Container fruit trees, such as strawberries, blackberries, and blueberries, can brighten a small area. You can create a beautiful patio fruit garden with these plants and stylish containers.
If you think of garden-grown fruit as tasty treats from less-than-sweet-looking thorny vines or gnarled trees, you are in for a surprise!
Some new and exciting fruit plants were developed that combine aesthetics with functionality. This means that you can get delicious fruit from a beautiful plant.
Imagine waking up in the morning and picking some blueberries for your yogurt. It sounds like a dream!
Container fruit trees are great for anyone who wants to have access to fruit. They are perfect for balconies and small gardens in apartments.
Planting these small fruiting plants will make these concepts more accessible for gardens. It’s about adapting your garden.
This post will cover…
Plan Your Patio Fruit Garden
The ideal is to have your fruit ripening at different times for a staggered crop.
Choose the area where you want to grow your fruit before picking it. Fruit trees produce better in full sun . Choose a place that receives bright light at least 6 to 8 hours per day. You will want to put these plants in the spotlight.
choose containers that will last for a long time. Crescent Garden provided the containers that I used to create my patio fruit garden. The containers are made from weatherproof plastic with a double-wall construction that insulates the soil against extreme heat or cold.
These are hardy perennials with a warranty of 10 years. They will last for many seasons.
I try to avoid terracotta and clay because they are harder to keep warm and won’t crack.
If you live in an area with a lot of rain, make sure that the large containers have plenty of drainage holes. Lay a piece of landscape fabric over drainage holes before planting to prevent soil from coming in and staining your patio or clogging the hole.
If you plan to set the containers directly in the soil of a garden, elevate the containers on bricks so that the drainage hole can flow freely.
Landscape fabric is not needed in large quantities to line your containers.
When you grow food, it is important to place the plants near your home as possible. It makes it easier to access the food and keep it in mind when you are ready to harvest it.
This layout is based on a permaculture zone where your most cultivated area is only a few steps from your front door, followed closely by your food forest.
I eat blueberries straight from the bush.
Container Fruit Trees & Bushes
When working with limited space, it is great to have plants that can be used as attractive and edible. In this project, I selected each fruit plant for both prolific fruit trees in pots and beautiful plants
This patio fruit garden is self-pollinating. That means the plants don’t require a partner to produce fruit. You may still want to buy more than one after tasting the fruits!
Fruit trees that self-pollinate will be more productive if they are pollinated by two.
Different container sizes will add some nice variety to the patio garden.
Potted fruit trees I chose to plant in my patio garden.
- Raspberry Shortcake (r) Raspberry in a 20″ Madison in slate
- Madison Pot in slate Baby Cakes ™ Blackberry
- Madison in slate, two 16″ pink Icing(tm), blueberry pots
- Seascape Strawberry in a 16″ Junio in slate
- Corky’s Honey Delight (r) Fig in a 26″ Madison in slate
PATIO RASPBERRIES
Raspberries can be left outside in containers during the winter months.
Raspberry Shortcake (r) Raspberry
Why is it awesome? This compact, tidy shrub raspberry has revolutionized growing in the home garden. You will no longer have to deal with unwieldy thorny brambles in your garden to harvest buckets full of raspberries during the summer.
Raspberry Shortcake does not require staking, and it grows well in containers. It produces tons of berries. Even with my fruit-loving Kiddo, I need help to keep up with the amount of berries.
Zone: 4-9
Container Size: Large 24″-36″
Special Needs: Raspberry shortcakes can overwinter in the garden if you use a double-walled container. If you live in a very cold climate, move the container to a garage or undercover. Keep the soil moist.
Maintenance and pruning: Fruit grows on wood that is two years old, so leave the new shoots to grow unaffected in the first and the second year. Early in the spring, cut all the dead canes back to the ground and leave any new growth. Trim the tops of old canes to create a rounded bush.
PATIO BLACKBERRIES
Baby Cakes is an excellent alternative to blackberries, known for their thorns.
Blackberry Baby Cakes ™ Variety
Why is it awesome? This vine, which grows between three and four feet tall, produces TWO large sets of fruit during the season. There are no thorns, so your arms will not be scratched while you enjoy the sweet berries.
Zone: 4-8
Container Size: Large 24-36″
Special Needs: Baby Cakes requires some stakes to prevent the branches from swaying. You can use an obelisk or decorative support. A tomato cage upside down also works!
Maintenance and pruning: Fruit grows on wood that is two years old, so leave the new shoots to grow unaffected in the first and the second year. Cut all dead canes back to the ground in early spring and support the new growth.
Make blackberry Jam from your harvest.
PATIO PATIO BLUEBERRIES
The blueberry season starts early in June and can last until August, depending on your location.
Variety: Pink Icing(tm) Blueberry
Why is it awesome? Not only does this plant produce big, juicy blueberries, but it also has a stunning four-season appearance! The delicate pink tips that highlight the new foliage give the plant its name, “pink frosting.” The foliage is a dusty, blue-green color that complements the pink. The foliage turns a turquoise-blue iridescent color in the winter. Pink Icing will be the star of the show!
