Grow an apple tree in a pot

Whether you have a balcony, a patio or a large garden space, an apple tree grown in a pot will produce blossom in spring, swelling to provide fruit in late summer to harvest in autumn. And now's the perfect time to plant one.

From the hundreds of varieties to choose from, you'll need a tree grown on dwarf or miniature fruit stock to ensure it doesn't grow too big. Apple trees aren't self-fertilising, so if there isn't an apple tree growing nearby, you'll need to grow at least two apple trees - why not choose two that ripen at different times planted in pots at opposite ends of the patio? ‘Bramley's Seedling' (a mid-winter cooker), ‘Spartan' (an autumn-ripening red dessert apple), ‘James Grieve' (mid-autumn, dessert), ‘Discovery' (late summer) and ‘Blenheim Orange' (mid-winter, suitable as a dessert and cooking apple) are a few favourite varieties.

✔ First, choose a pot with a diameter of at least 50cm  as your apple tree's new home.

✔ Drill a drainage hole in the bottom, then cover the base of the pot with a 2.5cm layer of gravel or broken crocks.

✔Fill your pot with John Innes No3 compost (available from garden centres) to give your tree the best possible start, then plant your tree in the centre, ensuring it is at the same depth as it was in the pot.

✔Push a tree stake into the pot until it reaches the bottom, then secure your tree to it with a tree tie. Keep the plant well watered and feed it regularly through the season to ensure a good crop.