Windermere Blog | March 2010

I have a very small backyard, but I still dream of planting a garden with a few fruits and vegetables like tomatoes, kale or strawberries.  I never thought I had enough space for a fruit tree until I recently discovered dwarf fruit trees. Even if you have a large garden area, dwarf fruit trees are a great option as they take much less space.

Dwarf fruit trees:

• Come in many types - apples, cherries, lemons, oranges, pears and more


• Grow anywhere from 3 to 15 feet tall


• Can grow in an 8" diameter pot or in the ground


• Yield full size fruit


• Require 8-10 hours of full sun


• Usually the variety of fruit is grafted to a type of rootstock that keeps the tree shorter (a rootstock is a type of root that is specifically grown for other plants to be attached to)

Where can you find one?
Your local nursery is the best place to find a dwarf fruit tree.

Glean extra fruit for your local food bank
If you end up with more fruit than you can eat, be sure to find a gleaning organization in your area. These groups can collect the extra fruit throughout a neighborhood and donate the harvest to a local food bank.