There are many fruit trees and other varieties of fruits that can be grown in containers. Growing fruit in containers is a perfect solution for people who want fresh fruit but have limited garden space or live in a city. And with the emphasis on recession gardens and growing you own produce and fruit the small space fruit orchard is catching on.
photo credit: Marina Cast.

If you are looking for fruit that will produce the first year soft fruits are you best choice. Strawberries, currents, gooseberries, and grapes work well. These can be bought in compact varieties or dwarf rootstock. But this may not be necessary because the size of the container will usually restrict the size of growth of the plant.

Watermelon, cantaloupe, melons, kiwi and vine peach also grow well in containers, And if you like nuts, try growing peanuts indoors.

And although growing you own fruit is easy and rewarding with fresh fruit with limited chemicals or no chemicals its important to realize that growing fruit in containers will not produce the quantity that will be produced in a garden area. But your crop is usually enough for your needs.

Containers for the Small Fruit Orchard

Half the fun of growing in containers is selecting the container. Consider the pot as an addition of art in your backyard and home. You want the select the right size for your fruit crop but color and a container that adds to your décor or expresses your personality is also important.

The best containers for growing fruit are those only slightly larger than the existing rootball. This would be an additional 2 to 3 inches in diameter.

As a rule of thumb, most fruits do well in a pot that is 18 inches in diameter and at least 16-18 inches deep. Melons will need a larger pot. I prefer to grow them in a planter box so that I can trellis the plants easily and make sure they have enough fertilizer and water.  
photo credit: allyrose18

Strawberries can be grown in smaller pots and work well in hanging baskets or window boxes. I grow my strawberries in hanging baskets and have a crop of berries that produce all year long.

Container tip: Large pots will get heavy from the soil so set them on casters to make moving them around the patio, balcony in and out of the house easier.

One final consideration in selecting a container for your fruit is to make sure it has adequate drainage and a water tray for catching excess water.

With proper sunlight, fertilizer and watering, you can raise great fruit in a small space garden or orchard area.

You will find it rewarding and you may want to mix a few herbs or flower in your containers for more color and fun.

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This entry was posted on Tuesday, May 5th, 2009 at 9:34 pm and is filed under Backyard Garden. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.