Small Space Endless opportunity!
Most people know that a container garden can yield a plentiful harvest of vegetables but often overlook or forget about fruits…! Fruits can successfully be grown in containers! First and foremost, it’s important to note that fruits prefer full sun.
Here’s a quick list of the best fruits to grow in containers:
- Strawberries
- Blueberries
- Blackberries / Raspberries
- Figs
- Dwarf Fruit Trees
- Lemons, limes, and other citrus (These will need to be brought inside over the winter.)
Selecting the correct fruit varieties for containers:
- Key to success is planting smaller growing varieties.
- You can’t go wrong with strawberries!
- For bushy fruits such as blueberries, you’ll want a lower growing variety.
- For fruit trees, dwarf is preferred for containers however some semi-dwarf varieties will also work.
Now that you have selected your fruit variety here are some additional tips:
- Most any good quality potting soil will work!
- Make sure your pot has drainage holes.
- Nursery pots suffice though ceramic pots will look better on a patio or deck.
- Slow release fertilizers, such as Osmocote, are the best choice.
- Watering needs will vary with the time of year.
- In the heat of summer plan on watering almost every day.
For Long Term Success:
For long term success, both top pruning and root pruning will be highly beneficial especially after having been in a pot for a few years. Bushy fruits (blueberries, blackberries etc.) will perform far better than dwarf fruit trees in containers. While dwarf fruit trees can be successfully grown in containers they do require regular maintenance and in general don’t yield as well as one planted directly in the ground. Ideally you will have a plan to plant a container grown fruit tree in a few years (i.e. you’re renting now but plan on buying a house in a few years).
Please let us know if you have any questions or want to learn more about growing a specific fruit! We Help You Grow!
