"Have you ever ordered bareroot fruit trees?"

yep!

"...if you prune fruit trees early and every year, you can keep them small..."

Yes, routine pruning is a near necessity for many types of fruit trees. Even those on dwarfing rootstocks will need some corrective/structural pruning.

"...without the loss of flavor that you get from dwarf trees."

I don't know what you read, but dwarf rootstocks do not result in ANY loss of flavor that I am aware of. Sounds like a possible misunderstanding somewhere.

"Do you know of a source that sells in the southeast?"

There are many, many good sources for fruit trees, but it depends on what you are looking for. Here is my list that I think you will find helpful: Sources for Fruit Trees and Plants

"Has anyone ever tried this method of severe pruning? Would love to hear any experiences."

Well, yes and no. I haven't really been hyper-vigilant in pruning, but have done quite a bit of pruning. Pruning techniques and results will vary with the type of tree (apples versus pears versus...) as well as the type of rootstock, but keeping a full size/semi-dwarf tree small is much more work than if you use dwarfing rootstock to start with. It's do-able to some degree, but in the long-run becomes more difficult with time.

Apples, especially, have a wide variety of different rootstocks to choose from. One does not have to go completely full size or very dwarfing, and, for most circumstances, somewhere in between is best.

Thanks, Brandon, The author says that because dwarf varieties are bred for size, the flavor diminishes in the breeding process. All the focus goes on size rather than flavor. I have no way of knowing if its true or not. Thanks for the list of growers. I will really check those out!

Most dwarf fruit trees are dwarf because they are grafted onto a dwarfing rootstock. The fruit is a product of the scion, not the rootstock. Whether you graft a Honeycrisp scion onto a full-size/seedling rootstock, onto one of the M-9-type rootstocks, or onto something in between...the fruit should taste the same (or very very nearly so).

Here are the things rootstocks do commonly influence:

1. ultimate size of your tree
2. growth rate
3. amount and complexity of maintenance
4. ease of harvest
5. productivity
6. preciosity
7. senescence
8. hardiness
9. adaptation to different soils and soil conditions
10. drought tolerance
11. how well the tree will be anchored
12. whether the tree will need permanent or temporary support (not just how well it's anchored)
13. fruit size
14. resistance to certain diseases
15. resistance to certain pests
16. rootstock and scion graft compatibility
17. tendency to sucker
18. and I'm sure I'm leaving off at least something.

Thanks, Brandon. Your posts are so helpful. I thought I would add the link to the article I read. How to Grow a Little Fruit Tree.

Do you spray your fruit trees? I only have one peach and one
plum at this point and haven't sprayed either yet. Last year the timing of a
freeze was perfect as it killed the larvae or worms and I had great peaches. My
plum is only a year or two old so I only got a few fruit. I was told by farmers
that it is impossible to grow worm free peaches in this area without spraying
them. They said organic sprays are not strong enough. Any thoughts?

To get the best advice about spraying, I'd recommend talking to an ag extension agent. I'm not sure Anderson County's agents have a lot of expertise in this subject (although some may), but, if not, they could direct you to an agent that does. There are extension agents, working though UT, that really know their stuff and could give you excellent advice appropriate to this area.

Here's a link to one of the UT Ag Extension Publications on the subject: Disease and Insect Control in Home Fruit Plantings