Low maintenance Fruit Trees

2. Raspberries

Autumn fruiting raspberries are self supporting so you can plant them in containers or in clumps throughout your garden. This undemanding crop can be harvested from late summer to early autumn for a delicious dessert. Autumn fruiting raspberries are simple to maintain - just shear the canes to ground level each February and look forward to another juicy crop!

3. Blueberries

If you are keen on growing fruit in containers then try Blueberries. Scented flowers in spring, fiery coloured autumn foliage and nutritious crops of fresh blueberries in late summer - what more could you ask from a plant? All they require is an acid (ericaceous) soil, which you can buy in your local garden centre. Blueberries are low maintenance, fruiting after about 3 years - and in the meantime make a very attractive patio plant. If space is tight try the compact variety Blueberry ‘Top Hat’. Water blueberries with rainwater as the lime in tap water will reduce the soil acidity over time.

4. Figs

For a taste of the Mediterranean why not grow your own figs? They will need to be grown against a hot, sunny south/west facing wall, and crop best when their roots are restricted - so they are perfect if you want to try growing fruit in containers. You will need a little patience though as figs begin to form in the autumn and won’t be ready to harvest until the following summer! But the taste of freshly picked, sun-warmed figs is well worth the wait.

5. Rhubarb

For really easy fruit try growing rhubarb. Incredibly hardy in even the coldest of gardens! Rhubarb can be planted from crowns in spring or in autumn. Choose a sunny or semi shaded spot on rich, fertile soil. By the second year you will be harvesting succulent red stems, and once it settles in it will virtually look after itself.

6. Apples

A well established apple tree is a real asset, and there is an apple to suit every size of garden. Choose your apple carefully to suit your tastes and the size of your garden. If space allows then choose two varieties that will pollinate one another. In smaller gardens try growing fruit trees in tubs. A dwarf Family Apple has 3 different varieties on the same tree - just perfect for a container on the patio. Or if you fancy something really different then a step-over apple tree will create a real talking point!

7. Blackberries

Forage for hedgerow fruits in your own garden! Grow blackberries in that rough corner behind the shed, or let them scramble over an old unsightly fence - growing your own fruit couldn’t be simpler. These delicious fruits will grow almost anywhere and don’t need much attention. Train the stems onto wires to make them easier to harvest - if you are not keen on being prickled, try a thornless variety like Apache.

8. Honeyberries

This unusual fruit is packed full of antioxidants and the blueberry-like berries make a delicious treat picked straight from the bush. Honeyberries are tough plants and incredibly hardy so you won’t need to pamper them. For the best yields on tasty Honeyberries grow them in pairs to increase pollination.

9. Goji Berries

Often described as a ‘superfood’, Goji berries are rich in nutrients, with a sweet liquorice flavour. Despite their exotic name, these hardy shrubs are surprisingly tough and grow in almost any sunny position - even windy, coastal areas. Add Goji berries to cereals and juices for a delicious start to the day.

10. Currants

Redcurrants, blackcurrants and whitecurrants are perfect soft fruits for decorating desserts, makings jams and jellies, or adding to sauces. They freeze well too so you can savour the taste of summer during the winter months. If you are tight for space try our Redcurrant ‘Rovada’ which is trained as a cordon so it is a perfect soft fruit for growing in containers.