You don't need a big garden to grow your own fruit – these 7 trees to plant now are perfect for smaller spaces

You don't need acres of space to enjoy the pleasure of picking fresh fruit straight from your own garden.

The great news is that you can plant fruit trees in a small garden – and the best news is that now is the time to plant them. Autumn in all its golden glory is ideal because the soil is still warm from the summer.

'Rainfall at this time of year provides more natural moisture, and this allows plants to concentrate on establishing their roots before the demands of spring and summer growth begin,' explains Pim Dickson, senior horticulturist at Fothergill's.

With the help of gardening experts, we list below the top seven easiest fruit trees that are ideal for a small garden.

1. Pear

It's a bit of a myth that you need a large garden or an orchard to grow fruit.

'The trick is to choose trees bred to stay small (often called “dwarfing” rootstocks) and, where possible, self‑fertile varieties so you don’t need a second tree to pollinate them,' advises Julian Palphramand, head of plants at British Garden Centres.

So which are the best pear tree varieties to pick?

Julian suggests ‘Concorde’ as a reliable, self‑fertile choice; ''Doyenné du Comice’ is excellent if you have room and a pollinator.'

Look after your harvest – pruning pear trees is an essential practice for keeping them in great shape and providing you with plenty of fruit.

2. Plum

There's nothing quite like biting into a juicy plum, especially when it's baked into a delectable crumble on a cosy autumnal day. You can grow your own by planting a plum tree in your small garden this month, and within a few years you'll have plenty of crops. And not forgetting the gorgeous blossom that comes with a plum tree every spring...

'If you are looking for a compact fruit tree which will provide excellent seasonal interest for small spaces, then I’d always recommend introducing a compact variety,' says Lucie Bradley, gardening and greenhouse expert from Harvst Automatic Watering.

Lucie recommends Opal and Victoria; both are self-fertile varieties. You can buy Opal from £29.99 for a five-litre pot from Thompson & Morgan; it is a heavy-cropping variety with red-flushed, yellow-skinned fruit. Victoria is perhaps the most popular variety in this country, known for its juicy plums. You can buy one bare root for £19.99 from YouGarden.

3. Fig

Fig is perhaps a fruit tree you might not have considered. It's low maintenance, and most common ones don't need a pollinator partner.

'Fig trees produce the best crop when their roots are restricted, so they respond well to being grown in pots,' advises Richard Barker, horticultural expert and commercial director of LBS Horticulture. 'Figs can also be fan trained so that the branches grow flat against a wall, and this can maximise the amount of sunlight that the plant receives.'

The two varieties Richard recommends are Brunswick; you can buy this from Roots, for £20. Brown Turkey is available for £14.99, B&Q. Both are compact and of the self-fertile variety.'

4. Apple

'There are many varieties of apple tree available that are well suited to growing in smaller gardens,' suggests Richard. 'Most varieties will need more than one tree for pollination, but if you only have the room for a single tree, it is best to choose a self-fertile variety like 'Braeburn' or 'Red Falstaff'.

One of the easiest fruit trees to grow, apple trees tolerate a wider range of soil types and climates, thrive in large pots and are low maintenance once established – they do need pruning in late winter though.

'You can also save space with apple trees by training them against the wall as a cordon or espalier,' Richard adds.

If you love cooking with apples, then you can't beat the King of Cooking Apples: the Bramley. Buy from YouGarden for £24.99 for a five-litre pot.

5. Mulberry

Mulberries are easy to grow, and the fruit is sweet, juicy and tangy, rather like a blackberry, so if you fancy something a bit different, then give them a try. Pollinators love a mulberry tree, and if your garden is small, then look for dwarf or patio types.

'Easy to care for, if you introduce a potted dwarf mulberry tree into your garden in early to mid autumn it will take advantage of the heat left in the soil so that roots can start growing and it becomes established well before winter weather arrives,' suggests Lucie. 'However, if you want to take advantage of the lower costs of buying a bare root tree, then wait until late autumn, once it has entered dormancy, to add it to your garden.'

Lucie recommends a dwarf variety called Mojo Berry as it has been developed to grow up to two metres in height. You can buy it in a three-litre pot for £27.99 from Crocus; this variety is great for patios.

Pim loves this variety too: 'It is slow-growing and can reach around 1.5m when grown in a container, while still producing fruit. It is interesting for gardeners who want something a little different from the usual apple or pear, and its ability to fruit on both old and new wood can provide a long harvesting period.'

6. Cherry

Are cherry trees worth it for the frothy blossom alone, right?

'They will produce blossom in spring and attractive foliage in autumn,' says Richard. 'A variety like 'Stella' is best for a smaller garden, as it is self-fertile, so you will only need a single tree.'

Julian agrees, 'Cherries on dwarfing rootstock are well suited to small gardens; other self‑fertile options are ‘Lapins’ or ‘Sunburst ’, avoiding the need for another tree.'

You can buy Stella as a maiden tree colt rootstock for £26.99 from Dobies. Lapins has a darker red berry and is available from Crocus for £34.99 for one bare-root colt rootstock. The Sunburst variety is an early-cropping type and is perfect for containers, from £29.99 from Thompson & Morgan.

7. Peach

Peach is a lovely fruit to grow, but you do need to get a few basics right.

'Peaches and nectarines on dwarfing types work well in small gardens, especially trained against a warm, sunny wall, though you’ll need to protect the blossom from late frosts,' advises Julian.

The blossom is fragrant, with pink flowers in spring, and peach trees can grow in containers if your garden is super tight on space. They are prone to leaf curl disease, though the Avalon Pride variety is highly resistant, from £44.99, Dobies.

A great option for small gardens is the peach (Prunus persica); it loves containers and can be bought for £39.99 from Thompson & Morgan.

Fruit tree planting essentials

There are some lovely fruit tree varieties to choose from that are ideal for planting in a small garden this autumn. Which will you pick?