2 Tricks for Keeping Fruit Trees Small (Do this right now!) 

Am I the only one who sees every cut branch as a potential new tree? Free plants for everyone!? It's like a plant hoarding/propagation disorder. All thanks to you, by the way. Appreciate the timing on this video.

I use rocks in a small mesh bag and tie it to the branches, to bend them. Works great and no strings.

I read Grow a Little Fruit Tree, and put a few little apple trees in our yard. Felt like a psycho cutting them back so small at first. Thought I might have ruined them, but they're growing just beautifully! Looking forward to some fruit in a few years.

Ann Ralph’s book, “Grow a Little Fruit Tree” really is great. The technique was developed at Dave Wilson Nursery in Hickman, California. Following their advice, I planted 4 groups of fruit trees-4 Apples, 4 Nectarines, 4 Plums, & 4 Pears. I selected varieties for my climate, to effectively cross pollinate, and to ripen fruit in succession for a long season of harvest. Each group was planted just 18in apart in a square and shortened to knee height. I chose to plant the groups 10 ft apart. Each group was subsequently pruned as if they were a single tree-shaped in the winter and kept short by summer pruning to grow no higher than I can reach standing on the ground. This is a great way to fit many varieties in a residential lot and still get plenty of fruit. They can just as well be grown as espaliers or hedges.

I put in three rows in the grocery row style for this spring and i am absolutely sold on this system. Everything is thriving and more productive than anything else I've tried. Thank you for all the information, man!

I am glad you made this video. I began my orchard using your advice, I bought the book, the video helped a lot though. I am pruning everything in the morning.

The deer prune my fruit trees, so I'm gonna prune the deer this fall.

I'm gonna take a few "enemies" out back & compost them. Thanks for both the advice & encouragement 😉🤣🤗

Learning so much about pruning and I don't even have a garden of my own! 😢 Seriously though, I love how you don't just give the instructions but also explain why certain pruning and training methods are used. After your explanation for training branches to grow horizontally I realised that this was why espalier trees are trained that way. I honestly just thought that it was to keep them at a certain height or, to fit a certain space. I've (winter) pruned blackcurrant bushes in the past and would shove the cuttings directly into a patch of soil, to root and form new plants to give away. I pruned them to prevent crossing branches and to open them up and, used to cut just above an outward facing bud, to prevent new growth from growing inwards and undoing the benefits of my hard work! 😂

Your chair pear tree reminds me of the circus trees in gilroy gardens (formerly Bonfonte gardens) in California. There were sycamores that were grafted together that looked like lattice too.

Haven't seen one of your videos lately. My bad. Thanks for reminding me about fruit trees staying small. I have your book "Grocery Row" and I have a restricted planting space for the food forest spots and kitchen row area. My second year has been a very good harvest/s. I give so much away to my many friends and they love it. They tell me what recipe they made from the veggies. Gardening has brought much joy into my life thanks to my brother who started this craziness to begin with. hahaha THANK YOU and blessings to your family.

I just pulled out my copy of Grow a Little Fuit Tree to review what I need to do since we're at the summer solstice time. Perfect timing for your video!

In France in many regions hedges ARE fruit trees, and they are pruned with agricultural hedge trimmers, no fuss whatsoever ;) Unfortunately it was neglected or even ripped up since the 2nd ww, but people are now more aware and replanting or rejuvenating ood hedges.

awesome. the idea of letting in light for more plants is an excellent point with packing in all the variety. i want something fruiting all year round. :)

David I put water and zip sandwich bags and put them inside of the red onion bags and hang them off of my branches Using a piece of wire woven through the bag so it's not girdling to weight them down this way I can add more water if needed

This is the kind of information that puts Davids teaching and advice a step above. I planted many of his suggestions from his masterpiece. "Create your own Florida food forest". Along side his book "push the zone" with the info on protecting the tropical trees during the winter. Hes really helped me loose my fear of growing frute trees in my backyard. Thank you for being diverse and precise with you information.

I took a cue from this video and went out and took four judicious cuts off the peach "bush" out there to keep it at 5 ft. I say bush because its a wild peach that had grown so tall I had it cut down to 3 feet. It was a bare trunk with a crack inside the trunk so I sadly thought it would die, but in spring there were lots of buds. Then some creature ate all the buds and I thought again it wouldn't make it, but lo and behold, it is a wonderfully thick bush!

WOW!!! My book came today and I am thrilled to read it. I had so many vague questions on how to make a fruit tree grow low! Ann's writing style is delightful and I am also grateful that you mentioned the summer solstice pruning, so I am not too far off if I prioritize it tomorrow- June 25. Thank you and happy to have supported your channel w the purchase.

I'll be doing this today in Northern Alabama. I didn't know summer solstice is a good time to prune. Thank you for the awesome short videos :)

I planted fruit trees last year and was quite ruthless with the initial pruning as most of them were mail orders and you get what you get - some of them were great but some of them were very odd shapes, and I had to have faith that if I cut them back to nothing, they would come back again. I cut an apricot back to just the main trunk (I vaguely recall one of your videos doing similar with a peach). It looked terrible, a sad little stump, but ended up putting on great growth and in a good shape. I had a couple of apples that start branching only 20 and 25cm from the ground. Again, you get what you get when you order things online! I was nervous putting them in because frankly they looked ridiculous and I found it hard to visualise how they could turn out okay. They looked like bonsai trees. But they've put on great growth and have fantastic shape to them so far, and should end being a good height. I'm also giving a stepover apple a stab, for fun. Another apple tree was mangled by parrots and had to be cut back to the trunk because they did so much ripping/chewing damage to every branch. I was gutted - I lost two years of growth and had to start over. It has come back in a much better shape than originally and is now the perfect height (I always felt it was slightly too tall), so it was a happy accident in the end. The parrots (and bats) are likely to be a problem every year, so being able to net them as shrubs is a lot less hassle then having full sized trees. Some of my other stonefruit trees put on growth this year but I wasn't happy with them - so they have been cut back quite harshly again and told they need to do better this year. It's a step backwards but I really want to make sure they are a good shape from the beginning. (Neighbours planted a small orchard and haven't pruned at all, and their trees are a cluttered mess, I'm itching to get in there) My cherry and pear have done exactly what I wanted, so they get a pat on the head and will only need minor tidying rather than correcting any major issues. I will revisit in our summer (I'm in Australia). Each tree gets individual attention like you've done in this video, sizing up what I want for each of them in terms of final size and how they will relate to other plants around them. I really love shaping and training trees, I find it really satisfying. Love pruning and training videos! :)

I just read your book "grocery row gardening" yesterday, such great stuff ❤

Great tip on keeping the fruit tree manageable. I wasn't sure about pruning mid-year, but that makes sense to limit and direct the energy of growth to be productive for the gardener's use. I have an established golden delicious apple tree that needs some taming. I'll be working on that.

This is the format I’ll be using on the 8 trees I bought this year.

Thank you David. I’m just about to prune my two year old subtropical food forest here in the Northern Rivers 🇦🇺 Australia for the first time and these tips were helpfully timely 💪🏻 🍐🥭🍒

So glad to see this type pruning again! Thank you. I know you have shown it before, I want to try it, such a cool idea! 😊

8:19 I like this idea of training trees into benches! This video is exciting. It’s like they’re bonsai trees sort of. I wonder if I could grow some trees in pots this way.

Having remembered your advice on summer solstice pruning, I got out there and pruned my 4 trees. They've added some nice growth since then and look wonderful. I never knew about summer pruning and I'm really learning a lot from your videos. TY!

Last winter,after reading David's article on festooning, I tried it on a full grown pear tree, with great results! I had a ton for fruit this year, and it was easy to harvest. Thanks David!

Having seen this in an older one of your videos, I used this same bending technique with a few of my trees. Amazing results! I had some heavy joined pipes from plumbing I changed out and used those, looked like very odd Christmas tree for a while but it worked! You da Man David the Good ❤😊

Thank you guys as usual always upliftitng and informative ❤ from Australia

Thanks David✨️ Learning so much from you!

When I bend a branch I gently crack the fibers in the branch. I'll do this every couple of days until it wants to go that way. It helps if it's going toward the sun.

Now the fruits will be easy to harvest. Great advice thanks David.

You always have great book recommendations. Thank you!

Festooning for oxen! Outstanding.

That garden is gorgeous!

And my favorite song at end. 😊 Thanks for tips.

Great info on pruning. I have limited space and can try this. Thanks

I am reading Ruth’s book; thanks for the tip!

I love that book!! I need to read it again too. Thanks for the video and especially the information on the pears. I have a small pear tree that's trying to be a column. I know what to do now. Cheers!

I just made a short about tying my seed loquats like this! Never knew the term for it... 🤔 But mine are still in pots until I find spots for them, so I poked holes in the pots and tied them through that way! I mentioned you in my video, so I hope it works well for me~ 😅 Cheers!

EXCELLENT Vid. Thanks David!

Good idea and Good Job.Thanks.

thanks. glad to find your channel. gathering info to put in fruit trees and berry patches. clearing in a forest, 8" topsoil and various color strata of sand below. water table was at 3 1/2-4 feet 3 years ago when I set fence posts. I'll have to water if there's no rain and its been bone dry about 90 percent of the time lately; so that water table is likely more at 9 feet. Some creeks and marches dont have standing water like usual and no flow. its atypical

Thanks for the show. Catch you on the next one. God Bless. NW ga.

similar to bonsai directional pruning. im letting our apple trees grow wild this year. extra hot summer and rodents in winter almost killed them all. lost one. going to replant with a cutting once its larger enough. thanks DTG

Ah! My favorite David The Good song!

Well I know what I'm going to do today! Thank you!

I really needed to see this learning, thank you.

Thanks for your advice! I used your method for keeping fruit trees short by cutting them to knee height when planting. Everything is growing well EXCEPT my Champagne loquat. It never put out branches and it tried to fruit off the main stem. I chopped it in spring when I planted it. Two years later, it hasn't grown an inch. I'll be replacing it soon.

alternatively you could strip the bark where you want it cut and then surround it with some dirt in a bag and it will grow roots, then cut it off and plant a second little tree

Thanks for good tricks regarding keeping fruit trees small

Thank you!! I picked up both your book and hers!

Many thanks for the advice. I boughtthe book a couple of months ago and I have ordered a victoria plum and greengage tree. I will keep them small.

Here in Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 we grow these "New Whip Trees' as "Espalier Trained" Trees. Bang in x2 upright Stakes either side, say x10ft apart. Add a Cross Rail (Nailed in) and then Tie those Branches in with Horticultural String, doing a figure of "8" Tie and Knot. The String doesn't cut into the Growth (that string decomposes over say a season of growth.) You Cut/Trim/Tie each new growing season. 👍 As those limbs thicken and mature, the Stakes can be removed. Originally, in France, these "Espalier" were mainly trained up against x1000 Yard Brick Walled Gardens ! Who has that in their Homes these days. 🤭 You can't alas do it on your Home, as the Tree will not like the Gutter and Roof overhang, and your Home won't like any of those Tree Roots in your Foundations (!) So add 'Stakes' as a temporary 'Support' and when the Branches can hold their own weight, take out the stakes etc. Simples. 😏 You can even Espalier a Tree a bit like a Walking Cane, on its side. Aka the Tree Whip Grows tall but thin ! You then get that whip carefully turned onto its side, say x1Foot above Ground Level, then its bent (tied down) almost at a 90 degree angle (fine when still young and Green in growth.) To grow Horizontally forever ! OK, until it maybe meets its neighbour growing from the other way. Again for a few Years a long Rail just above ground level is what you tie that low tree to. Again once shaped, forever there. These Trees become like little 'Fruit Hurdles' that give Garden Grow Beds a Boundary Structure. Apples, Pears do can be used. Plum and Cherry not so good. They need 'Fan' Training, to aid and increase/ promote better volume of Fruiting. Also Stone Trees don't like hard repeated Pruning, especially in dormant times. These get pruned in the Summer months. Unless in a Greenhouse* confining' their Sizes, is OK. However, if your Climate is warm enough, Peaches, Nectarines can be grown on a Fan Structure too. They love 'Structure' in order to take the weight of their Fruit ! One time I grew a Peach* of nearly x10 Ounces in size. . . But it needed a Hammock (Net Bag) to support its weight ! 🙃 Boy was it good 'a Huge White Fleshed Peach with Pink Blush Skin. So juicey and Yummy. . . Here : I grow my x3Ft Peaches (have x2 for Cross Pollination.) along the front of the Raised Bed either side of access Path, within my Greenhouse. (And the Tomatoes etc grow up big and bushy at the back area.) Oh, and I have a Huge Purple Fig ! Its Root: Planted in the Foundation Wall (x1 Brick missing ! So its outside not !) But the Plant itself grows up within the Pointy end Gable, furthest away from the Door. It too Fruit like crazy in a Fan Shape. We don't have the Climate or the temperatures to grow a lot of things outside (or room on our Windowsills come Winter!) So it has to 'Fit' the space we have got. 🤭 And having lots of Beehives in my front Garden (South Facing) takes up valuable space. More than they should ! With having surrounding Farm Land, all about, outwith my Cottage : All Trees, Plants and Shrubs are subjected to cross Winds etc. So Structure/Shelter/Location are key ! Finally please don't fall over all those Strings and Wire Pegs. Get a Wood Structure up and maybe a Trellis too: and make those little Fruit Trees a "Feature". Hope this helps. 😎

Love that book

Hi David, I guess you might better results by using a by-pass hand pruner. The cut will be neater, it will ill faster. Also, the cut should be above a bud that grows outwards in order to open the tree.

We just met your friend Shawn very knowledgeable young man. We enjoyed his visit here. We talked about how much he looked up to you and even told me your mulberry story. Pretty cool to meet someone else's fan made me think what have I been missing. No time to catch up on videos so let's be brothers I here we are like minded believers. We are shooting a movie about a what if the exodus happened today on sukkots. We would like to invite you and your to come be part of the experience. Sept 30

Great info!

Awesome tutorial video 📹 👌 👍 👏

There's a third trick you can use: grow your trees in containers. By restricting the tree's roots in a container, you will also restrict the overall size of the tree, and it will also make them portable too.

Great info. Thanks!

From OZ, The Festooning is called water shoots, and I use the fruit bags with some rocks in them tied to the branch to drop the branches as I low as I want, the lower I want the to go the more rocks I add more, but just make sure the branch doesnt snap.

Thanks. ❤❤❤

EXTREME pruning! I like it. It's practical. Why isn't this seen everywhere?

That was really interesting and helpful, I’m waiting my mulberry trees tomorrow. 🤓

Thanks for the timely reminder to check into pruning fruiting trees and bushes. Since I have those in containers, it is much easier on the plants AND the gardener to get pruning and keep up that maintenance routine than to let the trees grow every which way, and do a drastic prune once a year. How is Frankenpear coming along? Fruit yet?

9:00 so here was shazaming the song because i totally loved it 😃👌

Thanks!

It's always great to be reminded to summer prune. I'm wondering though if this works for figs and loquats, too. I want to keep them small, but I'm worried that they won't fruit.

Great video. Read "Grow A Little Fruit Tree" also and have applied to my small orchard. Thanks for the valuable information.

TY for reminding me about summer pruning. I had forgotten. My 4 little trees took no time. Why didn't you snip the limbs that you bent down on that last tree?

I would love to see an update!

Great video

thx4 info David .. grocery row gardening 🙏💚🕊🤲 gee hate2 cut trees .. mature trees rare in gardens but block Sun... .. what about braiding instead of cutting the3 pear branches growing together to make an natural branch arbor .. Ur bend training branches seems like “Espalier”( intense training of plants urged to grow flat against a wall, fence, or trellis.. Thx4 inspiring many ideas w Grocery Row Gardening & helpful books 👑🍃⭐️

So great, thx !

What up David. Much love to the family. My garden exploded!

does this work for elderberry and aronia as well? I already have berries on the aronia.

Thank you this video was very helpful! I'm a subscriber now.

Do you ever save the cut branches to propagate and make more trees?

Good ideas from this cut my peach tree branches

Espalier. Thats what I have been trying to perfect these past few years. Its an ancient technique.:)

Awesome video.

What an interesting video!

Hi! Great video -- and I totally agree about keeping fruit trees small! However, I just bought a house with huge fruit and avocado trees. Any suggestions for how to cut them back after they are already mature?

Plums are strong against hepatitis c. Mulberry has so many uses,like melatonin in the tips of leaf, one inch. It seems to have too what I call "cocoon" sleep. You may sleep very deeply and longer than usual, but when you wake up, you get to doing right away,not too much sleepy lag.

😂😂😂😂 I love your shirt!! but yeah I live in an urban situation so I have to keep all my new fruit trees small thanks this was helpful

I Like How you No what Tree to Tie side ways

...sadly Oxens probably aren't allowed in our HOA here....🐮🤠 - Great video (new sub)!

Thanks for the info. You have anew subscriber from Scotland. I have a number of apple and plum trees that are a number of years old, as well as some very old trees, I'll use your techniques to try to restructure and shape them. Fingers crossed...

Read the book and I advise the cheat notes as there’s a ton of superfluous material not very well told. Thanks for the video, top notch!

You can tell its america by the sound of a train blowing its horn frantically while going 5 mph through an empty crossing :D

Hi David! When is it too late to summer-prune fruit trees in NE Florida? I still haven't gotten around to pruning (it's September 20th) and my mulberry is outta control. Is there still time to prune? Thanks for all your books and videos! You're a part of the reason that I have such a beautiful garden! :)

David thanks for all your great info. How far apart do you plant your fruit trees? I do keep mine pruned

FINELY I got free plants for everyone months later because I got it from the library and they had problems with it in the System because your name is literally David the good??? Anyway I will be reading it! I have already read compost everything and that was amazing I hope this is just as good!

I like your T-shirt 🤣

We butchered our pear and a few weeks later the cut branches that we'd thrown in a pile, were budding. I felt like Aaron. Can those be stuck in rooting hormone and dirt to make a new tree? 😱

Can you do a video like this for nut tree please? Hazelnut, almond and pecan are what I just started.

I use those plastic tomato clips that clip to string to tie down my branches. Works well and no chance of girdling

I got a branch of Mulberry tree as a gift this spring. I put it in a big pot (50 Gal). Now it grows to more than 6 feet tall. I cut a little at the top of each branch hope stop it from grow too tall and can give me some fruits next year. If you have Mulberry tree , can you make one on how to cut it, and how to take care of it? And thank you for introducing the book Grow a Little fruit tree. I will go buy and read it. Thanks!