Grow a Little Fruit Tree

December 1, 2014
In his accessible style, Ralph propagates several new ideas about fruit trees to the backyard gardener. The first is that fruit trees should be small—certainly no taller than the gardener herself. This allows better access to the fruit, and makes managing crop size easier—just enough plums rather than so many that everyone in the household resents anything round and purple. The second is to prune in winter for shape and in summer for size. Winter pruning inspires growth, whereas summer pruning keeps the tree small. The third is to plant bare root trees and make a severe initial prune, the so-called head cut, at knee length. Ralph keeps the rest simple enough. Water infrequently but deeply, mind pests in a live-and-let-live relationship, and pick when ripe—or, in the case of pears, pre-ripe. And she swears by worm castings for a variety of fruit tree ailments. This will be a thrilling read for the backyard farmer wants fruit all year round from a small, sunny space.

December 15, 2014
Most amateur gardeners with a small backyard plot set aside for flowers and vegetables rarely attempt putting a fruit tree in the middle of it all because of the common fear that a tree will quickly overwhelm the space underneath it. Yet, according to Ralph, a veteran tree cultivator and consultant for the Berkeley Horticultural Nursery in California, savvy pruning techniques can allow anyone with even a smidgen of land to a grow a healthy, productive fruit tree less than six feet tall. In this beautifully illustrated, informative guidebook, Ralph provides all the know-how needed to breed a wide variety of deciduous trees, such as apples, cherries, persimmons, and plums, that are both easily managed and harvested. In 11 easy-to-follow chapters, she covers all the pruning and breeding basics, from choosing tree varieties to picking fruit at the right time. Every gardener who has previously felt too intimidated to cultivate his or her own mini orchard will find enough well-seasoned advice and inspiration here to begin planting a fruit tree or two during the next growing season.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)