10/20/2026
If you've ever emailed [email protected], chances are you've connected with Fred Lichti.
Fred was raised in the farming community of East Zorra-Tavistock where his family grew as much of their own food as possible. For many years, Fred served as a pastor and retired in 2020. He and his wife Rosie live in Elmira where Fred keeps bees and tends his back yard orchard. Following the principles of ‘Backyard Orchard Culture’, Fred has firsthand experience with the rewards and challenges of growing apples, pears, peaches, nectarines, paw paws, figs, almonds and hazelnuts. His grandchildren especially enjoy his grapes, raspberries, blackberries, currants, gooseberries and haskaps. At Whiffletree Fred is part of the team that answers the questions which you send to [email protected].
One of the common questions Fred gets asked is, "Why does my fruit tree not produce fruit?" Often the answer is that it's still too young or it's getting too much fertilizer (especially fruit trees planted in a lawn get too much nitrogen from the lawn fertilizer). Sometimes the answer is over-pruning or a missing cross-pollination partner. Other times it's late spring frost damage. Sometimes the answer is, "I'm sorry, but I don't know."
A special passion of his is espalier fruit trees, which he describes as "a cross between horticulture and art." By training trees into beautiful two-dimensional forms, gardeners can enjoy abundant fruit production even in small urban spaces.
Fred also loves helping people choose the right fruit trees for their goals, whether they're looking for fresh eating apples, fruit for baking and preserving, or trees suited to a specific growing space. Whether he's answering your questions, helping you select varieties, or sharing insights from his own orchard, Fred is always happy to help you succeed in growing fruit at home.
