The backyard orchardist: A complete guide to growing fruit trees in the home garden

by Stella Otto, Laurie Davis (Illustrator)

For every gardener desiring to add apples, pears, cherries, and other tree fruit to their landscape here are hints and solid information from a professional horticulturist and experienced fruit grower. The Backyard Orchardist includes help on selecting the best fruit trees and information about each stage of growth and development, along with tips on harvest and storage of the fruit. Those with limited space will learn about growing dwarf fruit trees in containers.
Appendices include a fruit-growers monthly calendar, a trouble-shooting guide for reviving ailing trees, and a resource list of nurseries selling fruit trees.

Genres: Gardening, Nonfiction, Food, How To, Agriculture, Reference, Plants

248 pages, Hardcover

First published May 1, 1993

Reviews

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

When you buy your first fruit tree, do yourself and your new tree a favor and buy this book too. Now that I have three planted in my backyard, I'm wishing I would have read this prior to planting; I would have dug a much bigger hole and amended my clay soil with more sandy-loam and compost. I also would have done a better job setting my trees up for production by properly pruning those first few years of growth. Today is a new day.

This is an easy-to-read book that covers all major fruit bearing trees with specific information for trees in different zones. Now I know, when and how to prune properly. What pests to watch out for and how to prevent infections/infestations and treat them in the most effective manner. I.e. most pests have a predictable time when they are going through some sort of molt or metamorphosis making treatment particularly effective. It is best to treat a specific problem and avoid “all-purpose” treatments as they are toxic to your backyard ecosystem and may create problems that didn't exist prior by killing of natural pest predators.

Stella also provides many tables regarding fruit variety and their flavor, blight and pest resistance, days from blossom to fruit, heights based on rootstock choices and everything else you might need. She educates us orchardists lingo, e.g. rootstock, scions, scaffold branches, callous, suckers, water sprouts...

I'll never remember everything in this book but I'll remember just enough to know its in there and where to find it.

[Khristiey · Rating 3 out of 5]

good basics on planting, pruning, and placement
do not care for the suggested use of non organic controls. gross and not necessary

[John Anderson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Basic primer. A good book if you are just starting to learn but not comprehensive.

[Savannè Finklea · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very informative but not overwhelming. It was so good that we are going to buy it for reference.

[Pam · Rating 4 out of 5]

I highly recommend this book for an home gardeners, who have or plan to add fruit trees to their property. Stella Otto does an excellent job presenting the general information needed on fruit trees, growing requirements, pruning, grafting, pest control and harvesting while also providing in depth information on each type of fruit and the varieties available. The book covers apples, pears, cherries, apricots, plums, peaches and nectarines. I found her chapter on revitalizing older trees particularly welcome.

[Chelsea · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think this will be a great reference book to have in my library especially as our little orchard grows. The first half of the book was about why to plant a fruit tree and how to prepare to plant a fruit tree which was very informative however since my orchard is 2 years old I was hoping for more about caring for the orchard and less about preparing to plant one. Good information for anyone with fruit trees.

[Babs · Rating 4 out of 5]

Got this book from the library to look into how to grow apple trees, and it seems like a really comprehensive guide to locating, planting, pruning, and caring for fruit trees at all stages. It even includes a list of common insects, fungi, and bacteria, their signs on your trees, and how to combat them in organic and non-organic methods. Unless I find another amazing book, I'll probably buy my own copy of this one.

[K.]

This is a great book!

For any of you locals wondering why in the heck we planted our fruit trees in such a small space, check out this really cool website about it...

http://www.davewilson.com/homegrown/B...

Lot's of great info on planting "compact orchards" or the most possible fruit in the smallest spaces imaginable!!

[Heath · Rating 3 out of 5]

This seems like a very good resource and it was well worth reading. My only hesitation is that it seems a bit old. I am one that values time tested solutions but as new varieties come out among other things resources can become outdated. I am going to check on some of these things elsewhere with newer resources but I am sure that I learned a good bit from this book all the same.

[Bob · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was very helpful as I was planning my little home orchard.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

this book is full of good straightforward information. I do think she could go into a little more detail at times, but it's a good start for learning about fruit trees.

[Laurla2 · Rating 4 out of 5]

has a good section on fireblight, sunscald, and pruning info. out of date info on varieties.

[Biltron · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great little book and extremely well written for this 'type' of book.

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ask me in three years if I have fruit trees. That answer will be my rating of this book.

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great resource.

[Jason · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was excellent in it's depth and detail. I consider myself an "advanced novice" gardner. I learned a ton and refer to it regularly. I know have 8 thriving fruit trees.

[Bonnie Roman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very (VERY) informative book. Everything I wanted to know about planting our fruit trees (and a whole lot of extra technical information that I didn't need)

[Fed · Rating 4 out of 5]

good

[Camilla · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good basic information. Would have preferred more emphasis on organic methods of growth and pest control.

[Christine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Essential garden book

[Forest (Sarka) Chick · Rating 3 out of 5]

More for a novice. Needs more solutions for problems.

[Kim · Rating 2 out of 5]

Lots of great information has happened since this book was published.

[Jennifer · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not for beginners. It is a lot of technical information and more info than I really need. I just wanted the basic How To and this isn't it.

[b · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty good. Informative. Could have used a little more info on pruning and info on heirloom varieties, but still okay. A good resource.