I have an apple tree in a large pot (25 inches), which is fruiting.
But…compared to the apple trees in the ground (of similar size), the size/growth of the fruit is noticeably slower and smaller, despite frequent watering.
Does anyone else find this?
Is there any way to get full sized fruit from pot grown apple trees, or will they always be smaller than their ground planted equivalents?
(Although vegetation/branches/leaves tend to grow at the same pace.)
I wouldn’t expect the size of the fruit would be smaller just because the tree is in a pot. What is the cultivar and the rootstock? How well did you thin the fruit? If you don’t thin much the fruit will be smaller. Is the cultivar of the apple tree in the pot the same as the planted apple tree? Different apple cultivars size up differently and some cultivars just produce small apples.
I dont do a lot of container growing…
But I do have a Novamac apple on b9 growing in a half whisky barrrel type container.
I filled that container with a mix of real topsoil (from my field) homemade compost… and black kow composted cow manure.
I fertilize with a layer of compost (early spring) and organic fertilizers… include some gypsum, bone meal, epsom salt, greensand.
I have 2-3 inches of mini pine bark nuggets on top for mulch.
It seems very happy… growing nicely.
This is year 2 for it… i have it trained espellar… and it put out near 20 blossom clusters. I thinned them hard and left 8 apples on. It has four limbs… and left 2 apples on per limb.
I dont know for sure how large those apples will get… but so far they seem to be developing at a good pace… as good as my other in ground trees.
I guess in the next few months… i will find out.
I may eventually plant this one in ground… after we build a new home.
Good luck with yours.
Where there is a will…there is a way.
Im growing many apples in containers because of lack of space. The apples get just as large in a pot as in ground. Vegetation grows much slower as would be expected from the smaller root space. I use rootstock like bud 118 and antonovka to ensure good growth as they will be dwarfed anyway.
My ground is one large container.
On Bud 118 rootstock apple trees get over 10 ft. Your potted trees are that tall?
Oh I meant the fruits do. Definitely not the tree. Sorry for the confusion.
Ah, that could be it.
No, not the same cultivator. Let me see how they taste / end up in a few months!
Nutrition becomes a huge issue with potted plants, and acidity becomes key on that regard because it can interfere with absorption. I would invest on a good PH tester and test often.
I recently noticed that some of the leaves are turning a funny color (not a lot, just a few) - I initially thought they were turning brown due to overwatering, but they actually looks purplish today.
I’ll take a photo tommorow…
(If it is purple and not brown, it could be a deficiency I guess)
I would suggest you take multiple pictures of the leaves. With each leaf having a different level of infection or discoloration. Also a picture of the overall tree. It would be helpful too if you could name the cultivar and the rootstock (if known).
See pics below. Not sure if this is brown form overwatering or a nutrient defeciency…looking again, suspect the former…?
Just fyi, there are 2 fruit per limb.
It is still a young tree tbf…maybe it’s too young too fruit? Although it did flower last year as well, but I removed the flowers.
Cultivator is unknown!
I am not sure what the discoloration on the leaves is, It’s not scab, fireblight, powdery mildew or cedar apple rust. It doesn’t look widespread on your tree. Sometimes I get discolored leaves and I am not sure what causes it. Perhaps someone else will be able to identify the discoloration.
You don’t know what cultivar (variety) your tree is? Was the tree a gift?
Truthfully, I can’t remember. It’s definitely a desert variety. I think it’s a Cox, but only 50% certain.
I’m deliberating keeping a couple of Mark and G-41 grafts in pots where I work. I’m not sure I trust them to get watered properly, so that would allow me to move them if they didn’t.
Update - I stopped watering the tree for 9 days, and it has picked up again. Fruits growing at a good rate.
I think I was being over zealous with the watering (twice a week), whilst it wasn’t hot enough yet to require it.
What are you using for potting soil? That can make all the difference.
I have many potted trees in my nursery in 25 gallon pots, but I start them in smaller in-ground bags in real soil, then when they are about 2.5" diameter at the base I transplant them into the pots surrounded by a very good draining potting soil I make myself. Real soil surrounded by a potting medium allows trees to get bigger in the same sized pot, which is a trick I discovered myself.
What also helps potted trees is to set the pots in soil and let roots grow out of them a bit but popping them free of the soil every spring to keep most roots in pots. This also reduces the need to water as does having a soil ball surrounded by potting soil.
So normally, I use 80 % john innes no 3, 10% local compost and 10% of my garden soil (to help with water retention); for my potted plants. (All mixed together).
However…for this particular plant, I remember I actually ended up using closer to a 50/50 mix, of compost to garden soil, as I ran out of compost! Which in hindsight, I probably should have gone out and bought some more compost. (My garden soil is very clayish).
Interesting, I might try what you suggested next time.
