Container Fruit Tree Gardening

Growing fruit trees in containers provides an effective way for patching without the right soil or climate to grow the fruit they want from the ground. The size of fruit trees grown in containers is restricted by the size of this container. Fruit trees which are container grown require more routine care, since they’ve limited access to water and nutrients.

Containers

The drainage and space your plant container supplies limits the size of your potted tree and also has a direct effect on its long term wellbeing. You can use containers made from wood, vinyl, metal or ceramics so long as they have sufficient drainage holes. Adding drainage trays for your own potted trees is a good idea if you plan on maintaining your fruit tree indoors. You can install a layer of hardware cloth over the base of the container to prevent soil from escaping through the drainage holes.

Growing Medium

The best growing medium for fruit trees in containers is a fast-draining soil that prevents water from pooling around the roots of your fruit tree. Blending perlite, coarse sand and peat moss in equal parts supplies an effective growing medium for many fruit trees. If you are growing a fruit tree which requires an acidic soil, you may add sulfur into the mix to decrease its pH. Fruit trees grown in containers are limited to the quantity of water that the soil in your container may carry. Check the soil in your container regularly to prevent the tree from drying out. Permit the soil at the surface of the container to dry to the touch before watering it thoroughly.

Fertilizer

Incorporating a slow-release fertilizer with a balanced combination of nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium in your potting mix provides nutrients for your own container grown fruit tree throughout the growing season. Applying supplemental doses of fertilizer twice a month ensures sustained healthy growth. Avoid using fertilizers with a high concentration of nitrogen, as strong doses of nitrogen applied to container grown trees may support your tree to grow more foliage than its root system can support.

Pruning

Excess loads of fruit may stunt the tree or stop the tree in fruiting from the following calendar year. Through the first year of growth, most fruit trees cannot support more than five or six fruits at one time. Removing excess fruit ensures that the tree may maintain healthful growth and produce fruit each year.

Considerations

Container grown trees may become root bound if they aren’t repotted periodically. You can remove excess roots from the outside of the root ball and repot it to prevent your tree from growing larger. If you are growing a tree you will need to move in and outside of your home on a regular basis, a wheeled plant stand can make the task easier. Over-applying fertilizer may cause a build up salt from the ground. Water your plant gradually over a period of many minutes to leach the salt out if you notice a white crust growing around the surface of the soil around your tree.

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