Compact and patio fruit advice needed please.

[Lumpy]

As we won't be growing veg next year I was thinking about filling my teeny raised beds with fruit instead.

We already have 3 Raspberries - Ruby Beauty and 2 Blackberries - Black Cascade as well as a few red and blackcurrants plus a standard goosegog.

I will be getting a self fertile Plum (Victoria) to put into a very large planter but............can anyone suggest anything else else. I will have some large square pots available.

I don't want anything that needs bringing in for the winter or needs supports.

[Guest]

Chilean guava. Mine is only small but the few fruit are gorgeous. The plant is evergreen and can be used in small hedges (think topiary type box hedge) or left to do its own thing. Then a couple of apples patio type. I think if I was downscaling on fruit that would do me with a few strawbs. although I would swap the plum for a gage but that is because I am a fussy beggar

[Brack]

Chilean guava are very tasty, with the berries coming late on in the year when you've eaten everything else. I have 3, bought them last may in 9cm pots, got about 20 berries but have reported them twice (now 35cm pots filled with ericaceous compost) so should get a lot more this year. They're supposed to be hardy to -10. I put mine in the garage next to the window last year just to be safe.

[Lumpy]

Thanks both.

I've never tried a guava so I shall have a mooch.

[sparrow100]

My local garden centre has loads of the chilean guava in stock at the moment - it has a massive table with the James Wong range on it. I might pick up a couple more. I have a plant, and it's lovely, but the birds get the berries every year.

[Jay-ell]

Well Lumpy what fruit do you like? What about a family apple tree that will give you cross pollinators and an extended season on one plant? Do you want exotics or more regular fruits? Are you after storable/preservable harvests or something you can pick a few berries at a time as a treat when you're in the garden?

Strawberries would be on my list - possible an ever bearer to get a more prolonged harvest rather that a strawberry glut.

[BUFFS]

blackcurrants would be the one for me, one bought from a pound shop, trimmed back on planting, trimmings shoved into the soil each time and now I have 15-16 that give us enough for lots of lovely ice creams, mousses, juices etc, and you plant them, let them grow and pick the fruit, no hard work...

[Lumpy]

OK now I am really embarrassed as I forgot to mention in my original post a few important things..........

We have 3 apple trees, a cherry and pear (need to get another as it was a gift and I don't think that it is self fertile) plus strawbs and 4 more goosegogs out the front.

As far as fruit is concerned I will eat anything and was thinking about some of the weird and wonderful X's e.g blackcurrant and goosegog etc.

We could give some plants in pots a bit of winter protection as I also forgot about the greenhouse which is quite protected from the elements.

[Jay-ell]

Like chocolate and treacle? Himilayan Honeysuckle. Problem is you only get a handful of berries at a time. They do look good though. May need regular pruning to keep it compact though - I've only had mine a year so it's not mature.

This isn't mine

[veggiechicken]

^^^ They spread everywhere Never tasted one.

What about blueberries?

[Lumpy]

I love the idea of blueberries but I have tried twice with the little prima donnas already and both times they left the building.

[Jay-ell]

Honeyberries then, similar to blueberry but without the need for faffing with ericaceous compost and soil acidification