Best Fruits To Grow In Pots
You can grow a mini-orchard of fruit in patio containers if you’re willing to water and feed regularly. Choose from soft fruits, such as currants and gooseberries, or tree fruits like apples, pears and cherries.
1. Strawberries
Strawberries are without a doubt one of the best fruits to grow in pots. The best about growing strawberries in containers is they are easy to grow, don’t require large pots or space and you can grow on your small urban balcony. You can also try to grow strawberries in tropics in winters.
2. Gooseberries
The sharp sweetness of gooseberries is perfect for summer desserts and pies. Planting and feeding requirements are the same as for currants, and if the crop is heavy, thin the fruits in late spring. Every winter, cut back the main stems by half to an outward-facing bud, and prune the side shoots to one bud from the main stems (beware of the spines). Keep the plants well watered and harvest ripe fruit in summer.
3. Lemon
Lemon trees have adapted themselves for container gardening. However, it is a tropical fruit but gardeners in cool temperate regions are also successfully growing this tangy and sour fruit in containers. Almost all the varieties are suitable but there are some that grows best in specific conditions.
4. Cherries
The best fruit trees for pots are those grown on dwarfing rootstocks that still produce full-sized fruit. Cherries are grafted onto Colt or Gisela 5 rootstocks. Good cherries include ‘Compact Stella’ and ‘Maynard Mini Stem’. Plant in large pots of soil-based potting mix, keep in a sheltered, sunny spot, and protect the blossoms with plastic sheeting. Feed in spring with all-purpose fertilizer, and apply tomato food every week after flowering. No pruning is needed.
5. Pomegranate
Pomegranate is one of the juiciest and healthiest fruits and perhaps the easiest to grow in pots because it has shallow root system when compared to other large fruit trees. If you’ve grown citrus in pot, growing pomegranates in containers can not be difficult for you too. Moreover, pomegranate is more cold hardy and easy to grow
6. Peaches
The best fruit trees for pots are those grown on dwarfing rootstocks that still produce full-sized fruit. Peaches are grafted onto ‘Pixy’ or ‘St. Julien A’. For good peaches try ‘Bonanza’ and ‘Garden Lady’. Plant in large pots of soil-based potting mix, keep in a sheltered, sunny spot, and protect the blossom with plastic sheeting. Feed in spring with all-purpose fertilizer, and apply tomato food every week after flowering. No pruning is needed.
7. Guava
Guava tree will delight you with its sweetly scented flowers, delicious fruits, and beautiful tropical appearance. Guava loves the sunny and warm exposure. It is a tropical plant but very much adaptable to temperate climates with moderate winter.
8. Fig
As figs are most suitable for warm temperate regions (USDA Zones 8-10) it is best to grow a fig tree in a pot if you live in a climate where winters are harsh or you don’t have enough space. Choose an appropriate variety to grow in a pot and provide plenty of sun to your plant. Regular pruning and fertilization are necessary.
9. ‘Egremont Russet’ Apples
Harvest the nutty-flavored ‘Egremont Russet’ in early fall and the fruit will store till spring. Heavy cropping and resistant to disease, it’s a great apple for those who enjoy something a bit different.
10. Pineapple
Pineapple plants are small and compact and never grow more than 3-6 feet tall. Also, the plant has shallow roots when compared to other fruit bearing plants or trees that’s why it is possible to grow them in pots. However, pineapples require consistently warm and humid climate to thrive but you can also grow them as a houseplant in temperates, providing several hours of direct sunlight daily.
