Mini fruit trees in pots are a way for every balcony or terrace owner to enjoy their own juicy apples, sweet pears or peaches shining in the sun. In addition, they are easy to grow and, unlike large fruit trees, do not require complicated pruning. It is hardly surprising that they have become a hit sought after by amateurs of fruit grown on their own. See what varieties are best for growing in our climate and how to care for them.
Mini fruit tree - peach looks attractive thanks to its long, lanceolate leaves, very large compared to the size of the whole plant. It blooms beautifully in spring, and at the end of summer you can taste its delicious fruits.
These unusual plants have been bred in one of the nurseries near Opole for over a dozen years. Mainly intended for sale abroad. But years of testing and searching forvarieties of miniature fruit treessuitable for cultivation in our climate finally proved to be fruitful. A set of carefully selected, resistant miniature varieties allows every owner of even a very small garden, balcony or terrace to fulfill the dream of having their own fruit trees. Now each of us can pick fresh apples, pears, peaches or plums from our own tree.
Advantages of mini fruit trees
Thanks to their small size,mini fruit treesare perfect for growing in pots. They can also be successfully planted in the ground and very close to each other, thanks to which we will gather several different varieties in a small area of a small garden. For examplethe size of mini pear treesafter 6 years of cultivation does not exceed 150 cm, which greatly facilitates maintenance and fruit harvesting.The yield from such a tree can be from 4 to 8 kg. It is worth noting thatstarts fruiting very early- we can expect the first fruits in the second year of cultivation. Thanks to these advantages,mini fruit treeshit the list of the most popular amateur fruit plants.
The small size of these fruit trees also allows the cultivation of peaches, apricots and nectarines, very sensitive to spring frosts, also in regions where their flowers are usually damaged by frosts. Well,a mini tree in a potfor the period of expected frosts can be easily hidden in a frost-protected room, protecting its flower buds and flowers from damage. This significantly increases the possibilities of growing the least frost-resistant fruit species.
Mini fruit trees - the best varieties
Among themini fruit treesthere are varieties of the most popular fruit trees - apple and pear, as well as peach, apricot and nectarine.Throughout the season, from spring to autumn, you can buy plants in pots, and in spring and autumn, slightly cheaper ones dug from the ground are available.
Withmini apple treesthere are two varieties: 'Delegrina' and 'Delbarestivale'. In both varieties, red-yellow apples ripen in early September. The height of the trunk to the lace is approx. 50 cm.
Alsomini pear treescan be purchased in two varieties. They are: 'Garden Pearl' and 'Garden Red'. In the first of these varieties, green pears, covered with a rusty blush, ripen in mid-October. Much earlier, at the beginning of September, the red fruits of the 'Garden Red' variety ripen. The height of the trunk of these trees, counted from the beginning of the crown, is 40 cm.
mini peach fruit treeslook very attractive, as their lanceolate leaves are very large in relation to the size of the whole plant. Miniature peach of the 'Honey Gold' variety has full pink flowers and green-yellow fruit.The 'Honey Red' variety, on the other hand, has semi-double pink flowers and pink fruit with a blush. After 5 years of cultivation, the crown of these trees can be quite up to 1.2 m in diameter.
mini apricot fruit trees'Aprigold' and nectarines 'Rubis' also look interesting. Both of these varieties look great during flowering and give tasty fruit.
Unusual mini fruit trees Duo
Complementing the listvarieties of mini fruit treesit is worth mentioning the so-calledmini Duo trees , which are created by inoculating two fruit varieties on one rootstock. As a result, we collect two different varieties of fruit from one tree. Examples are:Duo Jabłoń Braeburn + Bramley(very tasty apples),Duo pear Konferencja + Red Faworytka(those popular and liked by gardeners varieties of pear I don't think you need to introduce anyone) andDuo Śliwa Viktoria + WegierkaThese plants grow slightly higher than typicalmini fruit trees , they can grow up to 2.5 m in height, but still suitable for growing in pots on balconies or terraces.And by planting such a plant in the garden, we will amaze many neighbors.
Mini fruit tree - Plum Duo, i.e. two varieties of plums on one tree.
Mini fruit trees - growing conditions, care
Mini fruit treescan be planted both in the ground and grown in pots on balconies and terraces in sunny positions, preferably warm and sheltered from strong winds. They require fertile, humus soil. Their care is greatly facilitated by the fact that due to their very slow growth, they do not require pruning. In the case of plants in pots, however, we must remember about regular irrigation and a slightly greater need for fertilizers compared to plants planted in the ground. Fertilizers are given from spring to July. It can be natural vermicompost or compound fertilizers for fruit trees.
For wintermini fruit trees(especially peaches, apricots and nectarines) need cover.It is easy to do because of the small tree crowns. We wrap them with agrotextile, jute or straw. In the case of plants grown in pots, remember to also protect the root ball, which is much more prone to freezing than the above-ground part of the plant. That is why it is worth wrapping the pots with straw mats, agrotextile or polystyrene. You can also put the pot in a larger cardboard box, and fill the empty spaces with sawdust or crumpled newspapers. From balconies and terracesflower pots with mini fruit treescan also be moved to cool rooms, protected against frost. In the case of species sensitive to frost, it is worth carrying out such a procedure especially in spring, when frosts are expected and the trees are already blooming.
As you can see,mini fruit treesare cared for like other potted plants on balconies and terraces, perhaps a bit more care is needed to protect them from frost.Properly cared for, however, it will pay back not only with an attractive habit, foliage and abundant flowering, but also with attractive, he althy fruit.
