Fruit Trees

[Ashley Taylor]

I see lots of information growing vegetables in an aquaponics system, but not so much fruit trees. I want to give it a shot after I get my main system setup and working. I'm guessing each tree will need it's own grow bed. I plan to use only dwarf varieties of trees (like my banana tree that only get five feet tall) and employing espalier growing method for the branching trees. Is there anything that would keep this from working? I think I will need additional support when the trees grow taller, but I might be missing something.

[Phil Slaton]

Do I ever want to see some response on fruit trees.  I would love to have mandarin orange, lemon and lime trees. Or hybrids where you have 2 or 3 fruits grafted to one tree.

[Andrei Shindyapin]

This is definitely something I want to experiment on, perhaps even employing bonsai techniques to keep the trees small enough. The only thing I've read about growing trees in aquaponics is that their roots can be strong enough to break the plant bed.

[Frank Cates]

Phil, check this site:  http://www.fast-growing-trees.com/Fruit-Cocktail-Tree.htm   This link is for a fruit cocktail tree with 4 fruits on one tree, they have a lot of fruit trees and bushes at this site.  A lot say they can be grown in containers, and the larger ones would probably benefit from your plan to filter and dump the nutrients.  There is also an apple tree with 4 different apples on the one tree.

Ashley, the site has a lot of good information so you could take a look there too.  They have a banana tree that can grow in a container and still produce full size bananas.

[Phil Slaton]

Thanks Frank, great post.

[RupertofOZ]

One of my client systems uses an overflow in the media guard.. durning the timed flood cycle.... to drip feed dwarf trees in half wine barrels...

 

 

[Ashley Taylor]

Oh nice Rupert! Are those dwarf trees planted in soil then? My only worry with using clay pellets or rocks is the tree wouldn't be supported enough.

[Ashley Taylor]

I love those fruit cocktail trees too. I already have a banana plant, but it would be great to grow on of those to save on space. I wonder if I can find a lime/lemon tree out there somewhere. I would think they graft well together.

[Frank Cates]

Here it is Ashley:  http://www.fast-growing-trees.com/Citrus-Cocktail-Tree.htm   This is a Meyer Lemon and Key Lime grafted to a single tree.  It says it can be grown in a container.

[Eric Warwick]

Hydroton probably would not support it, but larger, denser rock would do it, such as Basalt/Red Scoria.

[RupertofOZ]

Yeah gravel works just fine... here's Murray's famous Paw Paw tree.... grown in a grow bed...

[Eric Warwick]

Thanks, Rupe, I was too lazy/inundated with homework to look that up! That's a nice looking tree. If I remember correctly, it toppled over because it was so big?

[Phil Slaton]

So much for ''Picking up Paw-Paws and putting them in your pocket'' thinks I.