Of all the trees suited to container gardening, fruit-bearing species are the most appealing – yet the most difficult to maintain. Of course, their payoff – delicious fresh citrus, berries, figs, peaches, apples and plums (and more) – makes the extra care well-worth the effort.
Fruit-bearing trees often require more maintenance than other container plants, but they add yet another level of texture, color, aroma and taste to your garden.
Photo Credit: ©2000 Dolezal Publishing/John M. Rickard
Dwarf lemon selections can be container-grown outdoors or in a sunny conservatory. (In conservatories lemons will bloom and produce fruit year-round.)
Photo Credit: ©2000 Dolezal Publishing/John M. Rickard
Water your newly planted tree thoroughly and monitor it for adequate drainage, both in soil absorption and in drainage from the bottom of the container. Repeat daily for the first week, then twice weekly for the first month, then only when the soil dries.
Photo Credit: ©2000 Dolezal Publishing/Kyle Chesser
As with all container gardening, planting a fruit tree or vine in a container has its advantages. One of the biggest: It allows you to better protect the plant from frost or other climatic changes since you can move your container under cover or insulate it when necessary. Containerized fruit trees are also beautiful, making a wonderful vertical accent to a patio, deck or other area of a garden.
Most fruit-bearing plants are grafted and composed of two important, yet separate, plants: the rootstock (below the soil) and the scion (above the soil). The scion delivers the fruit typical of the named species, but the anonymous rootstock is the real key to the plant’s vigor. In large part, the rootstock determines the size of the plant, its hardiness and its ability to adapt to soil conditions. For container plantings, look for dwarf-variety rootstock (grafted to scions bred to bear a full yield of fruit and either full-sized branches and stems) or dual genetic dwarfs (trees in which both the scion and the rootstock are naturally smaller than those of other varieties). They’re adapted by nature to growing in small spaces – like containers.
If you want to grow edibles for fruit production – whether in the ground or in containers – you have to keep pollination in mind. Some fruits, such as the peach, are self-pollinating: Just one plant is needed. Species that rely on cross-pollination, however, require the same or a closely related species blooming at the same time to yield a crop of edible fruit. In container gardening, putting two plants in the same pot or adjacent to one another facilitates cross-pollination. Some nurseries also offer grafted specimens with two or more cross-fertilizing species on the same rootstock. Check with your local garden center or nursery to be sure you have all you need to yield a successful containerized fruit crop.
The right-sized container and the texture of soil are also more critical to potted fruit trees than to other container plants. For deciduous trees, select a sturdy container 2-3 inches wider than the roots of the plant. (This pot will serve only for one season, however. Then it should be transplanted to a larger, though still temporary, home). For citrus, the recommended container diameter is 3-4 inches larger than the root ball. These varieties can be planted directly into their permanent containers.
Most good-quality potting soils are fine for fruit trees, though certain species need a higher acidic content and peat moss in their mix. And because they spend so much energy producing food, the plants need almost constant nourishment from fertilization every 3-4 weeks throughout the growing season.
While pruning is vital to maintain the size and shape of the scion, it’s equally important to thin the tree’s yield by removing flowers and a portion of the immature fruit shortly after it sets. An abundant crop may sound like a nice problem to have, but too many fruits can reduce the average size of each piece – and in severe cases, their combined weight can break branches. So in early spring, when most clusters begin to form from the blossoms on trees such as cherry or crabapples, reduce each cluster to one fruit apiece, leaving about 6 inches between clusters. Then keep a wary eye out for pests, and enjoy the fruits of your labor!
