Growing patio fruit trees
Growing patio fruit trees in pots is the perfect solution for those who love the taste of their own fresh fruit, but have limited space to grow bigger trees. Container-grown fruit trees also look lovely, bringing welcome structure to your patio planting.
How to grow potted fruit trees
Potted fruit trees produce full-sized fruit but are grafted to special dwarf rootstocks which we choose specifically for their less vigorous growth. Our trees come supplied in pots so all you need to do is put them somewhere sunny and keep up with the specific care instructions for the tree you’ve bought. You can aso replant your tree into a bigger pot if you’d like it to grow to its full, albeit still miniature, size.
Can you plant potted fruit trees in the ground
You can certainly plant potted fruit trees in the ground. They may end up bigger than if grown in a pot, but the dwarf rootstock should prevent them from becoming unmanageable.
When to prune patio fruit trees
Prune your patio fruit trees during their dormant phase between November and early March, removing dead, diseased, damaged, or dying wood and opening up the canopy to let in light and aid air circulation. You should aim to create a goblet shape of four or five main branches. Prune stone fruit trees like plums during midsummer to lessen the chances of the deadly fungal infection, silver leaf.
How to care for patio fruit trees
To get the best from your patio fruit trees, position them in full sun and water them regularly, especially during the summer. Repot patio trees into bigger containers every other winter until the plant reaches full size. Then, every other year, lift the plant to give the roots a prune and replace about one third of the compost.
How big do patio fruit trees grow?
Patio fruit trees grown on dwarf rootstocks will reach a maximum height of 1-2m, assuming they are repotted to allow full growth. Otherwise patio trees will remain at around 75cm for their life and will still produce plenty of full-size fruit.
Have more room for fruit growing? Take a look at our full-sized fruit tree selection.
