photo credit: foodistablog

With a little planning on fruit varieties that you want, you will be able to raise fresh non-chemical produce for your family. And by adding other soft fruits like strawberries and melons you will have a great supply of fresh fruit for any occasion.

Here are two you tube videos on small fruit orchards.

One shows growing a small fruit orchard in your backyard. This garden is set up in a city and set up in a raised bed. You could also grow the fruit trees in containers for the patio or balcony garden.

One point mentioned is that sometimes you have to wait a year or two for the fruit to produce.

What I do during this waiting time is add leafy vegetables around the trees or in the containers for color and to make use of the space.

The next video shows how to grow blueberries.

Blueberries add to any mini orchard and are easy to grow. You will need at least two varieties of blueberries for cross-pollination so a larger patio or balcony will be needed or a backyard for the blueberry plants.

This you tube shows planting a blueberry plant in a container. What I like about this your tube is that they really showed mixing up a great soil that will keep the plant healthy and producing for years.

I have 6 blueberry plants that I planted in a circular garden form near the patio and added other small fruit in this area. Vine peach on a trellis, rhubarb in a few groupings, kiwi fruit and raspberries all grow here. I added a few herbs and edible flowers for color and as other crops to harvest.

I also added a bench and a water fountain to this area to create a wonderful place to read or relax in my backyard oasis.

A small fruit orchard can add to the beauty and value of your home  and with the new varieties of small growing trees you can grow almost any fruit that will grow in your climate.

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

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.