Pots of gold for year-round bounty

Potted fruit trees and dwarf varieties are increasingly available for sale, which means even in the smallest gardens, you could grow fruit all year, writes Kate Marshall

Many types and varieties of fruit trees can be grown in pots. These days, you can even buy banana trees in pots. Which means not having a garden, or not having even space, is no longer a valid excuse for not growing your own.

Even if you’re renting and planning to move, you could take your potted fruit trees with you. And as fruit tree-planting season is imminent, it’s the right time to be planning new additions to your home orchard, or to start setting one up.

In Matakana, north of Auckland, permaculture enthusiast Trish Allen also gets fruit ‘‘almost’’ all year round. ‘‘I have a little gap right at the end of winter when the citrus has finished but the early peaches aren’t out yet,’’ she says.

In Christchurch, suburban gardener Murray Stewart enjoys homegrown fruits from the first week in June when the first of the mandarins ripen to the last week in

May when the last of the apples are picked. ‘‘We basically eat all the fruit. ‘‘Occasionally, we might freeze some but by spacing out fruiting over as long a period as possible, we don’t have to store it. We do keep some in the fridge, but we do not bottle or make jam.’’

Here are things to consider if you’re aiming to get fruit year-round out of your garden or potted paradise.

Think small

A mature, full-sized plum tree produces 500-800 fruit. Instead of planting one tree and letting it get huge, think about pruning and planning.

Pruning trees to keep the fruit easily pickable, means that in the same space taken up by one big tree to pick from over just a few weeks, instead you could have four smaller trees that crop from early summer to early autumn.

Timing is everything

School and preschool orchards need to be planned around the school terms, otherwise your stonefruit will only be feeding the birds during the holidays.

Apples, pears and feijoas are great for late summer and autumn harvesting, and citrus trees are excellent for winter harvesting, especially easypeel satsuma mandarins.

Take holidays into account when planning your home orchard too. You don’t want the annual Christmas holiday at the bach to coincide with your cherry or apricot harvest at home.

And if you don’t want to be sweating over a hot preserving pan in the middle of summer, plant autumn-fruiting varieties, such as ‘‘Blackboy’’ peaches, ‘‘Omega’’ plums and quinces, for jams and sauces.

Pair up your fruits

For pollination purposes, planting fruit trees closer together means better fruit set.

Varieties that ripen at different times can still flower at the same time and cross pollinate.

Your local nursery or garden centre should have people who will be able to provide advice. The labels on the seedlings will also tell you if they need a pollinating partner.

Start as you mean to go on

Keeping growth contained is easier on a small fruit tree, rather than trying to tame a tall, vigorous tree.

Prune young fruit trees hard when planting, to encourage low branches between knee and waist height, so that the ultimate height of the tree is within arm’s reach for picking and netting against birds. Then do regular light pruning through summer, even just using hedge shears, to keep growth under control.

You will have less fruit, but the crop is of a much more manageable size, rather than a wasteful glut.