Best Fruits to Grow in A Container Garden

Spring breathes much-needed life into the landscape, allowing everything to bloom and blossom. For those who garden or would like to encourage their green thumb, this is also the time of year when the excitement grows. The warmer weather brings new opportunities, including the ability to grow your own food.

Depending on where you live or your level of expertise, you may have grown herbs, possibly even a small vegetable garden, but have you tried your hand at growing fruits? With all the added benefits of container gardening, it makes sense to start with a manageable plant or two – especially if you’re space-limited.

What options do you have? Which fruits are ideal for container garden? This guide will help you grow your own fruit with ease, without taking up too much space – while adding an appealing element of design to your garden space.

The Best Fruits for Container Gardening

Sometimes, gardening can take a little bit of trial and error. Some mistakes are learning curves that help you improve the following season. The following fruits are easy to grow – when given the right conditions. Regardless of the fruit you choose, don’t be shy to ask questions at your local nursery. Here are some of the fruits that are perfect for your own container garden:

Strawberries

Who doesn’t love a plump red strawberry? These perennials are extremely productive when placed in the right conditions. It’s important to note that there are actually different varieties of strawberries, with some being more heat-tolerable than others. Everbearing, for instance, are highly tolerable and are ideal for hotter climates.

Regardless of the outdoor planter you choose, it’s critical that there’s excellent drainage. When the soil is too wet, the strawberry crowns will rot. It may be ideal to purchase a lightweight container, such as a plastic planter. Strawberries need at least 8 hours of direct sunlight daily. With a lightweight planter, you can move your strawberries to meet their needs.

Blueberries

Perfect for your morning granola oryogurt, blueberries are tiny nutritional powerhouses. They are known for being easy to grow in containers, especially in eastern North America. Although they generally ripen from late June to August, they’re actually a four-season plant.

The greatest benefit is fresh home-grown blueberries. In the spring, flowers bloom; fruit is harvested in the summer; then in autumn and winter, they add seasonal coloration, such as bright red stems. Unlike strawberries, blueberries are long-lived and add pleasing colors to your surrounding.

They develop extensive root systems, requiring a deeper planter, such as 18 inches of depth. Blueberries actually prefer acidic soil, so be sure to add some compost and peat moss to your garden container. Once again, with 6 hours of required sunlight, it may be ideal to invest in a more mobile plastic or resin planter, depending on your outdoor space.

Figs

Mmm, figs — a taste of the Mediterranean. Depending on where you live, a planter will make it easier for you to protect this plant over the winter months. Once summer rolls around, however, figs love long, hot days. Without these conditions, the fruit may not properly ripen.

Depending on the size of plant you purchase, your planter needs will vary. With that being said, smaller planters can actually favour fruit production. Needing plenty of light, a deck that gets full-sun may be a great place to set-up your new budding fig plant — even a railing planter will do the trick.

Tomatoes

Many think that tomatoes are vegetables, but they’re actually a fruit. When it comes to growing tomatoes, garden containers are the easiest and most practical method for those who are space-limited. They will also need around 6 hours of direct sunlight daily.

When you first purchase your tomato plant, it may be tiny — but don’t let that fool you. You will need a fairly large planter, allowing the top of the plant to reach its potential, while the roots have enough space to grow. The larger you allow your plant to grow, the more fruit it will yield.

Nothing is more rewarding than growing your own fruit. Whether you want to whip up a tomato and basil salad or blueberry compote, your garden containers will ensure that you never have to go far for the ingredients.

Author Bio:

Ankush Gupta is a marketing administrator based in Toronto, Canada. He assists in contributing resourceful content throughout the web and prides himself in his ability to provide high-quality content that readers will find valuable. Follow him on twitter: @ankushguptaTO