The 3 Best Fruit Trees for Small Gardens | Apple, Cherry & Fig
Tight on space? Not a problem
Grown by Mike
Roots' Cotswolds Valley Nursery
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The 3 Best Fruit Trees for Small Gardens
Apple, Cherry & Fig
- We asked our expert fruit tree growers which fruits are best trees to grow in smaller gardens or pots and these are their top choices. Danielle and Josh grow hundreds of thousands of fruit trees each year, so it’s fair to say they know their
onionsapples. - The 'Discovery' apple tree is Josh's favourite. It's the easiest to grow, crops well and tastes super sweet. It’s highly compact, growing to barely three metres tall, and can be kept even smaller with annual trimming.
- The 'Brown Turkey' fig is an award-winning variety and you can easily see why. It’s a doddle to grow, fits easily in a patio pot and has arguably the best taste of any fig out there.
- The 'Morello' cherry tree is up there with the best cooking cherry varieties, proudly boasting an RHS Award of Garden Merit and fruiting even in north-facing positions. And at just a few metres tall, it’s another excellent option for smaller gardens.
- All three trees are fully hardy in the UK and can be expected to crop reliably each year – crumbles, chutneys and cherry liqueurs ahoy!
What to expect
Supplied as
Height on arrival
Eventual height
Time to first crop
Habit
Hardiness
Self fertile
Pollination group
Uses
Rootstock
Spacing
Will this grow in my garden?
Can I grow this in a pot?
These fruit trees are ideal for small gardens and can be grown in pots of at least 50 centimetres, provided the apple and cherry are on dwarfing rootstocks.
How big does it get?
The The 3 Best Fruit Trees for Small Gardens typically reaches a mature height of 3 to 4.5 metres and a spread of 3 to 4 metres, though this can be restricted by using dwarfing rootstocks.
How much sunlight does this need?
For optimal growth and fruit production, planting The 3 Best Fruits for Small Gardens in a location that receives full sunlight, ideally at least 6 to 8 hours of direct sun per day, is essential. It thrives in a warm, sunny position with temperatures between 15 and 25 degrees Celsius.
What kind of soil does this plant prefer?
These fruit trees generally prefer well-drained, fertile, and loamy soil.
How much watering does this plant need?
These compact fruit trees need approximately 2.5 to 5 centimetres of water per week to thrive in limited spaces.
Will this plant need pruning?
Yes, the The 3 Best Fruit Trees for Small Gardens will need pruning. Prune during the dormant season, removing about 10 to 15 centimetres of growth to maintain a healthy structure.
How hardy is this plant?
The apple and cherry trees are fully hardy (H6), while the fig tree holds an RHS hardiness rating of H4, meaning it is hardy through most of the UK down to -10°C but may require winter protection in colder areas.
Roots' Cotswolds Valley Nursery
Meet Mike
Tree-growing skills honed right across the globe
Having started out in Australia, studied in Northern Ireland and volunteered at an organic farm in Sweden, it’s fair to say Mike’s done his fair share of travel on his horticultural journey, so far! Having happily laid down roots here at Roots, Mike is the don behind our tree-growing operation, imparting each and every one of his globally-honed skills to benefit your garden. Grown in our purpose-built nursery, in the ideal climatic conditions of the fertile Vale of Evesham, we’re proud to supply only the happiest, healthiest and hardiest trees.
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3 secrets to choosing the perfect apple tree
Neil Franklin, an orchardist at Brogdale (home of the the national collection of fruit trees) takes Alex through the most important decisions you have to make when choosing an apple tree. Neil also discusses 4 of his favourite apple varieties to grow, including the best for cooking, juicing, keeping and eating fresh!
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