Standard-sized fruit trees are out of the question for many home yards because in time they take up too much space, and their tops cannot be reached with home spraying equipment. But dwarf fruit trees are another story. They are scaled at maturity to suburban properties, and their tallest branches are always within reach of a hand sprayer. Dwarf fruit trees are also attractive in fruit and flower and so contribute to the beauty of the home landscape. There are dwarf apples, pears, peaches, and plums to choose from. They need so little space, it is possible to grow a few of each on an average suburban lot.
Apples: Whatever your favorite variety – McIntosh, Red or Yellow Delicious – you can grow big, beautiful fruit on a dwarf tree. These and other varieties are grafted by nurserymen on what is known as East Mailing IX rootstock, which restricts top growth to a height of about 6 feet. So- called Clark-dwarf rootstock is also employed for dwarfing apples. A reliable nursery will tell you on which rootstock the trees you purchase have been grafted, but for all practical purposes, it makes little difference to home gardeners.
It is necessary, as with standard fruit trees, to plant at least two varieties for cross-pollination and good fruit development. If several are planted in a group as in an orchard, or if you line out dwarf apples for a property-line screen (at least 5 feet in from the line), space them 10 or 8 feet apart.
For a long harvest, you might plant an early sort, and a late-maturing or “keeping” variety like Red Delicious.
Peaches and plums are dwarfed by being grafted or budded on rootstocks of either sand or Nanking cherries. Peaches, and plums grow rapidly and set fruit two years after planting. They do not exceed 5 to 6 feet in height or breadth. They make nice lawn accents, can be used to mark the corners of a vegetable plot or flower border, and make good property-line screens. It is not necessary to plant more than one of each because they self-pollinate.
Pears are budded or grafted on quince rootstock which restricts top growth to about 10 to 12 feet. Some dwarf pears have what is known as a “double worked” stem – quince rootstock, the variety Old Home as an interstem (portion between root and top), and Bartlett or other good eating variety on top. The interstem is needed because Bartlett and some other pears are not compatible with the quince rootstock.
Dwarf pears bear just a year or two after planting, producing fruit on the terminal shoots. Fruit is so heavy it causes the branches to droop gracefully, so that the tree has a weeping effect. Dwarf pears can be set out in locations noted under peaches, plums, and apples, and you might grow some in movable tubs as terrace accents. Only one pear is needed as pears are self-pollinating.
Cherries: There is no known dwarfing system that restricts the growth of standard sweet cherries, but their growth is easily retarded by tying the branches horizontally to wires or by holding them down with weights suspended from the tips. Both practices also cause early fruiting. Sour cherries are easily pruned to any desired height, so there is really no need for dwarfing them. It is not necessary to plant more than one cherry tree, for they are also self-pollinating.
Purchasing Plants
The photographs of dwarf fruit trees in the nursery catalogs usually show them at maturity, but the plant you receive by mail will be either a single one-year whip or a two-year branched specimen, depending on which you order. Both are good buys, and it will take them but two or three years to form a well-branched fruiting specimen.
Planting is done in early spring (April in Michigan) or in fall (mid-September to mid-November). Do not plant in poorly drained soil where water is likely to stand after a heavy rain, or in a spot that will be shaded for more than a few hours a day.
Dig a large planting hole that will accommodate the roots when you spread them out and firm and water soil around them after planting as you would do for any plant. The graft union, an obvious swelling close to the base of the tree, should be about 2 inches above ground after planting. A soil mound, saucerlike around the tree, will hold water, facilitating thorough watering in dry spells. When the newly planted tree is growing vigorously, level the soil.
Pruning: After planting, your young tree must be pruned. If it is a bareroot one-year whip, cut off the top about 2 feet above the ground to stimulate side branching. If it is a barerooted branched tree, cut off all the branches except three that are spaced well above one another around the main stem. If you purchase balled-and-burlapped or container-grown trees, ask the nurserymen about pruning. They may not need pruning until the second year after planting.
Espaliers are easier to train from dwarf trees than from standards because they do not grow so rampantly, requiring less pruning. Espalier methods are given in most garden reference books. Espaliers are splendid against buildings (not on the south side) and trained on wires to form a fence for luscious fruit.
by C Lewis – 61640
