When space is an issue, grow fruit trees in pots

Amarjeet Batth

MOST garden sizes have either been shrunk or replaced with concrete. Having your own fruit tree, however, is not difficult. Some space can be made by reshuffling exotic plants. The floral elegance of pear, plum and peach during the bloom surpasses the beauty of exotic plants while the fragrance of citrus fruit trees is intoxicating. Go ahead and plant fruit trees in a pot.

Getting started

The first thing to consider when planting is the size and material of the container in which you want to grow the tree. Since fruit trees are moderate to large in size, you need bigger pots of 20 inches wide and 24 to 36 inches deep. Since earthen pots that big will not be available, you can use wooden boxes lined with a plastic sheet. Consider plastic pots which are light in weight and deep enough to contain the fruit tree. Another option is going for used industrial plastic drum-shaped containers. These are readily available in the market and are moderately priced. Make a sturdy metallic base frame to place the pots, fitted with wheel tray for easy mobility.

Soil mixture

Fruit trees flourish in well-drained soil. A container with a base diameter of 16-20 inches needs about about five 1-inch diameter drainage holes. Take one part each of garden soil, well-rotten farmyard manure and half part of leaf mould and sand. Mix it thoroughly and add di-ammonium phosphate fertiliser, commonly known as DAP, as per the size of the container. Cover the drainage holes with broken piece of clay pot and start filling the soil mixture in layers. Water it, and leave it for a few days for the soil to settle down completely.

Maintenance

Initially grow the fruit trees in small containers. In the second year, recharge the soil and shift the plant to a bigger pot. In the third year, again, recharge the soil mixture and shift the plant to a final container for better care in initial years. Make sure the fruit tree is in good form and shape by retaining branches at 45 degrees. Be watchful of diseases and pest attacks.

The options

Lemon (baramasi) is small in height and easy to maintain. It gives fruit almost throughout the year.

Pomegranate grows well in pots. Its round-the-year flowering adds to the beauty. Discard the early flowers in March and retain the subsequent flowering for better results.

Amarpali is a naturally dwarf variety of mango. It grows successfully in containers with a reduced yield.

Grapes are planted in containers on ground and trained to rooftop. These give shade in summer and shed leaves in winter when these are also pruned. ‘Beauty seedless’ and ‘pearlet’ are good options.

Kumquat or fortunella japonica grows very well in pots. A few grafted fruits like ‘chikoo’ and ‘karonda’ can also be grown.