This series is directed at the beginning grower and addresses many specialized topics related to fruit and home fruit growing.
The articles explain and further develop the Dave Wilson Nursery themes of Backyard Orchard Culture and “Harvest Better Health from Your Backyard.”
Garden Compass magazine is directed specifically at West Coast gardeners. In addition to fruit trees, its regular features cover roses, herbs, bonsai, flower arranging, the latest plant and product introductions and a monthly garden checklist. Unique features include historic gardeners, e-gardening, visiting public and private gardens, food, entertaining and local nurseries of note.
The backyard fruit-growing articles are re-published here with permission of Garden Compass Magazine. Many thanks to the Garden Compass editors for their interest and contribution to backyard fruit-growing.
1. Backyard Orchard Culture
March /April 2001
The objective of BACKYARD ORCHARD CULTURE is the prolonged harvest of tree-ripe fruit from a small space. This means planting close together several or many fruit varieties which ripen at different times, and keeping the trees small by summer pruning. Read all about it...
May /June 2001
What are the most difficult potential problems to consider when planting a fruit tree?
1.Poor drainage, late frost, late rain, extreme cold and critters....read more....
3. It's Not How Much Water...
July /August 2001
Water conservation is a prominent concern in western states, so gardening with a consciousness about irrigation is increasingly important. How can we mitigate the effect of growing populations in arid climates and explore means of reducing our use of water without jeopardizing the health of our plants? ...more.
... Also check out What's Said in Ed's Head...Bag-ripening Fruit (no way it'll work) as originally published here in the DWN pages & reprinted in this issue (July /August 2001) of Garden Compass magazine. Do it!
4. White as Snow, Sweet as Honey
September / October 2001
White-fleshed peaches and nectarines have long been savored by home growers and connoisseurs for their sweet, luscious flavor, tantalizing fragrance and novel color. Today the white-flesh fruits available are the best they have ever been. In recent years, a few great hybridizers have accelerated white fruit development...find out more...
5. To Everything There Is a Season...
November / December 2001
Now is the time for proper selection and planting of bareroot fruit trees...The key to a successful bareroot experience is making a few important, informed decisions at the start. Deciding where to buy fruit trees depends primarily on two things: availability and reliable, local information. Selecting the right varieties is critical to success. ...more...
6. The Yummy Fruit Search
January / February 2002
Fruit Tasting at the Dave Wilson Nursery
by Ed Laivo
7.The Apple: Related to the Rose
March / April 2002
The apple is older in cultivation than the rose. With 8,000-plus varieties worldwide and with new ones introduced annually, apple collectors in most climates are like kids in a candy store. By Ed Laivo
8.Exotic fruits by Tom Spellman
May / June 2002
You don't have to live in Hawaii to grow a mango or banana! Many exotics can be successfully grown in the banana-belts of the southwestern United States. But if you don’t live there either, there are exotics that can survive freezing temperatures and still produce a bounty of fragrant, sweet treats, reminiscent of a tropical paradise. By Tom Spellman
9. The Genetics of Developing New Fruits
July / August 2002
Using parent stock from apples, pears, almonds, peaches, nectarines, plums, apricots and cherries, Zaiger's Genetics has developed some of the most delicious and unusual fruits available in the world today. By Ed Laivo
10. Contain Yourself: The Art of Growing Potted Patio Fruit Orchards
September/October 2002
As is the case with other gardening specialties, growing fruiting plants in containers is an art—a skill to be personally developed and perfected. For a successful start, it is necessary to consider a few key requirements. By Ed Laivo
11. California’s Second Great Gold Rush: Our Citrus Heritage by Tom Spellman
November/December 2002
During the late 1760s, before the United States became a country, the Spanish padres moved north from Mexico into California. The padres brought with them the precious seeds for the Spanish sweet orange—a thin-skinned, seedy fruit similar to the Valencia orange—and a thick-skinned citron-type lemon. Both were completely unknown to the area.
12. Tantalizing Citrus by Tom Spellman
January/February 2003
Citrus trees tantalize the senses with their striking stature, beautiful blossoms and fragrance second to none. The perfume of blooming citrus is an unforgettable fragrance. Apart from these distinctive qualities, citrus would still remain a worthwhile landscape plant.
13. Is Your Avocado a type A Personality? by Tom Spellman
May/June 2003
Avocado’s grand entrance to California came during the mission era and can be attributed to the foresight and good taste of the Spanish padres who brought avocados with them on their travels, along with now ubiquitous citrus, figs and grapes. Tom serves up a delicious treat in all its varieties...
14. Chill Requirements by Ed Laivo
January 2007 (revised from original article)
The amount of chill needed to satisfy a trees dormant rest requirement, plus the amount of heat required to initiate growth, determines how long buds will remain dormant. In general, the lower the chill requirement, the earlier a tree will bloom. Chill Out with Ed...
