ally increase container size, allowing no more than 2 to 3 inches of room around the root ball with each move. Avoid containers with mouths narrower than the base.
Eventually, fruit trees will require large containers: 10- to 20-gallon containers (about 15 to 20 inches wide by 15 to 17 inches deep) for citrus and pomegranates; 20-gallon containers (about 20 inches wide by 17 inches deep) for apples, genetic dwarf peaches, nectarines, figs and olives; and 30-gallon wine barrels for cherries, peaches, nectarines and espaliered fruit trees.
Glazed, terra cotta, wood and concrete containers protect roots best from temperature swings, but they are also quite heavy. Ease pot-moving tasks with sturdy, wheeled pot stands, enlist a friend to help you move your containers with a PotLifter, or opt for lightweight plastic or fiberglass containers. But soil, especially wet soil, is heavy, as are plants and their root balls. Be realistic about how large a plant and container you will want to move.
WATER, WATER, WATER
Keep your containers well-watered through the growing season. A drip system is a godsend for busy gardeners. One exception to the rule is citrus, such as 'Improved Meyer' lemon, which likes to dry out between watering.
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
Remember, container plants depend on you for food so adapt fertilizer practices to suit their controlled environment. If your potting soil does not include it, add a six- or nine-month slow-release fertilizer when you first plant. You can also quarter a monthly dose of fertilizer for weekly feedings. If your fertilizer does not provide micronutrients, add kelp meal.
THE KINDEST CUTS
Follow standard pruning advice with one exception: Turn your fruit trees into shrubs. Instead of trimming up your tree with the lowest branches 4 to 5 feet up, maximize fruit production with side branches as low as 1 to 2 feet above the soil. Espalier-trained fruit trees are another option for small-scale fruit production.
FOOL MOTHER NATURE
Boost production of heat-loving fruits, such as pomegranates and olives, by moving them into unheated greenhouses in fall. You can also employ the "eavesdropping" treatment favored by Benowitz: Move containers under south-facing eaves and drop a sheet of plastic down from the eaves to create an instant greenhouse.
Hardy fruit trees shouldn't suffer damage if temperatures fall below freezing at night for brief periods. You'll need to protect root balls from freezing, however, if we have daytime freezing temperatures.
Home Orchard Society
"The Bountiful Container"
Rose Marie Nichols McGee and Maggie Stuckey
Workman Publishing, 2002
Western Garden Book of Edibles
Editors of Sunset Books
Oxmoor House, 2010