Fruiting Plants
1116 Words
Fruiting Plants
God Almighty blessed nature with trees, and fruiting trees in particular, to be a benefit and a form of sustenance to humans and animals.
God says in the Holy Quran: Surah 80. ‘Abasa. Verse 23–32:
No! Man has not yet accomplished what He commanded him. Then let mankind look at his food—How We poured down water in torrents, Then We broke open the earth, splitting [it with sprouts], And caused to grow within it grain, And grapes and herbage, And olive and palm trees, And gardens of dense shrubbery, And fruit and grass—[As] enjoyment for you and your grazing livestock.
Fruits are mentioned in many Quranic verses, and are mentioned 10 times in the Holy Quran as the food for the people of Paradise, and for those who are close to God and on the right path.
God says in the Holy Quran: Surah 2. Al-Baqarah. Verse 25:
And give good tidings to those who believe and do righteous deeds that they will have gardens [in Paradise] beneath which rivers flow. Whenever they are provided with a provision of fruit therefrom, they will say “This is what we were provided with before.” And it is given to them in likeness. And they will have therein purified spouses, and they will abide therein eternally.
Fruits are mentioned in some places in the Holy Quran in general, and sometimes specifically by name; many of the names of specific fruits written in the Quran are called by the same names today. The majority of fruits mentioned in the Quran— including figs, pomegranates, olives, grapes, dates, bananas and jujubes—are cultivated successfully in Qatar and throughout the Arabian Gulf region.
Fruits are important to the body both nutritionally and medicinally, because they contain a wide range of vitamins and minerals, as well as antioxidants and fiber. Fruits are a low calorie, natural source of sugar. They are essential to daily health, and as such must be eaten regularly. Fruits come in a wide variety of shapes, colors, and delicious tastes; each fruit is unique. They are used to make many products, including medicine for children and adults, cosmetics, and skin care items.
God says in the Holy Quran: Surah 16. An-Nahl. Verse 67:
And from the fruits of the palm trees and grapevines you take intoxicant and good provision. Indeed in that is a sign for a people who reason.
and in Surah 23. Al-Mu’minun. Verse 18–19:
And We have sent down rain from the sky in a measured amount and settled it in the earth. And indeed, We are Able to take it away. And We brought forth for you thereby gardens of palm trees and grapevines in which for you are abundant fruits and from which you eat.
The frequency of which fruiting plants are mentioned in both the Quran and Sunnah (sayings of the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him) highlights the importance of fruits in all aspects of life, for food, medicine, and manufacturing, for both humans and animals.
Above left to right
Simple fruit (olive); Aggregate fruit (strawberry); Multiple fruit (pineapple)
Definition of fruit: A fruit is the seed-bearing structure in flowering plants (also known as angiosperms) formed from the ovary after flowering. It is the way flowering plants disperse seeds. Colloquially, fruits are often thought of as the fleshy part of a plant that is edible in a raw state, although not all fruits are edible, and other parts of many plants are edible. There are many types of fruits, such as:
Simple fruit: Fruits that originate from one ovary in the flower, such as olives and oranges.
Aggregate fruit: A fruit that consists of multiple ripened ovaries of a single flower, such as a raspberry, a strawberry or a sugar apple. A collection or a group of simple fruitlets makes an aggregate fruit.
Multiple fruit: A fruit formed when several flowers, each with an ovary, develop into small fruits that are clustered or fused together into a larger fruit. Each flower produces a fruit, but these mature into a single mass. Examples of multiple fruits are pineapple, fig, mulberry, and breadfruit.
True fruit: Fruits that consist only of the ovary of the flower, such as guava.
False fruit: Fruits that consist of one or more of the flower’s ovaries, such as apples.
Seedless fruit: A fruit developed to possess no mature seeds. An example of this type of fruit is seedless grapes.
Fruiting plants are an important horticultural crop, some of which are annuals, such as red watermelon and yellow melon, and some perennials, like fig and some types of oranges. Some fruiting plants are deciduous, like mangoes and grapes, and some are evergreens, including citrus. Fruiting plants are considered very important agriculturally, and can be grown on large farms or in home gardens.
Fruiting plants play a leading role in the economy of many countries around the world, whether they are grown for domestic consumption or for export. The cultivation of fruit plants and trees is an example of intensive agriculture, where higher levels of input yield high levels of output per unit of agricultural land area. Fruiting plants generate far higher profits than other crops, and increase the value of agricultural land. Different fruit crops are raised in different geographic regions, based on the environment. Colder regions tend to raise apples and pears, for example, while in warmer climates olives and grapes grow. Mango, papaya, and banana are examples of tropical fruits, while dates, citrus and guava grow in subtropical regions.
Above left to right
True fruit (guava); False fruit (apple); Seedless fruit (grape)
How to grow fruits in a home garden: Fruiting plants should be cultivated in a dedicated section of the home garden. Choose an area that is slightly elevated, to ensure proper water drainage. Before planting, prepare the soil. Prepare the soil by removing any grass, stones, or other items, and enrich with compost and organic fertilizer. For each tree, prepare a hole at least 1m in depth. Fill with soil, compost, and fertilizer mixture, at least half-way. Trees need space to spread as they grow, so leave a minimum of 3m between each tree, and 1m between the tree and the wall of the house or garden. Mix different types of fruit trees in the same area, so that there are different periods of harvest. Citrus trees, which have aromatic blossoms, are a good choice to be planted at the forefront of the house, whereas messier trees, such as mulberry whose fruits can stain, are better placed at the back of the garden.
Olea europaea
Olives
Fruits
Ananas comosus
Pineapple
Ananas comosus
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