Homeowners often feel that they can't grow fruit because of a lack of space. However, there are lots of options to incorporating fruit-bearing trees, bushes, and groundcover into a small urban landscape.

To learn more, vist our website at: www.kansasgreenyards.org

Transcript:
Growing Fruit in a Small Urban Landscape

A really great example to fit fruit into your landscape is to take a look at apple trees. There’s lots of options with apple trees. Dwarf apple trees can be no more than six to ten feet tall. This apple tree is a columnar type apple tree. In other words, its going to grow very upright and vertical in a container, like this one. That gives you the flexibility to put it on your patio or in a corner of your garden where it will still get sun, but it won’t take up a lot of space.

A dwarf apple tree should start producing a few apples in about two to three years after planting, and then it will have normal production for the size of tree after that. It can produce for a number of years – at least ten to fifteen years.

This is a black raspberry. It’s a little bit more freeform than a plain red raspberry. It has very beautiful foliage, and it’s a very vigorous grower. If you have a full sun location that has good well-drained soil, and you’re not quite sure what to put in it, a raspberry bush would be a good option.

Especially if you have a narrow area. For instance between a driveway and a fence, because that will help you keep the raspberries confined, so they won’t be spreading throughout the whole yard. You can get raspberries that will fruit in the fall, and you can get raspberries that fruit in the summer. It’s really up to you.

Strawberries can be a really great ground cover in a home landscape. If you have an area that gets a good amount of sun, preferably full sun, but even if you have light shade it should be enough. They have very attractive green leaves. They stay nice and green throughout the summer, and of course you’ll have strawberries. You can get a variety that fruits just once in May, or you can get a variety that will produce some fruit here and there all summer long.

Don’t be afraid to be creative trying to fit fruit or edibles into your home landscape, because if you really want it, you can find a spot for it.

This feature story prepared with Rebecca McMahon, Kansas State University Research and Extension Horticulture Agent, Sedgwick County. For more information, visit your local county extension office or visit our website at KansasGreenYards.org.

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