Special Solutions & Unique Styles


  • There is no One Solution to growing fruit trees.

  • Creativity and a "just do it!" attitude can overcome most fruit tree growing challenges.


We live in San Diego, California, and have planted 15 low-chill Dave Wilson fruit trees in what used to be our lap pool. We planted 12 of them, 2 per hole, and the aprium/apricots in a row of 3, planted 20 inches apart. We separated the apricots since they can’t take lime sulfur dormant spray. (The tree in the back on the right is an Oro Blanco grapefruit.) We look forward to lots of great fruit over a nice long fruiting period once the trees are established! —Joanna and Lew Gary—

photo courtesy of Joanna and Lew Gary

4 months growth... Here is a photo of the trees 4 months later, and a photo of the trees after pruning about half the growth (in early May) to control size. Next pruning will be in late August - early September. We are having a great time watching and working on the trees!

photo courtesy of Joanna and Lew Gary

after pruning about half the growth in early May to control size...

photo courtesy of Joanna and Lew Gary

I started moving unhappy potted fruit trees from our backyard and have been rearranging things. We just had three large trash-trees taken out, producing logs for my work-steps and allowing the sun to reach nearly off-camera viewer-left, where I planted a Royal Lee, Minnie-Lee and Snow Queen last night. I was able to find these cherries at San Gabriel Nursery because of your "which retailer has it" list I used Saturday - but I purchased the nectarine from Armstrong a couple weeks ago. There are Suriname and Rio Grande cherries behind. They would enjoy keeping company with an Eva's Pride Peach and/or Chocolate Persimmon (hint hint).

continued below photo...

photo courtesy of Sandy Soden Mascarino

Way-off left are oo-la-la berries and raspberries dividing our property from neighbors. Next row: cherimoya in front, white sapote, guava, budda's hand, lime. Moving right are Anna's & Williams' Pride apples just beginning to open, behind them: calamondin & kumquat. Next row right favorite spiney bottle who will probably get the axe for a fruit tree, followed by meyer lemon, pomegranate, fig. Last row artichoke concealing kaffir lime, Pink Pearl apple, tangelo, and room for an umbrella dwarf peach perhaps. Trees generally have about 3-4 feet between trunks or two feet to path. Produce grows under and between the trees all over. Everything is sized to what I'm physically comfortable reaching over. I have an articulating ladder, but intend to keep trees short enough to avoid ladder use so as not to spoil our view or sun hitting produce under the trees. All trees can either be pruned agressively or have dwarf or semi-dwarf rootstock.


This next planting is artistically arranged between backyard sculptural elements...


photo courtesy Jeff Soucek

photo courtesy Jeff Soucek

photo courtesy Jeff Soucek


a different style...


photo courtesy Kathy Baker

photo courtesy Kathy Baker

photo courtesy Kathy Baker


Bill shows us how...


photo courtesy Bill

photo courtesy Bill

photo courtesy Bill

photo courtesy Bill

photo courtesy Bill

and, lastly...

photo courtesy Mitch Shirts

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