The Organic Backyard Vineyard


Book Description

Interest in wine shows no signs of slowing down—wine tours, tastings, and vacations are now common and homeowners often have space dedicated to their collection. The logical next step? Learning to grow and make your own. In The Organic Backyard Vineyard expert Tom Powers walks the small grower through the entire process of growing grapes, with a month-by-month maintenance guide covering all regions of the U.S. and Canada. He explains everything a beginning grape grower needs to know: how to design and build a vineyard, how to select grapes for each region, how to maximize yield using organic maintenance techniques, how to build a trellis, how to harvest at peak flavor, and how to store grapes for winemaking.This edition includes organic growing information and all new photography.




The Grape Grower


Book Description

Shows grape growers how to incorporate organic methods.




The Backyard Berry Book


Book Description

Otto covers plant selection, soil nutrition, pest control and other subjects for many different types of berries.




The Backyard Vintner


Book Description

Welcome to your own personal wine country, where you will discover recipes and techniques for making and evaluating fine red, white, and rose wines from one of America's finest winemakers. This accessible guide teaches new and advanced enthusiasts how to select, grow, and harvest grapes that are suited to the different regions around the country, and then, how to make authentic artisan wine from them. If you've ever wanted to make homemade wine but never thought you had the space or ability to make it, you will love this book. The Backyard Vintner is a handy guide to at-home winemaking that teaches the readers the tips and tricks of the trade. With inspiring full-color photographs and step-by-step illustrations, this hardcover reference guide also provides recipes and techniques for making and evaluating fine red, white, and rose wines. The Backyard Vintner teaches you how to start and maintain a vineyard, and provides vital information on topics like planting, trellising, and pruning grapes. With chapters on planting and caring for your grapes, picking, fermenting, fine-tuning the elevage, and bottling your wine, this is a comprehensive guide for do-it-yourself enthusiasts.




Growing Grapes in Texas


Book Description

Complete and approachable manual on grape growing in Texas. Identifies the state's current grape growing regions and covers everything the commercial or home producer needs to know in order to have a successful vineyard.




Plant Partners


Book Description

Companion planting has a long history of use by gardeners, but the explanation of why it works has been filled with folklore and conjecture. Plant Partners delivers a research-based rationale for this ever-popular growing technique, offering dozens of ways you can use scientifically tested plant partnerships to benefit your whole garden. Through an enhanced understanding of how plants interact with and influence each other, this guide suggests specific plant combinations that improve soil health and weed control, decrease pest damage, and increase biodiversity, resulting in real and measurable impacts in the garden.




The Home Orchard


Book Description

Developed especially for use by backyard orchardists, rare fruit growers, and small-scale growers, The Home Orchard offers a comprehensive look at standard growing methods, as well as some innovative practices that enthusiasts have developed in recent years, some of which are uniquely suited to the small-scale grower. You will learn how trees grow, which species grow best in the different regions and soils, varieties from which to select, preparing the soil, planting, watering and fertilizing, pruning and grafting, thinning the fruit, diagnosing problems, controlling pests, and harvesting. You'll also find special attention given to organic and non-toxic pest management and fertilization methods. Key pests and diseases are identified and natural control methods are emphasized. Irrigation methods for the backyard grower are discussed and the difficult task of how often and how much water to apply is simplified. The focus is on giving the trees enough water but doing so in an efficient, water-saving manner. Included are hundreds of photographs and diagrams that clearly show how to produce the best crops. Photos of several practices, such as key budding and grafting methods, are depicted in step-by-step photos. No other publication provides this breadth and depth of coverage --




Gardening with Free-Range Chickens For Dummies


Book Description

Maintain a beautiful garden with chickens? Easy. Chickens are great gardening assistants, with lots of benefits for a home garden and landscape—from soil-building to managing pests and weeds. Home gardens can be great chicken habitats if designed well, and Gardening with Free-Range Chickens For Dummies provides a plain-English guide with step-by-step guidance for creating a gorgeous chicken-friendly landscape that helps the chickens and the garden thrive. Gardening with Free-Range Chicken For Dummies offers guidance and step-by-step instructions for designing and implementing a host of different chicken garden plans. Plus, you'll get detailed information on the best plants and landscaping materials for your chicken garden (and the ones to avoid), seasonal considerations, attractive fencing options, predator and pest control, and much more. An excellent supplement to Raising Chickens For Dummies and Building Chicken Coops For Dummies A plain-English guide with step-by-step guidance for creating a chicken garden Advice on how to manage chickens while maintaining a beautiful garden If you're looking for step-by-step advice on building a chicken garden, Gardening with Free-Range Chickens For Dummies has you covered.




California Master Gardener Handbook, 2nd Edition


Book Description

Since it was first published in 2002, the California Master Gardener Handbook has been the definitive guide to best practices and advice for gardeners throughout the West. Now the much-anticipated 2nd Edition to the Handbook is here—completely redesigned, with updated tables, graphics, and color photos throughout. Whether you're a beginner double digging your first bed or a University of California Master Gardener, this handbook will be your go-to source for the practical, science-based information you need to sustainably maintain your landscape and garden and become an effective problem solver. Chapters cover soil, fertilizer, and water management, plant propagation, plant physiology; weeds and pests; home vegetable gardening; specific garden crops including grapes, berries temperate fruits and nuts, citrus, and avocados. Also included is information on lawns, woody landscape plants, and landscape design. New to the 2nd Edition is information on invasive plants and principles of designing and maintaining landscapes for fire protection. Inside are updates to the technical information found in each chapter, reorganization of information for better ease of use, and new content on important emerging topics. Useful conversions for many units of measure found in the Handbook or needed in caring for gardens and landscapes are located in Appendix A. A glossary of important technical terms used and an extensive index round out the book.




Country Wisdom & Know-How


Book Description

Country Wisdom & Know-How is the most complete volume on every aspect of country and self-sustained living, from home and garden to barn and beyond. From Storey Publishing's landmark series Country Wisdom Bulletins, this comprehensive collection offers step-by-step instructions on nearly 200 individual topics, providing everything you need to know about sustainability, self-sufficiency, homesteading, and DIY living. Topics include: Animals: attracting backyard birds; building bathhouses and birdfeeders; training and caring for cats and dogs; raising rabbits, ducks, and game birds; buying and selling horses; building chicken coops; beginning beekeeping; Cooking: the basics of bread baking; making cheese, butter, and yogurt; cooking game; preserving and pickling; homebrewing and making homemade wine Crafts: stenciling, quilting, and basket-weaving; making wreaths, potpourri, and natural soaps; homemade gifts and decorations Gardening: starting your garden; caring for flowers and shrubs; controlling weeds; landscaping; growing vegetables, root crops, fruits, berries, kitchen herbs, and more Health and Wellbeing: natural home remedies; herbs for lifelong health; essential oils and aromatherapy; teas and recipes for a healthy diet Home: simple home repairs; building furniture; restoring hardwood floors; making curtains; building fences, root cellars, and smokehouses And so much more! With nearly 2,000 black-and-white illustrations, diagrams, and photographs, and trusted advice on every page, this is the most thorough and reliable volume of its kind. This book is also a part of the Know-How series which includes other titles such as: Woodworking Wisdom & Know-How Natural Healing Wisdom & Know-How Craft Wisdom & Know-How Garden Wisdom & Know-How