How good would that be, going out to the deck, patio, balcony or the backyard, and picking some fruit straight off the bush, from a plant growing in a pot! These days we are spoilt for choices in dwarf growing fruit plants, with such a wide variety available.
Citrus plants are the big winners, with most varieties available in dwarf form. Mandarin, orange, lemon and lime all have dwarf growing varieties available, suitable for growing in pots. As well as that, there are new hybrid varieties becoming available from time to time such as Mandarin/ Lime, an interesting combination of the two citrus forms. The great thing about these mini growers is that the fruit is normal size, so there is no compromise there.
Let’s have a look at other yummies found in your local nursery... Blueberries are ideal for pots, and they fruit at a young age, as does the Native Finger Lime.
Olives are now also around in a dwarf form, as are a number of tropical fruit plants, all pretty easy to grow and care for.
So, what do you need? First, a reasonable sized pot, say around 400mm, although some are happy in a 300mm size. Next, a good quality potting mix that contains some slow release fertiliser. Maybe add some mushroom compost to give it a bit of body. Grab some fully organic liquid fertiliser such as Searles 5 in 1, to use every few weeks, and lastly a nice mulch for the top, like sugar cane, to insulate the soil. Of course, these beauties will still need reasonable sun to be happy, so a spot where they will get about half a day’s worth of sunshine would be nice.
As far as insect control, a good horticultural oil mixed with water in a spray bottle and sprayed on your babies from time to time will take care of most of the nasties before they do any damage. We recommend a paraffin oil because it’s less greasy then white oil.
And, here’s a little tip, a product called Fruit Blend, which is natural rock minerals product, which can make all the difference to the growth and quality of your plant. We stock it in 4kg tubs or bigger bags! And a little product goes a long way. So, you can create your own mini orchard, right near the back door, or even the front, for that matter!