Personally I would be hesitant to hire someone to prune your trees unless money is no object. I was referred to a great book, I think by Harvestman, called Ecological Fruit Production in the North. It has a chapter called "The Swiss Pruning Method", and the author goes into detail about how to rejuvenate fruit trees. It will most likely take at least four years for you to get the trees to full production. I would step back and take a deep breath and realize you are on a journey; this is not a task to just cross off your to-do list. Personally I envy you for having so many established trees. I have brought back only a single pear and am working on two apples. I have learned so much from everyone here. You WILL have those moments you have envisioned, but it just won't be this fall, or maybe even next. Realize that the trees will be there for many years. Learn one step at a time and don't get overwhelmed. I was mentioning my little back-yard orchard to a friend who didn't know about my passion. She was so excited and said her mother, who is from Italy, would love to see my trees. It dawned on me that there are probably lots of older people who have a great deal of knowledge and are unable to share it. Maybe you could find an older person who has the knowledge and wisdom you need and who would feel it a great privilege to come and help. When my parents decided to keep sheep many years ago we heard about a man who was in an "old folks home" that knew everything about sheep. He virtually LIVED to come and spend time with us. It was a blessing for him and for us as well. Your new neighbors might be able to refer you to someone who helped the previous owner out in the orchard. Maybe the children of the owner would have some ideas of a person who could help. Sorry, long-winded and rambling! Congratulations on your new home!!!! Here is a link that might be useful: Ecological Fruit Production in the North

Depending on where you are in Tampa you might have luck with Mango, Lychee, Sapodilla, or Sugar Apple. There are dwarf or "condo" versions of these trees that are ideal for smaller back yards and might allow you to plant more than one. Mango and lychee in particular are evergreen and add a great tropical look to the landscape. None of these are readily available in the supermarket (the fibrous things at the grocery called "mangos" are weak) so you'd be growing something that is unique and hard to find otherwise. Citrus is popular as well- you can get grafted trees now that have multiple types of fruit on one tree. Good luck!

Hello, I can send you some seeds of tropical plants for free that I currently have (fresh seeds). I have seeds of most of the plants that I am growing. Link here: http://freehealing.org/cgi-bin/manage_visions.pl?mode=plants

I agree, apple trees can be very labor intensive. Do your homework before you make a decision. Some things to consider: 1. best scion cultivar for YOUR application a. YOUR preference for taste b. texture and quality of fruit c. disease resistance and possibly even some pest resistance d. production e. fruit storage potential f. possibly some of the other scion-related concerns 2. best rootstock for YOUR application a. growth rate and relative tree size (especially as that relates to pruning and spraying requirements) b. preciosity c. production d. adaptation to your soil and soil conditions e. drought tolerance f. how well the tree will be anchored and possible need for permanent support g. resistance to certain pests and disease h. graft compatibility i. tendency to sucker j. possibly some of the other rootstock-related concerns 3. site issues a. soil type b. drainage c. sun-exposure d. wind-exposure e. amount of available space f. ease of access g. etc. 4. planting issues See info in link: Planting a Tree or Shrub 5. source a. somewhere that has decent quality trees (NOT one of the bigbox stores) b. availability of your choice of scion and rootstock combination c. availability of best size of tree (you probably shouldn't start with something over about 4' tall) Helpful link: Sources for Fruit Trees and Plants