Fruit Gardeners Bible Book by Lewis Hill & Leonard Perry

The late Lewis Hill, a beloved and best-selling Storey author, grew more than 20,000 trees on his farm in Greensboro, Vermont. He was also a member of the National Christmas Tree Association and the New Hampshire-Vermont Christmas Tree Association.

Dr. Leonard Perry is an Extension professor at the University of Vermont.

Part One: Getting Started with Fruits and Nuts

Chapter 1: Fruits and Nuts in the Home Garden
Including Fruits in Your Yard
Learning to Grow Good Fruit

Chapter 2: What to Grow and Where
Choosing Hardy Fruits
How Much Room Do You Need?
Selecting Plants

Chapter 3: Seasonal Care of Fruits and Nuts
Winter Care
Spring Care
Summer Care
Harvest Time
What to Do with All Your Fruit

Part Two: The Small Fruits: Berries, Bushes, and Brambles

Chapter 4: Strawberries
June-Bearing or Day-Neutral?
Two Ways to Grow
Preparing the Soil
Planting and Care
Harvesting Strawberries

Chapter 5: Raspberries and Blackberries
Getting to Know the Brambles
Plant and Site Selection
Planting and Care
Harvesting Bramble Fruits

Chapter 6: Blueberries
Different Types for Different Regions
Meeting Soil Requirements
Planting and Care
Harvesting Blueberries

Chapter 7: Ribes, Elderberries, and Other Bush Fruits
Getting to Know the Bush Fruits
Planting and Care
Harvesting Bush Fruits
Unusual Bush Fruits

Chapter 8: Grapes for Every Region
Getting to Know Grapes
Choices for Hot and Cold Climates
Grapes Need Support
Planting and Care
Harvesting Grapes
Unusual Vine Fruits

Part Three: Tree Fruits & Nuts

Chapter 9: Apples and Crab Apples
Apples for Every Climate
Standard, Semidwarf, or Dwarf?
Planting and Care
Harvesting and Storing Apples
Choosing Apple Cultivars
Crab Apples for Eating

Chapter 10: Pears
Two Distinct Types of Pears
Planting and Care
Harvesting Pears
Unusual Tree Fruit: Quince

Chapter 11: Peaches, Nectarines, and Apricots
Choosy about Climate
Selecting Plants
Planting and Care
Harvesting
Choosing Cultivars

Chapter 12: Plants for Every Region
Lots of Colors, Shapes, and Uses
Climate Considerations
Pollination Matters
Planting and Care
Harvesting Plums
Pluots and Plumcots
Wild Plums

Chapter 13: Cherries, Sweet and Sour
Sweet, Sour, and Bush Cherries
Picky about Pollination
Planting and Care
Harvesting Cherries
Gallery of Unusual Tree Fruits

Chapter 14: Nuts
Getting to Know the Nuts
Planting and Care
Harvesting Nuts

Part Four: Growing Healthy Fruits, Nuts, and Berries

Chapter 15: Improving Your Soil
What Is Soil?
Preparing Soil for Fruiting Plants
Mulches Are Labor-Savers
Make Your Own Compost

Chapter 16: Getting Plants off to a Good Start
Care Starts before Planting
Planting Well Pays Off
Pamper after Planting
Don't Harvest Too Soon

Chapter 17: Pruning: Not Just for Trees
Why Prune?
When to Prune
Pruning Bush Fruits and Grapes
Match Pruning Style to Your Tree
Making the Cuts
Espaliers: Pruning as Art
Reviving Old Trees

Chapter 18: Diseases, Insects, and Other Fruit Problems
Nonchemical Controls
Determining What's Wrong
Physiological Problems of Fruit Plants
Diseases
Insects
Spraying: How, What, and When

Chapter 19: Wildlife Friends and Foes
Preventing Mouse Damage
Rabbits, Porcupines, Raccoons, and Squirrels
Dealing with Deer
Outwitting Birds
Avoiding Other Hazards