Is there any benefit to growing young fruit trees in containers in their early years, so that you have full control over conditions, fertilizer, sun exposure, etc? and then placing them in the ground after their roots have expanded to fill, say, a 10 gallon container?
I’m wondering if by this time, when the tree is more established, it would then show stronger and faster growth in the ground than if put in at an earlier stage?
I ask this simply because I have noticed that the fruit trees I grow in containers tend to grow a lot faster compared to those I’ve put in the ground. I assume part of the reason for this is because they are getting a lot more nutrients due to weekly fertilization, and because I am able to move the containers whenever and wherever I like to ensure they are in the area that gets maximum sunlight.
But I have noticed the same thing when growing in hydroponics - that things grown in hydroponics generally grow a lot faster than things grown in other ways. So perhaps in the same way fruit trees grown in certain conditions can outpace others?
Anyone ever experimented and done comparisons to see? For those of you who grow in both containers and the ground, or have moved a lot container trees to the ground at various stages of growth, what have you found results in the best performance for the tree?
I grow out in pots and bags and gather notes. Some of our old heritage fruit have zero information. And specifically I want to nail down pollination characteristics so they can be planted in a mutually beneficial spot.
I’m growing all of mine in pots before determining whether or not I’ll keep them in the orchard.
Found out things like how some of my apricots flower too soon along with some peaches so they’ll either need to be in protected location or just grown as ornamentals or protected during frost.
Had i not known that beforehand, it would’ve been in the orchard never producing. I plan on having a special location for the ones who need a little help or having them forever in large pots.
I heard potted trees bloom earlier than in-ground trees in colder climates. Ground is cold and pots are black and warm up faster in the sun than the cold ground.
If I was growing a fig tree from a small twig, I would try to grow it in a pot for a couple of years to lignify it before planting in-ground and dealing with our winters. Maybe other fruit trees too. But I usually can buy fairly big trees and am not worried about the winter with them, just figs. But if I had a twig od a pear or apple, maybe I’d want more coddling.
I grow almost everything in containers for the first few years. Usually until trees are at least a foot or two tall. If I had an open field or lawn I would probably start seeds directly in the ground, but my garden is so tightly packed that small plants can’t compete for water, and an area with full sun six feet above ground might be in full shade at soil level.
it would’ve been in the orchard never producing. I plan on having a special location for the ones who need a little help or having them forever in large pots.