Plum Trees in Pots

[BonnieT]

Hello,
I have just got home with my brand new plum tree from Wilkinsons - it is 'Stanley' and was only a fiver so I couldn't resist... the thing is I only have a small garden and was planning on planting it in a pot.
I have now looked it up and realised that it is a biggy, growing to over six feet and I don't think it is going to go in a large pot!!
I am about to put it on Freecycle so that someone else can give it a good home, but before I do I thought i would see if there are any optomists out there who think it would survive in a dustbin with loads of manure and garden soil? I would feed it lots and make sure it was well watered... what do you think?
Any help gratefully received.

[Wotta Wally]

It won't grow to 6' over night and if memory serves correct, takes a number of years to mature. You could certainly start it off in a pot then when it gets too big (or you move to a place with a bigger garden), you can transfer it. Give it a go. If you bung it on freecycle, you've lost a fiver; this way, you can try it out and if doesn't work, you've not lost any more than you would have. If that makes sense

[ina]

I bought one last year (because I happened to see the variety I'd been after for a long time...) and still haven't decided where to plant it. It's in a bigger pot for now, and I had 12 plums of it last year! (That's more than I had off the two apples trees that are planted "properly" - exactly zero apples. )

[The Riff-Raff Element]

I grew a cherry tree in a large dustbin in London some years ago - there still are no trurly dwarfing cherries to my knowledge, but it lived, flowered and started fruiting before I abandoned it to come here instead.

I'd give it a go - it only cost a fiver.

[Pilsbury]

80L dustbin, 50l john innes No3, 20l manure and 3" gravel in the bottom with drainage holes drilled in that gravel level and it will be fine for a few years at least, well mine is and so are my 2 apple trees and my pear.
with good pruneing you can restrict the size and keep the fruit
my apple and pear are 3 years old and i had 2 apples of 1 and a single pear last year but I dont think that is too long to wait since people say it can take up to 5 years for a fruit tree to produce.

[BonnieT]

Thanks for the advice, what the hell, I will give it a go and keep you posted - I am sure it will be ok for at least a couple of years as the roots are only as big as a mophead at the moment...but self sufficiency may still be a little while off...

[Mistrewoman]

I bought one from Wilkinsons about the same time, and am pleased to say it now has little shoots on it
It is the first fruit tree I have ever bought and I am now trying to persaud my husband that we have room for another fruit tree

[ina]

It is the first fruit tree I have ever bought and I am now trying to persaud my husband that we have room for another fruit tree

You can never have too many of them... Just make sure, depending on what fruit you go for, that you don't need a couple of the right varieties for pollination purposes (most apples and pears, for example). Although in a built-up area with lots of gardens that might not be a problem; a neighbouring tree might oblige and do it for free.

[baldowrie]

my apple tree has three varieties on one graft, all pollinate each other, cherry is duel as is the plum and pear...saves space

[ina]

my apple tree has three varieties on one graft, all pollinate each other, cherry is duel as is the plum and pear...saves space

That's very true! Unfortunately you can rarely pick up these family trees for a fiver...

[baldowrie]

nope, mine were £9