5 comments about Secrets to a Successful Greenhouse and Business : A Complete Guide to Starting and Operating a High-Profit Business That Benefits the Environment.

1. This book has all the info I was looking for. Buyers, suppliers, greenhouse sellers and which type are the best for certain crops. Finding info on the right pot size and trays to use was very helpful. How to find a buyer and what to say was the most useful bit of info that I have never seen in any book. This is worth the cost alone. I have to remark about the review by Caraphor, who says the book is full of erros, and Boron is not harmful what a misleading statement...Completely WRONG ! Boron is harmful and a couple of errors in 180 pages not bad... thank you Mr. Taylor for the accurate info! Heres what the county health dept. says about Boron. "Breathing moderate levels of boron can result in irritation of the nose, throat, and eyes. Reproductive effects, such as low sperm count, were seen in men exposed to boron over the long-term. Animal studies have shown effects on the lungs from breathing high levels of boron.
   Ingesting large amounts of boron over short periods of time can harm the stomach, intestines, liver, kidney, and brain. Animal studies of ingestion of boron found effects on the testes in male animals. Birth defects were also seen in the offspring of female animals exposed during pregnancy."



2. Hey Caraphor, "Appendicies" is SPELLED: a-p-p-e-n-d-i-c-e-s.
   Now how can I trust your scathing review when you can't spell?



3. If you are considering going into a business requiring a greenhouse...READ THIS BOOK FIRST. There is just SO much valuable info here.
   
   I was sceptical about buying the book because of a previous negative review. Yes, the book has a couple of typos but that was easy for me to overlook because of the wealth of good info I was receiving. I have been an organic gardener/farmer for 20 years and have not been confident enough about the greenhouse business to step out in it. With the info contained here I can make an informed decision about adding this to my business.
   
   To the author...Thanks for the help!



4. This book does have lots of good information, but the author could have at least used spellcheck. There are spelling errors on almost every page, as well as a few missing words spread around the book. There are even a few places that the author copy and pasted an entire paragraph. All of this left me thinking of this book as being cheap and I had to question the validity of the information if the author doesn't even bother to check for errors in his own book.



5. Steven Carruthers (Australia) Publisher Of Hydroponics and Greenhouse Magazine wrote this review.... Secrets to a successful Greenhouse and Business is written for the beginner or serious home gardener who wants to start a profitable home-based business growing plants in a greenhouse, or for educators looking for specialized classroom projects. It is also valuable text for existing commercial growers, if only to revisit some of the basics from time to time. Divided into 11 sections, Secrets to a Successful Greenhouse and Business will tell you everything you want to know to get started in a greenhouse business. The book covers all major growing systems including hydroponics, organics, and good old-fashioned soil cultivation. It includes a basic plan to build a solar greenhouse, and information on soil and fertilizer mixes, insect and disease control, marketing, and guidelines to organize your greenhouse business. The section on ?Selling, Marketing, and Economics is especially useful for new comers to greenhouse production. Gone are the days of growing plants on speculation and hoping to find a market before the crop is harvested. The first step in any successful horticulture business is to identify your market, and to grow what the market wants. This section offers some valuable insights into how to go about that. The text explores the marketing process and includes developing sales concepts and marketing strategies, as well as establishing a realistic budget. I can't think of another text that says it better. There are also special treatments for marketing hydroponic and organic products, as opposed to soil-grown products. The section on ?Greenhouses? is succinct. The author leaves no stone unturned in his endeavor to cover every aspect of greenhouse production. Topics include environmental control, choosing the right greenhouse covering, operating costs and cash flow, ideas to improve your greenhouse, and much, much more. This section also includes a basic solar greenhouse plan, including a detailed inventory of materials (imperial measurements). The section on Specialized Projects with Excellent Profit Potential examines the major soil-less culture growing systems that are used in todays modern greenhouse, with a focus on greenhouse tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, tropical fruits, and ornamental plants. There is also a special treatment for school greenhouse programs. There are few greenhouse texts that go beyond the hardware of a greenhouse business. This text does. The section on Guidelines to Organizing Your Business is about turning into actions. According to the author, people don't plan to fail they just fail to plan. In this section, apart from highlighting the need for good planning, the author explains the basic steps for organizing your greenhouse business. These include on sight considerations such as obtaining zoning ordinances and building permits, and types of financing, right down to Workers Compensation. Another section on Delivery, Collecting, & Using Computers, is a practical guide for those processes. The author covers everything including packing and labeling, box construction, and how to start with a small business computer. The author provides a practical explanation of the World Wide Web and its importance for communication, to quickly find or exchange technical and market information, or to develop new markets. The author also includes a lists of useful websites. This book is published in the Unites States, for a North American readership but its wealth of information gives it international appeal. If you are thinking of starting a greenhouse business, then this book is for you wherever you are. It is full of tips, ideas and resources, and generously illustrated.

3 comments about The Greenhouse Expert.

1. I have bought books before on how to do things and they turned out to be not that much help but this one is different. Being new to greenhouse gardening and in the process of building one in my back yard,I decided to take the chance, well it was some of the best money that I have ever spent on a book. I was looking for something that would tell me how to grow things in the greenhouse, not how to build one. This book hit the spot. It tells you how to grow all types of flowers and vegetables with names and wonderful color pictures. All I will need to do is go to the seed catalog and order what I think I will like. Dr. Hessayon talks also about watering,ventilating,sowing seed, propagating,plant troubles and how to correct them,and then of all things a month by month of what to do doing that time of the year. Again for the money I got a winner,a book that I will use over and over again until it is wore out and at the price I gave for it, I won't mind buying another copy. Michael Beck mikebeck1977@yahoo.com



2. What a reference book! So many pictures, descriptions, and information about plants. I like to see what the plant looks like before I go out and buy them. This book covers all bases. I bought a how-to-build a greenhouse book and I wanted a how-to-set-up-the-greenhouse book--THIS IS IT!

   What a truly fantastic book. STOP LOOKING NOW and buy this one. It's the best!




3. This book lacks the depth I was looking for. They often use Great Briton gardening phrases and speak to an audience that never has to deal with real issues like tough winters, using solar heat, practical insect control using good bugs and organics.

5 comments about Solviva: How to grow $500,000 on one acre, and Peace on Earth.

1. Solviva is a fresh and brillant exploration of the complexities involved in constructing a solar home. Anna Edey is beautifully human as she describes her real life adversity in bringing such a complex project into fruition.
   
   Edey is an honest and telling author. She articulates her emotion involved in creating the energy necessary to endeavor so seemingly innocent and simplistic a notion as a house that you sustain and that sustains you as you sustain the Earth.
   
   She vividly describes having to consider the marketing and distribution not to mention profit margins of raising organic restaurant quality garden vegetables and greens within the confines of her modest solar home.
   
   With candor she conveys how interesting ones life becomes while taking on rabbits, chickens, and goats as a part of ones daily life, and indeed, in fact, as co habitants in as much as they too survived within the small solar house and that their presence yielded a profit.
   
   Edey humbly describes discovering each vegetable and green with such surprise and satisfaction and that her vegetables were in fact prize winning and well sought after.
   
   Because of the biproducts of such an efficently contained microecosystem Edey is able to support herself and her lifestyle comfortably within a selfsustaining home. Not without the residual income of the modern associate but with the profit yielded from her ingenius business and gardening method.
   
   Ultimately the complexity of the solar structure itself combined with Edey's originality and genius in housing and growing botanicals within the solar home, in addition to the interactivity of the animals at the house, combine to make a kind of EARTHSHIP that does inevitably produce a profit.



2. I am a gardener with a few years of experience and a lot of book learning on the subject. This is my opinion, after reading the book, and coming to it from that point of view.
   
   If you aren't very well read on gardening or mini-farming, I'd recommend skipping this book until you've read a few others, such as Bartholomew's Square Foot Gardening, Jeavons books on biointensive gardening, and a few others. Otherwise you'll buy too deeply into what Edey is trying to sell.
   
   If you are pretty well read on the topic and have gardening/mini-farming experience, then the book is a reasonable weekend read.
   
   Either way, unless you're extremely flush with cash, I wouldn't buy the book, I'd only spend time on it if it's available from the library.
   
   The title is misleading, the "How To Grow $500,000 On One Acre" is catchy, but not realistic. The author says that her "gross income was up to $50,000 a year," (pg 158). "up to" ought to raise an eyebrow. I'm supposing that the reader is supposed to assume that the author grossed $50K, but that's not what it says. It also wasn't indicated how many years this was achieved, though there was an earlier reference to the author working at it for 8 years. There wasn't also a hard indicator regarding how long it took to build up to this, the term "soon" was used, but could mean just about anything.
   
   The author then made some seriously goofball (in my opinion) extrapolations: that if the set up had been run more professionally, the author would have been earning well over $100k; that if a full acre was used, then that would obviously mean earnings would be over $500k. There's nothing to support such claims. In fact, at one point she indicated that "gross income never did reach much beyond the $50,000." Throw in the fact that this is gross income, and suddenly the whole agribusiness angle of "Solviva" doesn't look so great, despite what the author "believes."
   
   There are a lot of other places in the book that don't read that well. For example, many other books address composting more thoroughly and clearly. At one point the author discussing composting toilets, incorrectly refers to humanure and nightsoil as being the same thing, and discusses what she "believes" to be the best way for handling it. Want to read about the best ways of handling human waste, that are based on actual research and experimentation? Read the Humanure Handbook, it explains the whys and wherefores much better and more clearly than Solviva.
   
   There were a lot of things like that, such as her assumption that because she was having an insect pest explosion and suddenly the problem decreased that it must be beneficial predator insects catching up. This was just some assumption that she decided was true, based on her deciding it was so, when in fact there could have been many different reasons.
   
   I will say this about the book: there was a lot of stuff about the authors opinions about the state of the world. If you're interested in Edey's world view, then certainly this is the book for you. If you're looking for a guide for small farming or gardening, I'd say pass. If you're interested in reading about the topic, there are way better books to put your money and time into. But if you've already read all those, and Solviva is available in the local library, maybe it's worth some time.



3. I finally bought this book after hearing about it years ago. I regret not buying it back then. I love this book.



4. Book covers in general terms information about a passive solar home and greenhouse. Heavy on sustainable living and growing but light on construction details and author only theorizes that one could make $500,000 on an acre but never did it. Despite those short comings it still is a great book with ideas and experiences that will simulate the environmental conscious person.



5. Solviva is a book everyone should read if they are interested in growing their own food, and to learn other methods to live a sustainable life.

5 comments about Building Your Own Greenhouse (Greenhouse Basics).

1. This is simply a magnificent book on how to construct your own hobby greenhouse as well as other gardening structures such as simple cold frames or installing a bay window with a nice ledge in your home. The main advantage of building your own greenhouse is cost-savings; manufactured greenhouses are very expensive to buy and even more expensive to have assembled. And you don't need to be a handyman to put one together - in most cases you'll be building a frame to hold plastic sheeting to keep out the cold and let in the sun's rays. So what if it's a little crooked here or there? Chances are neither you nor anyone else will notice, but the flowering assortment of vegetables, fruits, and specimen plants will grab everyone's attention!
   
   The author, Mark Freeman, shares his own experiences as well as the experiences of others in building greenhouse structures. First he explains how greenhouses work. Then he shows you every step toward the completion of your own hobby greenhouse. The rest of the chapters are 'Site Selection and Laying a Foundation', 'Framing', 'Glazing', 'Ventilation' (a very important chapter because successful greenhouse gardening hinges on this), 'Supplemental Heating, Insulation, and Heat Sinks', 'Plumbing and Wiring', and 'Shutters and Shades'. Sources for suppliers, manufacturers, and distributors are also listed in appendices. In conclusion, he shares designs for eleven different DIY greenhouse structures including a hoop house. Another design is called Mary's Madhouse (an attached second-floor solar greenhouse built lean-to fashion over top of an adjoining shed) and Alwin's Plumber's Friend is a greenhouse made from PVC pipe. Mark Freeman's greenhouse is attached to his home and includes a hot tub nestled among his seedlings and houseplants.
   
   In short, this is a great resource for the home gardener who has thought about building his or her first little greenhouse because you will no doubt experience success without too much fuss.



2. Pretty simple to follow instructions and drawings. Not the most exciting book of its kind I have read recently, but some good information and alternative building ideas.



3. This book was well written and offered many interesting greenhouse plans. I built a 22x40 foot model from the plans and have been very happy with the results.



4. It made a giant leap into a small step: From a gardener to a greenhouse operator.
   
   Buy the book and enjoy transformation and success!



5. Want to build your own greenhouse. Books addresses some problems associated with air circulation, temperature control, building materials etc...

3 comments about Greenhouse Gardening: Step by Step to Growing Success (Crowood Gardening Guides).

1. Full of very useful informations. Along with this and other greenhouse books for winter gardening, I hope to grow year round.



2. Given a Greenhouse as a present, I had no idea how to run it. After a lot of searching, I found this book and it answered all my questions. It told me my greenhouse was the perfect size for a beginner, different types of heaters and the advantages and disadvantages of each heater, for the greenhouse, the temperature that should be maintained, and even how to make containers for the plantings. I would reccomend the book very highly to any one interested in having a back yard greenhouse.



3. Not the best book that I have on the subject, or should I say, the most comprehensive. Save your money

2 comments about Solar Gardening: Growing Vegetables Year-Round the American Intensive Way (The Real Goods Independent Living Books).

1. One of the best gardening books I have ever read! Excellent information on solar gardening & instructions on how to construct the garden cones, frames & pods. They provide practical information in an easy to understand format. I highly recommend this book to anyone who has an interest in gardening.



2. This book has awesome information for anyone wanting to grow all their own food and become self sufficient.
   
   Also lots of tips for extending the season even if you only grow a few favorites.
   
   Includes growing information on different vegetables, organized into short and long season heat-loving or cold-hardy. Also building instructions for their solar appliances and even the difficulties and learning from their decades of experience growing all their own food.

5 comments about Ortho's All About Greenhouses (Ortho's All About Gardening).

1. this book was just what I was looking for! It has great instructions on how to manage by small greenhouse that the kids got me for my birthday. Great for beginners! I was so impressed I bought one for a girlfriend!



2. Good book for those who just want basic information and principles. Descriptive literature is good, pictures are excellent, and the book is pleasantly / logically arranged. Is it the "source" on greenhouses, no. However, it is a good read and good book. I have purchased other resources (including the heavy text recommended by another reviewer) and find this book to be generally as informative as the others, particularly given its price.



3. This book gives great information from building the foundation to shelving. I found it a great help in choosing my greenhouse kit and what foundation to use. Anyone interested in purchasing or building their own greenhouse needs this book. I read several, this one was the best.



4. This book is great for people looking to either build or purchase a greenhouse. With recommendations about the location, to different types of greenhouses, this is a perfect reference book!



5. All About Greenhouses- Just a more simple compilation of facts about grenhouses. They are far from simple, and this book is a good start in what will be much to learn.. If you are planning to build, buy or begin a greenhouse, this is a good place to start the process.

3 comments about Gardening in Your Greenhouse (Greenhouse Basics , No 2).

1. Most books on Greenhouse Gardening focus on the building of the greenhouse itself and don't spend enough time talking about the gardening process. This is a great book for a person who moves into a new home and already has a greenhouse. This book is an excellent education in greenhouse gardening.



2. I am extremely happy with this book- very informative for a beginner. The book came new & very quick!!



3. Okay, I am new to gardening. If I want to learn about something new, I read a bunch of books on the subject before I begin. So after reading over a dozen books on vegetables, herbs, gardening, seed saving and botany, I got Mark Freeman's "Gardening in your Greenhouse." It answered all the questions that had been on my mind and gave me advice I didn't realize I needed until after I read it. I provided me with the information and confidence I needed to start planting all those seeds I had bought. A great reference for the novice and experienced gardener.

5 comments about How to Build Your Own Greenhouse.

1. I am always looking for ways to improve my gardening and this book offers excellent instructions on building several different types of greenhouses.



2. Any who would build a greenhouse will find HOW TO BUILD YOUR OWN GREENHOUSE: DESIGNS AND PLANS TO MEET YOUR GROWING NEEDS offers up the hope of year-round gardening as it explores a range of greenhouse designs and options, from simple cold frames to elaborate freestanding tropical constructions. Chapters cover basic freestanding and extension designs for greenhouses, include lean-tos and garden shed blends, and discuss not only construction of independent structures, but how to incorporate them into an existing home. From floor to ceiling options, HOW TO BUILD YOUR OWN GREENHOUSE covers it all, includes design tips and basic plans, and is a pick for any library strong in homeowner's or gardener's construction references.



3. I originally bought this because I am thinking about making a greenhouse. The book is very comprehensive with lots of drawings and pictures. It was well worth the investment.



4. I finally "sprang" for this book because I read a good review on a garden club website. It is a wonderful book on all aspects of greenhouse design. I am sure glad I spent this money before we started spending the serious money, and hard work, on the real thing.



5. If you're operating a small or a LARGE greenhouse - this will be your "bible"...... for operation.
   
   I have 2 copies! In the house and greenhouse.

5 comments about Greenhouse Gardener's Companion, Revised: Growing Food & Flowers in Your Greenhouse or Sunspace.

1. I am pouring over this reference. Mr. Smith is not only informative about all things greenhouse, he also provides insight into all aspects of gardening from composting and propagating to seed starting techniques. Further, the book contains 'cheat sheets' as to when to start seeds, transplant, and how best to condition the greenhouse atmosphere. Great sense of humor. A+



2. While this book is useful, I found it a little to general. I expected more detailed guidelines. Also, not as many illustrations and diagrams as I would like.



3. This book is a weath of information - well written and a joy to read. I have visited the solar greenhouse at the Cheyenne WY Botanic Gardens. It was great to see the information from the book in actual use. Now if only I had a greenhouse!



4. I just purchased my first greenhouse and wanted a good reference book. This is it! An excellent resource which is easy to read and use. Love it!



5. Very good book, very comprehensive, great for beginners (like me). There is a ton of information in here.