Last Updated on November 26, 2021 by Real Men Sow
Decide What Fruits to Grow in the Mini Orchard
You can grow apples, nuts, and berry shrubs in a mini orchard. You may also start a citrus orchard, also known as “groves” in their dwarf varieties grown in containers. Don’t instantly choose the most dwarfing rootstock, make sure to take advice from your local fruit tree nursery in choosing the variety that best suits your garden conditions.
You can also train your fruit against a wall or fence to restrict the size of its tree. Spur-bearing varieties of apple and pears can be trained as fans or espaliers. Plums, cherries, peaches, apricots, and nectarines can be trained as fans.
How to Design Your Mini Orchard
Packing more fruit into the space you have available means thinking beyond the traditional. Forget block planting at wide spacings – instead, incorporate your fruiting plants into your overall garden design.
Add Plants and Fruits to the Orchard
You can incorporate your plants into your garden design. Your Garden Boundaries can be planted with fruiting hedges or espaliers or fans. Apples can be grown as tiny step-over cordons to define paths or borders. Your lawn can have a dwarf fruit tree grown as its focal point or your unproductive lawn can be transformed into a mini orchard. Your patio or deck can become a growing space for fruits that can be grown in large containers. Figs are best at growing in big containers. Keep in mind that your plants would need constant pruning to prevent them from being congested.
How To Keep Your Mini Orchard Small
Constant checking if your plants need pruning is needed to keep your mini orchard small. They’re best to be pruned during summer to restrict their growth. This would also help to let in more sunlight to get ripe fruits. Trees that are restricted can easily become stressed, so you’ll need to pay more attention to them.
Share your experiences in making your own mini orchard in the comments!
