Melons

I didn't think I could grow Melons in zone 6. Every Christmas we buy fresh fruit for the holidays and in the spring Mother's Nature showed me how to grow my own fruit in the compost bin. That was a pleasant surprise and a learning experience.

Fruit Trees & Vines -

  • Growing Grapes – Perfect for trellises or arbours; attracts both you and the local wildlife.
  • Apple Trees – Hardy varieties for Canadian gardens, ideal for fresh eating and pies.
  • Asian Pear Trees – Sweet, juicy fruit that thrives with proper pruning and care.
  • Plum Trees – sometimes the squirrels leave me some
  • Writing about Peach Trees – They Require a bit more attention, but the reward is well worth it.

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Do Fruits and Berries Ripen After Picking?

Not all fruits continue to ripen after they are picked. Some can continue developing sweetness and flavour after harvest, while others need to reach their desired ripeness while still on the plant.

Harvest timing also varies with variety, weather and growing zone. The information below is a general guide rather than a substitute for knowing your particular fruit.

Fruit or Berry Ripens After Picking? What to Look For
Apples Yes Harvest when mature. Look for changes in colour, firmness, flavour and ease of separation from the tree.
Pears Yes — usually Pick mature but still firm. Most European pears ripen better after harvest, often after a period of cold storage.
Peaches Yes Can continue to soften and develop flavour after picking. For the best eating quality, harvest when mature rather than very immature.
Plums Yes Can continue to ripen after picking. Harvest timing depends on variety and intended use.
Apricots Yes Can continue to ripen after harvest, but flavour is best when harvested at the proper mature stage.
Nectarines Yes Can continue to soften and develop flavour after picking.
Quince Yes Can continue to develop after harvest and is generally harvested before it reaches its final eating condition.
Persimmons Yes Some types need to soften considerably before eating. Variety matters.
Figs Limited Best harvested when ripe. They can soften after picking, but do not expect an immature fig to become a fully ripe, sweet fig.
Blueberries No Pick when ripe and sweet. They may soften after harvest but do not become significantly sweeter.
Strawberries No Pick when ripe. They do not become sweeter after harvest.
Raspberries No Pick when ripe and easily released from the plant. They are highly perishable.
Blackberries No Pick when fully coloured and ripe. They do not become sweeter after harvest.
Currants No Allow them to reach the desired colour and flavour on the plant before picking.
Gooseberries No Harvest according to intended use, but they do not become sweeter after picking.
Saskatoon berries / Juneberries No Allow berries to develop their full colour and flavour before harvesting.
Cherries No Allow them to reach desired ripeness on the tree before picking.
Grapes No Leave them on the vine until they have reached the desired sweetness and flavour.
Hardy kiwi Yes Can be harvested while still firm and allowed to ripen after harvest. Timing depends on variety and growing conditions.
Cranberries No Harvest when mature; they do not continue to ripen in the same way as apples or pears.
Tomatoes Yes Tomatoes can ripen after picking, making them particularly useful when frost threatens.
Cantaloupe Some varieties Some melons continue to ripen after harvest, while others mainly soften without gaining much sweetness. Variety matters.

A useful distinction

Fruit can soften or deteriorate after picking without actually ripening. Ripening involves changes such as increased sweetness, changes in acidity, flavour and aroma, and changes in texture. Simply becoming soft does not necessarily mean that an immature fruit has become ripe.

For the home gardener, the simplest rule is:

  • Apples, pears and many stone fruits: can continue ripening after harvest.
  • Grapes, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries and cherries: should be allowed to reach their desired ripeness before picking.

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