No grocery store can provide the fresh-from-the-garden taste of a strawberry or peach just picked from the plant. And the person who grows their own produce is aware of what chemicals have been applied to the food, which can give immeasurable peace of mind. Dwarf fruit trees have been developed through the years to provide easy picking, and trees of a size that home gardeners can fit into their landscapes. Trees can become further dwarfed depending on when they are first allowed to fruit. Blooms should be picked from most fruit trees for at least the first year to allow the tree's energy to go towards establishing healthy roots and strong trunk and limbs. The earlier a tree is allowed to fruit, the smaller the tree will eventually be. Some varieties of fruit tree require another tree for pollination. Some varieties work better than others as pollinators, and some varieties are self-fertile. It is important to check the specific varieties' needs when purchasing fruit trees.
Some fruit trees will "self thin" by dropping a certain amount of their fruit early in the fruiting process. In plums it is called "June drop," and is just a normal part of the tree's growth process as it finds the level of fruit it can successfully produce in a given season relative to it's size, age and environmental circumstances.  When planting fruit trees, it is important to put them in a location with ample sun, and plant them at a distance appropriate to their mature size. Soil requirements for moist fruit trees are not specialized, but most cannot tolerate soggy and boggy situations. Trees will benefit greatly from organic additions to the soil over and around their roots, and a regular feeding regimen. Although it is not a requirement, fruit production and the longevity of the tree will be more successful with such care. Birds and rodents can be troublesome to fruit trees. Mesh hardware cloth can be used to protect trunk bark from nibbling by rabbits, mice and voles. Netting can be used on very dwarf specimens to ward off bird thefts - by the time a tree has reached a size beyond protecting in such a way, the birds are probably only taking what you won't be able to reach anyway! Insects can be a special bother with fruit trees, and Vinland Valley Nursery recommends the organic products sold by a mail order company called "Gardens Alive" for fruit tree products, among other lawn and garden organic controls. Gardeners needing these products can ask Vinland Valley Nursery employees for information on contacting the folks at Gardens Alive for appropriate products. Growing fruit trees is not the daunting task it has been rumored to be. Once the initial care is taken to find the right site and the best variety for the home farmer's uses, there should be no further considerations other than picking the fruit and finding different jam, jelly and pie recipes!
Pruning Grape Vines
Adventurous gardeners and chefs might find unusual fruits an interesting hobby to undertake.	Quince is a tasty fruit produced on an easy to grow shrub. It flowers late, meaning it is less susceptible to late frost damage. Different varieties produce different colors of bloom, and the bushes make nice landscape shrubs in addition to their useful fruit. Paw paw is a native tree which produces a pod shaped fruit about 2-3 inches long with a mellow taste. The leaves are an attractive ovate shape and large size, and turn to a bright crisp yellow color in fall, making this tree valuable as a specimen and fruit producer.
Mulberry is another tree which is not traditionally grown for its fruit-but it should be! Early settlers used mulberries extensively, and cultivars were developed though none were particularly successful. Today mulberries can be found in wild growing areas in all conditions. It is a hardy, easy to grow tree and produces a tasty fruit. All of the above fruiting specimens will be appreciated by wildlife, too.