Fruit Trees, a Feast for the Eyes and Your Table
Did you know that you can have fruit trees at your fingertips? Including fruit trees in your container garden arrangement can enrich your outdoor living space with bright, sometimes colorful blooms, pleasing fragrance and of course, the robust pops of color once they bear fruit.
Before You Begin
There are numerous fruit tree varieties that can be grown in containers. These include lemon, lime, orange, peach, cherry, apricot, fig, olive, and more. First things first. Before you set your heart on a particular fruit or tree type, do your homework to discover whether they will thrive in your grow zone. You should consider dwarf varieties where available.
Keep in mind that when purchasing a fruit tree sapling, research the variety and inquire regarding the age if possible, to determine when you can expect the tree to bear fruit. For example, after our January 2020 anniversary vacation, I returned home with a taste for Mojitos and Cancháncharas. So naturally, when I visited a local nursery that spring and saw they had saplings, I purchased a lime tree sapling. It was not in its blooming stage that first year, but the following January, the lime tree (which I’d brought indoors for the cold months) began to present with blooms! Although early blooms (those well before March) were pinched off, new blooms appeared, and a few limes made it to harvest each season since then. Some saplings do not produce fruit in the first 1-2 years.
Maintenance and Care
When researching your tree variety, you also want to know if your tree is self-fertile. My lime tree is self-fertile, and I was able to facilitate pollination by using a watercolor brush to transfer pollen from the stamen to the pistil among the blooms. Click here for a visual. Plants that are not self-fertile usually have to be grown in groups, so that cross pollination can occur.
Know what temperatures and humidity your tree types prefer, so that you know when/if to bring it indoors, use a row cover or frost blanket, or when to mist. Many fruit trees do fine when brought indoors, provided the soil is not permitted to dry out, and they receive at least 6-8 hours of sunlight. These trees may even benefit from use of grow lights. We have noticed greener, healthier foliage with the addition of a grow light on 12 hour cycle.
Many sources suggest that you do not feed or frequently water fruit trees when simply brought indoors for the cold months, as not to promote too early blooming/fruit. Initially, I watered my lime tree thoroughly when brought indoors due to temperatures dropping below 45 degrees, and used a terra cotta watering spike and water filled glass bottle setup for slow watering of roots, as needed over the months that followed. This recent year, I ditched the watering spike and watered about once a week.
Research when to prune your tree, when to fertilize your particular type of fruit tree(s), and fertilizer recommendations. In the case of citrus trees, late winter/early spring (before blooming as possible) is a great time to prune (as needed) and to feed. I use Espoma Citrus Tone, a slow release fertilizer during this time, and then begin seaweed or fish emulsion feedings every 3 weeks during growing season.
There are any number of fruit tree options which can be planted in containers. Lime, lemon, black cherry/cherry, fig, avocado, orange, apple, peach, and plum are just a few. There are varieties that have been cultivated for smaller stature and spread, as well as for containers.
Select a food safe planter at least 5 gallons in size for small/young saplings, and approximately 7-10 gallons for larger trees, transplanting to larger pots as your tree grows. Also ensure that your pot has proper drainage. See our guide for container options.
More Resources
Here are some links regarding selection and maintenance of potted fruit trees:
https://www.thespruce.com/growing-fruit-trees-in-containers-848164
https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/home/gardening/a20706778/fruit-trees/
How big will the lies get (full size)?
The size of the tree will be smaller than if planted in the ground. However, the fruit should be average size.