Top Books on Growing Fruit

Top Books on Growing Fruit

Although I am relatively new to growing fruit on my own property (almost 10 years), my grandfather and great-grandfather were fruit farmers in the mountains of north-central Pennsylvania. I did not help maintain the fruit trees and bushes, but I did help pick. From the time I could walk, I would pick raspberries (mostly) and also currants, cherries, apples, and peaches. Every other morning in the summer, my sisters and I would wake up at 6 am to bike to my grandfather's farm to pick fruit. My parents also maintained fruit trees, grapes, raspberries, and blackberries on our own relatively small 4-acre lot. At my first house, in a small lot outside New York City, we planted a few blueberry bushes, but only picked a couple of berries before we moved to central Wisconsin. Since moving, we have planted almost 30 fruit trees (we will go over 30 this spring), blackberries, blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, honeyberries, cranberries, and lingonberries. I guess growing fruit is in my blood, and even though we struggle with pests and diseases, the first apple you bite into each fall makes it all worthwhile.

1. From Vines to Wines: The Complete Guide to Growing Grapes & Making Your Own Wine by Jeff Cox

This is a good resource for growing grapes. However, it mostly focuses on the Vitis vinifera varieties, the classic wine varieties that grow in warmer zones (generally 6-9). This book does not cover the unique challenges of northern grape growers (like me in zone 4) when growing Vitis labrusca or hybrid varieties for wine. However, this is still a useful resource as it covers planning, trellising, pruning techniques, pest control, fertilization, and more.

2. The Fruit Gardener’s Bible: A Complete Guide to Growing Fruits and Nuts in the Home Garden by Lewis Hill and Leonard Perry

The Fruit Gardener’s Bible is an all-in-one resource for growing many different types of fruits, including strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, grapes, apples, pears, peaches, nectarines, apricots, plums, cherries, and nuts. It even includes information about less common fruits such as elderberries, currants, gooseberries, and lingonberries. However, this book does not cover citrus fruits. I probably use this book the most to learn about pruning techniques for each type of fruit, but it also covers planting, fertilizing, pests, and more.