Collect! Enjoy the flowers and eat the fruits at the same time, these fruit trees can also be planted on the balcony →

Auditing expert: Yang Yanhui, Senior Garden Engineer, Beijing Haidian Water Ecological Construction Development Co., Ltd.

In recent years, the trend of balcony planting has gradually emerged, and more and more people have begun to show their balcony planting results on social media platforms. Compared with simply planting flowers, planting fruit trees seems to have more practical value, as you can enjoy the flowers and taste the fruits, which is killing two birds with one stone.

Next, we will recommend you several fruit trees suitable for planting on the balcony, so that you can enjoy the comfort and fun of green life in the busy urban life.

blueberry

Blueberry is a nutritious fruit, rich in anthocyanins and other nutrients that are beneficial to human health. During the flowering period, the flowers are like small bells and are extremely beautiful. In terms of planting, blueberries are very suitable for home potted plants. As long as the soil is properly matched, they are almost not affected by diseases. Blueberries like acid, and the soil pH should be maintained between 4.0 and 5.5. At the same time, the soil needs to be kept loose and breathable to promote root growth. When potting blueberries, a simple soil preparation plan can be used : mix 6 parts of peat soil with 4 parts of pine scales (pine bark particles) . This ratio can fully meet the growth needs of blueberries.

Source: Xinhuanet

Blueberries are bushy shrubs. Highbush blueberries can grow quite tall. When planting on balconies, pay attention to the canopy shrinkage. Although some blueberry varieties can self-pollinate, the fruit setting rate and fruit quality are usually not as good as those of cross-pollination. Therefore, in order to increase the yield and quality of blueberries, it is recommended to plant at least two or more varieties at the same time.

In terms of variety selection, we recommend the currently popular L25, Emerald, Mist, Spring High, O'Neill and other varieties that have good yield and taste.

Fig

Figs are delicious and nutritious, containing a large amount of dietary fiber, vitamins and minerals, which are beneficial to human health. Figs are also an easy-to-grow fruit tree, with a well-developed root system and strong adaptability to soil, and can thrive in both nutrient soil and farm soil. It grows very fast, and with proper management, even cuttings can produce fruit in the same year.

Figs like warmth and are generally cold-resistant. They are easily frostbitten below -10°C. In northern regions, for open balconies, figs can be moved indoors in winter to ensure a continuous supply of fruits, allowing people to enjoy them from summer and autumn to winter. Figs are heat-resistant, but if the temperature is above 30 degrees for a long time in summer, it is recommended to use cardboard to cover the pot soil to reduce water evaporation.

Given that balcony space is limited, you can choose some varieties that are resistant to heavy pruning, have a low fruiting position, are early maturing, and are shade-tolerant, such as Purple Bordeaux, Hardy, B110 (Green Early) and Balaunay. These varieties are suitable for balcony planting and can ensure fruit yield.

Chinese cherry

Compared with cherries (European sweet cherries), which are more difficult to cultivate and manage, Chinese cherries are more suitable for family cultivation. Similar to blueberries, it is best to plant more than two different varieties of Chinese cherries for cross-pollination, otherwise the fruit setting rate will be low and the taste will be bad.

When planting Chinese cherries in balcony pots, you need to choose loose, fertile and well-drained soil. You can use nutrient soil or garden soil for planting. When using garden soil, you need to increase the proportion of large particles such as rice husks and pine scales to facilitate drainage and avoid water accumulation and root rot. Pruning of small cherries is also very important. You can control the height of the plant through topping, pinching, branch pressing and other methods to ensure that the plant switches from vegetative growth to reproductive growth, ensure that the plant's nutrients are concentrated, and bear fruit early and well.

For small cherry varieties, you can choose the currently popular Red Princess, Black Pearl, Short Handle and other cherry varieties.

strawberry

Strawberries are also very suitable for home potted plants. Strawberries like to grow in fertile, well-drained soil. You can mix nutrient soil, garden soil and large-particle medium, and add decomposed sheep manure as base fertilizer to provide the nutrients and air permeability needed by strawberries. On the balcony , in order to increase the yield and quality of strawberry fruits, it is recommended to carry out artificial pollination. When the strawberries bloom, you can prepare a cotton swab to dip the pollen of the outer stamens of each strawberry flower into the middle pistil, and pollination will be successful.

In terms of variety selection, it is recommended to choose varieties with better heat resistance and disease resistance in the family enclosed balcony, such as Ningyu, Danxue, Xiahei Strawberry, Silk Baby Strawberry, etc. These varieties not only have a good fruiting time, but are also easy to plant and have delicious fruits.

lemon

The leaves, flowers and fruits of lemon trees all exude a refreshing lemon scent, which is very suitable for home balcony potted plants. Lemon trees are also very easy to plant. They have a strong root system and are not picky about soil. They can grow in nutrient soil or slightly acidic soil such as garden soil. They only need proper light and water to thrive. Lemons bloom from April to May and fruit from September to November.

In daily maintenance, it is necessary to fertilize regularly and ensure that the lemon tree gets enough light while avoiding direct sunlight in summer. In order to keep the tree beautiful and healthy, it is also necessary to regularly prune overlong or weak branches and pay attention to the prevention and control of possible pests and diseases such as aphids and powdery mildew.

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The more popular varieties are recommended, such as perfume lemon and Eureka lemon. It should be noted that lemon branches have a few thorns, so be careful not to prick your hands when growing them at home.

For home balcony planting, you only need to plan the balcony space reasonably and carefully select a few fruit tree varieties suitable for potted planting, and your balcony can be transformed into an exquisite mini orchard! You may wish to save this article and try it in autumn and winter, and let greenery and fruits decorate your life.