I am looking for new ideas. I have some low bush blueberries in 5 gallon buckets, gooseberry in a 3 gallon bucket for now and have done strawberries in the past. What other types of fruit have you grown in containers and how did it do? Anything you would do different?
Kerry
What type of fruit have you grown in containers?
I've been growing Figs in Containers for a few years now.
They do extremely well done that way.
As you're just a river width away from us you shouldn't have any problem.lol
Us the biggest contain you can for them and try to stay w/ one of the hardier varieties.
We are doing 'Negronne' outdoors year round and 'Brown Turkey' which we winter indors.
We're using a 20 gallon for the outdoor and 10 for the BT.
Ric
Ric,
Awesome. Have you had any fruit from your Negronne? Do you need both varieties for pollination? I don't have anywhere to put anything in the winter so it would have to stay outside. Is a 20gal about the same size as a half barrel?
Hi, kerry-in-ky!
I just have to recommend my favorite book regarding container gardening..."McGee & Stuckey's Bountiful Container: A Container Garden of Vegetables, Herbs, Fruits, and Edible Flowers." They have an extensive section with very explicit instructions on growing fruits in containers. They give excellent, specific instructional detail on growing apples (columnar, dwarf), blueberries, citrus, currants, figs, gooseberries, grapes, peaches, and strawberries in containers. The book is so full of useful information, it has become my favorite gardening book...even for non-container gardening!
You might want to try you library, but my guess is that if you do any edible container gardening at all, you will want this book close at hand to refer to time and again. I'd check out half.com on ebay, or you can go to www.nicholsgardennursery.com; the website of the nursery business of one of the authors, Rose Marie Nichols McGee.
Have fun!
Tracy
I tried to grow papaya in a container last year...not such a good idea! I overwintered them inside and they just didn't make it, so I never saw any fruit. Love the foliage though lol. That's just my 2 cents :) Susanne
Kerry,
Most figs grown today, in the USA, are self pollinating.
You usually get two crops/year IF you can beat the frost.
I had a few figs the first year.
Second year I had a nice first crop and at 7' tall decided to over-winter in my plant room.
I figured it would go dormant and I'd bring it outside in early March to get the cold hours needed.
Well it broke dormancy in Dec and I was harvesting figs indoors by late Winter.
I did though only get one crop outdoors that Summer and it was very small.
Since then I have only done 'Negronne' outdoors.
A half barrel would be fine.
Ric
The best i've ever grown were pineapple guavas...
How long does a guava take?
Ric
I have 5 miniature apple trees, 10 dwarf citrus trees and 3 fig trees in 24" & 30" fiberglass pots. The citrus and figs go in the greenhouse for the winter. The apple tree pots get wrapped if we're going to have a hard freeze.
Last year I tried a cantalope.
I only got 1.
It wasn't very high on flavor but VERY juicy.
I think it tasted good because I grew it. LOL!
I used 4 poles & made a tepee support. Once the melon started forming, I used a piece of cheesecloth as a sling to support the weight of the fruit.
Nancy
Ah the Melon Hammock.
I'd forgotten about that!
Great idea though.
Ric
LOL, Ric!
I'll need a mega-hammock if I actually get a pumpkin this year!
Nancy
if you buy second year plants they fruit that summer
I just received these 3 as gifts today! They will be going into their own containers tomorrow.
Thornless Blackberry 'Chester'
Highbush Blueberry 'Chippewa' (Vaccinium corymbosum)
Thornless Boysenberry 'var. Young'
And as always the Everbearing Strawberries.
~* Robin
This message was edited Jul 2, 2005 4:22 PM
I'm going to try growing a Fig tree in a container. It won't ship until October, though, so I don't know how it will do. I guess we'll see! :)
What kind of fig Mary?
Ric
I ordered Celeste.
Nice choice Mary.
It's a great eating and drying fig.
I ate them down in FL they are delicious.
Obviously it will need to come inside in Winter but I've found figs to be quite adaptable to the move.
Ric
I sure hope they do well! reminds me of home :) Do you have to keep yours trimmed to be happy in a pot? I think I read that, and I do have limited room.
I can't wait to try it! I almost got the Brown Turkey, though.
Ric,
I notice you are listed as zone 6b in Cincinnati. Do you have a microclimate there for your fig? Here, just south of the river we are zone 6a and as far as I can tell there is no place on the property that would give me anything more than 6a. I want a fig to add to my other container fruits (cranberry, blueberry, gooseberry & currant) but all the ones I see are listed as zone 7 and up, including the Negronne you are able to keep outside year round. I do have a small enclosed porch but I couldn't keep rosemary through the winter in there so I doubt I'd have any luck with a fig. Do you do anything special to your fig for the winter months?
Kerry,
We wintered it indoors for two years.
The last two it was wintered outside.
Because we're semi-urban and near the Ohio River we are listed as 6b.
The new 2003 climate maps are showing us as a 7.
Because of the barriers we have in place
we do have a bit of a micro-climate going here.
Our small backyard is totally enclosed w/ a 7' fence.
This is backed by 20' tall evergreen hedge of bamboo to the north and east.
So the NE winds are moderated.
An evergreen 5' Euonymus fortunei hedge fronts the fence on the south side and our house to the west.
We routinely get frosts 2 weeks later there than in our front yard,
We winter M. basjoo in the ground w/o protection here.
I've seen figs growing unprotected in Dayton, OH 40 miles north of us.
If possible plant them on the south side of your house or a wall.
We have been leaving our fig pots outside though this year we are going to plant them directly in the ground.
Just surround the plant and container w/ a wire cage.
Make sure you have at least 2' of space around the pot.
Then just fill it w/ leaves, tamping as you fill.
Any parts of the tree uncovered are at risk but the caged parts will do fine.
Ric