If you love the flavor of homegrown fruits but you don’t have enough space for trees in your yard, there is another way to grow these plants.
Some tree species respond well to container cultivation and they can give you a pretty good harvest. Additionally, the blossoms of these fruit trees will elevate your outdoor garden design.
Of course, there are some things to consider if you decide on container gardening.
In this article, I’ll show you some of the best fruits to grow in pots and give you some tried-and-true tips for keeping them happy and healthy.
Let’s get started!
1. Orange
Orange trees seem to love when they’re grown in containers. They are hardy in USDA zones 8 through 11, and remember that orange trees are tough and can withstand temperatures down to 23 degrees Fahrenheit.
If you want a bountiful harvest of juicy oranges, you’ll need to provide the trees with temperatures ranging from 60 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit.
Those who live in cooler climates should grow their oranges in heated greenhouses. Caring for citrus trees in colder climates includes transferring pots indoors for overwintering or ensuring winter protection.
You’ll need to choose dwarf varieties of orange trees if you decide on container growing; Calamondin and Trovita are smaller cultivars that will ensure a high yield.
2. Pear
Finding a smaller variety of pears that can grow in pots is fairly easy. The great news is that these varieties generate an abundance of blossoms and a lot of fruits to harvest.
Moonglow and Seckel are perfect choices for container growing.
You can also train these fruit trees into specific shapes and forms, such as cordons, espaliers, and fans.
Make sure to protect your potted pears from high winds and late frosts, and keep them in a warm and sunny location during the summer months.
Luckily, dwarf pear varieties don’t need a lot of pruning, which is perfect news for beginner gardeners.
3. Lemon
There’s a wide variety of lemon trees to add to your garden. These fruits are one of the most popular for container gardening and they can even bloom and fruit year-round if provided with the ideal conditions.
If you live in USDA zones 9 through 11, you can keep your lemon tree outdoors. Lemons should be protected from low temperatures, so if you live in cooler climates, bring them indoors for overwintering.
You should ensure enough warmth and sun for your potted lemons if you want an abundant yield. Select a spot in your garden that receives about 8 hours of full sun and make sure the temperatures are around 68 degrees Fahrenheit.
Meyer lemons are definitely the best varieties for container cultivation.
4. Plum
If you’re an impatient gardener, consider growing plum trees in pots. Victoria, Damson, and Johnson are some varieties that can thrive in such conditions.
You should know that these plums are fast-growing and self-fertile, so you can have a fruitful harvest with little effort.
All you need to do is find a sunny and sheltered location in your garden and put your potted plum there.
You should also be careful about late frost because it can damage the delicate blossoms.
Similarly to pears, you can train your plum trees into various forms and shapes.
5. Apple
You can find apples in almost all backyards, and their flavor is the main reason why gardeners love them so much.
Well, if you have a limited space, pot your apples and you can enjoy a good harvest from a compact plant.
If you want to experiment with espaliering, apples are definitely the best fruit trees for this technique.
Apples do well in the conditions found in USDA zones 3 through 8. When planting your apples, make sure to select a spot with full sun exposure that’s sheltered from frost and high winds.
6. Cherry
Flavorful cherries make an excellent addition to backyards, and the blossoms of these trees are simply incomparable.
You can find a wide variety of these trees, and the best thing is that some are even self-fertile. If you want to keep them in a pot on your patio, make sure to select dwarf varieties, such as Sunburst, Sylvia, and Romeo Dwarf Cherry Tree.
Put the containers with your cherry trees in a sunny and warm spot.
I’m sure you already know that birds enjoy feeding on cherries, so I highly recommend installing netting to keep the fruits safe for yourself.
7. Apricot
If you have a sunny spot on your patio and deck, adorn it with a potted apricot tree. Even though these fruit trees are considered tough, they’ll benefit from protection from spring frost.
Cover them with fleece or take them indoors if your area is susceptible to late frosts.
You don’t need more than one tree to get fruits because there are self-fertile varieties.
These trees are frequently grown in greenhouses but if you can ensure temperatures from 65 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit, you can keep them outdoors.
A lot of apricot tree cultivars are suitable for zones 6 through 8 and need to go through dormancy to generate fruits the next season.
8. Peach
If you live in USDA zones 5 through 9, a potted peach tree can adorn your sunny patio. Some of the best peach tree varieties for containers are Bonanza and Bonfire.
The good news is that your peaches will be the same size as the ones grown on larger trees.
The blossoms occur in spring and peaches are in season during summer. You’ll need to ensure some spring frost protection for your peach blossoms.
These fruit trees are susceptible to leaf curl but you can prevent this by protecting your peaches from winter rainfall or moving them somewhere covered.
9. Fig
This Mediterranean classic responds well to container growing and it can adapt to conditions found in both warmer and cooler climates.
Of course, you’ll need to use larger pots, but the good thing is that the fig remains more compact and produces a lot of fruits when potted.
Once the temperatures drop, you’ll need to move your fig indoors or in a greenhouse. Brown Turkey is one of the best varieties for container growing.
You can enjoy the taste of homegrown fruits even if you have a limited space. Growing fruits in pots is an amazing technique, just make sure to provide them with the ideal conditions!