How do I grow a fruit tree in a small garden?

Fruit trees are sold as a variety grafted onto a rootstock, and it is the rootstock that controls the eventual size. That single fact is what makes fruit growing possible in a small garden, and it is the thing most often overlooked at purchase.

What you'll need

• Fruit tree on appropriate rootstock
• Stake and tie
• Spade
• Compost
• Tree guard (optional)

Step by step

1. Choose the rootstock for your space, not the variety.For apples, M27 is very dwarfing, M9 dwarfing, M26 semi-dwarfing. The label states it. A vigorous rootstock in a small garden is unmanageable.
2. Check the pollination group before buying.Many apples and pears need a compatible variety flowering at the same time nearby. Some are self-fertile — the label says which.
3. Consider a trained form if space is tight.Cordons, espaliers and fans grow flat against a wall or fence and produce well in very little ground space.
4. Plant in autumn or late winter while dormant, in a sunny sheltered spot.Bare-root trees are cheaper and establish better than container-grown ones, but must be planted while dormant.
5. Dig a hole wider than the roots but no deeper than they need.Loosen the sides so roots can spread. Planting too deep is a common cause of failure.
6. Keep the graft union clearly above soil level.If it is buried, the variety roots directly and the rootstock's size control is lost entirely.
7. Stake the tree low and tie it loosely, allowing the top to flex.A low stake lets the trunk thicken naturally. Remove the stake after two or three years.
8. Water through the first two summers and mulch, keeping the mulch off the trunk.Establishment takes two years. Mulch touching the bark causes rot.

Tips

• Family trees, with several varieties grafted onto one rootstock, solve the pollination problem and the space problem at once.
• Some varieties are triploid and cannot pollinate others — they need two other compatible trees. Check before buying one.
• Fruit trees in containers are viable on very dwarfing rootstocks but need consistent watering and annual feeding.

Common mistakes

• Choosing on variety alone — The rootstock determines the size. A lovely apple on a vigorous rootstock will outgrow a small garden completely.
• Burying the graft union — The variety roots directly and the rootstock's dwarfing effect is lost, so the tree grows to full size.
• Ignoring pollination groups — Many apples and pears will not set fruit without a compatible partner flowering nearby.

Questions people ask