Grow Fruit Naturally: A Hands-On Guide to Luscious, Homegrown Fruit

This book is amazing and is very detailed about each fruit tree. I love it

Grow Fruit Naturally is one of those fundamental books that every home orchardist should own. The author, Lee Reich, has decades of hands-on training and a PhD in horticulture which garner an amazing wealth of knowledge. This book draws upon all of that experience and passes it on to the reader in a well-rounded format that covers all bases.You start with the basics, covering microclimates and soil science. You get a little botany along with some essential pruning tips. Lee shares information about pest and disease management. But in particular, I love the beautiful photos and descriptions of dozens of fruiting trees, vines and shrubs. From the common apple, to the more obscure shipova, Lee covers it all.With each basic plant profile you find beautiful photos of fruits and foliage. Growth habit, pollination needs, light requirements, climate and region profiles are provided. Lee shares tips on training, fruit harvesting and general growing. You can tell that he really knows his stuff!Grow Fruit Naturally offers something for everyone. First-time gardeners will be introduced to a broad range of fruit options that they've never even heard of before. More experienced growers will love the deeper insights into plants that perhaps they've heard of but didn't know much about. Even veteran orchardists will appreciate Lee's recommendations on different cultivar types. Thanks for the tip on the Hinnonmaki Yellow Gooseberry, Lee!This book covers the basics, helping beginners to dig their first hole. Yet there is some real substance to the material, making it a reference you never seem to outgrow. I first checked it out from the library, but soon recognized its intrinsic value to any backyard orchardist. If you can only buy a single book by Lee Reich, Grow Fruit Naturally is the one to get!

I love this book. I had it out from the library for months and decided to buy it for myself and family for Christmas. How to grow pawpaw, overwinter figs, prune blackberries. I've got so many pages bookmarked. Very useful!

I'm an ISA Certified Arborist and a gardener for over 50 years, but this book has some great information for anyone new to trees, and fruit/nut/citrus trees in particular. Mr Reich tries to cover all regional areas, so the information is generalized and you may find some bias toward his home region, especially in his variety recommendations. But all-in-all, it is a good book. I enjoyed it, his writing style is easy to read, and I don't find of the information incorrect--I don't necessarily agree with all of it, but it isn't incorrect. Definitely a useful book for your gardening shelf!

Lee is an excellent author. This book is no exception. It does a great coverage of common and uncommon fruits. He covers some organic pest control methods which I have never tried or seen elsewhere. I like the lists of the author's favorite cultivars. This is more useful than the descriptions in most fruit catalogs where all fruits taste like angels dancing on your tongue. Some varieties are just better than others. The one cultivar I disagree with the author on is pixwell gooseberry. Lee seems to have a general dislike for this berry, but I find them to be tasty and tolerant of Minnesota winters. This is the only gooseberry cultivar I have fruiting so other varieties may taste better. If you have access to pixwell, it is still a good berry and an easy plant to grow. If you need more details on pruning, I recommend Lee's book on the subject.

We are planting a small orchard on our farm and I was looking for a book that would give me the basics on planting and maintaining the trees. I found the photos and explanation to be very straight forward and easy to follow. For example, the author has a fairly thorough step-by-step explanation of how to properly prepare the soil and plant the tree along with helpful photos. He also gives the why behind his explanation. We are planning to maintain an organic orchard, so I found the explanation on how to naturally treat for pests to be particularly helpful. I would definitely recommend the book to anyone who wants to maintain fruit trees without resorting to chemical pesticides.

You can't go wrong with a Lee written discourse. He explains why and what with clear writing and excellent illustrations. This book talks about different fruits that you may or may not have heard of. Even if you don't grow fruit. but like gardening, you will enjoy reading this book.

Lee Reich is a great writer and teacher. His pruning book is the only one I consult. And this book, -  Grow Fruit Naturally: A Hands-On Guide to Luscious, Homegrown Fruit  will be the same when it comes to managing my existing fruit trees and bushes and adding new ones. Easy to read, packed with information, ideas and suggestions, Growing Fruit Naturally will hold a place of honor on my gardening book shelf. Thanks Lee Reich!

Lee Reich is a wonderful author. After reading this book, which was immensely helpful, I purchased another of his books called Weedless Gardening. Grow Fruit Naturally is chock full of information, great photos and a terrific resourse for an organic gardener. I would highly recommend it to anyone wanted to grow their own fruit. Cheers.

Excellent resource book. I wish there was more info on cold weather survival and adaptability to northern climates. Just the same, great source.

Well written book, great photos - will try the methods described next spring, not applicable during the northern winter season

An excellent book. A great guide for any region of Canada and US where conditions are suitable for growth of the particular fruit you are interested in.

He nailed it