Author: Stella Otto
Pages: 320
Size: 6x9. Trade paperback
Black & white line art illustrations
Charts
Resource lists
Trouble shooting guide
Monthly almanac
Glossary. Index.
$24.95 USD
ISBN: 978–0-9634520–4-7
Pub Date: January 18, 2016
Published by: Otto Graphics (Distributed by: Chelsea Green Publishing)
Table of Contents from The Backyard Orchardist
List of Illustrations and charts
SECTION I. Getting Started with Fruit Trees
1. Enjoying Fruit Trees in the Landscape
2. Selecting the Right Site
A Close Look at Your Site — Climate — Average Minimum Temperatures and Hardiness — Microclimate — Chilling — Length of Growing Season — Microclimate — Soil — Soil pH — Moisture — Sunlight — Space requirements — The Perfect Site
3. Planting and Early Care
Preparing the Soil — Selecting the Tree — Planting — Pruning After Planting — Other Care
SECTION II. Fruit Fundamentals — Growth Habits of the Specific Fruits
Pome Fruit
4. Apples
Growth Habit — Flowering & Fruiting — Need for Thinning — Rootstocks — Variety Choices — Disease Resistant Varieties — Popular Varieties — Sweet Cider — Hard Cider — Varieties for Challenging Climates
5. Domestic Pears
Growth Habit — flowering and Pollination — Rootstocks — Varieties — Judging Ripeness and Harvest Time
6. Asian Pears
Growth Habit & Training — Flowering & Pollination — Hand-thinning — Care of Asian Pears — Rootstocks — Variety Selection — Harvest
7. Quince
Site and Soil Needs — Growth Habit and Pruning — General Care — Varieties — Harvest
8. Medlar
Site and Soil Needs — Growth Habit and Pruning — General Care — Rootstocks — Varieties — Harvest
Stone Fruit
9. Sweet Cherries
Growth Habit & Training — Flowering & Pollination — Rootstocks — Variety Selection — Self-unfruitful Varieties — Self-fruitful Varieties — Cold Hardy Varieties — Fruit Cracking
10. Tart Cherries
Growth Habit & Pruning — Flowering and Fruiting — Rootstocks — Variety Selection — Bush cherries
11. Apricots, Apriums, and Pluots
Apricots — Flowering & Pollination — Rootstocks — Varieties — Types of Plums — Pollination — Rootstocks — Pruning — Apriums — Plumcots & Pluots — Harvest
12. Plums
Growth Habit — Pollination and Fruit Thinning — Rootstocks — Variety & Types — Pruning
13. Peaches & Nectarines
Growth Habit & Pruning — Flowering & Pollination — Fruit Thinning — Split Pits — Rootstocks — Varieties — White Fleshed Peaches — Peaches for Special Situations — Nectarines — Harvest
14. Growing Fruit Trees in Containers
Small Stature Tree, Full-Size Fruit — Genetic Dwarf Trees — Choosing a Container — The Soil Mix — Planting and Repotting — Feeding and Watering — Keeping the Container-Grown Tree Healthy — Winterizing the Container Planting
15. Figs
Growth Habit — Pruning — Flowering and Pollination — Types of Figs — Feed and Water — Propagation — Varieties — Figs in Containers — Cold Weather Protection — Harvest
SECTION III. Caring for Your Fruit Trees
16. Flowering, Fruiting & Thinning
Understanding Fruit Bud Development — Managing Growth and Fruiting in the Early Years — Flowering, Pollination, and Fruit Set — June Drop — Biennial Bearing — Hand Thinning
17. Nutrition & Fertilizers
Photosynthesis — What’s Happening Above Ground — What’s Happening in the Soil — Choosing a Fertilizer — Function and Sources of Nutrients — Soil and Tissue Testing — Fertilizer: How Much? — Modifying pH — Compost — Water: How Much? — Maintaining Your Trees in Drought Conditions — Mulching
18. Pruning Basics
Pruning Systems to Match the Tree’s Growth Habit — Pruning Tools — Proper Pruning Cuts — Pruning Young Nonbearing Trees — Pruning the Bearing Fruit Tree — Rejuvenating the Neglected Overgrown Tree
SECTION IV. Pests & Diseases
19. Insect Pests
Understanding Insect Life Cycles — Metamorphosis — General Insect Identification — Insect Damage — Major Direct Insect Pests - Indirect Insect Pests — Occasional Insect Pests
20. Disease Identification
Fungus Diseases — Bacterial Diseases — Virus and Miscellaneous Disorders — Nematodes
21. Insect and disease Control Methods
Biological or Organic Control — Synthetic or Chemical Control — Integrated Pest Management — Effective Pest Control — Insect Control Strategies — Cultural Practices for Control — Pheromones, Traps, and Mating Disruptants — Beneficial Insects as Pest Control — Particle Film Technology — Safe Handling of Crop Protection Materials — Bee-safe Pest and Disease Control During Bloom — How to Read a Label — Pesticides for Insect or Disease Control — Is All-Purpose Spray the Easy Answer?
22. Wildlife Pests
Birds — Deer — Rodents — Racoons & Porcupines
SECTION V. Harvest
23. Harvest and Storage of Your Fruit
When to Harvest for Fresh Eating — Picking Technique — Proper Storage — Help for Using and Preserving Your Harvest
APPENDIX
The Value of a Home Orchard
Seasonal Almanac
What’s Ailing Your Tree?
Resources
Books to add to your library
Fruit Tree Nurseries & Supplies
Degree day tracking for monitoring pant and insect development
Glossary of Terms
Index