Miguel Braganza
Those living in high-rise apartment blocks often long to grow their own fruit plants. The good news is, it’s possible to grow fruit-bearing plants in pots, even on balconies.
My former neighbour, Almira Rodrigues, a retired teacher, grew fruit plants in bonsai trays. She enjoyed not only the harvest but also their beauty from her small balcony. We even exhibited her collection at the Festival of Plants & Flowers at SFX School, Siolim, in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
Several of us, including Gurudatta ‘Jai’ Naik and Oscar Silveira from Borda de Margao, Ashok Dande from Nagali Taleigao, Daniel D’Souza from Assagao, and I, have grown and exhibited potted fruit plants at the Konkan Fruit Fest since 2021.
There are many fruit plants suitable for container gardening. Oscar Silveira from Borda-Margao has cultivated a wide range in pots and shares his progress through videos on social media. My family and I have grown guavas, chickoo (sapota), star fruit, custard apple, limes, lemons, and pineapples in pots.
Cesar Cabral from Mapusa and Daniel D’Souza from Assagao have grown mangoes in pots using techniques developed by Reju Kurian during his PhD at the Indian Institute of Horticultural Research in Hessarghatta, under Dr. C. P. A. Iyer. This was around the time I was pursuing my MSc research. Ashok Dande maintains several varieties of limes and lemons in pots at Nagali-Taleigao. Even papaya and banana can be grown in barrels. Grape and passion fruit vines can be trained to climb balcony grills or parapets.
It is not complicated. For those who need help, potted plants are available for purchase. Green Essentials even offers home delivery in Mapusa and surrounding areas.
Mulberries are a great starter plant. They attract birds, grow easily from mature cuttings, and bear fruit within six months. They tolerate heavy pruning and are well suited for pot cultivation. If you love plants, birds, and butterflies, this is the one to grow.
Mulberries, guavas, limes, and lemons also respond well to the ‘bahar treatment’ or ‘intermittent thirsting’, a method used to induce flowering. Growing in pots gives you complete control over watering, which is essential for such techniques.
It’s important to ensure that both the pot and plant are stable and can withstand strong winds. While lighter soil mixes with compost and coco peat work well for vines and creepers, heavier fruiting plants may need a stone at the base or some form of anchoring. Taller plants like papaya or banana benefit from support stakes secured with guy wires.
There is plenty to learn from online videos, but nothing beats hands-on experience
