Small Spaces, BIG FLAVOR

INCLUDE THESE COMPACT FOOTPRINT FRUIT PLANTS IN YOUR CONTAINER GARDENS AND MIXED BORDERS FOR A TASTY HARVEST

- MELINDA MYERS

Growing garden-fresh fruit is possible even if you’re short on space. New compact varieties allow both container and small-space gardeners to enjoy home-grown flavor and beauty.

When selecting fruit, consider hardiness and chill hours. Some fruits need a certain number of cumulative (not necessarily consecutive) hours of below 45 degree temperatures to break dormancy, bloom and set fruit. Your local extension service may be able to tell you the average chill hours for your area. When you are ready to start growing fruit, here are a few to try.

Strawberries

Fragaria x ananassa

Zones 3 to 9

One of the easiest and most versatile fruits to grow in any space, strawberries are edible and ornamental with white flowers, tasty fruit and red fall color. Use them as a ground cover, add them to a container garden or grow them in a hanging basket. Extend your enjoyment with day-neutral and everbearing varieties that produce several harvests a season. Start DeLizz, the All-America Selections winner, from seeds in early spring and enjoy several harvests the first year, even during the hot summer months.

Baby Cakes blackberry

Rubus ‘APF-236T’
Zones 4 to 8

Baby Cakes blackberry is a dwarf, thornless berry plant growing 3 to 4 feet tall and just as wide. It produces large berries twice a season in most climates, on the stems that grew the previous season. Grow it in full sun and provide a bit of afternoon shade if your summers are very hot. Plant them in the garden or a 16-inch or larger container that is at least 12 inches deep and has drainage holes. It only needs 400 chill hours.