7 fruit trees that can grow in small pots: Easy options for a compact home garden

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You don’t need a sprawling backyard to pick fruit from your own plant. Many familiar fruit plants adapt to container life, and a deep pot, plenty of sun and regular pruning are usually enough to keep them balcony-sized. Here are seven that suit small spaces, and what makes each one worth a corner of your home.

A thorny shrub with fragrant white flowers, followed by tangy fruit used in pickles and chutneys. Karonda plants can be grown in containers. It does well in a medium to large pot and responds well to trimming. Keep it away from where children play, because of the thorns.

A summer fruit that is easy to miss in nurseries but worth looking for. It is considered one of India’s oldest indigenous fruits and is drought-hardy. The berries are sweet and tangy, and are usually eaten fresh or turned into juice and sharbat. Phalsa fruits on the current year’s growth, so pruning is essential. Research suggests the best time to prune is December to January. The plant loses its leaves in winter, so don’t panic when it looks bare.

Pomegranate is a bushy plant that grows in a small space if it gets enough sun. Start with a healthy sapling from a nursery rather than seeds. Plant it in a large pot or drum with drainage holes, and prune regularly to control its size. In Bengaluru’s weather, a potted plant can start bearing fruit in about four months, according to one urban gardener. In cooler regions, expect a longer wait.

Lemon stays small in height, is easy to maintain, and fruits almost throughout the year. It is a familiar kitchen-garden plant, and a few fruits go a long way. Give it a bright spot, soil that drains well and regular feeding.

Guava takes well to pots and starts fruiting within a couple of years. Ordinary, popular varieties such as Allahabad Safeda and Lalit are listed by Indian Council of Agricultural Research for container growing, so there is no need to hunt for anything exotic. Pruning after harvest keeps it compact and bushy.

A tough, drought-hardy plant that copes with heat and irregular watering, which makes it forgiving for beginners. It is also on the ICAR list of container-suited fruits. Use a deep pot, since it develops a long root, and give it full sun.

Figs do well when their roots are confined, which makes a pot a good home. The restriction encourages the plant to put energy into fruit instead of sprawling growth. Choose a sunny spot and avoid overwatering.

Fruit trees in the ground are large, so a pot about 20 inches wide and 24 to 36 inches deep is ideal in the long run. You can begin in a smaller container and move up as the plant grows. Some urban gardeners keep fruit plants in 10 to 16-inch pots. Make sure there are holes for drainage