Potting dwarf fruit trees.

[FB.]

There's another reason to it. The criteria set for the development of commercial varieties are not those that matter for us 'gardeners'. Main criteria for commercial brands are productivity and the possibility to transport the fruit without damage. We are more on the look-out for disease-tolerant brands that deliver tasty apples without spraying at least once a weak chemicals...

On top of that, we will be disappointed by the fruit harvested from those commercial trees compared ti the fruit found in the mall: not only do we use less (or no) chemicals, most of the apples found in the stores are 1st choice apples with a rigourous selection (for some brands up to 66% of all apples are rejected (too small, too big, wrong shape, wrong colour,..)

Yes, that too.

I will shortly be putting up a new topic which touches upon this - stay tuned.

[Jason Cartwright]

I've been looking at some dwarf fruit trees today.
Would 2 or 3 of the patio variety be alrite in a trough 10" deep, 15" wide and 5' long?

[Jason Cartwright]

I've also been looking into the Red Valentine apple.

[FB.]

I've been looking at some dwarf fruit trees today.
Would 2 or 3 of the patio variety be alrite in a trough 10" deep, 15" wide and 5' long?

You don't mention which varieties you looked at; certain varieties may look great in the nursery/garden centre but once their chemical treatment ceases, certain varieties could be in for a whole lot of problems.

10 x 15 x 5 inches, (or whether you meant to say 10 x 15 x 15 inches) is only big enough for one dwarf. If they are too crowded they won't get enough nutrients and water; growth will be very slow and fruit quality or even plant health may suffer.
The "patio" dwarf trees are usually on M27 rootstock which is super-dwarf; I prefer a semi-dwarf such as M9 or M26 as they tolerate a little abuse or neglect better. In my opinion, M27 should only be used for vigorous varieties, or by commercial orchards who drip-feed them all day.

Also in my opinion, a lot of these "red" apples are a bit of a gimmick; bred for looks and later found to not be particularly disease resistant in the real world. They often have partial scab resistance which is talked-up a lot, but that's only one potential problem they will face.
So I remain highly sceptical; most modern varieties are selected for looks and not for ruggedness in less-than-perfect, unsprayed conditions.

I'm probably coming across as a grumpy old git - I actually considered not replying because I keep sounding so grumpy - but as a keen apple grower, I've seen a lot over the years and made plenty of mistakes in my own steep learning curve.

Nowadays, with the benefit of hard-earned experience, I only grow old, rare varieties.
I am keen to preserve their unique genetics and disease resistances which we may find valuable in future.
Also, the ancient varieties pre-date chemicals and synthetic fertilisers; often people had to grow them in whatever soil they had in their garden without an understanding of the trees need for certain nutrients.
Consequently, they are very tolerant to poor growing conditions - some actually give better results in horrible soil/climate conditions than when pampered.

[Jason Cartwright]

Thanks FB
You don't don't sound like a grumpy old git just someone with a lot of good and bad experience.
It's all duly noted and I've seen a couple of them apple trees you mentioned and i will consider one of them.
The trough i mentioned is 10in high x 15in depth x 5ft long and maybe having a M27 apple and a dwarf cherry (or something else) either end with a strawberry and a framberry plant in between.

Thanks

[FB.]

The trough i mentioned is 10in high x 15in depth x 5ft long and maybe having a M27 apple and a dwarf cherry (or something else) either end with a strawberry and a framberry plant in between.
Thanks

Ah, 5ft!

Yes, that would be adequate.
Make sure it has drainage holes. If no drainage holes, make some yourself; put several nail holes in it.
One of my favourite "containers" for growing-up fruit trees before planting-out is an old dustbin, filled with compost and with four nail holes in the bottom for slow drainage.

Your plants will need watering at least weekly in summer, plus feeding every several weeks and a change of compost every few years.

A trough like that will be heavy; it'll might need two people to move it.

[Jimbob1974]

I was given an apple / pear / cherry and plum cordon trees from dobbies for christmas and put them in the following sort of pots. They are 50 cm wide and 65 cm in depth.

[Jimbob1974]

To note each pot has now also got 3 strawberry plants planted a round the tree to help keep in the water.

[Jimbob1974]

Also if planting in terra cotta pots you need to think of something like polythene liner to stop the soil/compost touching it as this helps on holding water and also in the winter. I forgot this so maybe well worth doing