Heres why We're Growing Fruit in Containers

Good fruit that tastes great is hard to get in Ireland, and good fruit that has been grown naturally is even harder.  So, for us, the obvious solution to this problem was to grow our own fruit.  This way we would be sure to get fruit that actually has a taste whilst also knowing that it is good for us.

Growing lettuce and tomatoes takes less than 6 months from sowing to harvest and so it's easy to requisition a bit of ground without needing to commit to it for life.  But it takes a bit longer for fruit to provide some kind of return.  Sometimes you will begin to harvest within about 8 months of planting but in order to get any reasonable amount of fruit you've got to wait till the next year when the bush or tree is a bit bigger.  Some trees take 5 years to even begin to fruit and so if you are renting a house or apartment you will probably have moved on before you get any results. 

About three years ago, shortly after we moved into another rented house, I decided that I wasn't going to wait any longer. We bought a raspberry cane which was promptly put in a pot.  We would be taking this little fella with us if and when we moved house again.  To this we added a blackcurrant bush which still lives in its first home - a large tyre. Our little fruit collection has grown steadily and now we have 16 differnt types of fruit, all in containers in our little suburban garden.

Another reason to grow fruit in containers would be if you happened to live somewhere where there was no soil at all. For example a garden that was paved or an apartment balcony or terrace. 

Also, there are geniune advantages for some varieties of fruit if they are grown in containers. Figs, for example actually need to have their roots restricted in cooler climates so as to help them set fruit.  Cherry trees can grow up to 60feet tall and so restricting them in a container makes more sense if you actually want to harvest the fruit without a crane.  Some fruits like oranges, cape gooseberries etc would be damaged by frost and so need to be taken indoors during the winter.  This is obviously only possible if they are in pots.  Other fruits do well to be taken indoors during the summer in order to ripen the fruit but they benefit from being outside during the winter. 

The soil in each container can be tailored very easily to the specific requirements of each variety of fruit.  For example the blueberries need acidic soil and so we have made up a special concoction for them that should do the trick. Added to all of these reasons to grow fruit in containers is the point that while a pear tree might end up being small and therefore produce less fruit, it will be easier to look after the fruits as they are developing and so a better quality of fruit may be obtained.

Gradually I realised that there is something wonderful about growing fruit. Your blackcurrant bush will still be there next year when all the lettuce and tomatoes have gone.  There's no need to sow more seeds, to pick the right sowing time or to plant on the seedlings.  Every year, the little bush grows bigger and so a bit more fruit will be harvested, all going well.  Mostly, I love to watch the blackcurrants, and redcurrants, rasberries and vines develop their structures.  I love understanding how to prune them to optimize fruiting.  I love seeing them wake up again at all differnt times in the spring with all our hope of fruit waking up too.  I have developed a strong bond with the fruit in our garden and they actually seem like part of the family. Our new arrival of tayberries, jostaberries, pear, plum, hazelnuts and blueberries all have to bide their time while I get to know them and make that bond.  We all have to be a little patient.

Patience is definitely something that is cultivated when looking after fruit and an appreciation for the fruit that you harvest is obviously increased.  The effort involved makes that fruit seem like it's worth its weight in gold.  Every morsel seems like a little jewel that just can't be bought anywhere.  It seems magical that something so tasty is grown by nature. 

Now that we have our own fruit trees and bushes we can actually begin to remember what nature's fruit is supposed to taste like.  We're hooked and we're already planning to add citrus fruit to the list.  One day pineapples will be part of the family, as will peaches and god knows what else. 

Comments

[Jane]

Hi, I've just found you blog via beansprouts' eco-blog. I love what your doing, I think everyone should grow something to eat. You've probably found already that it's quite addictive.