Grow a Little Fruit Tree by Ann Ralph

Subtitled simple pruning techniques for small-space, easy-harvest fruit trees, Ann Ralph's helpful guide places the emphasis on how to keep fruit trees small.  The book's instructions and advice are easy to understand and follow. The only downside is that the book is written for the northern hemisphere, so I had to keep adjusting in my mind any month she mentioned in the text.

The principles Ann Ralph teaches are best applied to fruit trees at planting. However, there is a section on dealing with older trees as well. With this book in my hands, I took a look at my young fruit trees at the weekend, and for the first time felt that I knew what I was looking at, and could match what Ann described with what I was seeing in front of me. It gave me the confidence to do some quite radical pruning. 

I have now ordered my own copy (in which I will change the months to match the southern hemisphere seasons). This is a must-read guide for the home fruit tree grower keen to get the most from their trees in spite of the constraints of a small space.

Posted by Jessie

Catalogue link: Grow a Little Fruit Tree