Fruit trees and shrubs for limited spaces

By Patrick Regnault

Small backyards, balconies, limited outdoor spaces, and short or unsecured rent leases are not as conducive to long-term tree planting. For those who can afford to buy and settle, they may have a shrunken backyard or a courtyard; for others, it will need to be pots. That is the reality of the urban horticulture industry. A small space can still be made to look like a green oasis, just a pocket-sized one.

Greening office spaces, cafes, and shops do not have to follow the same old trends. Fruiting plants can add spark and provide a connection with seasonality. Growing fruit trees or fruiting shrubs in those conditions may be challenging and weirdly rewarding.

Let’s start with the fruiting shrubs.

Blueberries are relatively easy to grow, and grow well in pots if the pot size is 400 to 500mm and the potting mix is on the acidic side. In the hotter areas of the country, four hours of sun is enough, and probably more like six hours in cooler areas. If you have space for many pots, two to four plants will keep the harvest coming. A superior quality potting mix and slow-release fertiliser are required. Warmer areas like Brisbane may require choosing low-chill varieties like Sharpe Blue.

Currants are a good container plant for cooler areas. The red and white currants can be trained in a cordon or fan shape or grown as standards. For the black currants, choose a compact variety, and use the same pot size as for blueberries.

For fruit trees, I must make a confession. I am not a fan of planting trees, even dwarf varieties, in containers. This said, it has been done successfully for centuries. Putting my biases aside, I will mention five fruit trees worth growing. Remember that as the tree grows, you will need to increase the size of the container. The number of fruit trees you can have may be limited to the number of pots you can fit in the space.

I looked at different websites to see what was on offer for dwarf and super dwarf plants, and I would recommend visiting plantnet.com.au for their selection and plant care.

Figs are easy to grow and can be trained into any shape you want. They produce well and look good espaliered against a wall, if you have the space. They will need to be fed regularly during the growing season.

Kumquats are the go-to citrus for pots. They look good, are perfumed, and have small fruits. The Meiwa Kumquat is round and on the sweet side. The Hong Kong kumquat, Fortunella hindsii, is a compact tree well suited to S.E Queensland.

Finger Limes are prickly but produce well and taste good. They are a citrus that does well in part shade. More unusual is the Sunrise Lime, a cross between a finger lime and a kumquat developed by the CSIRO. The pear-shaped fruits are golden yellow with a sweet skin and a tangy pulp, and theyfruit from February to June.

Citrus Buddha’s Hand will require a large container over time. It is an unusual-looking fruit that will attract attention. This edible citrus is used for sweet and savoury dishes. Another use for it is to pick the fruit and set it in a bowl; the oil will evaporate and perfume the room.

Pomegranates are beautiful small trees with gorgeous flowers and delicious fruits. They can be grown in a large area of Australia’s East, South, and Southwest coasts. Midnight Velvet has dark red to black fruits. It will grow to 3m x 3m.

If a deciduous fruit tree is wanted, there are some varieties of peach, plum, cherry, nectarine, pear, and apple available. Some new varieties called super dwarf are making their way onto the market. The rootstock is usually very vigorous and will need to be kept from sprouting. You will also need a pollinating partner, which means space for two trees, and two large containers suitable for a tree reaching 1.5m to 2.5m in both height and width.

Fruit trees have great ornamental value. They also have an educational value. Schools, colleges and universities could line their driveways, boundaries and other spaces with them. The seasonality, the fruiting, or the failure to fruit provide an opportunity to teach about the precarity of food production, something our society takes for granted at its own peril.

Patrick Regnault FAIH RH0062

Interactive Landscapes

E: patrickregnault@hotmail.com