Growing you own fruit in the backyard or on the patio or balcony adds color and atmosphere to your home. It also supplies fresh fruit that you have control over how many chemicals, if any were used when growing the fruit. With the recent toxin scares this is an important factor. blueberries
photo credit: Jennie Faber
After you have decided what fruit to grow, your lighting and space is appropriate and you have selected the best container for the plant it’s time to make sure your fruit grow well and produces quality crops.
Soil for fruit containers
Most fruit prefer a nutrient-rich growing medium. Check the growing instructions that came with your plants and adjust the soil accordingly. When setting up your containers place small rocks or pebbles in the bottom of the container to help ensure proper drainage.
The top two or 3 inches of potting soil in the container should be removed each spring and replaced with fresh compost. This keeps the soil fresh and adds more nutrients to your fruit.
You may want to repot you fruit plants every two or three years. This should be done in the winter when the fruit is dormant. Repot the plant up one container size if necessary. You can tell by the rootball if this would be a good idea. (One size in a container is usually about 1 1/2 to two inches.)
Extra nutrition for your Small Space Fruit Orchard
You will need to feed and add nutrients to your small fruit orchard plants. Fruit grown in pots will need to be fed and watered more often than plants grown in the ground. And remember that container fruit produces less than a plant grown in the ground, but you will still get a nice crop.
Feed the plants a high potassium fertilizer (like pot ash) when the fruit starts to develop. In late summer you will want to switch to a fertilizer high in nitrogen. I like to use a weak tea on the container fruit about once a month for a quick pick me up for the plant.
If you are growing citrus fruits, feed them a high-nitrogen fertilizer starting in the spring and through to midsummer. Midsummer you will want to switch to a balanced fertilizer until fall arrives.
How much fertilizer you use will depend on the type of fruit you are growing. Check the growing instructions that came with the plant or ask questions at the local nursery. Too much fertilizer can create problems so use care and ask questions if you are not sure.
Watering
Keep the top compost moist, but not wet during the active growing season. This may require watering plants multiple times daily to prevent the growing medium from drying out. I have found that during the hottest days in summer the container plants will benefit from mulch on top of the compost to help retain moisture in the container.
Lighting for your small orchard
Your fruit will benefit from being placed outdoors during the summer months. This may be a patio or balcony if you live in a town. They should be outside in a warm, sheltered location with plenty of sun. Depending on the fruit, plants will need to be brought indoors and protected from cold in the winter.
The plants and fruit will benefit if you turn the plant container once a week. They will grow taller and the fruit will get equal sunlight.
If your planting containers are large it will best to have the planters on wheels or a plant carrier. Moving the plants will be fast and easy this way. As you move your fruit planters check for insects and any dead leaves.
And most important, enjoy your small fruit garden. The plants will provide you with beauty and fresh fruit for years to come. For more information on selecting the right container for your fruit orchard check out Small Fruit Orchard: Part One
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