Do you think this idea will work?

Jenny_Aster

It's a new garden so I've got a clean sheet in designing our garden. 

A mini orchard has arrived with saplings on dwarf stock. (2 apples,1 nectarine, 1 pear, 1 cherry, and 1 plum).  All the trees have been pruned to be pillared. Depending on how they 'shape up' will depend on how sharp they'll be pruned to keep their shape.

I'd like to grow them in bags (for economy) but mainly for height, the bags are 60cm in diameter and 60in high. My plan is to cut out a flower bed so the trees will be at the back of the bed. I'm hoping the bags will be camouflaged with flowers growing in front and trailing plants from the edge of bags. 

Seeing that (hopefully) the trees won't have outstretched branches, they won't be casting too big a shadow.

Do I need to rethink this before I plant up the other five? The bag is so heavy I can't budge it (neither will Storm Eunice I hope). I don't want a planning disaster and extra heavy work on my hands. 

The bags are filled with upside down turf, layered at the base and halfway up the sides, leaving a well in the middle. The turf is layered with topsoil and a quite a few worms. The well and the rest of the bag is topped with compost.

Uff

I don't see why that shouldn't work Jenny_Aster. It will mean a fair bit of work watering and feeding and the only concern is that perhaps the bag that you've done is a bit close to the fence so maintenance would be difficult. Does the fabric drain easily?

pansyface

Will the nectarine be OK outside?  They tend to flower when it’s frosty outside.

Plantminded

I've never grown dwarf fruit trees in containers but my instinct is to say they would be happier long term in the ground, like any tree or shrub.  As the trees grow, they will need to be re-potted otherwise fruiting will be limited.  It can certainly be done though.  There's some good tips in this link: Growing Fruit Trees in Containers (thespruce.com)

Jenny_Aster

Uff said:

I don't see why that shouldn't work Jenny_Aster. It will mean a fair bit of work watering and feeding and the only concern is that perhaps the bag that you've done is a bit close to the fence so maintenance would be difficult. Does the fabric drain easily?

Yes, I think I'll have to poke around the back of the bag if nasty week takes hold. A paintbrush will just about work. Yes, the fabric does drain easily.

pansyface said:

Will the nectarine be OK outside?  They tend to flower when it’s frosty outside.

Label says 'Nectarine Fantasy' though not much pops up on Google about the type. There is one called 'Fantasia' which is frost hardy, and there's another type called 'Artic Fantasy' which is also frost hardy. I did manage to glean:

Fantasy Nectarine 
One of the best Nectarines for the UK, 'Fantasy' is easy to grow and fully hardy. The mouth-watering crops of red fruits have juicy yellow flesh and can be harvested in summer. Early harvests have a fresh tangy flavour, while later pickings have a rich sweet taste.

TBH I'm not really expecting any fruit, similar to the cherries as I expect the birds will get there first 

Plantminded said:

I've never grown dwarf fruit trees in containers but my instinct is to say they would be happier long term in the ground, like any tree or shrub.  As the trees grow, they will need to be re-potted otherwise fruiting will be limited.  It can certainly be done though.  There's some good tips in this link: Growing Fruit Trees in Containers (thespruce.com)

Thank you for the link 

Thanks for your help, I think I lost my confidence a bit this morning 

Obelixx

Why not just plant them in the ground?

They'll be much easier to care for and can get their roots down as deep as they like to get access to water and nutrients and their roots won't freeze in winter or dry out so easily in hot spells.

Jenny_Aster

I'd love to do that @Obelixx, but there are several problems I have, not in any particular order...

• I'm trying to get some plant height into the garden 
• There are two large trees in neighbouring gardens, one about a foot away from the boundary that I'm sure are hogging nutrients and water.
• We've got some really heavy clay soil which is impossible at the moment to do anything with it
• My garden isn't very big, certainly it wouldn't hold 6 trees, whereas these trees are 'bred' to grow in pots on patios or small gardens.

Obelixx

You could put tensioned wires along your fence and grow climbers or espaliered fruit trees to give some height and clothe the fences.

Even clay is diggable with a  bit of effort and is full of nutrients so far better than compost which you'll have to enrich every year with fertilisers and water frequently.  

Growing in proper pots is a lot different from growing in porous bags which will dry quickly at the edges, thus providing yet another challenge to the roots.  If you've chosen well and get the pruning right your trees will not get any bigger than you want planted in the ground but they will be so much healthier and easy to look after.

nick615

I think Obelixx has the right idea in espalier systems, but was it a typo in your original post that gve their height as 60 INCHES?

Jenny_Aster

  Oh no! Never trust me with measurements! 

My original plan was for espaliers, but..... maybe I could have both? Will take a pic tomorrow, that's if the fence survives.

Skandi

I don't think you'll be able to keep them wet enough, or rather equally wet enough, I suspect the edges of the bags will dry out effectively making them even smaller. I have grown a cherry in a pot before and in summer it needed 20 liters plus of water each day in 2 goes.

And as a last point, how long are those bags rated for? The weed membrane I use is meant to last 7 years. 4 years in it's been a bit chewed by voles but it looks like it will make it.