Patio Fruit Trees

Hi mollie, I have a dwarf plum tree it is four years old and is very generous with its fruit, it gets a trim down in autumn and the pot topped up with fresh compost each spring.

I keep looking at them. We have given up the allotment so I am now beginning to grow stuff in pots. This year I've put in rhubarb and raspberries. If they work next year its redcurrants and gooseberries.

We also have a dwarf plum; this is its third year and to date, we have had no fruit. I'm not worried about this - it did set a few fruits last year but they dropped before they made any size. I gather this is parr for the course. This year it is covered in blossom, so I am full of hope - if the b****y pigeons leave it alone! A friend grew three different varieties of patio apples in plastic dustbins and had loads of fruit every year.

Thank you...I'm very tempted to try a plum and/or an apple so maybe I'll have a go.

I have dwarf apples, pears and plums planted in the garden, these are a;ll the upright single stem types. I also have a dwarf cherry in a tub. They all fruit well, although the birds seem to get at the cherries however i net it.

I've never grown fruit before but remember talk about needing two trees to pollinate ... Is that the case for these dwarf varieties? Is it every type of fruit or just apples and pears?

What size pot do you reckon for an apple? Anyone know?

A lot of varieties are self-fertile these days. My plum is, and I have seen s/f apples at garden centres.

The pollination is not affected by the rootstock, this is what determines if a tree is dwarf or not. You need to look up the variety to see what its pollination requirements are.

I wondered if the dwarf varieties had been chosen for specifically for their self-fertilising qualities - needing to create a mini orchard seems to defeat the benefit of trees aimed at the balcony or the patio...

Our local fruit specialist, Ken Muir, offers a wide range of varieties as dwarf trees, some are self fertile, some not. Most trees that need a pollinator only require one , occasionally two.

Thanks Pompa, I'm going to try a plum and an apple. A cherry sounds nice too but I don't fancy fighting off the birds...

Victoria and Czar are both self fertile plums. Many suppliers offer dwarf family trees that have two or three compatible varieties grafted onto the same trunk. That way you only need one tree as the varieties pollinate each other. Check the Ken Muir web site for available trees (new season stock, not yet listed). I have bought a dozen or so trees from him and can vouch for the quality. If you are able to visit his nursery, there are some great bargains to be had, most of my trees cost me £10.

At the end of the season, any bare root trees not sold are potted and sold cheaply in containers. My problem is that every tine we go, another tree or two finds its way into the car. Their nursery is near Clacton, North Essex.

pompa I think it was you advised me on potted blueberries. Just to feed back I've followed your advice and now have three young bkueberries potted in the correct compost on my south-facing patio and await my fruit with anticipation.

Many Thanks.

As will be the blackbirds

pompa can you give me an idea as to size of pots please?

You need large pots (18") as the trees will be in them for a long while. I would also use JI compost or a mixture of JI and soil-less, you need a bit of weight to stop them blowing over.

JI3? 18x18? I really fancy the idea, the only reason I am hesitating is that I think watering would be a problem.

Yes JI3. The JI makes watering easier. I do have automatic watering on all my container plants, but only because we are away so often.

Here is the guide from the Ken Muir web site

www.kenmuir.co.uk/image/data/pdf/Growing%20Guides/Guide%20to%20Growing%20Fruit%20In%20Containers%20Opt.pdf

Thanks old bean

We have two plum trees, an apple and a cherry tree all in pots. They all do very well. I do have to be quick with the cherries though, the birds often beat me to them!

My jubilee Victoria plum died last year, no idea why I, as I was assured they were easy to grow and disease resistant, I was really disappointed. Not sure whether to try another patio fruit tree. We have quite a small back yard mostly taken up with my grandsons trampoline so not a lot of room for plants. I have at last found the perfect spot for my Timperley rhubarb which is producing masses of stalks, Our other successes include blueberries and blackcurrants which the grandchildren eat straight from the bush, any excess I pop straight into the freezer ready for winter. I also have a blackberry - but the dogs eat the whole plant before it gets as far as fruiting. Given up on Strawberries as that is another dog favourite. Another success was a bush tomato grown in a hanging basket, masses of tomatoes produced. All the plants are grown in tubs or baskets.

As far as I am aware no stone fruits (plums. damsons, apricot,peaches, cherries etc) are resistant to silver leaf disease.

Silver leaf disease is a killer and there is no treatment. The most common way it enters the tree is through wounds, either accidental or deliberate. If you prune stone fruits, it MUST be done early in the season and when the tree is in leaf. Wounds from accident or pruning should be seal with wound paint. NEVER NEVER prune them in autumn or winter, the sap must be rising.

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