Top 10 Fruits Ideal for Cultivation in Pots and Containers
No need for a sprawling garden to harvest your own fruits! Many popular fruits, like apples, cherries, and strawberries, can thrive in pots. That means you can cultivate your own delicious produce in a small courtyard garden, patio, or even a balcony.
Growing fruit in pots made simple
Modern horticulture offers a variety of compact fruit cultivars and rootstocks designed for smaller gardens. Choose these recommended rootstocks and varieties for the best results, and provide the optimum location for your fruit-bearing pots – most fruits love sunlight.
Fruit trees, shrubs, and plants cultivated in pots will require more frequent watering and feeding compared to those grown in the ground. Keep your container-grown fruit well-watered and nourished, and you'll be reaping the rewards in no time.
Discover the 10 best fruits for growing in pots and containers below.
Apples
Thanks to dwarf rootstocks, apples can now flourish in pots. Grow them in the largest pot you have space for and give them a sheltered, sunny spot. If space is limited, opt for a self-fertile variety or a 'family tree,' which can host multiple apple tree varieties.
How to plant an apple tree in a pot:
Pot Size: 45-50cm wide
Recommended Rootstocks: M26 or M9
Blackcurrants
Blackcurrants are attractive plants, and their flowers are beneficial to bees. Mix several handfuls of grit into the compost and place in full sun. To encourage plants to sprout shoots from the base, plant them deep, about 6cm below the soil mark of the original container.
Pot Size: 45-50cm wide
Recommended Varieties: 'Ben Sarek', 'Ben Connan'
Blueberries
Blueberries require acidic soil, which is easy to offer in a pot (use a peat-free ericaceous mix). They also boast pretty fruits, flowers, and attractive autumn leaves. Set them in a sheltered, sunny spot and water with rainwater if possible. Protect ripe fruits from birds.
Pot Size: 30cm
Recommended Varieties: 'Ozarkblue', 'Duke'
Cherries
Cherries bear gorgeous spring blossom, summer fruits, and often vibrant autumn foliage. Sweet varieties demand sunlight, while sour varieties, like Morello cherries, tolerate more shade. These shallow-rooted plants require consistent watering, especially in their first year and in dry spells.
Pot Size: 60cm wide
Recommended Rootstocks: 'Gisela 5' for sweet cherries, 'Colt' for sour
Figs
Fig trees are ideal for containers as they fruit better when their growth is restricted. Give them a warm, sunny spot and ensure consistent watering. Not all figs are fully hardy in the UK, so select a hardy variety, such as 'Brown Turkey' or 'Brunswick'. Find out how to plant a fig tree.
Pot Size: 35-45cm wide
Gooseberries
Gooseberries are very productive, enabling you to yield a significant harvest from a small space. They thrive in a sunny, sheltered location, although they will bear some fruit in shade. Allow room around the pot for good air flow around the plants.
Pot Size: 30cm wide
Recommended Varieties: 'Greenfinch', 'Invicta'
Peaches and Nectarines
Peach and nectarine trees are tough, but their flowers are not, so ensure they're grown in a sunny, sheltered location if you want them to bear fruit. Cover the tree with fleece when the flowers appear to protect them. Repot every two years.
How to grow peaches and nectarines.
Pot Size: 45cm wide
Recommended Rootstocks: St Julien A', 'Pixy' and 'Bonanza'
Plums
Plums in pots can be moved to the ideal spot to protect early flowers from frost, covering them with fleece if necessary. Plums need good drainage, so include plenty of grit in your compost. Choose a self-fertile variety if you only have room for one plant.
Pot Size: 60cm wide
Rootstock: 'Pixy'
Raspberries
You can grow both summer and autumn-fruiting raspberries in pots, providing you with an extended harvest. Space is limited? Opt for summer-fruiting varieties, which are less bushy. Place them in a sheltered, sunny spot.
Pot Size: Three summer-fruiting plants will fit in a 30cm pot
Recommended Varieties: 'Glen Ample', 'Glen Moy'
Strawberries
Strawberries are perfect for pots. Plant in late summer or early autumn and give them a sunny position. Ensure the crown is level with the surface of the compost.
The best containers for strawberries
Pot Size: Any container, at least 10cm deep
Recommended Varieties: 'Florence', 'Pegasus', 'Aromel'
Other container-garden fruit ideas
If you're growing fruit trees in a small space, consider training them as espaliers, fans, cordons, standards, or stepovers. These take up minimal room while still providing substantial harvests. Learn three ways to train a fruit tree.
Cultivating a lifestyle that includes home-and-garden practices like gardening can be accomplished in a small courtyard garden, patio, or even a balcony with the help of modern horticulture. For instance, dwarf rootstocks allow venerable fruits, such as apples, blackcurrants, blueberries, cherries, figs, gooseberries, peaches/nectarines, plums, raspberries, and strawberries, to thrive in pots.
