Growing Fruit in the Upper Midwest

Description

Despite the harsh climate that prevails in the upper Midwest, even amateur gardeners can sucessfully grow fruit when armed with some basic information. Focusing on Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, South Dakota and North Dakota, this guide discusses cultivation of a wide variety of fruit including apples, pears, plums, apricots, strawberries, blueberries, cherries, grapes, currants, gooseberries, brambles and others. To assist readers ranging from home gardeners to small commercial growers, the author covers site selection, pruning, fertilization, harvesting, pests and preventing winter injury, as well as describing hundreds of species for this region. The guide includes maps that indicate the fruit hardiness zones for each state, augmented by an easy-to-use guide to cultivar selection. It also provides an overview of historic and economic aspects of fruit production in the region.