If you only have a small garden and your space for growing fruits is limited you can still grow some fruits in containers. Container-growing fruits request a little bit more attention than the ones planted in the garden as the soil in the pot dry quicker and the food is limited. They need regular feeding and watering. The pots should be placed in sunny, sheltered places to protect the plants from winds. You can place the pots on paved areas like patios to provide ornamental features as well as crops of fruits.
Growing fruits in containers is also a way of controlling the root growth of fruiting trees like figs that may make excessive vegetative growth at the expense of the crop. Limiting the root growth will limit the vigor of the plants and so the plant will consume the energy to produce more fruits than vegetative growth.
Growing fruit trees in containers is useful especially for tender trees that need to be moved in and out of cover to avoid frost or to offer them a higher or lower temperature according to the seasonal needs of each plant. For example, early-flowering trees such as peaches and nectarines will benefit from such flexible growing conditions. Most of the fruiting trees may be grown in containers but you can easily find on garden centers dwarf or columnar varieties that are more suitable for growing in containers.
For growing fruiting trees on containers you should chose large pots, half barrels or any container that have at least 30 cm diameter. The bigger the better, but make sure you place them on wheels or you are having the proper equipment to move them easily when necessary, because these containers can be quite heavy. Small fruits, like strawberries, may be grown either singly in 10 cm pots or in special strawberry planters - contain ers with side planting pockets.
