Dwarf fruit in containers
 

I know this subject has been done to death but I couldn't find answers to my
questions in searches.

Has anyone in zone 5ish been successful at keeping dwarf fruit in containers
that hold less than 50 gallons? Have the containers wintered well outside?
Did moving the trees hurt them?

I'm living in a temporary situation for the next 2 years and have lots of porch
space. I thought now would be a good time to get some fruit trees started to
be moved to my permanant home later but the containers need to be small enough
for me to be able to move with a dolly.

Thanks
Laura B
LauraATwhoeverDOTcom

Dwarf fruit in containers
 

I would have thought if you got 1yr old maidens or 2 yer old trees then 2
years in pots wont do a lot of harm, but I would think 5 gall for the first
year, then a container wit an extra 3 or 4 inches all round for year 2,

--
David Hill
Abacus nurseries
www.abacus-nurseries.co.uk

Dwarf fruit in containers
 

Maybe you should be asking 5ish Finkel?

http://www.tvtome.com/tvtome/servlet...l/personid-825


Thalocean2 wrote in message
...
I know this subject has been done to death but I couldn't find answers to
my
questions in searches.

Has anyone in zone 5ish been successful at keeping dwarf fruit in
containers
that hold less than 50 gallons? Have the containers wintered well
outside?
Did moving the trees hurt them?

I'm living in a temporary situation for the next 2 years and have lots of
porch
space. I thought now would be a good time to get some fruit trees started
to
be moved to my permanant home later but the containers need to be small
enough
for me to be able to move with a dolly.

Thanks
Laura B
LauraATwhoeverDOTcom

Dwarf fruit in containers
 

I dwarf fruit trees in 100 gallon rubbermaids ... they are doing fine.
http://puregold.aquaria.net/MOH/orchard/orchard.html but I think 50 gallons is still
going to be hell to move unless you build boxes with big wheels.
actually, dwarf fruit trees bear the second year after they are planted. moving them
and replanting will set em back by that much. so go with patio super dwarf
nectarines that you will keep in big pots, but have someplace to move em in for
winter. Ingrid

(Thalocean2) wrote:

I know this subject has been done to death but I couldn't find answers to my
questions in searches.

Has anyone in zone 5ish been successful at keeping dwarf fruit in containers
that hold less than 50 gallons? Have the containers wintered well outside?
Did moving the trees hurt them?

I'm living in a temporary situation for the next 2 years and have lots of porch
space. I thought now would be a good time to get some fruit trees started to
be moved to my permanant home later but the containers need to be small enough
for me to be able to move with a dolly.

Thanks
Laura B
LauraATwhoeverDOTcom



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
List Manager: Puregold Goldfish List
http://puregold.aquaria.net/
www.drsolo.com
Solve the problem, dont waste energy finding who's to blame
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Unfortunately, I receive no money, gifts, discounts or other
compensation for all the damn work I do, nor for any of the
endorsements or recommendations I make.

Dwarf fruit in containers
 

I have tried several times to keep miniature fruit trees (manchurian
apricots and nectarines) on my patio, here in zone 5. I have wrapped
them in insulation and they were on the southern side of my house. I
have lost
every one of these, after a season or two, so I have given up keeping
trees in pots. The planters were too big to move (22 inch pot) into a
protected area. Even fruit trees I grafted into 5 gallon containers,
and put in my shed all died. The only real protection I still think
might work is to bury the pots in your garden over the winter.

Sherwin D.

Thalocean2 wrote:

I know this subject has been done to death but I couldn't find answers to my
questions in searches.

Has anyone in zone 5ish been successful at keeping dwarf fruit in containers
that hold less than 50 gallons? Have the containers wintered well outside?
Did moving the trees hurt them?

I'm living in a temporary situation for the next 2 years and have lots of porch
space. I thought now would be a good time to get some fruit trees started to
be moved to my permanant home later but the containers need to be small enough
for me to be able to move with a dolly.

Thanks
Laura B
LauraATwhoeverDOTcom

Dwarf fruit in containers
 

Sherwin Dubren wrote in message ...
I have tried several times to keep miniature fruit trees (manchurian
apricots and nectarines) on my patio, here in zone 5. I have wrapped
them in insulation and they were on the southern side of my house. I
have lost
every one of these, after a season or two, so I have given up keeping
trees in pots. The planters were too big to move (22 inch pot) into a
protected area. Even fruit trees I grafted into 5 gallon containers,
and put in my shed all died. The only real protection I still think
might work is to bury the pots in your garden over the winter.

Sherwin D.


The answer to moving those big pots is to put them on wheeled bases.
These are easy to make with 2x4 lumber and a set of casters. You can
get the wood, wheels, and screws or nails at any home improvement
store.


Trees in pots are generally not a good idea in Zone 5--too much chance
for dehydration in the winter.


J. Del Col

Dwarf fruit in containers
 

Sherwin Dubren wrote in message ...
I have tried several times to keep miniature fruit trees (manchurian
apricots and nectarines) on my patio, here in zone 5. I have wrapped
them in insulation and they were on the southern side of my house. I
have lost
every one of these, after a season or two, so I have given up keeping
trees in pots. The planters were too big to move (22 inch pot) into a
protected area. Even fruit trees I grafted into 5 gallon containers,
and put in my shed all died. The only real protection I still think
might work is to bury the pots in your garden over the winter.

Sherwin D.


The answer to moving those big pots is to put them on wheeled bases.
These are easy to make with 2x4 lumber and a set of casters. You can
get the wood, wheels, and screws or nails at any home improvement
store.


Trees in pots are generally not a good idea in Zone 5--too much chance
for dehydration in the winter.


J. Del Col

Dwarf fruit in containers
 

Thalocean2 wrote:

I know this subject has been done to death but I couldn't find answers to my
questions in searches.

Has anyone in zone 5ish been successful at keeping dwarf fruit in containers
that hold less than 50 gallons? Have the containers wintered well outside?
Did moving the trees hurt them?

I'm living in a temporary situation for the next 2 years and have lots of porch
space. I thought now would be a good time to get some fruit trees started to
be moved to my permanant home later but the containers need to be small enough
for me to be able to move with a dolly.

First of all, dwarf fruit trees should be okay even in a 20 gallon
container. I have a dwarf lemon in a tub that is 18 inches in
diameter and 18 inches deep. I have had it for about 35 years. I
also have a dwarf kumquat in a similar tub for over 20 years; I
had it in a large flower pot before then, a total of over 30 years
between the tub and pot. And I have had a dwarf orange in a
similar tub for about 13 years.

Your climate could be a problem, even for a hardy deciduous fruit
tree. You can buy or make (as another response indicated) a
wheeled platform for your containers. When I lived in an area
with slightly colder winters, I had the lemon tub on such a
platform and rolled it into my garage at night and out again in
the morning. The kumquat is hardier, so I left it alone. I did
not have the orange at that time. With a deciduous tree, you
could keep it sheltered day and night in the winter as long as the
soil is not allowed to become completely dry. However, many
deciduous fruit trees do need some winter chill; so (unless the
shelter is not heated) you might want to roll it outside when the
temperatures are not too far below freezing. Once buds start to
swell, you must be much more careful about protecting the trees
from freezing.

--
David E. Ross
Climate: California Mediterranean
Sunset Zone: 19 -- interior Santa Monica Mountains with some ocean
influence (USDA 10a)
Gardening pages at http://www.rossde.com/garden/

Dwarf fruit in containers
 

It is interesting... in the UK when we think of fruit trees we think Apple,
Pear and Plumb, and sometimes Cherry.
All the US answers to this question have referred to Orange, lemon, peach,
apricot etc all fruit that we would regard as greenhouse crops.

--
David Hill
Abacus nurseries
www.abacus-nurseries.co.uk

Dwarf fruit in containers
 

It is interesting... in the UK when we think of fruit trees we think Apple,
Pear and Plumb, and sometimes Cherry.
All the US answers to this question have referred to Orange, lemon, peach,
apricot etc all fruit that we would regard as greenhouse crops.

--
David Hill
Abacus nurseries
www.abacus-nurseries.co.uk



I was kinda thinking the former myself. Citrus won't grow where I am unless
you have it in a greenhouse with 24/7 humidifiers.

I don't think I'll waste my time with apricot though. I've only known of one
here that ever got fruit and that was only one year out of 20. Damn good fruit
though.

I was really hoping to do some sort of euro plum, a pear and a yellow apple.
(or two of each if I can't find self pollinating) Since the concenses seems to
be that the roots will freeze, and I'm too lazy to move them much, maybe I'll
just rig the pots with heat tape and plug em in when it gets real cold?

Thanks for all the responses and advice,
Laura B.

Dwarf fruit in containers
 

"........and I'm too lazy to move them much..."

I,d just dig a hole and bury the pot for the winter as long as your ground
doesn't get waterlogged.
As long as you loft them early spring then they should be fine.
Otherwise place them close to a south facing wall and cover the roots with a
good layer of sacking or something similar.

--
David Hill
Abacus nurseries
www.abacus-nurseries.co.uk

Dwarf fruit in containers
 

my favorite refrain is "rootstock". I got dwarf fruit trees from some of these yahoo
places like the one in Canindegua (sp) and they were grafted onto incompatible root
stock and after 3 years every single one broke off at the graft.

I have a delicate dissectum grafted maple that does fine in a pot on the north side
of my shed outside. the fig tree I bring into the barely heated garage has to be
watered or it will dessicate too much. rather than sink or bury the pots, it might
work to just use hay bales to shelter them.... it if the freeze thaw cycles that
break the roots. my rubbermaid water troughs are touch, they dont crack or bend and
they do insulate. I had to whitewash the trunks since they are on a south facing
wall.
http://www.baylaurelnursery.com/cata.../apricots.html
I got peaches and asian pears from them. the trees are wonderful my only problem is
I am going to have to seriously construct a frame to hold the branches or the
branches and the graft will snap. Ingrid

Sherwin Dubren wrote:
I have tried several times to keep miniature fruit trees (manchurian
apricots and nectarines) on my patio, here in zone 5. I have wrapped
them in insulation and they were on the southern side of my house. I
have lost
every one of these, after a season or two, so I have given up keeping
trees in pots. The planters were too big to move (22 inch pot) into a
protected area. Even fruit trees I grafted into 5 gallon containers,
and put in my shed all died. The only real protection I still think
might work is to bury the pots in your garden over the winter.

Sherwin D.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
List Manager: Puregold Goldfish List
http://puregold.aquaria.net/
www.drsolo.com
Solve the problem, dont waste energy finding who's to blame
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Unfortunately, I receive no money, gifts, discounts or other
compensation for all the damn work I do, nor for any of the
endorsements or recommendations I make.

Dwarf fruit in containers
 

peaches and apricots absolutely require cold to bloom. it is very hard to grow them
in the south. Ingrid

"David Hill" wrote:

It is interesting... in the UK when we think of fruit trees we think Apple,
Pear and Plumb, and sometimes Cherry.
All the US answers to this question have referred to Orange, lemon, peach,
apricot etc all fruit that we would regard as greenhouse crops.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
List Manager: Puregold Goldfish List
http://puregold.aquaria.net/
www.drsolo.com
Solve the problem, dont waste energy finding who's to blame
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Unfortunately, I receive no money, gifts, discounts or other
compensation for all the damn work I do, nor for any of the
endorsements or recommendations I make.

Dwarf fruit in containers
 

Xref: kermit rec.gardens:263862

"......... I had to whitewash the trunks since they are on a south facing
wall. ........"

Why?


--
David Hill
Abacus nurseries
www.abacus-nurseries.co.uk

Dwarf fruit in containers
 

in winter the sun side heats up because the bark is dark, the shaded side doesnt
heat up, the differential in heating results in differential expansion which leads to
cracking of the bark. I would rather whitewash than wrap the trunks. Ingrid

"David Hill" wrote:

"......... I had to whitewash the trunks since they are on a south facing
wall. ........"

Why?



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
List Manager: Puregold Goldfish List
http://puregold.aquaria.net/
www.drsolo.com
Solve the problem, dont waste energy finding who's to blame
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Unfortunately, I receive no money, gifts, discounts or other
compensation for all the damn work I do, nor for any of the
endorsements or recommendations I make.