Grow Fruit

April 1, 2010
Filled with colorful illustrations in true DK fashion, this is an attractive introduction to techniques to cultivate a rich variety of fruit. More than half of the book concentrates on grapes and three broad classes of fruit: tree fruit, soft fruit, and tender and exotic fruit. In each fruit section, Buckingham ("Grow Vegetables") describes tersely the acquisition of stock, planting, pruning, training, and care. Many of the descriptions of varieties are too short; an inquisitive gardener will need to consult specific nursery catalogs or web sites for more information. Buckingham provides brief guidelines on becoming a fruit gardener and dealing with diseases and pests. There are seasonal instructions on care and feeding as well as some very basic solutions to problems (with more details in the "Fruit Doctor" chapter at the end of the book). The one-page list of fruit nurseries includes a mere 15 U.S. suppliers, and the lack of a bibliography is unfortunate. There's no mention of state extension services or master gardener programs. VERDICT This is a picturesque introduction to the temptations of growing fruit, but for a more serious and American (Buckingham is British-based) guide, see Mark Rieger's "Introduction to Fruit Crops".Edward J. Valauskas, Chicago Botanic Garden

Copyright 2010 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.