A listener recently asked about keeping fruit trees on their property in Indiana. They had not had much luck and wondered abut options. I recommended she consider half wine barrels as containers since I have had such good luck with them.
I realize that not everyone is in a warm citrus zone, so I recommended simply moving them indoors when the weather turned cold. With the hep of some garden container coasters on wheels, moving is pretty simple.
I was then asked how big should it be before it can stay outside? Good question. It all depends on what the thermometer says. The variety of fruit tree and it’s cold hardiness, and the outside temperatures will determine when it can go outside.
For example, My Satsuma Mandarin Oranges can withstand temps down to around 25 degrees Fahrenheit. When we had a cold blast last year for a long stretch, I simply wrapped some Christmas lights around it and covered with a light Row cover ( a light curtain like material). Not only did the tree stay cozy through the cold, it added some nice color to the winter evenings. I do realize Texas is warmer than Indiana.
My Meyer Lemons, however, are not that cold tolerant and I brought them inside for the winter. It was great. I had lemon blossoms and the lemon aroma throughout my kitchen all winter. Meyer Lemons produce fruit all year long.
If you’re worried about them getting to large to handle, there are miniature fruit trees too. And, when kept in a barrel planter as I suggested, their roots can’t spread out and forces them to remain manageable in a pot. If you decide to try some fruit trees keep in mind most fruit trees will take about 3-5 years before they will start producing good tasting fruit.
Concern was then expressed over pollination. Once again, the humble honeybee and other pollinators come to the rescue. But better yet, many of the varieties of fruit trees are self-fruitful, meaning they do not need another tree for pollination.
Are you growing Fruit trees as part of your backyard food garden? If not, why not? I sure hope you give it a try. Nothing beats fresh fruit from the patio or the back yard. I had 4 trees all in containers on my patio. All produced well, and none were over 5 ft tall, including the planter it was in.
Like home grown tomatoes, once you’ve tried home-grown fruit, you’ll want t add even more varieties to your garden.
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