fruit tree to grow in the balcony

[Ersalan Rahman]

Are there any fruit trees one can grow in a large pot in the balcony? I live in the sourthern US with a fairly warm climate.

Ersalan

[hairyarms]

Citrus would be good. If it doesn't get down to hard frost in your area then in a large tub (2 ft wide or more) various citrus will be quite rewarding provided you give them full (or nearly full) sun, protection from strong wind and a little care.

My first choice would be a lemon, the leaves and flowers are quite attractive and you have a very good chance of getting edible fruit. The skin and juice are used frequently in cooking. An orange, mandarin or grapefruit would also be nice but not quite so useful in cooking. You may be able to get these grafted on to dwarf root stock which will make tub culture easier. Or even a multi-graft that has several at once.

A cumquat is also attractive and it is naturally a smallish tree. The fruit make excellent preserves. If your climate is really quite warm then tahitian or kaffir limes become possible if there is no frost. If you have no idea what the difference is between all these things then find out before you choose.

Your choice will depend on why you want a fruit tree in a tub.

In a tub you will need to pay attention to watering as they will dry out easily in hot weather and you will need to add appropriate (not too much not too little) fertiliser several times a year.

David

[David E. Ross]

I agree that dwarf citrus in a container might be good. However, check carefully to be sure the balcony can carry the weight. My citrus cannot be moved except by two very strong people.

For more information, see my .

[Jan Flora]

You can buy a little dolly unit that goes under the planters, so you can move them around.

My 83 y/o mom grew dwarf citrus on her deck in N. California. She was able to scoot them under cover when frost threatened.

Jan in Alaksa

[sherwindu]

Plenty of fruit trees can grow in pots. For your location, you need something that is suitable for a warmer climate. There are many apple varieties, for example, that are suitable for the Southern USA.

Size of tree should be a big consideration. If you buy a tree, be sure it is on

extreme dwarfing rootstock, or the tree will get too big for the pot. For apples, the most common extreme dwarfing rootstock is M27, which will produce a small tree about 6 feet high. Things like peaches cannot be grown in pots, since the most dwarfing possible is a semi-dwarf tree which grows to about twelve feet plus high. Some people claim you can prune the hell out of them to keep them small, but it is not a good practice.

Sherw> Are there any fruit trees one can grow in a large pot in the balcony?

[David E. Ross]

A wheeled dolly makes it easier to move a planter, but it doesn't make the planter any lighter. Further, with the weight resting on only three or four wheels instead of the entire base of the planter, you increase the risk of damaging the surface of the balcony.

The first issue is whether the balcony can support the weight of a planter. If it can support the weight of 2-3 adults, it likely can support the planter. Just limit the load to only one person.

The second issue is whether the balcony surface can withstand a load of

150 lbb per square-inch (a dolly with four wheels). That's a much greater load than 2 lbb per square-inch from a planter base that's 20 inches in diameter.

[Kay Lancaster]

Figs do fairly well as potted plants. Whatever you choose will most likely do best with a drip irrigation system, preferably automatic.

Kay

[Julie]

I've had a dwarf peach growing in a pot for years, first in Seattle and now in Georgia.

?pid=1878&fullsize=1've never hard-pruned, never had any disease problems. And the fruit is full-sized.

[sherwindu]

Question is, how old is this tree? Has it stopped growing? Chances are it will eventually outgrow the biggest pot you can put it in.

Sherw> sherw>

[dr-solo]

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