Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #79010 in Books
• Published on: 1995-03-01
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 288 pages

From Amazon.com
In the late 20th century, unfortunately, berries are seen primarily in the supermarket at certain times of year, and while this is welcome, it used to be that everyone had a few berry bushes in the backyard: some currants, some gooseberries and a few rhubarb plants. Stella Otto explains how to bring this tradition back and raise lush crops of berries and fruit with pointers on soil nutrition, plant nutrients and mulching that will make your home-grown berries the envy of folks who only see them in the supermarket. This mouth-watering book will get you going.

From Booklist
Otto focuses on what she calls small fruit, fruit that does not grow on trees but as a cultivated, perennial crop on small plants, canes, bushes, or vines--strawberries, rhubarbs, brambles (raspberries and blackberries), blueberries, lingonberries, currants, gooseberries, grapes, and kiwi fruit. She begins with a chapter on site selection and preparation, continuing with chapters on plant selection and propagation; berry botany; soil nutrition, photosynthesis, and water; pest control; and diseases. Chapters detailing the growing of these small fruits complete the book, along with troubleshooting questions and answers, a seasonal activity calendar, and a glossary. George Cohen

Customer Reviews

An excellent resource
While I occasionally found the lack of something I felt to be important (like what HEIGHT should my blackberry trellis be?!) I found this to be, overall, and invaluable resource in understanding exactly what the differences were in berries, pitfalls of growing (and harvesting), pruning, diseases, caveats and just setting the growers expectations (so you're neither disappointed or overwhelmed by your results). I haven't found another book that covers the subject so well on such a variety of berries (including grapes, lingonberries and currants). It's written in a way that takes the ABSOLUTE NOVICE into a really good understanding--well above the norm. While it left a handful of details for you to seek out (and truly, not many and not hard to find) I would buy it again and again. It has made a difference in my garden.

not the best bang for your buck!
I found the information very limited in both her books. Taylor's guide is a much better berry and fruit tree book. The rhubarb section was interesting since I don't have a lot of information on rhubarb. The hand drawn diagrams leave much to be desired. My 12 yr old cousin could of drawn better pictures. The list of varieties is also limited and gear more to the United States. However, I did encounter a few helpful hints.

A Good Addition to Your Gardening Library
This book provides both basic and detailed knowledge needed to start berries growing in your own yard. Although, I found this book extremely useful, I would not have it as the only berry growing reference in my library.