Lucy Chamberlain’s Fruit and Veg

Think you can’t grow an orchard in a modest-sized garden? Well, think again, as Lucy Chamberlain explains how to big up your fruit quotas even in close quarters

MEANDERING under a canopy of bee-draped fruit tree blossom is a real springtime treat, but few of us fancy we have space to plant large, orchard-style fruit trees. Thankfully, there’s an easy solution if you yearn for homegrown cherries, apples or peaches: grow them in pots! This method can transform the tiniest patio or balcony into a bountiful oasis. Let’s look at the basics.

Larger thick-walled pots are ideal because you don’t want the roots to dry out. Line wooden planters with polythene, and unglazed clay pots with bubblewrap (alternatively, sink large plastic pots inside them). Don’t assume manufacturers add enough drainage holes – drill more if needed.

Avoid pure multi-purpose compost because it dries out quickly and loses structure. Instead, use a blend of loambased material (like John Innes), adding grit and multi-purpose to it until you’re happy with the consistency. Acid-loving crops (such as blueberries) will like an ericaceous loam-based compost.

Potash is the most important nutrient for fruit production, its role being to ripen and mature wood, in turn initiating fruit buds. Nitrogen is still needed for healthy leaf and shoot growth, so use a balanced liquid feed from April until June (Growmore), then a high-potash one until September.

Best fruit picks for pots

“You can grow a bountiful oasis”

Certain fruit varieties (such as Raspberry ‘Ruby Beauty’) are naturally more compact. As with all fruit purchases, check that any pollination needs are met. Bush and cane fruits are generally easy, but certain blueberries, apples, cherries, plums and pears need a pollination partner (fruit nurseries will advise you).

It’s good to think about rootstocks if you want to grow tree fruits (bush and cane fruits don’t have rootstocks). Dwarfing rootstocks help to keep your tree small, so it doesn’t rapidly outgrow the pot (or struggle to survive, if you can’t keep up with repotting). Look for M9 or M27 (apples), Gisella 5 (cherries), Quince C (pears) and Pixy (plums).

Prunus persica ‘Melred’ is a self-fertile peach with a maximum height of two metres, so it’s fine to grow in a large pot

Potted apple trees plus blueberries, strawberries and gooseberries don’t need that much space

Rubus idaeus ‘Ruby Beauty’ is a naturally compact raspberry, ideal for containers

Plum ‘Opal’ can be grown in pots with a Pixy rootstock