Top 10 Fruit Trees for Containers or Pot

Want fresh fruit but short on space? These 10 fruit trees thrive in pots and some might surprise you.
In this video, I’m sharing my top picks for growing fruit in containers, no backyard needed. Whether you’re on a patio, balcony, or just want easier access to fruit trees, this list is for you.

🍋 We’ll cover:

Which trees produce well in pots

What root pressure means (and why it matters more than size)

How long it takes to get fruit

Tips for choosing the right container

🪴 Bonus: I’ll show you which ones we’re growing and why these are perfect for Florida or warm-climate gardeners!

👉 Don’t miss #9—it’s the most underrated fruit tree for containers.

Subscribe to follow our garden journey and learn how we grow, eat, and thrive, one container at a time.

website: www.rootedinjs.com
📬 For inquiries or collaborations: rootedinjs@gmail.com

#containergardening #fruittrees #gardeningtips #urbanfarming #rootedinjs

So, you’re trying to grow fruit trees and you don’t have a backyard. You don’t need one. You don’t need a large space to grow fruit trees. And today, I’m showing the top 10 trees that actually do amazing in containers, whether you’re in an apartment, a balcony, or even have a small backyard. And I’m actually showing you how long they take, what kind of pots you need, and the care tips that actually matters. Let’s get started. So, I’ve been growing fruit trees and pots in Florida for years. I have figs, bananas, lemons, even some mangoes. And the mango behind me. And even if you have tried it before and gave up, this list is something I wish someone had given me. Plus everything they don’t tell you about growing fruit trees. So here’s the thing. What makes a fruit tree good for container isn’t just about the size. You want one that doesn’t mind a little bit of root pressure. They stay underneath 10 feet tall and they still produce fruit without needing to be in the ground. So that’s where a dwarf tree comes in. Dwarf does not mean a meanie fruit. It just means that the tree is smaller and it’s more manageable. Most of the time they even fruit faster than a fulls size tree. So where to buy these fruit trees? So most of these you find at your local nurseries or even your big box stores have them. You just want to look for tags that say dwarf or patio or good for containers. And when you grab one, it’s probably be in a a size like a onegon pot. So the onegon pot is a great start, but you don’t want to keep them in that size. You always want to gradually move up into a 5gallon, 15 gallon, and if you’re ready, go straight into a 20 to 25 gallon pot and be done. Big pots equals happy roots, less watering, and more fruits. So one of the common question I get is can you grow a mango or an avocado certain plants from certain fruit trees from seed. Now listen you can start with these from seeds sure but should you? I prefer not to unless you got the time and you want to experiment go forward. But most fruit trees that’s grown from seed takes about 5 to 10 years. M you can definitely add it as you go along, but you don’t want to be your primary fruit tree. Some of them you may not even get fruit or it may not even taste like the original plant that you got the seed from. So if you want to eat from that tree in this lifetime, go for something that is grafted or layered. So grafted means that they they take a branch from a fruit fruitting tree and they fused it into strong roots. It cuts the time out. It’s a shortcut basically to reliable fruit. Air layering means the roots are formed while still still on the plant on the parent tree. So basically what you plant is a clone of the original fruit. So yes, seeds is fun to try, but grafted is how you actually want to get harvest, especially if you want to get harvest in the next few years. So let’s jump into what type of fruit trees we’re talking about in the timing for these. Let’s kick it off with number one, figs. Figs are perfect for containers. They don’t need pollinators. They can handle tight roots and they fruit fast. It takes about one to two years, so that’s not a bad time. And the pot size you want to start with is about 5 gallons and you want to move them up to 15 to 20 gallons. The best ones for containers are LSU Purple and Little Miss Figgies. Those are the best because of the size and they can handle pots. So, one of the things that you must learn when you put them about figs, they do go dormant in the winter. So, don’t panic if you start to see the leaves drop. That is normal. They’ll come right back during the spring and the summer time. So, the next one are dwarf bananas. Bananas aren’t just for big backyards. These dwarf bananas, they typically stay under 8 ft and they fruit right in the pot. So, you don’t have to move them into the ground. It takes about 9 to 18 months. And the pot size you going to go straight into the larger ones like a 25 gallons. The best varieties are the dwarf. So the dwarf nonwa and the raja puri. So one of the things you want to know about bananas they love food. So you want to make sure you continue to use compost or high potassium fertilizers every month. We typically will chop off the leaves and use that to refeed the plant itself. Um, just make sure you want to keep them moist and fertilized once a month. There’s some great fertilizing for bananas uh that you can use to make sure you actually get fruit. So, the next one is Maya lemons. We actually have some in pots behind me. This one was made for containers. It’s more cold tolerance than other lemons. So, and it fruits multiple times a year. Those are the type of fruits that I love that you are not just going to get a one and done and it comes back next year. It takes about 1 to three years to fruit. The pot size that you want to use is 15 to 20 gallons. And one of the biggest things, it is self-pollinating, so you don’t need another fruit next to it. It is fine on its own. The best rule of thumb, full sun is a must. If you don’t get at least 6 hours of sun, use a grow light, but you want to make sure that it is getting the right amount of sunlight to give you the fruit that you need. Let’s move on to number four. So number four is avocados. Yes, you can grow avocados in pots if you get the right variety. The wars or littlecado is one of one true draw that really works in containers. Avocados takes about 2 to four years to fruit. The best size for them um are 25 gallons. You want to make sure it has good drainage. That is key. So, you want to skip the hos. It gets too big in containers. It cannot handle it. They’re not the right size. So, you want to make sure you take a look at the tag and see if it’s pot friendly. Make sure you check for soil and perlite and pine bark. This helps with drainage of avocados cuz you want to make sure it is a well draining soil which helps it with the roots. My number five is my favorite. It’s right here. Mangoes do bine in pots. Absolutely. Especially the dwarf mango variety thrive in heat and it produce early if they get good light. It takes about two to three years for dwarf varieties. And the pot size, you want to just go big and do 25 gallons. So, one of the tips I would share is don’t over prune them because they do fruit on new growth. So, the next one is my favorite is I think it’s somewhere around me is tropical beauty peach or dwarf nectarines. These give fulls size juicy fruit and yes, they work in pots if your zone gets enough chill hours. It takes about one to two years and the pot size again is large. 15 and 20 gallons are best for this fruit. So the best varieties are Tropic Beauty and Florida Prince. The best tips I can share about peaches. They like airflow. Don’t crowd them and spacing helps avoid that leaf curling and mildew. So making sure you give it them you can prune them as time to make sure that it has great airflow. So yes, you can do musketine grapes in pots. Just make sure you have a very large pot, at least 20 to 25 gallons. They love the heat. They like the humidity. So, one of um if you have a small space and you want to do grapes, you just got to keep them maintained and prune and add your trellis. They need a trellis for support and they need a lot more room. So, if you have a small backyard, that is a great one. I personally like mines in the ground, but I didn’t count it out. I did some research that muskand grace does very well in pots. Now, so this next one, just because you’re in Florida doesn’t mean you can’t grow them. The dork apple is a great one for this Florida heat. You can grab an Anna or Dorset Golden. And they do well in warm zones. These apple takes about 2 to 3 years to fruit. The best pot size for these are large pot size like 20 to 25 gallons. You want to plant at least two varieties for crosspollination. If you have just one, you may not get fruit. They do well in groups. So, two to three ensure that you get your fruit on your trees. Another thing is you want to thin the fruit early. Too much fruit can snap a young branch and it won’t be able to support them. So, taking care of it early on will ensure that it produce the right amount for this size tree. My favorite one is papayas. I talk about papayas so many times. I have given my dad papayas in pots and they’re doing well. one of the fastest growing fruit trees. You can grow from seed, but it doesn’t transplant well. It can go through shock. So, you want to put them the size pot that it’s meant to be, the 20 25 gallons right in that pot. So, that way you don’t have to worry about transplanting it later. It does take 6 to 12 months to fruit for a fruit tree. I think that’s pretty fast. So, I like papayas. And the safe bet is not to put more than one plant per pot because the roots are very gentle and they don’t like them to be disturbed. So just keep it once you have planted two to three seeds, prune out the weakest links and keep the strongest in that pot. My final is dwarf mberries. I love more especially the everbearing. They are great for pots. My baby love them. They taste like blackberries and that’s the best way to describe it. It just stains your hand. They are one of the most overachieving plants. You can get multiple fruit in just one year and the birds do also like them. I personally think they’re great in pots because you can try to keep them away from the birds. So, if you’re growing them in a screen area, just make sure it has enough sun. And the best varieties for them are the Everbearian Dwarf or the Thai Mberry. They do great in pots. They stay small enough for containers. They still give you a big harvest, which is what matters, right? So, you often see them in three gallon pots at the nurseries, but they do best in bigger pots over time. So, you want to start them in at least 5 to seven gallon pots and then gradually move them to 10 to 15 gallons as they grow. One of the coolest things about mberries is that you can clip its branches and regrow them in pots without buying a new tree. So, just ensure that it has well draining soil. You can mix it with perlite or pine bark to avoid soggy roots. The exciting part is it takes about 6 to 12 months to get fruits and sometimes even sooner. Some people see berries within weeks of planting if they have already had a mature plant. So this is if you want a quick win more berries it is why I personally love them. They don’t require pollination from another tree. They’re very low maintenance and you get fruit multiple times a year and the fruit is sweet. You can make jams, preserves, or or juices with them. So, here’s the part that most people leave out. Caring for your fruit trees and pots, that is the key. They’re not the same as if you’re going to care for them in the ground. So, you want to water deeply, not daily. Let the soil dry out a little bit at the top and then soak it until it drains. And feeding it monthly with compost or balanced fruit tree fertilizer is going to help your tree continue to give you fruit year after year. One of my top tips is refreshing the top few inches of soil every year. So if you’re or if it has outgrown that pot, go ahead and repot it. Typically every two to two every two years depending on how big it has grown. Don’t forget to mulch your pots because it’s going to help retain that moisture and keeps the roots cool, especially during this hot season. Things you need to watch for early. So, yellowing leaves typically indicates that the plant is stressed or has poor drainage or lacking nutrients. So, don’t ignore the leaves. Pruning is not going to solve your problem. Replenish and fixing those nutrients throughout it season. And then you’ll continue to have fruit year after year, season after season, all in your backyard. All right, guys. If this video is helpful, don’t forget to like and subscribe. Tell me in the comments below what fruit tree you plan on adding in your space. And if you have struggled before and you want to try again, put it in the comments. I love to share some tips that may work for you in your journey. Don’t give up just yet. Whether it’s in containers, grounds, or raised beds, I’m here to make sure you can grow your own food. Don’t forget to like and subscribe for more, guys. Thanks for watching. Bye. [Music]