full size and dwarf fruit trees

[amylily]

hey guys, my mums really really wanting to grow fruit trees and with how she grows them (dead in a week) its my job but we're in a rental house I was wondering is it possible to turn "full size" fruit trees to ones small enough to grow in pots. the ones she wants are really hard and impossible to find in the dwarf varities.

Thanks guys

[JONA878]

Hi Amylily,
I'm not sure what the situation is over that side of the pond as regards the nearness of nurseries to you. I know that the distances you may have to travel may be too great.

Here in the Uk we are able to get to a tree nursery pretty easily as they are scattered throughout the countryside.

If you can get to one then I would suggest that you ask them if they would graft the variety, and the rootstock you require, for you.

Any good nursery will do this for you and it would only require a wait of a season and you would have the tree you really want.

Jona

[rainbowgardener]

What you are talking about is a form of big bonsai. The bonsai folks take regular trees and keep them tiny in tiny pots. You could certainly do the same with a regular tree kept smallish in a big pot. But you might want to post the question in the bonsai section. There is an art to keeping it from getting potbound and over crowded and dying. What they do in bonsai is prune the roots as well as the tree. And they keep it in a very free draining medium and provide most of the nutrients by artificial fertilizing, not from the soil. So it takes work and attention, but it can be done.