Fruit trees in miniature

When we talk about fruit plants, we usually mean shrubs or tall fruit trees. However, apart from these plants, there are also much smaller versions that can be planted in pots on terraces and balconies.

The washer is the basis

The easiest and cheapest way to get small-sized trees is to buy grafted or budded varieties on a strongly stunted rootstock.The undoubted advantage of such forms is early fruiting - usually already in the year of planting, while the disadvantage is a relatively short period of life (about 10 years) and a relatively small amount of fruit.Another way to obtain miniature fruit plants is to buy mini-fruit trees, which have a much smaller crown size, but large fruit.We find here various varieties of almost all species: apple trees, pear trees, plums, cherries and peaches.

Ballerina, or columnar apple trees, are characterized by a straight, vertically growing guide, from which only very short fruit-bearing branches depart. The fruit therefore springs almost directly on the guide.
Due to their slender shape, they can be planted very close to each other, even every 50 cm, and adult trees do not exceed 2 m.We plant them both in the ground and in larger pots with a capacity of 15-20 years.The most famous trees from the Balerina group are the 'W altz' variety with fruits with a red blush,
as well as the varieties of 'Bolero' and 'Polka'.

Easy to grow

The advantage of columnar apple trees is that there is no need to prune and shape the trees, because they do not branch out to the sides. Sometimes one or two longer shoots will grow, which are just cut off at the base.The only thing such trees need is a strong stake to prevent the trunk from breaking under the weight of the fruit. When a tree grows in a pot, it should be watered regularly and fertilized with small doses of fertilizer.The available varieties are rather resistant to common diseases and do not require chemical protection.If pests appear, we control them with typical agents that we use in orchards. Most of these varieties come from England, where winters are milder and therefore in our climate they can be damaged by severe frosts.

If they are in pots, move them to unheated rooms, and when they grow in the ground, cover them with mats or fleece.The cover does not pose any problems, because the diameter of the tree from the top to the bottom usually does not exceed 30-40 cm.In order for the trees to bear fruit every year and the fruit to grow sufficiently, let's thin the buds. We perform this treatment right after flowering, leaving single buds spaced every 10-15 cm from each other, and simply remove the rest.

Trees with impeccable lines

- Narrow growing cherries (and pear trees) are grafted on a weakly growing rootstock and often develop longer side shoots.Shoots shortened to 10-15 cm in summer.Thinning of the fruit is recommended mainly for peach and pear trees, for cherries and plums, this treatment can be omitted. The trees reach a height of 2-4 m.

- The columnar apple tree practically does not need pruning, because the slender habit is written in the genes, even if it was grafted on a moderately growing rootstock.Remember to cut out unnecessary shoots right at the base, i.e. on the main shoot.Adult trees do not exceed 2 m.

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