8 Self-Seeding Fruits for Delicious Harvests Year After Year—With Less Work for You

Tomato

Tomatoes will self-seed. As the plants age and begin to decline, some overripe fruit will fall to the ground.

"Fallen tomatoes will rot and split open, exposing the seeds to the soil," says Mark Canney, director of landscape and horticulture at Arbor Day Farm. As the fruit decomposes, the flesh breaks down, allowing germination. "Fallen tomatoes sprout in the same spot the following year."

This all happens at the end of a tomato's life cycle—the fruit will often wait through winter and germinate in the spring when temperatures start to warm. Allow 6 to 8 hours of sun exposure to maximize fruit production. 

• Zones: 2a to 11b            
• Mature Size: 6 to 10 feet
• Care Requirements: Full sun; loamy, well-drained soil

Cantaloupe

Cantaloupes can also self-seed, a process that starts as the vines mature; overripe or damaged fruit may then split and open up. If these fruits are left in the garden or taken to the compost pile, they will begin to rot, exposing their numerous seeds to the soil.

“If the seeds overwinter successfully, [then] they often germinate when the ground warms up, sometime in late spring," says Canney.

Don't overwater these new seeds, and consider improving the soil with organic matter to help boost nutrient content and drainage, says Canney. Melons prefer neutral soil for the best results. 

• Zones: 5 to 11   
• Mature Size: 15 to 18 inches tall by 6 feet wide
• Care Requirements: Full sun; loamy, sandy, well-drained soil

Pumpkin

Pumpkins will self-seed easily—a rotting one acts as a sort of mini compost pile, providing the perfect conditions for germination.

Pumpkin vines produce fruit at the end of the summer to early fall, says Canney, so any leftover fruits will eventually rot through during the change of season and break down. As they decompose, their seeds will release into the soil.

These seeds will overwinter and begin to germinate in late spring as the temperatures warm. Practice consistent watering with the new plants. “Deep watering is always best to encourage strong root systems," he adds.

• Zones: 3 to 9     
• Mature Size: 9 to 18 inches tall by 20 to 30 feet long
• Care Requirements: Full sun; moist loamy soil

Blackberry

These berries self-seed with the help of birds, says Canney. They can germinate very easily, in fact, given the right conditions.

They tend to self-seed near the end of their fruiting cycle, when the fruit is ripe. If the conditions are right, the seeds may sprout in late fall and overwinter before germinating in the spring.

“Blackberry seeds have a hard coat that allows them to survive not only cold winters but fire, giving them an advantage in disturbed areas,” he adds.

• Zones: 5 to 9     
• Mature Size: 3 to 10 feet tall by 2 to 20 feet wide
• Care Requirements: Full sun; well-draining loamy soil

Strawberry

“After fruiting in late spring or early summer, strawberries spread both by runners—baby plants that stretch out from the mother plant—and by seeds dropped from fallen fruit," says Julia Dzafic, gardener and author of Garden Grown.

To help these new baby fruits grow, mulch around your strawberry beds after the first harvest to keep the soil moist and soft. This will allow new runners to take root.

“Don’t worry if things look a little wild—we've had small patches turn into sprawling strawberry fields the next year," she adds. Strawberries love to multiply when given a cozy, slightly messy environment.

• Zones: 5a to 9b
• Mature Size: 6 inches tall by 24 inches spread
• Care Requirements: Full sun to part shade; moist loamy soil

Ground Cherry

Ground cherries effortlessly self-seed and require little human intervention.

By late summer into early fall, the tiny, lantern-shaped husks will dry up and drop, and the fruits will begin to self-seed. Just let a few husks fall and decompose naturally, and you'll have new ground cherries next year.

“You’ll likely have a mini ground cherry patch ready to surprise you, and it often spreads bigger each season if you let it,” adds Dzafic.

• Zones: 4 to 8     
• Mature Size: 1 to 3 feet tall and wide
• Care Requirements: Full sun; loamy, sandy well-draining soil

Raspberry

Raspberries self seed around their fruiting season during mid to late summer, spreading much like blackberries do: by fallen fruit, wandering roots, and bird activity.

To make sure the fruits self-seed, keep your raspberry patch healthy and high-yielding, says Dzafic. “Thin out the canes each spring, removing older, less productive ones to give new growth room to thrive.” This will also keep the patch from becoming too crowded or prone to disease.

• Zones: 3 to 8
• Mature Size: Up to 6 feet tall
• Care Requirements: Full sun; well-draining, rich soil

Apple

Apples self-seed in fall and are one of the easiest fruit trees to grow. Autumn is when ripe apples fall to the ground and slowly break down, says Dzafic; the seeds undergo a natural fermentation process that helps trigger germination.

“However, growing apples from seed is a long game,” she warns. “It can take several years before a seedling matures enough to produce fruit, and the apples you get might be quite different—sometimes better, sometimes not—than the original tree.”

• Zones: 2 to 9     
• Mature Size: 20 to 30 feet tall and wide
• Care Requirements: Full sun; loamy, well-draining soil