by Marla Koss, ABG Board member
If the best part about having a fruit tree in your yard is enjoying the fruit itself, then the satisfaction of watching it thrive year after year has got to be a close second. Whether you have just one — or a half-dozen — fruit-bearing trees in your yard and want to deepen your understanding of their needs, here are seven truly useful books from which to choose, whether it’s for your own bookshelf or to give as a gift. And five of these books were written right here on the West Coast.
A Superb Pocket Reference for Pruning
How to Prune Fruit Trees and Roses by R. Sanford Martin (updated edition with new content by Tom Spellman & Stark Bros. Nursery); 25th Edition, April 2018. 115 pp. ISBN 978-1-5136-3316-9. $14.99 when ordered directly from Walter Anderson Nursery. Note: Some local nurseries may have this new edition in stock as well. Older editions abound online, but they lack the recently added content on backyard orchard culture.
This book: Covers site selection, planting and pruning tips for just about every temperate zone fruit tree and berry type (plus grapes, walnuts, almonds and pecans). Includes avocados (the only book on this list that does so).
Best Takeaway: This book takes the intimidation factor and mystery out of pruning with clear, easy-to-understand writing and decent line art illustrations of where to make pruning cuts. Very user-friendly.
The Most Important Book to Buy Before You Plant Your Next Fruit Tree
(If you Want to Keep it a Manageable Size)
Grow a Little Fruit Tree by Ann Ralph; Copyright 2014. 168 pp. ISBN 978-1-61212-054-6 $16.95 Paperback. (Margie Siegal wrote an excellent book review for the November 2020 newsletter here.)
This book: Shows you exactly how to grow fruit trees on a smaller scale right from the get-go. Covers all the essentials on selecting the right fruit varieties and planting sites. Addresses the needs of stone and pome fruit, figs, persimmons, feijoas and pomegranates, but not citrus, avocados or exotics.
Best Takeaway: Pages 90 – 93, where the author stands beside you with a gleam in her eye, because she is going to make you prune that innocent orchard whip down to knee height once you’ve planted it. Not for the faint-of-heart, but that’s exactly who needs to read those pages and obey.
A Charming and Informative Read Just for Maritime West Coast Gardeners
From Tree to Table, Growing Backyard Fruit Trees in the Pacific Maritime Climate by Barbara Edwards and Mary Olivella; Copyright 2011. 207 pp. ISBN 978-1-59485-518-4 $18.95 Paperback.
This book: Lists an extensive selection of fruit types, organized by USDA zones, including citrus and some exotics (but alas, no avocados). Targets fruit varieties that will thrive in maritime west coast USDA zones 8A through 10, recommending each cultivar for the specific zones they will do best in. A big plus: Edwards lives in Berkeley and Olivella lives in Kensington, which, like Alameda, are both in USDA zone 10 / Sunset zone 17. So, like Golden Gate Gardening author Pam Peirce, they know our familiar mild-climate gardening gripes first-hand. Contains 31 recipes by regional chefs that creatively incorporate backyard produce. Includes directions for some clever projects such as growing a pear in a bottle, dehydrating fruit in your car or drying Hachiya persimmons the traditional Japanese way to make Hoshigaki.
Best Takeaway: The overall charm and spirit of creativity that make this book tops for armchair reading, gourmet adventures and gift-giving. Also, quite novice-friendly.
A Substantial – and Visual – Delight for the Adventurous Novice or the Somewhat Experienced Gardener
Fruit Trees for Every Garden An Organic Approach to Growing Apples, Pears, Peaches, Plums, Citrus and More by Orin Martin; Copyright 2019. 414 pp. ISBN 978-0-399-58002-4 $24.99
This book: Offers extensive information on planning and layout, organic site prep over a period of time and fruit variety/rootstock selection. Includes tutorials, beautiful artwork and illustrations, and charts that address climate zones and chill hours. Covers stone and pome fruit, citrus, figs, persimmons and pomegranates (but not avocados). Was authored by a garden pro with serious bona-fides: Orin Martin is the manager of Alan Chadwick Garden at UC Santa Cruz (home of 600 fruit trees) and an educator who has taught organic fruit tree growing and farming for over 40 years.
Best Takeaway: Easy-to-follow tutorials that can help you pick up substantial hands-on experience in the garden. A copious amount of good, solid information, clearly-explained.
An Authoritative, Absolute Must-Have Reference for Home Orchardists
The Home Orchard Growing Your Own Deciduous Fruit and Nut Trees – UC ANR Publication 3485. Edited by Chuck A. Ingels, Pamela M. Geisel and Maxwell V. Norton; Copyright 2007. 202 pp. ISBN 978-1-879906-72-3 Paperback $25.00.
This book: Covers temperate-zone deciduous nut and fruit trees only: stone and pome fruit, figs, persimmons and pomegranates (no citrus, avocados or exotics). Includes in-depth chapters on tree biology, site selection and planting, fertilizing, irrigating, pruning, grafting, culling, harvest, storage, pests/diseases and Integrated Pest Management. Is full of color photos that make it easier to get the gist of the subject matter.
Best Takeaway: The fact that you really can’t go wrong by following guidelines set down by University of California Dept. of Agriculture and Natural Resources. A superb reference and text by which to learn proper fruit tree care.
Chock Full of Facts
The Backyard Orchardist A Complete Guide to Growing Fruit Trees in the Home Garden by Stella Otto. Expanded and updated 2nd Edition, Copyright 2016. 317 pp. ISBN 978-0-9634520-4-7 $24.95 Paperback
This book: Includes a detailed seasonal almanac that, as a gardening book made to cover the whole continental US, is that typical one-size-fits-all (the author lives and grows fruit in northern Michigan). Still extremely useful, as long as mild-winter west coast gardeners heed the need to adjust the timing a bit. Includes pruning tools in the pruning chapter, charts for nutrient deficiency symptoms and nutrient sources, extensive chapters on pest and disease control, and more. Is full of handy tips and facts scattered in callout boxes throughout.
Best Takeaway: The super-helpful quick-reference chart for every fruit variety, which includes: average years to bearing, average yield per tree, space needed per tree, average mature height, pollination requirements, most common pruning system, how the fruit is borne (on spur vs. one year old wood vs. same-year wood, etc.), suggested fruit thinning distance, average useful life of tree, number of trees for a family of 4.
The Ideal Book for a Serious, Hands-On, Eco-Minded Fruit Geek
The Holistic Orchard Tree Fruits and Berries the Biological Way by Michael Phillips; Copyright 2011. 414 pp. ISBN 978-1-933392-13-4 $39.95 Paperback
This book: Focuses on stone and pome fruit and cane / shrub / bush berries (no citrus, figs, avocados or exotics). Delves intensively into the orchard ecosystem, orchard design, orchard horticulture and orchard dynamics, and is supported by extensive footnoting of the main text that’s fascinating reading all on its own. Reflects the author’s enthusiasm for working holistically, and despite the depth of the subject matter is written clearly and with personal warmth. A comfy armchair and a pack of post-it-notes are strongly recommended.
Best Takeaway: Approaching the management of the home orchard with the primary intent to build health rather than gird for battle. The author, who lives in New Hampshire, is determined to spread an attitude of embracing balance in nature and honoring all species, reminding us that ”The words weed and pest do not show up in ecology books.”