What's Wrong With My Fruit Garden?: 100% Organic Solutions for Berries, Trees, Nuts, Vines, and Tropicals
When it comes to the fruits of one’s labors, growing apples, pears, berries, and nuts can seem like a daunting and complicated process.  Marauding birds, microscopic fungi, sudden frosts, and devastating drought are problems that can plague any home gardener, but fruit growers seem to have a more complex range of problems to conquer.  Beyond comprehensive yet straightforward information about basic cultural techniques regarding planting, pollination, and propagation, Deardorff and Wadsworth offer  photographic snapshots that help growers recognize common problems, from environmental disorders to water-related mismanagement.  Plant portraits of everything from almonds to watermelons provide in-depth profiles of a crop’s maintenance and garden uses, while extensive problem-solving guides furnish expert guidance on symptoms, diagnosis, and solutions for common and exotic plant maladies.  Stressing organic techniques, the authors devote an entire chapter to nutrition, light, water, and pest management techniques that can be administered without the use of harmful chemicals.  Both hobby and professional fruit growers may find this an essential resource. --Carol Haggas