Growing Urban Orchards Complete Fruit Tree Grower’s

This is the book that started it all.When Susan Poizner first planted fruit trees in her local park, she had big dreams—but no idea what she was doing. She thought she was growing them “organically” because she wasn’t using toxic pesticides or fungicides.But she didn’t know what else fruit trees actually needed. So she and her team of volunteers at the Ben Nobleman Park Community Orchard ended up caring for the trees with what she later realized was a strategy of neglect.She didn’t expect trees that got sick, pests that wouldn’t quit, poor-quality fruit, or trees that barely produced at all. She knew they needed feeding, but didn’t know what to feed them. And she definitely didn’t know she was supposed to prune.So she rolled up her sleeves, made a lot of mistakes, and started learning what it really takes to grow healthy, productive fruit trees—whether in a busy city or on a quiet rural plot.Written in Susan’s original voice, this book captures her early journey as a brand-new grower figuring things out from the ground up. It’s friendly, story-based, and packed with the most important lessons she learned along the way.Inside you’ll find:Easy-to-understand basics of fruit tree anatomy and careHow to choose the right tree for your climate and goalsTips on soil prep, planting, staking, and wateringWhat you really need to know about pruning (and why it matters)Organic strategies to prevent pests and diseaseReal-life lessons from building a community orchard from scratchGrowing Urban Orchards is now used in horticulture programs at community colleges and in community orchard training initiatives across North America.Since the first edition of this book was published in 2014, Susan has become a trusted fruit tree care educator. Through her award-winning online courses at OrchardPeople.com and her other books—Grow Fruit Trees Fast, Fruit Tree Pruning, and Fruit Tree Grafting for Everyone—she’s helped thousands of home growers, arborists, master gardeners, and small-scale orchardists around the world.So if you’re wondering where to start with fruit trees—start here. Susan will walk you through the process with warmth, humor, and a whole lot of practical advice.