hi all, quick query. my brother bought me two fruit trees, apple and pear, about five foot tall. problem is, i have absolutely nowhere to put them in my garden!!! would the survive in huge pots? just for a couple of years until i move house. i know they're meant to be in the ground but there is nowhere i could put them in the ground! i really like them and id rather not have to give them up!
thanks to anyone who can help!
danny
danny22
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If you have really large pots (e.g., 2 ft in diameter at the top and at least 2 ft deep), you might be able to keep them for a few years. I would not leave the trees in pots once their trunks are 3-4 inches in diameter.
You will need a fast-draining potting mix. Of course, I recommend my own do-it-yourself recipe at .
Also, you will have to keep the tops trimmed more than usual so that the foliage does not exceed the ability of constrained roots to supply moisture.
I suggest you keep the pots raised on a triangle or square of bricks, to keep the drain hole at the bottom clear of the ground. If possible, tip each pot on its side once a year to inspect the drain hole, to make sure tree roots have not blocked it. (I lost a dwarf kumquat because I didn't do this; the poor plant blocked the drain and then drowned.)
When you are ready to plant the trees in the ground, dig planting holes about 1 foot in diameter greater than the diameter of the pots and about
6 inches deeper. You might have to break the pots to remove the trees. (This can be expensive. The terra cotta pots for my dwarf citrus are not quite as large as I indicate at the beginning of this reply; they cost $75 each.)Should work in pots for a few years. It probably never gets real cold in the UK, but if you expect any freezing weather, you should put insulation around the
pots to keep the roots from freezing. Pots in the sun tend to dry out quickly, so pay attention to the moisture level, which may require daily watering in the hottest part of the year. Also, most apples and pears require pollinators, anotherwords
additional apple and pear trees, or you will not get any fruit.
Sherw> hi all, quick query. my brother bought me two fruit trees, apple and
Gosh, wonder what I have been doing wrong with my container grown 3 way apple and peach tree on my NW facing third floor balcony. I have them in round plastic tubs, about 20" across and 18" deep. I used potting soil on sale at Home Depot when I planted them eight years ago and they are healthy and produce beautifully each year. The second year I had them I did use an oil spray on them. Too messy and it stinks right outside my living room door (my balcony is only 7' x 8') so I stopped that. Since then I just hand pick the few nasties I see that the birds have missed. I have some bird feeders in these trees and I read and have been told I'm not supposed to do that either but it hasn't proven detrimental. I have very minimal loss due to bird damage. Other than tossing some alfalfa meal on top of the soil in the early spring and a few foliar feeds of kelp early A.M. from April to August they don't get any kind of special care. I do water them a few times a week or more during the heat of summer if they look dry. A light, quick pruning only if a branch is growing in an un-esthetically pleasing direction. I've had a gorgeous tree peony in a similar sized pot for twelve years now. It's also thriving with very similar care. I must be holding my mouth right or something in Zone 8b.
Val
Hi danny My mother had fruit trees in our house and they lived. One was a fig tree the other was a lemon tree from florida. After a couple years the lemon tree actually gave us a lemon. Give it a try, your trees may flourish! diane
oh im glad to hear its possible, i have been worried that i would have to get rid of them!
ill select some huge pots for them. i potted my twisted hazel in peat-free compost as directed, would the same stuff be ok for these trees? ive heard they shouldnt be potted in regular garden soil because of various factors. the compost is made from composted bark.
also, does anyone know where i can get cheap pots online? i have to go to bq at the moment, due to its proximity to where i work and i spend more time there than at home sometimes, and its quite expensive. they charge two quid for five 5inch pots - and lets be honest, they probs cost about 2pence each to make! i shudder to think how much the bigger pots will cost, anyone know a good website?
many thanks! everyone is as helpful as always :D
I have no idea what is available to you in the UK, however my climate is much like that of London, if that helps you. I bought large plastic 'toy tubs' $5 each, drilled a few holes in the bottom. I've used these for years for all my 'big plants' on the balcony. Most likely if your hazel is thriving the trees will do fine in that same planting medium.
Val
snipped-for-privacy@wi.rr.com;775384]I live in zone 5, too cold for figs so I have them in cheap, $5 pots and they produce
fine. I also have pears, peaches in big pots, rubbermaids.
apple and peach tree on my NW facing third floor balcony. I have them in
round plastic tubs, about 20" across and 18" deep. I used potting soil on
sale at Home Depot when I planted them eight years ago and they are healthy
and produce beautifully each year. The second year I had them I did use an
oil spray on them. Too messy and it stinks right outside my living room door
(my balcony is only 7' x 8') so I stopped that. Since then I just hand pick
the few nasties I see that the birds have missed. I have some bird feeders
in these trees and I read and have been told I'm not supposed to do that
either but it hasn't proven detrimental. I have very minimal loss due to
bird damage. Other than tossing some alfalfa meal on top of the soil in the
early spring and a few foliar feeds of kelp early A.M. from April to August
they don't get any kind of special care. I do water them a few times a week
or more during the heat of summer if they look dry. A light, quick pruning
only if a branch is growing in an un-esthetically pleasing direction. I've
had a gorgeous tree peony in a similar sized pot for twelve years now. It's
also thriving with very similar care. I must be holding my mouth right or
something in Zone 8b.
Val
-i used to work at a garden center down the road from us and they had trees in large tree pots--they were like heavy black rubber. now i do know that some of those trees had been carried over for quite a number of years before they finally sold--some 5 yrs or more;). we are in zone
5b in southwestern ontario, canada.our winters get pretty cold and those trees did really well in the pots.
i actually have a number of the shrubs that they also had in pots for a number of years growing in our flowerbeds.
good luck with your trees and hope that u manage to get a new home and really enjoy the fruits of your labour soon ;). cyaaaaa, sockiescat.
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