Fruit trees in pots?

[shepherdessbush]

My elderly neighbour has the most amazing functional garden, loads of fruit trees which she has now enlisted my help in managing as she can't physically do it any more. Picking plums has put me in the mood to try growing my own, but as a renter I would have to grow in pots. Are there dwarf varieties that would be suitable? I bought a fig tree this year that I intend to prune into a shrub next year, but would like to try plum and cherry. Is this possible?

I can't help with you question but can I ask which fig variety you went for? I'm looking to grow one in a pot in my conservatory as heard they can do well in there.

I went with the brown turkey variety as apparently they are hardy in UK weather. I'd love to have a conservatory to grow one in, they smell amazing.

We currently have two apples, two cherries, one pear and one peach in pots. We only got them last year very young, so no fruit yet, but they are growing and leafing well. No clue if they will fruit or not, but think it could be another few years.

We also have a fig in a pot which is older and does fruit.

@shepherdessbush thank you. That's the variety I was looking at.

I saw a patio blackberry the other day which looked amazing. Raspberries and also been grown in pots. And blueberries, if you have two, and plant in ericaceous compost (Ericaceous - for plants which need acid soil, most of which, including blueberry, are in the Ericaceae family)

There is a dwarf mulberry, but from what I've read on-line, the fruit is rather insipid (it seems to have been developed from the insipid white mulberry rather than the flavoursome black mulberry), so probably worth avoiding that.

We have a raspberry and a blueberry in pots that do quite well. They're shrubs not trees, so not quite what you were asking, but might be a good place to start. I planted both in spring last year, got a few raspberries the first year but no blueberry. This year (year 2) both had quite a bit of fruit, and should for the next 5-10 years.

Thanks for all of the replies. I'm wondering should I buy something now or wait until next spring? Generally speaking in what year do most fruit plants give fruit? I don't really want to buy something now and have to wait another three years, is it possible to buy an older dwarf tree/shrub that is ready to flower?

I have a peach tree in a large pot, which has never produced mature fruit, no matter how much I feed/water it in spring.

I have a fig in a pot that produces 30-40 ripe figs each year

I'm going to try pruning the peach back this autumn and see if that helps.

@Mintjulia I read that peaches need heat and shelter from winds in order to produce fruit, could it be that you are in the wrong zone?

I'd highly recommend the Chris Bowers website for fruit trees, spanning a variety of sizes. Has some really useful guides on what will do well in which growing conditions (including pots).

The peach is against an east facing wall that gets lots of morning sun and is protected from the wind. Maybe I should move it.

I'm in a fairly protected valley in Hampshire

East facing will not be ideal, west or south would be best, they really do need a lot of warm sun to perform. Delicate blossoms can also be damaged by frost and then thawing in the morning sun so you'd probably have more luck if you can relocate.

@Restorationinsanity thanks, that website looks great.