Thanks FloridaGreenMan, Sleepdoc.

My Pickering is in ground espaliered to a fence already (unfortunately taking the space that LZ could be taking): http://postimg.org/image/4me1q568z/

I have run out of space, may need to replant LZ into the front yard if HOA permits.

Sorry MangoMan2 for using your topic for this question.  But wander if Malika and Nam Doc Mai fruit in containers.  I am thinking about buying them and keeping in containers after reading that they are smaller mango trees.

I bought a few inch plant online 4 minths ago and it grows so fast that already replanted twice, last in a 20 gal container.  The tree is pretty, and if it continues growing like this, it may start giving fruit this year. 

I plan to keep it in the container and maintain its size for long.  Last time I pruned for shape, i put cuttings in for rooting.  Too early to say, but the cuttings still look green and nice.

Never tasted the fruit.  Just got it for fun and for kids to enjoy the novelty.

I have a small grafted Meiwa in a 3gal container since summer, it has been fruiting quite heavily for that size tree.  I like the taste and look of the tree.  The taste is slightly sweet and citrusy.  Not very juicy, flavor is in the skin and pulp.  My kids and wife did not like the taste, so I end up eating all of them.  Mine has plenty of seeds though, probably 6-8 in each small fruit, not sure if this is typical.  The seeds germinate very well, so now I have several small 1 inch seedlings and do not know what to do with them.  I am in south Palm Bach County, possibly near you, if you are interested you can pick up couple of seedlings for free, though it may take years before it fruits.  You can probably also grow from a seed of a store-bought Kumquat.  Seeds probably do not produce the exact same fruit though.  Overall, I would buy the tree again because it is ornamental and I like its fruit.

I have some cherry like hedge in So FL, grows fast and need to trim back 3-4 times a year.  I have seen rare fruit on it, and the shape reminds me of Surinam Cherry but not sure.  I will post a photo the next time I see the fruit.

Anybody tried grafting good quality cherry on such hedge ?
Any other fruit can be grafter on it ?  e.g. grumichama, pitomba, acerola, watermelon...

Just kidding about the watermelon.

thanks puglvr1.
thanks zands, i will wait about pruning persimmon and atemoya.
sunworshiper, very pretty photos.  your small mango trees seem happy and blooming.  no sign of bloom on my mangos yet.  BTW, what ground cover plant do you use under mango ?  looks pretty.

Thank you very much puglvr1, sunworshiper.  This gives me courage to cut back the Atemoya and couple of Mangos, I will probably do the same with Choquette avocado that is still in a container.  Thanks for sharing the photos !  I will do the same.

Thanks ASaffron.

My mangoes are smaller varieties: Cogshall, Pickering, Lancetilla; hope to keep them about 6 ft tall.  I also have Lemon Zest (?) and Pina Colada, which are probably larger varieties and will have to let it grow probably to 8-10 feet.

Avocados are Simmonds and Choquette, and I realize they like to grow big.  So this is something I still have to figure out how to manage in the small yard.  Choquette is still in a container and can be moved around.

But really the main question is, will these trees survive a severe cutback to encourage lower branching point ?

The lower the branching point the more foliage can be sustained when keeping the trees short - this is my (uneducated) rationale for wanting to cut back the main stem to 1.5-2 feet above ground.

The suggestion about espalier is good - thanks !  Watched some videos and want to try.  Do you know if Avocado or Mango will espalier ?

Thanks Cookie Maponster, you guessed right about the nursery.  And, after some more googling, it does look like Lisa as you indicated.

Thanks JF for the photos.  This is also when i discovered that there are so many different great Atemoyas, will try to multigraft of my grafted Lisa to add more variety.

So to my list of "wanted" cuttings adding: Atemoya varieties.  I am interested in buying some fresh cuttings.

Learning is fun...

Thank you very much everybody for the wealth of advice.  It looks like bananas, papayas, pineapples are fairly safe.  Everything else is iffy and better kept in containers rather than few feet from inground pool.  Although chance of pool damage is small for small fruit trees and if trees are kept small in any case, so the final decision depends on personal level of comfort with this risk.  Thanks again !

Thank you sunworshiper and SWRancher for your advice about bananas, i have two dwarf bananas in containers and will plant them in that area.  i was thinking about planting kumquat, will keep it in the container.

MangoFang, how old and big are your mango trees near the pool ?  thanks for your reply.

HMHausman, luc, i would also feel safer with 10+ feet or at least 2 meters.  Unfortunately, i have only a narrow strip of land in that area, so the farthest would be 3-4 feet or about one meter.  thanks for your reply.

I guess i will have to limit to bananas and possibly small bushes or tiny trees like miracle fruit.

Was also wondering about feijoa since it can be kept small.