Almost monthly we find that we are being fed a new diet or exercise plan cleverly crafted to make us alter the way in which we live.

It is true that we all need to examine closely our current lifestyle with bearing in mind the we need to be eating a lot  more vegetables and fresh fruit and increasing our exercise levels. One thing we might want to do is  to consider growing 1 or 2 fruit trees in our garden. However, as most yards are only rather small, it is likely that you might be a little restricted in what you can do.

The vast majority of us fully comprehend that organic vegetables and fruit are far better for us than the alternatives but the increased cost is often too prohibitive. We also understand that the more fresh the fruit is the  more vitamins and minerals it has. By cultivating our own fruit trees it is possible for us to produce organic fruit at a much reduced cost and, because it can be harvested immediately before use, such fruit is also the freshest possible.

The majority of us live in a built up residential environment where it is common to have backyards which give over only a rather meagre space in which to plant a garden. Such gardens are immensely unsuitable for large mature trees which can, eventually be the cause of a collection of problems. The roots can grow into foundations, branches can grow up against walls and windows and they also restrict the light. The most obvious problem is that such a large item in a little garden will clearly look out of place.

Even in the smallest yard something incredibly amazingl can be created. Professional landscape designers can create the most amazing plans but, with a fair bit of time and effort, it is possible to do this yourself. To do it correctly you will need to read up a little to understand which are the best plants, shrubs and trees to incorporate and the correct way to use them.

If you have a tiny garden the addition of a fruit tree will add beauty and interest. In the spring the tree will be smothered in amazing looking, and gorgeous smelling, blossom. By the time of fall the tree will be full of ripe fruit perfect for the picking. Even in the winter a fruit tree can still look incredibly interesting and such a tree should act as a focal point.

It is now possible to purchase dwarf types of fruit tree, these are formed by grafting the main stem of a fruit tree to carefully chosen dwarf root stock. Modern dwarf root stock, such as M9, is more reliable than older types of dwarf root stock. M9 root stock can cause a fruit tree to grow incredibly small while it is still able to produce much more fruit.

Modern compact fruit trees can be grown in small gardens as the dwarf variety produces a large amount of fruit from the tinniest of bushes. A dwarf fruit tree will hardly ever be taller than 1.8m high but the growth rate can be decreased a little more by cultivating it in a container. By following a planned pruning regime you can restrict the growth while retaining a beautiful architecture.

Amongst the most useful of fruit trees for the gardener with only a small garden, is the spur apple tree. While the tree can still grow to around 1.8m in height it has such an upright habit that it often looks rather strange covered in an incredible number of of ripened apples.

As well as apple trees there are dwarf varieties of fruit tree such as pears, plums, figs, cherries, nectarines and other alternatives.

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Filed under: backyard garden • backyard gardening • gardening tips • indoor herb garden • new brunswick • vegetable garden

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