Growing Dwarf Fruit Trees and Nut Trees

(Page 5 of 5)

March/April 1986
By Robert Kourik  
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Also, on a visit to Long Island, New York (where the climate is much harsher than in Novato), I saw a 12-year-old miniature peach, Anderson's Bonanza variety, that was still prolific, vigorous, and healthy.

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CARING FOR DWARF TREES

Protect a new tree from the sun. Sunburned bark at the base of the trunk is the first place of entry for peach borers. Paint any white latex paint (interior or exterior) from just below the soil line up to the first several branches. Then be sure to get down on your knees occasionally to peek under the leaves to check for borer damage.

In the first season, remove all tiny, immature fruits, to allow the roots to more easily get established. This is quite a test of willpower. Those who fudge on this do get to taste the fruit the first season, but their trees would be better off if the fruit were removed.

From the second year on, thin the young fruits to leave one every three to four inches along the branch. Wait until the tiny fruit is as big as a jelly bean to make sure there is no fruit drop after thinning. This will insure the largest fruit possible. One of my clients failed to thin and had peaches as thick as grapes, too crowded to ripen well and too small to eat.

NOT ALL MINIATURE TREES ARE EQUAL

The accompanying list of varieties outlines some of the distinguishing virtues and limitations of the miniature trees. Keep abreast of the latest developments through fruit tree catalogs and periodicals on gardening, and there may well be a miniature tree in your future . . . to help keep your home orchard short and sweet.

EDITOR'S NOTE: This article is excerpted from Designing and Maintaining Your Edible Landscape — Naturally , by Robert Kourik (copyright © 1986 by Robert Kourik).

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