The Complete Guide to Growing Your Own Fruits and Berries Everything You Need to Know Explained Simply

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GARDENING / Fruit

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Gault

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Many of the fruits and berries in your refrigerator have roots in countries outside the United States, but some, such as blueberries, are native to the United States and Canada. Those same fruits and berries are exported to your local grocer, but you could be the one doing the growing in your personal garden. Homegrown fruits are most often much healthier than store bought produce, which lack important nutrients. Not only are these foods easy to grow, but also they hold key ingredients that are a vital part of staying healthy and in some cases alive. For example, research has shown that blueberry extracts were proven to reverse the common signs of aging. Other homegrown berries, such as crushed Alpine strawberries, are natural bleaches for stained teeth, liver spots, and skin blemishes. However, many fruits Everything Y

The Complete Guide to Growing Y

and berries are difficult to grow without the proper soil, weather, and care.

FRUITS AND BERRIES

The Complete Guide to Growing Your Own Fruits and Berries: Everything You Need to Know Explained Simply will lead you through the process of starting your own garden of fresh fruits and berries simply. This extensive tool will teach you easy step-by-step methods for planting, harvesting ou Need to Know Explained Simply

and caring for your berry bushes, shrubs, and fruit trees. Author and long-time gardener, Karen Szklany Gault, will direct you through your journey with personal anecdotes and case studies from other gardeners and leading professionals, as she provides easy-to-follow tips for mishaps and harvesting the most perfect, personally grown fruits. This book will completely explain the preparation and maintenance that each fruit or berry requires, from pruning and picking, to preserving a pest-free environment around your plants. Furthermore, Gault provides you with reader-friendly tables of exact measurements for planting conditions, including certain fruits and berries that thrive in particular regions, sunlight exposures, and soil mixtures. From the simplest fruit tree to the most fickle berry bush, this book will be your guide to a vibrant garden for years to come.

our Own

Top gardening professionals around the

country have contributed their own tips

and tricks for effective growing of your new

fruit trees and berry bushes. We’ve spent

hours compiling this essential information

just for you, the at-home gardener. Whether

you are just beginning or you are a seasoned

gardening veteran, this simple,

instructional guide will engage

you with fun facts and stories,

leaving you ready to get your

hands dirty. With this book,

any prospective gardener can

start enjoying the sweet fruits of

their labor.

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The CompleTe Guide To

GrowinG Your own

FruiTs and Berries

everything You need to

Know explained simply

By Karen Szklany Gault

The CompleTe Guide To GrowinG Your own

FruiTs and Berries: everYThinG You need

To Know explained simplY

Copyright © 2011 Atlantic Publishing Group, Inc.

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Gault, Karen Szklany.

The complete guide to growing your own fruits and berries : everything you need to know explained simply / by: Karen Szklany Gault.

p. cm.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN-13: 978-1-60138-348-8

ISBN-10: 1-60138-348-7

1. Fruit--United States. 2. Berries--United States. I. Title.

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2010032490

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Table Of Contents

5

aCKnowledGmenTs

There is a large crowd of people to thank for this book becoming a physical reality.

The very first person is my supportive editor, Nicole Orr of Atlantic Publishing Group, who knew I had it in me and kept me going with generous helpings of encouragement. She believed in my ability to carry through to fruition a unique and complete guide to growing your own fruits and berries. Ben Stearns took on editing the final revisions of the book and also deserves my appreciation for his eleventh-hour support. Meg Buchner and her layout team worked their magic to make the book beautiful and ready to print. My husband Edward held down the fort and prepared his share of family dinners, and my daughter Cosette drew lots of lovely pictures for me as I worked at the computer around the clock, wrestling all these words about gardening onto the following pages. My case study contributors shared generously with me their wealth of gardening-related wisdom, hands-on demonstrations, and photographs: Steen Bentzen, Carla Montague, Bill Murphy, Ralph Chick Papile, Ken Porter, Becky Pulito of Camelot Cohousing, Jeff Richards, Yvonne Scott, Connie Stanfield, and Roger Swain. Others who contributed photographs, resource referrals, and hands-on help include Beezy Bentzen, Christina Buajila, Mariama Congo, Sarah Florreich, Edward S. Gault, Matthew Higgins, Lucia Papile, Sarah Twichell, and Matt Waugh. Sukey Price, the librarian at Tower Hill Botanical Garden, helped me find some key sources for my research and kept renewing them for as long as I needed them. Finally, no author stands alone, without the help of community, and I am no exception. All my writing companions at the Boston Public Library have become like family to me and deserve my deepest appreciation for all their inspiration and support along the path to my becoming a published author: Alistair Allen, Ann Crotty, Helena Findeisen, Janet Getchall, Andrea Lyon, Fran Majusky, Melita Nasca, Rob Russell, Wayne Soini and Nancy Winter. Other supportive communities that have contributed to the energy and faith it has taken to complete this monumental project include the Bagel Bards, Paulist Center (Catholic) Community, Open Bark Poetry, Out of the Blue Art Gallery, Stone Soup Poetry, Summer Acoustic Music Week community, and John Dillon’s online 20/20 Creativity Practice group. Finally, I am deeply grateful to all my neighbors at Mosaic Commons cohousing community in Berlin, Massachusetts (www.mosaic-commons.org), who have offered a deep well of ongoing support and patience throughout all the stages of writing this book. It is a community of heart and soul, my home, and the place I am able to do the work of growing my own fruits and berries.

6

The Complete Guide to Growing Your Own Fruits and Berries dediCaTion

This book is dedicated to my grandmother, Lucy Rose Szklany, who cultivated my lifelong love of gardening, and to my grandfather, Albin A.

Szklany Sr., who always picked the first tomato of the season and washed it with the garden hose just for me.

TaBle oF ConTenTs

INTRODUCTION.....................................................................13

Chapter.1:.Types.of.Fruits.and.Berries....................................17

Fruits and Berries Across the Country ............................................17

Geographical Regions of the United States .....................................19

Pacific Ocean ................................................................................................ 22

Mountains .................................................................................................... 25

Southwest ..................................................................................................... 26

Plains ........................................................................................................... 28

South Central................................................................................................ 29

Southeast ...................................................................................................... 30

Mid-Atlantic ................................................................................................. 31

Great Lakes ................................................................................................... 32

New England ................................................................................................ 34

Chapter.2:.What.Types.of.Fruits.and.Berries..

Should.I.Grow?........................................................37

Things to Consider ........................................................................40

Topography — lay of the land and soil erosion ................................................. 40

Soil quality ................................................................................................... 41

Moisture ....................................................................................................... 42

Climate that supports certain fruits and berries ............................................... 43

Sunlight and shade — what is available for growing ....................................... 44

Pollination opportunities for growth and fruiting success .................................. 45

Available space — how much of each fruit can be planted ................................ 47

Disease and insect resistance — the survival of fruits and berries ...................... 48

8

The Complete Guide to Growing Your Own Fruits and Berries Underground structural obstacles .................................................................... 49

Best Seasons ...................................................................................49

Planting seasons ............................................................................................ 51

Harvesting .................................................................................................... 51

Some Final Notes about Personal Preference ...................................53

Chapter.3:.Soil.Texture,.Quality,.and.Enrichment..................57

Soil Testing .....................................................................................58

Acid vs. Alkaline .............................................................................60

Types of Soil ...................................................................................62

Sandy soil ..................................................................................................... 64

Gravelly Soil ................................................................................................. 65

Silty soil ........................................................................................................ 65

Clay soil ........................................................................................................ 66

Chalky soil .................................................................................................... 66

Peaty soil ....................................................................................................... 67

Loamy Soil .................................................................................................... 67

Creating Organic Soil with Worms.................................................68

Why use worms? ............................................................................................ 68

Where to find the worms ................................................................................ 69

Where to keep the worms................................................................................ 70

Furnishing a home for the worms ................................................................... 70

Care of the worms ......................................................................................... 71

Case Study: A Bin of Worms Named Steve .................................................... 72

Feeding Your Soil ..........................................................................74

Mulch materials for fertile soil ........................................................................ 74

Manures ....................................................................................................... 79

Compost ....................................................................................................... 79

Natural soil composition ................................................................................ 82

Layering of soil with mulch materials.............................................................. 85

Case Study: Down and Dirty Methods for

Making Garden Soil Fertile ........................................................................... 86

Chapter.4:.Basic.Gardening.Tools.You.Will.Need...................89

Description of Tools .......................................................................89

Table Of Contents

9

Clothing ....................................................................................................... 90

Mapping the garden ...................................................................................... 92

Digging and soil preparation .......................................................................... 94

Moving rocks and large piles of earth .............................................................. 96

Sowing and planting ..................................................................................... 97

Containers .................................................................................................... 98

Pruning ...................................................................................................... 103

Protection from pests and diseases .................................................................. 106

Harvesting equipment.................................................................................. 106

Care and Maintenance of Gardening Tools

for the Winter Months .................................................................107

Chapter.5:.Pollination.............................................................109

Anatomy of a Fruit Flower ...........................................................112

Self-Pollinating Plants ..................................................................113

Cross-Pollinating Plants ...............................................................114

Artificial Pollination .....................................................................115

Keeping Bees ................................................................................118

Chapter.6:.Cultivation.and.Planting......................................123

Grafting .......................................................................................125

Planting Tree Fruits ......................................................................127

Planting Citrus Fruits ...................................................................132

Planting Melons ...........................................................................137

Planting Brambles ........................................................................140

Steps to take before planting ......................................................................... 141

Discerning the best brambleberry to grow ...................................................... 142

Preparing to transplant brambles .................................................................. 143

Digging the holes for brambles ...................................................................... 143

Completing the planting process .................................................................... 145

Planting Bush Berries ...................................................................145

Blueberries .................................................................................................. 147

Other bush berries ....................................................................................... 151

Planting Strawberries ....................................................................154

Sunlight ..................................................................................................... 155

10 The Complete Guide to Growing Your Own Fruits and Berries Soil............................................................................................................. 156

Runner production and spacing .................................................................... 156

Planting ..................................................................................................... 158

Planting Grape Vines ...................................................................161

Location ..................................................................................................... 162

Preparing the soil ......................................................................................... 163

Planting the grape vines ............................................................................... 163

Trellis design ............................................................................................... 165

Vine training systems ................................................................................... 168

Planting Kiwifruit ........................................................................169

Planting Rhubarb .........................................................................172

Chapter.7:..Container.Gardening.and..

Greenhouse.Growing...........................................177

Container Gardening ...................................................................178

Types of containers and what they are used for ............................................... 180

Container planting ...................................................................................... 183

Sources for obtaining containers .................................................................... 184

Spaces to put the containers .......................................................................... 184

Case Study: Outrageous Gardening with Recycled Materials ........................... 186

Greenhouse Growing....................................................................187

Greenhouse design and construction .............................................................. 189

Heating equipment ...................................................................................... 191

Fruits and berries that are grown in a greenhouse .......................................... 192

Case Study: Raising Tomatoes from Seedlings in Greenhouses .......................... 193

Chapter.8:.Ongoing.Care.......................................................197

General Care ................................................................................197

Sunlight ...................................................................................................... 198

Watering ..................................................................................................... 198

Fertilizing ................................................................................................... 199

Weeding ...................................................................................................... 199

Pruning ...................................................................................................... 200

Case Study: Caring for Fruit Trees and Berry Bushes as a Labor of Love ....................................................................................... 204

Low-Temperature Climate Care ...................................................205

Table Of Contents

11

Dormancy ................................................................................................... 206

Protection from frost .................................................................................... 207

Chapter.9:.Pests.and.Diseases................................................211

Purchasing Healthy Cultivars .......................................................211

Pests .............................................................................................212

Aphids ........................................................................................................ 214

Borers ......................................................................................................... 216

Caspid bugs................................................................................................. 217

Caterpillars ................................................................................................. 218

Curculio ..................................................................................................... 219

Grubs ......................................................................................................... 219

Maggots ...................................................................................................... 220

Mealybugs ................................................................................................... 221

Repelling mealybugs ..................................................................................... 221

Mites .......................................................................................................... 222

Moths ......................................................................................................... 223

Nematodes .................................................................................................. 224

Pear psylla................................................................................................... 225

Scale insects ................................................................................................. 225

Slugs ........................................................................................................... 226

Suckers ....................................................................................................... 227

Wasps ......................................................................................................... 227

Worms ........................................................................................................ 228

General long-term pest protection.................................................................. 229

Barriers for keeping out furry scavengers ........................................................ 230

Diseases ........................................................................................230

Common causes ........................................................................................... 230

Common types of diseases ............................................................................. 232

Examples of common fruit plant diseases ....................................................... 233

Chapter.10:..Enjoying.the.Feast.—..

Harvesting.and.Storing.Your.Fruit....................241

The Right Time for Harvesting Tree Fruit and Berries ..................241

Problems with harvesting too early ................................................................ 242

Problems with harvesting too late ................................................................. 243

12 The Complete Guide to Growing Your Own Fruits and Berries Methods for picking fruits and berries ..........................................244

The best way to pick each type of fruit ........................................................... 244

CaseStudy: Harvesting, Baking, and Preserving Rabbiteye Blueberries in North Carolina ..................................................................................................... 245

Eat, Drink, and Save Some for Later ............................................250

Appendix.A:..Resources.for.Finding..

Garden.Tools.and.Supplies................................251

Appendix.B:.Recipes................................................................263

Apple Salsa (Matt Higgins) ...........................................................263

Blueberry Squares (Connie Stanfield) ...........................................264

Classic Spanish Sparkling Sangría .................................................264

Fruit Shakes .................................................................................265

Honey Madelines (a nod to the bees) ...........................................266

Hot Apple Soup ...........................................................................267

Lemon Mousse .............................................................................269

Raspberry Fool .............................................................................270

Strawberries in Cream ..................................................................271

Apple Pie ......................................................................................272

Four Berry Fruit Cobbler .............................................................273

Grilled Peaches with Cinnamon Sugar Butter ...............................274

Easy Triple Fruit Jam ....................................................................275

French Cream Fruit Dip ...............................................................276

Appendix.C:..List.of.Scientific.Names..

of.Fruits.and.Berries.........................................277

Glossary....................................................................................279

Author.Biography....................................................................283

Index.........................................................................................285

inTroduCTion

ever since I was a little girl, I have loved to dig in the earth. I loved to kneel in the grass to plant the seeds, water the growing plants with our garden hose, and pick the food that I grew. My grandmother had the original green thumb of the family, and gardening was one of my favorite things to do with her. I dug, weeded, pruned, and watered with her weekly. When the time was right for harvesting, the peaches smelled and tasted like the sun that kissed them. The raspberries, blackberries, and blueberries melted in my mouth. The peaches made a scrumptious snack at any time of a summer day. The berries made it into salads — if they made it into the kitchen at all. Sometimes, I was able to wait long enough to eat them topped with fresh whipped cream. The memory of how strawberries taste dipped in chocolate has inspired me to try growing them, too. The scent of Concord grapes is downright intoxicating to me, and the generosity of one former employer who let me pick them from the courtyard trellises inspires me to make plans for building my own small arbor.

Are there any gardening memories from your childhood that linger and make you smile? They may be the biggest inspiration for trying to turn a plot of land close to your home into a garden of fresh fruit to pick and eat.

You may know children who would delight in helping you plant, nurture, and pick fresh fruit. Your senses may already anticipate the smell and taste of delicious salads, pies, jams, mousses, and salsas that you can make from

14 The Complete Guide to Growing Your Own Fruits and Berries them. I have written this book to share with you my passion for growing fruits and berries, and to give you the information you need to make your own gardening dreams come true.

Some of the classifications for the food you eat might surprise you. One example is that nuts are considered a tree fruit by some botanists. Grapes are considered berries. This book is full of delicious details that will light the fire of your deepest, earthiest side. Dig down and decide which fruits and berries are truly your favorites. Which ones give you the most pleasure to taste? Which ones do you dream of walking outside to pick and take that first juicy bite of? Then, decide which patch of land outside your door is the sunniest and start planning where to put them in that sacred plot of earth.

Once you determine which fruits you are yearning to grow first, it is time to measure the plot of land you have designated as your fruit garden. This includes determining what architectural features of your home and yard space you will adorn with fruit, such as porches, patios backyard space, and front yard space. If you live in the city, you will need to use your yard space differently, or adorn a balcony or a window box instead of a yard, porch, or patio. If the latter is true, it is possible that there are community gardening spaces for you to rent or barter with neighbors for. Perhaps there is an elderly neighbor who would take delight in your gardening efforts. There may also be a neighborhood gardening club that you might like to join.

There is nothing like a sense of community to keep you going, even if you prefer to be a lone gardener who enjoys the plants themselves as company most of the time. If there is no soil that is healthy enough for planting directly into, you can create raised beds or grow some of your fruits in a variety of containers, or both. No matter what you have at your fingertips, or feet, you will be able to transform that place into a garden that brings you peace, happiness, and a mouthful of sweetness.

Introduction

15

In order to complete all the gardening tasks involved, you will need to know which tools to use and at which stage you will first need them. Chapter 4

gives you this information and offers suggestions for places to obtain those tools and how to take good care of them. In addition to my sun hat and gardening gloves, my favorite tools are the trowel and hand