mini patio fruit trees

bouicca21

Can you clarify 'enormous'?

nimbo

Fruit trees take years to fruit. Patio sized or 'normal' sized. My mothers apple trees bought for her 60th were specifically bought as old trees not those twiggy ones you get and now she's 67 have produced their first decent crop last year. She trained them to grow along a fence line rather than be messy and block light.

They're an investment in the future. My mother in laws cherry trees are epic. Last year she got over three stone off them. She has two trees one sweet one sour. This year - the birds beat us. Grrrrr.

Have you looked at foraging the fruit you're after? We have a cherry tree walk near us as well as yellow plums and many many apple trees. All grown on public land and all go to waste - well apart from the ones the wasps or birds get.

sortofwinning

andrewf75 wrote: »

Do you have somewhere you can plant one in the ground rather than in a pot? That way the tree will grow bigger, produce more fruit and require less maintenance.

No, unfortunately we don't have a lot of space. I'm liking the sound of those raspberries though, I might look into growing some of those, although probably in pots. I'd like to try the fruit bushes but they sound a bit too big to grow in pots. I live with my mum atm and it's really her house and garden but I might end up trying a slow, stealthy garden makeover.;)

theoretica

Have you thought about strawberries?

I went to the site you linked to and found a fantastic picture - spot what's wrong?
http://www.gardens4you.co.uk/index.php?/Berries-and-Currants/Edible-Vitamin-Hedge-x-4#.V5Z0zK4koy4

bouicca21

My blueberries are in pots. Even if I had room in the garden, the soil isn't sufficiently acid for them to flourish.

And I found a site that talks about growing raspberries in containers. Now I know what enormous means:
http://homeguides.sfgate.com/deep-planter-raspberries-need-42905.html

PlymouthMaid

I got about 15 cherries from my three year old potted tree and had to fight birds for those. My gooseberry bushes in pots have two berries - they dont like pots but were refugees from my old allotment. My blueberry bush curled up and died without producing a single berry and it was int he right kind of compost. The cherry is beautiful and fun but I wouldn't bother with the others again. Strawberries are rewarding if you beat the slugs and woodlice and birds to them. It definitely is not money saving on the whole.

firebird082

bouicca21 wrote: »

Can you clarify 'enormous'?

Sorry - probably about 60cm across and the same deep. Pot is now housing an extremely happy fuchsia!

andrewf75

sortofwinning wrote: »

No, unfortunately we don't have a lot of space. I'm liking the sound of those raspberries though, I might look into growing some of those, although probably in pots. I'd like to try the fruit bushes but they sound a bit too big to grow in pots. I live with my mum atm and it's really her house and garden but I might end up trying a slow, stealthy garden makeover.;)

How about a wall or fence? If you have one that gets sun you might be able to train a fruit tree on it and it won't take much space.

Farway

bouicca21 wrote: »

Undeterred I'm going to buy a gooseberry bush next.

I have a gooseberry, in the ground not a pot

Grows like billy oh, heaps of fruit, and spines, seems bird proof so far maybe the spines help here

Def a money saver given the silly price for a punnet of goosgogs

PS, can't remember where I bought it, but would be either Wilkinson or Lidl

sortofwinning

theoretica wrote: »

Have you thought about strawberries?

I went to the site you linked to and found a fantastic picture - spot what's wrong?
http://www.gardens4you.co.uk/index.php?/Berries-and-Currants/Edible-Vitamin-Hedge-x-4#.V5Z0zK4koy4

Theoretica, I can't see what the problem is, apart from it looking like the horticultural equivalent of The Stepford Wives. I'm a *very* amateur gardener. I guess it's not the typo "The shrubs grow in similar shape and size and suitable for small and large gardens"??? (In case it's not obvious, I work in an office and not a garden centre!!)


Yes I've thought about strawberries and we have one(!) plant growing as a trial and we did get a few very tasty berries, just not very many, but it's not protected from birds. I think I'll try for more strawberries next year and put a net up. Plus from what people are saying in the thread, I think I'll try raspberries and blueberries and gooseberries. I'd love to make gooseberry jam.


Andrewf75, we do have a fence and walls but I thought it would take ages and ages to wait for a fruit tree to grow so I was looking for speedier solutions, plus I know you said it won't take much space but I've seen apple and pear trees in my auntie's garden and they were pretty big. Maybe it's possible to prune the living daylights out of them to keep them small, I don't know these things. I have to get a beginners gardening book and start learning.