The Best Fruit Trees for Containers, Pot Sizes, Requirements & More!
The Best Fruit Trees for Containers, Pot Sizes, Requirements & More!
Like any fruit tree, there are special requirements when growing them in containers or pots. They have a limited amount of soil, water and nutrients. Therefore these guys need more attention & care. In this video I talk about my 6-7 years of experience growing fruit trees in containers, the pot sizes and even a little bit of up-potting at the end. Enjoy!
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Lots of great information in this vid! Explanation pot sizes vs weight/portability vs watering/fertilization was excellent. I settled on 25 gallon smart pots a few years ago because that’s pretty much the max I can move with a dolly without too much effort. And that’s with using light mixes like potting soil and waiting for it to dry out before moving. You’re right on with 15gal being what’s moveable for the average person. That’s the best option for portability.
Amazing videos! My only option is growing in containers (I will be using 5 gallon grow bags) and your videos are just amazing. This will be my first try so I am trying to learn as much as I can. I am planning on using regular potting soil mixed with perlite and bark for drainage, worm castings as nutrients, an organic starting mix to help newly planted trees, and a bokashi starter. If you could tell me your thoughts on if you think this would work or not that would be awesome!
Very helpful! I’m in Lancaster and moving in a few weeks to a home with a larger yard space. Doing research on what I can easily grow in a small orchard! Hadn’t realized so many yummy fruits could easily grow in containers (always figured ground)! Now I have to decide what to try without wasting tons of money!
you are absolutely right . what i found from my experience is root temps are more important then air temps . We have very hot summer with scorching heat waves temps 47 C /116 F and black pots really bake all the roots result in stunted growth . What i do , i paint them white . What i notice is i have few Key lime trees , one which is in 18*18 inch hdpe grow bag shows no sign of stress and the one in plastic pot grey color gets cooked (sun burnt leaves as well as fruits ) . I checked the soil temp of both of them and their was big difference .Grow bag arounf 28-30 C and plastic one around 37-39 C,. Same with my habaneroes orange , one in clay pot and loaded with fruits while in plastic pot dropping flowers from last 2 months
what if instead big pots grew trees in big planters??
I just bought my first house and its mostly concrete around the outside of the house and my backyard is too. Its basically just a large sort of glorified "patio" no real areas where you can plant trees like that. large planters where it would have those all to themselves would be about the biggest i could go……do you think that would work??
I currently have a cherry, a plucot, and a apple tree i bought just recently and had no idea that it would be that much more work.
Ross good vid but regarding the moving of larger containers why not use a tree dolly with pneumatic tires you can move mountains with them
Pawpaws? I thought they had a tap root.
I have a 35gallon growbag on my balcony still not sure what to put in it…
I have a brown Turkey fig in a half wine barrel. 2 questions: 1) how do you root prune in that size container? 2) how do you know when to root prune?
I’ve grown bananas in pots. The mother will always die after fruiting whether or not in ground. Pups will grow quickly into new mothers vegetatively. So it’s not the fault of the container growing, it’s just what bananas do. I had more than 100 bananas growing in Las Vegas, the desert climate demanded a drip irrigation system but they can be grown in containers.
Here is my mix for all my potted plants. Half Miracle gro organic potting mix, half peat, then a shovel or two of rich soil from under leaves from old pine trees plus some leaf compost. Add mycorrhiza that I propagate, lactobacillus, and aerated worm compost tea. Top it with fresh wood chips. That soil is teaming with life. Fertilize as needed.
I want to grow all my fruit trees in pot limited space
@ 2:25 you mention a fast and large growing mulberry. Please, what is the variety? I am looking for a large fruiting mulberry tree variety.
I have 2 dwarf mulberry trees in 10 gallon grow bags. I am trying to grow a banana in a 30 gallon grow bag. I am putting in an in the ground style worm tower to help provide it a continuous supply of nutrients, i am also considering companion planting beans or peas for the nitrogen fixing properties, do you have any experience with these methods? Oh also planning to chop and drop mulch them all, all in mostly grow bags, apples, guavas, citrus and a few random things but i have only just started collecting
I have some questions .
1 ) When planting figs in ground , I would like their roots to not become too invasive as it would be about 7-10 feet from a house. When planting digs near a house , would pruning them to a smaller size ( 7-10 feet tall ) help to control root vigor or do roots expand independently from the top size?
2 ) are persimmon roots invasive? I just planted one about 5-7 feet from the house .
3 ) Just to clarify , “Soil Comditioners “ are what you recommend for potted fruit trees , not “ Potting Soil ? I tried planting some bananas in pots with 100% compost from the nursery and the trees turned pale and the soil felt like it got compacted and the roots couldn’t breathe , so I re potted them in a more breathable mix and they seem happier . Putting them in the ground , as you recommend , is the next step . I first have to prep the soil .
Thank you so much !
Hey Ross! Great video from the Fig Boss! I was curious to know if you have experience growing raspberries or blackberries in pots? My fear is that if I put them in the ground, they will invade other areas of the yard, or worse, spread to the neighbors. I know they need a lot of root space, so I was looking at 30-gallon root pouches, but is this something you’ve already attempted?
I have a dwarf cavendish in the beginning of its second full season that started fruiting 3 weeks ago. It is in 25 gal pot. Like you said Ross, lots of money on fertilizer over the summers. Also will not fit in typical 8′ ceiling house over winter. I used a 3-1 ratio of SC- compost, but would do more compost if I could do over.
Immediately subscribed when you said to grow in the ground.
😀👍😀👍😀👍 like 18 from us bro
YIKES. I couldn’t recommend this video to anyone interested in planting fruit trees in a pot. What a complete turn off.
I agree with your observations. Subtropical plants should be planted in a large greenhouse or conservatory.
Man, you look and act just like Eric Foreman from That 70s show lol
I have a dwarf lemon tree I put in worm castings and then i brought it into the house. it bloomed great but i did not hand pollinate so no fruit took it out side which I guess caused shock seems ok I am going just leave it out side i live az get a lot of sun I like the grow bags because I found out you cant over water them It in a 10 gal bag I am glad you said that was ok another you tube person said a 25 gal. I just got a lime tree dwarf and so I wanted to make sure that size was ok. How often do I need to feed? and fertilize ?
I did get something to make soil more acid. just dont know how often to put that in . Thanks
This is great! Thank you!
I have several different sweet cherry trees That I bought bare root this year in 5 gallon pots. They are roughly 4 feet tall but they are one straight stalk with leaves growing on it. How do I get them to shoot branches out???
I agree a lot about vigor. Most of my potted trees are semi dwarf. If you have space, planting in the ground is definitely easier. I find potted evergreen trees to be a massive pain in the butt, but if you have easy winter sun… citrus are great trees as long as you know how to treat them. My trees are between 3 gallon and 15 gallon. 15 starts to get pretty heavy to drag around. I really like 7 gallon pots, but I haven’t tried 10 gallon yet. I have blackberries, raspberries, blueberries, apriums, pluerries, figs, bush cherries, persimmons, citrus and feijoa. Had haskaps, poms, and jujubes in the past but those do way better in the ground here.
Ok, ok. You had me at, "Okay everybody this is Ross Raddi."
Just casually walking over to the tree while introducing yourself had me intrigued and eager to learn what you had to say.
Don’t ask me to grow them in the grown. My kids have vanished me from the garden as I’ve killed fifteen citrus trees and most definitely earned the nickname … "Black Thumb Plant Killer!’ in our household.
So…I’m here to learn to be a better gardener.
Sad when your fifteen and seventeen year olds are better at growing plants than yourself… 😢😁😁😂😂
Great video! Exactly what i needed
Can I plant lechi in New York zone 7 ?
Also citrus
Good info and appreciate the honest opinions.
Granular fertilizer monthly? What about liquid feed in addition to granular?
Winter soldier
Pineapple and Passion Vine. A lot of my tropicals are indeed varying degrees of "labors of love" and it’s too early for me to say where Dragon Fruit falls on that curve as it’s off to a promising start but considerations loom; but Pineapple and Passion Vine are def easy. Passion Vine has one consideration but that’s really it and then it’s nothing. Propagation is too easy and it fruits in no time. And pineapples may be the closest thing tropical fruits have to a "cast-iron plant." It’s just slow…. But you basically do nothing. Also pretty sure nothing around here knows to care to bother it; I think one leaf of one Pineapple plant got one hole from insect damage once. I have *certainly* not tried everything but so far those two stand above the rest in terms of ease, with the possible inclusion of Dragon Fruit depending on how late stage looks (I’d guess it’ll settle at third place)
I wish you are my neighbor and friend, enjoy your garden very much, thank you.
Very concise and lots of good information for a beginner like me. A lot of other channels just ramble on about nothing and it seems like they never cover anything useful.
The thing is my peach tree was gonna go into the ground but the leaves are curling from to much sun so container is the next step to place it in a safer spot.
Dont buck the odds too much , exotic fruit trees in containers is not worth it , Stick with the figs if you can do well with figs consider your self lucky.
Thanks for the video ross. You mentioned pawpaws in containers? How effective was that? Were you able to get them to fruit?
Awesome video Ross!! Thanks for sharing
Thanks for sharing Ross! Another great video. Just sharing a different approach, how I setup my containers now. I have shifted from straight potting type soils to 70% garden soil (literally from my backyard yard) and 30% citrus/cactus mix and have noticed my young trees do substantially better. I have heavy clay soil high in trace elements that has been inoculated with Myko so I don’t have to do much amendment except for routine fertilization. Plus, when i transplant into the ground, the tree is basically already acclimated to my soils ph. I’ve found they are more vigorous and produce better. Happy gardening everyone!