Synopses & Reviews
For decades fruit growers have sprayed their trees with toxic chemicals in an attempt to control a range of insect and fungal pests. Yet it is possible to grow apples responsibly, by applying the intuitive knowledge of our great-grandparents with the fruits of modern scientific research and innovation.
Since The Apple Grower first appeared in 1998, orchardist Michael Phillips has continued his research with apples, which have been called "organic's final frontier." In this new edition of his widely acclaimed work, Phillips delves even deeper into the mysteries of growing good fruit with minimal inputs. Some of the cuttingedge topics he explores include:
The use of kaolin clay as an effective strategy against curculio and borers, as well as its limitations
Creating a diverse, healthy orchard ecosystem through understory management of plants, nutrients, and beneficial microorganisms
How to make a small apple business viable by focusing on heritage and regional varieties, value-added products, and the "community orchard" model
The author's personal voice and clear-eyed advice have already made The Apple Grower a classic among small-scale growers and home orchardists. In fact, anyone serious about succeeding with apples needs to have this updated edition on their bookshelf.Review
ReviewNorthern Woodlands
by Carl Demrow
Spring 2006
As anyone who has ever planted a few apple trees knows all too well, growing apples can be a perplexing and frustrating endeavor. The trouble is that apples are very attractive to many of nature's creatures besides humans. And at least one of these creatures, from deer to apple maggot flies, and from the roundheaded apple tree borer to mice (not to mention the long list of diseases that also affect apples), is sure to be working for its share of the fruit (and in some cases the tree) every day of the year. But if you've ever baked a pie made from your own apples, or pressed a batch of cider from them, the trials and tribulations all seem worth it with that first bite or sip.
Michael Phillips' revised The Apple Grower has as much help as you'll find anywhere to get you to that first bite of pie or sip of cider. The previous edition, published in 1998, was the bible for many backyard orchardists and commercial organic growers. The new edition, boasting color photos and expanded and better-organized chapters, is a real treat for anyone interested in apples. The new edition's chapter on diseases and pests will be helpful to those left scratching their head about who or what is eating the apples or trees they are trying to grow.
Phillips sprinkles tributes to other apple growers throughout the text. These persistent and dedicated souls, along with Phillips, are exploring uncharted territory: they are trying, without the use of traditional pesticides and chemicals, to keep ever-evolving pests and diseases away from trees that are themselves not evolving. All named apple varieties are genetic dead ends. A Macintosh today is genetically identical to a Macintosh from a century ago, but the bugs and diseases have spent that time evolving to break through the trees' defenses.
Phillips presents intriguing ideas about orchard soils. Since people started growing apples in orchards, those orchard soils have largely been bacterially based, meaning that fertility has been maintained by the addition of bacteria-laden manure. Sheep and cattle were allowed to graze the grass and eat dropped apples, adding manure to the soils, and often the orchard was formerly pasture or hayfield, where manure was regularly added to maintain fertility. Bacteria-based soils are great for grasses and hay crops, but not necessarily for trees.
Phillips argues that apple trees are still, well, trees, and like other trees, they prefer forest soils, which rely mainly on fungi to break down organic matter such as bark, wood, and other plant matter to maintain soil fertility. Phillips believes that this soil is what apple trees naturally want, and that it makes them healthier and better able to deal with pests and diseases. He has been experimenting with using fast-growing comfrey in his orchard, cutting it down to add rotting plant matter and to stifle the growth of grass, which can rob an apple tree's surface feeder roots of nutrients. He advocates adding composted branches, bark, wood chips, and even excess chunks of sheetrock to your orchard to promote the fungi in the soil and deter grasses.
Phillips' style is more writerly than reference. His homespun stories about his many years of trying to outwit and outmaneuver the legions of apple-loving creatures are both entertaining and packed with tips. Phillips' extremely handy compendium of orchard tasks has always served as my basic plan of attack for what to do in my orchard, and the revised and expanded edition will be a welcome addition to my library. I have no doubt that over time it will take on the grimy, thumbed-through, and well-used look of my copy of the first edition of The Apple Grower.
Table of Contents
Acknowledgments XI
Introduction XIII
Chapter OneGrowing Apples Locally 1
Apple Growing a Hundred Years Ago 1
Today's Integrated Pest Management 2
Bringing It All Together 5
Conventional Wisdom 7
The Small Commercial Orchard in Context 11
Chapter TwoThe Orchard Site and Its Climate 17
Sacred Slopes 19
The Four Points of the Compass 20
Dry Ground 20
Zone Hardiness 22
Windbreaks 25
Biodiversity in a Fruit Orchard 26
Proximity to Markets 27
Chapter ThreeThe Enriching of Fruit Lands 31
The Living Soil 32
Compost Forever 37
Soil Amendments 39
Foliar Feeding 44
Biodynamic Teachings 46
Cover Cropping 50
Ponderable Mulch 52
Soil Tests and Leaf Analysis 56
Trace Minerals for Every Tree 59
Chapter FourThe Trees and the Planting 63
Cultivar Selection 63
Rootstocks and Tree Spacing 75
Nursery Sources and Varietal Collectors 82
Grafting and Propagation 85
The Setting of the Trees 90
Orchard Size and Layout 95
High-Density Plantings 99
Down to the Nitty-Gritty 101
Chapter FiveCare of the Orchard 107
Intuitive Pruning 107
Training the Apple Tree 117
Pollination and Fruit Set 123
Frost Protection 128
Thinning the Fruit 130
The Great Grass Debate 133
Mowing Options 137
Summer Care 140
Preparing for Winter 143
Restoring Neglected Orchards 145
Chapter SixApple Pests and Diseases 149
The Beginning of Understanding 149
Good-bye, Foliar Pests 152
Insect Identification 152
Bug-by-Bug Profiles 156
Beneficial Insects 178
Good Sanitation 180
Fungal Diseases 181
Other Diseases of the Apple 195
Four-Legged Considerations 199
Chapter SevenSpraying for Balance 211
The Complexities of Nature 211
All the Answers Aren't Known, but We're Gaining 212
Timing Is Everything 215
The Orchard Calendar 217
Botanicals, Elementals, and Forbidden Fruit 218
Gentler Sprays 228
Spray Equipment for the Small Commercial Orchard 244
Matters of Concern 248
Chapter EightReaping the Harvest 255
When to Pick 255
Harvest Equipment 258
The Apple Picker's Reel 259
Hiring Help 261
Windfalls and Fat Sheep 262
From Orchard to Packing Shed 262
Grading Revisited 264
Cider Making 267
The Juice of the Apple 273
Apple Storage 278
Chapter NineMarketing in the Local Economy 281
Getting a Fair Price 283
Apple Economics 285
Niche Marketing 286
Value-Added Products 289
Quality and Appearance 292
Organic Certification 293
Advertising 296
Marketing Innovations 297
Long-Term Vision 303
Chapter TenThe Last Organic Frontier 307
The Sustainable Orchard 307
Tree Spirit, Community Spirit 312
Organic Perseverance 315
Here We Come a-Wassailing 317
Esopus Spitzenberg and a Better Tomorrow 318
Appendix I Compendium of Orchard Tasks 321
Appendix 2 Apple Grower's Source List 325
Appendix 3 Lost Nation Apple Recipes 330
Appendix 4 Bibliography 331
Index 333