Small fruit trees for wine barrels?

Need recomendations for fruit trees for wine barrels. We do not own this place that is why we want to plant them in wine barrels. Any suggestions out there? Thanks for any help you can give me.

Richard

Stark Bros. (www.starkbros.com) has several miniature fruit trees suitable for growing in half barrels - peaches, nectarines, apples, etc. Figs also do well in containers, as do blueberries.

I had 5 on my back deck in TX that did well. They were all dwarf, self-pollinating.

I did the calculations recently and found that a 24x24 square container holds more dirt than a half whiskey barrel. Would also be easier to move with so could take them and plant them in your own yard!

I bought some mini apple trees from RainTree Nursery in Morton, WA. I use fiberglass 24" and 30" pots. They are light and easier to move.

Hi everyone, I'm new to the forums and loving it. I also would like to grow some small fruit trees possibly in containers. Does anyone know of nurseries that ship them for fall planting in zone 6 ? Seems that most of the nurseries that I know of only ship them in spring, although I know that local nurseries sell what they carry in stock for fall planting. I would love to have a sweet cherry tree.

Learning as I go..............................PeggieK

Peggie,
RainTree Nursery has some available for Fall shipping. I have ordered most of my fruit trees from them. They are also very helpful if you have questions.
http://www.raintreenursery.com/

Last week, I noticed that Stark Bros. Nursery was auctioning some trees on eBay. They are also a company from whom I have ordered. The link I've enclosed has an 800 number you call use to find out if they have fall shipments.

Plants shipped in the fall have to be potted so they are going to be more expensive. However to offset that trees planted in the fall do get a head start by forming a good roots system in time for spring growth.

http://www.starkbros.com/access?action=category&categoryID=1

Thank you for everyones help so far.

Richard

I kinda thought that fall planting (provided it's done early fall) would be better for plants to get a good start on spring growth.

Thanks for the links, I'll check and see what they have.

PeggieK

It is, for most plants. In the fall, generally, there no top growth so a plants' energy is redirected into root production. The following spring, the plants starts off with a larger root system. It has gone through the stress of being transplanted when it is best able to cope with it.

I'm also thinking about some dwarf trees in containers.

I'm trying to select some trees that will survive our frigid winters. Would a tree rated for zone 4 do ok in a container in that zone or is there other factors to consider? I'm on the chilly edge of zone 4a with winter temps that reach to 35 to 40 below.

Any good threads here about growing fruit trees in containers? Need basic info about volume of soil, etc.

Wayne

I was thinking about that as well Wayne, even tho I'm in Zone 7.

Was considering planting a fig in a half barrel, but was wondering how the roots would fare over the winter & whether or not I'd have to somehow insulate the barrel - at least during the worst of our relatively mild winters.

I found an excellent article that will answer your questions. Since I live in zone 8b, if the plant is cold hardy or needs chill hours to break dormancy, I can get away with covering the pot with old blankets or towels. You will need to provide more protection because roots are more frost tender than the top part of the plant.


http://www.bbg.org/gar2/topics/design/handbooks/potted/overwintering.html