Tuesday, September 18, 2012

Growing Apples in Containers

Due to the limited space in the garden, many people want to know how to grow apple trees in containers so that they can be put in any location indoors or outdoors. Before you do the real planting, you should make a small research on the apple trees suitable for the pot cultivation. You should consult some experienced gardeners instead of believing what the label says in the gardening store.

The most important factors are the height and the span for the adult tree. You should choose the best size to suit for your home or garden. If possible, it is recommended to plant two trees simultaneously to increase the quality and quantity of the product in autumn. They should have the same blooming dates which will facilitate the pollination from each other. Apart from that, the surrounding temperature is another factor for tree selection. The chill hours for each apple tree is different, and you should the time is adequate for your apple trees to grow under a certain temperature. For example, the Fuji apples need 400-600 hours of chill time while the Anna apples need about 200 chill hours to grow. If you are living in a warm area where the chill hours could be less, you should choose the suitable trees for that climate.

Regarding the planting time, the spring and autumn seasons would be recommended for most apple varieties. The size of the container should be big enough to accommodate the root expansions in the future. You can do some trimming on the roots before putting your tree into the pot to avoid the entangling. When filling the soil into the pot, you need to provide a stake to help the tree grow uprightly. During the first few days, you need to water your apple tree thoroughly. Due to the fact that the container will dry more quickly than the gardening soil, you should water your trees more frequently than the plants in the field. You should keep the soil moist once the tree is staring to grow. When the winter is approaching, you should decrease the watering times to make the soil just lightly moist. This can help the plants prepare for the dormancy in cold days.

During the growth of your potted apple trees, you may need to do some pruning work occasionally. All dead or sick branches should be removed asap to conserve nutrients for the health ones. Whichever method you choose to do the trimming, please ensure that each branch will receive adequate sunlight during the day.

Regarding the fertilizers, you can buy some commercial ones specially designed for apple trees from the garden stores. Some organic fertilizers will be a good choice. When you decrease the amount water in cold days, remember to do the same thing on fertilizers as well. Fertilizing in winter days should be avoided because the early growth in cold winter times will be harmful to your trees.

For more articles on gardening tips, please visit http://gardeningknow.com

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