Backyard Harvest: A Year-Round Guide to Growing Fruits and Vegetables [Original ed.] 0756671639, 9780756671631

Table of contents :
Contents 2
Introduction 4
Your growing space 6
Growing under cover 12
A perfect spot for crops 14
To sow or buy? 20
Ready to eat 24
What to sow 26
Cut-and-come-again salads 28
What to do 30
Preparing a seedbed 32
Making a raised bed 33
What to harvest 34
Growing sprouting seeds 36
Ready to eat 38
What to sow 40
Sowing inside 42
Sowing outdside 43
What to plant 44
What to do 46
Potatoes 48
What to harvest 50
Ready to eat 52
What to sow 54
Peppers, chillies 56
Beetroot, broccoli 58
Tomatoes 60
What to plant 62
Herbs 64
What to do 66
Growing mushrooms 68
What to harvest 70
Ready to eat 72
What to sow 74
Snap and wax beans 76
Runner beans 77
Zucchini, sweet corn 78
Cucumbers, lettuce 80
What to plant 80
Patio fruit and vegetables 84
What to do 86
Providing support 88
What to harvest 90
Ready to eat 92
What to sow 94
Winter cabbage, chicory 96
What to plant 98
What to do 102
Organic pest control 104
What to harvest 106
Ready to eat 108
What to sow 110
Winter squash, pumpkins 112
What to plant 114
Productive baskets 116
What to do 118
Effective irrigation 122
Space efficiency 124
What to harvest 126
Making simple fruit jam 128
Ready to eat 130
What to sow 132
What to plant 133
Strawberries 134
What to do 136
Pruning fruit in summer 140
What to harvest 142
Making fruit cordials 144
Making relishes and pesto 146
Freezing vegetables 148
Freezing fruit 150
Ready to eat 152
What to sow 154
What to plant 155
What to do 156
What to harvest 158
Drying fruit and vegetables 160
Bottling fruit in syrup 162
Ready to eat 164
What to sow 166
What to plant 167
What to do 168
Getting ready for winter 170
Saving your own seeds 172
What to harvest 174
Making cold pickles 176
Making hot pickles 178
Making plum wine 180
Ready to eat 182
What to sow 184
What to plant 185
Raspberries, blackberries 186
What to do 188
Starting a compost heap 190
What to harvest 192
Storing apples and pears 194
Ready to eat 196
What to plant 198
Apples, pears 200
Planting fruit trees 202
What to do 204
Pruning fruit in fall 206
What to harvest 208
Storing vegetables 210
Making simple chutney 212
Ready to eat 214
What to sow 216
What to plant 217
Plums, damsons, and gages 218
Cherries, currants 220
Citrus 222
What to harvest 224
Making soups 226
Crop planner 230
Common pests 236
Common diseases 240
Nutrient deficiencies 245
Useful websites 246
Index, acknowledgments 250

Citation preview

Backyard Harvest

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Contents LONDON, NEW YORK, MUNICH, MELBOURNE, DELHI

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First American Edition, 2011 Published in the United States by DK Publishing, 375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014 11 12 13 14 15 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 001 – 180000 – Feb/2011 Copyright © 2011 Dorling Kindersley Limited All rights reserved Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise), without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book. Published in Great Britain by Dorling Kindersley Limited. A catalog record for this book is available from the Library of Congress ISBN 978-0-7566-7163-1 DK books are available at special discounts when purchased in bulk for sales promotions, premiums, fund-raising, or educational use. For details, contact: DK Publishing Special Markets, 375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014 or [email protected]. Colour reproduction by Colourscan, Singapore Printed and bound by Toppan, China Discover more at

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Jo Whittingham is a gardener and writer with a postgraduate degree in horticulture from the University of Reading and a passion for growing fruit and vegetables. Awarded the Garden Writers’ Guild News Journalist of the Year 2004, she writes a monthly column for The Scotsman newspaper, as well as features for many leading gardening magazines. She authored DK’s bestselling Simple Steps to Success: Vegetables in a Small Garden, and was consultant on Grow Vegetables, Kitchen Garden, and Grow Fruit.

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