Grow your own apples, figs, plums, cherries, pears, apricots, and peaches in even the smallest backyard! Ann Ralph shows you how to cultivate small yet abundant fruit trees using a variety of specialized pruning techniques. With dozens of simple and effective strategies for keeping an ordinary fruit tree from growing too large, you'll keep your gardening duties manageable while at the same time reaping a bountiful harvest. These little fruit trees are easy to maintain and make a lovely addition to any home landscape. With this guide to strategic pruning, gardeners learn to make well-timed cuts to backyard fruit trees that result in shorter, sturdier trees and keep the harvest within reach. Ann Ralph is a fruit tree specialist with twenty years of nursery experience. She teaches pruning classes in the San Francisco Bay Area and lives in the Sierra foothills near Jackson, California. Smaller Is Better Imagine a peach tree that's the same height as you. And an apple tree that doesn't require a ladder for reaching the top-most fruit. Following Ann Ralph's timed pruning plan and simple maintenance guidelines, you can keep ordinary fruit trees small and manageable. Your little trees need less garden space, are easier to care for, and offer just the right amount of fruit for most households. Introducing the Little Fruit Tree Chapter 1 - Small Is Beautiful Chapter 2 - The Short Fruit Tree Method Chapter 3 - The Elementary Principles of Pruning Chapter 4 - Choosing Varieties Chapter 5 - The Fruit Tree Comes Home Chapter 6 - The Conversation Begins: The Hardest Pruning Cut You'll Ever Have To Make Chapter 7 - The Conversation Continues Chapter 8 - How Much Water Does a Fruit Tree Need? Chapter 9 - Working with Mother Nature Chapter 10 - Ripe Fruit Chapter 11 - Entering the Zone of Equilibrium Appendix

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