Planting Fruit Trees In Pots

Small Space Organics

Posted by Hardie Grant

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Small and dwarf varieties of fruit trees grown in pots are the perfect solution for limited garden spaces. Container growing allows you to control soil conditions when cultivating ‘fussy’ fruits such as citrus: in this case, a dwarf Meyer lemon.

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You Will Need (1 thing)

  • Soil

Steps (10 steps, 60 minutes)

  1. 1

    After the pot has been coated with a sealant to help water-retention, it is filled with a top-quality potting mix enriched with a little
    fertiliser and compost.

  2. 2

    The mix is tailored to suit the citrus, which does not tolerate alkaline soil.

  3. 3

    Blood and bone is added.

  4. 4

    Rock minerals complete the soil-enrichment process.

  5. 5

    The potting media are mixed together thoroughly.

  6. 6

    The roots are gently teased out before the
    lemon is planted in the pot.

  7. 7

    The tree should not be buried too deeply: the graft should remain above the level of the soil. Covering the graft
    could lead to collar rot.

  8. 8

    The tree is watered in.

  9. 9

    A thick application of mulch keeps the roots
    cool.

  10. 10

    Another generous watering helps the lemon tree to establish; the pot-grown tree will need regular watering. In this garden, the fruit trees in the ground are sustained by greywater, while trees in pots are irrigated with rainwater,
    with mains water as a back-up.