Top Performing Fruit Trees Suitable for Container Growing and Yielding Vibrant Crops in Limited Areas

Growing Fruit Trees in Containers: A Guide for Your Patio or Balcony

Fruit trees are no longer confined to large gardens. With the advent of modern varieties and dwarfing rootstocks, many fruit trees can now be grown successfully in pots, transforming your patio, deck, or even small balcony into a mini orchard.

Apricots and Apricot Trees

Apricots are a delightful addition to any garden. They prefer a sunny and sheltered site on a patio or deck and are self-fertile, making them ideal for container growing. Apricots need a period of cold dormancy to produce fruit the following year, so they are best grown in USDA Zones 5-8.

Cherry Trees

Modern cherry trees are self-fertile and available on dwarfing rootstocks, making them perfect for container gardening. Cherry trees offer a double-whammy of treats with blossom in spring and sweet summer fruits.

Orange Trees

Orange trees are hardy down to 23 ̊F and are ideally suited to USDA Zones 8-11. They require temperatures between 60-90 ̊F during the growing season to produce a bumper crop of juicy oranges. The best orange trees for pots are dwarf cultivars, such as Calamondin, Trovita, or Buddha's Hand.

Lemon Trees

Lemon trees can be grown as patio plants in USDA Zones 9 to 11, and can also be grown indoors. A Meyer Lemon tree produces fruits that are a cross between sour lemons and sweet oranges, while the Calamondin orange tree produces an abundance of yellow-orange fruits with a slightly tart taste. Ponderosa is a mid-sized lemon tree for a patio planter.

Fig Trees

Fig trees can evoke a Mediterranean garden feeling and will grow happily in large pots. Figs are typically seen as sprawling trees, but will grow more compact in containers, stimulating fruit growth. Little Miss Figgy is a compact fig tree ideal for containers and getting delicious fig harvests in small spaces. Brown Turkey figs are always a popular variety of fig tree and can grow successfully in pots.

Apples, Pears, and Peaches

Fruit trees, such as apples, pears, cherries, and apricots, can be successfully grown in pots. Apples are ideal for growing in pots and can be grown in various trained forms, including cordon or columnar. Dwarf apple varieties suitable for large gardens as well as small balconies or terraces in pots include self-fertile sorts grafted on dwarfing rootstocks that stay compact, such as 'Topaz', 'Red Spur Delicious', and 'Golden Spur'; also, columnar apple varieties like the columnar 'Braeburn' are ideal for pots with 30-50 liter volume, providing manageable size and good yield.

Pear trees are commonly available on dwarfing rootstocks, making them ideal for growing in containers. Peach trees want lots of sun to thrive and give a large crop, such as in warmer areas like USDA Zones 5-9. Dwarf peach trees are restricted in size, but the fruit is not, and the peaches still develop into full-sized fruits.

Special Mentions

Eureka lemon trees are ideal for containers and can produce fruit in the first year. Good plum varieties for pots include Johnson, Victoria, and Damson, but make sure they are grafted on dwarf rootstock. Damson trees have dark blue fruits in late summer that are ideal for jams, jellies, and gins. A Cara Cara orange produces sweet oranges with unique, bright pink flesh.

Top Performing Fruit Trees Suitable for Container Growing and Yielding Vibrant Crops in Limited Areas