5 comments about How to Grow More Vegetables and Fruits: (And Fruits, Nuts, Berries, Grains, and Other Crops) (How to Grow More Vegetables: (And Fruits, Nuts, Berries, Grains,).

1. The people who are disappointed with this book are the ones who bought it without understanding what it was. This book isn't a "gardening for the soul" book of fluff, nor is it a typical "how to get bigger tomatoes" text.
   
   What this book is is a compendium of information on growing as much food as possible for real, live people to eat.
   Yes, it delves into the science and discusses the big, scary numbers involved. For you 'visual types' who find yourselves having to use your fingers to complete a single digit multiplication problem, don't bother. If you want purpler plumbs or redder radishes, look elsewhere.
   
   Assuming your IQ is above 100 and you're looking for a book to tech you some of the skills required to feed your family under all circumstances, I can hardly think of a better book than this one. It is exactly what it says.
   
   If I had to put my family on a fertile island and give them one book on gardening, it would unquestionably be this one.



2. I am fairly new to vegetable gardening and had no clue how much to plant for my wife and I in a Fall/Winter Garden. The book contains many charts and diagrams, which show how many square feet of space to alot for each vegetable. I currently use a hybrid method with 4x4 square foot gardening instead of the large rectangles as suggested in the book since my garden is in my backyard and I do like to have some lawn. A square foot is a square foot, so it really doesn't matter shape/size. There is also some good general gardening advice in the first few chapters. It is a good reference book for the library.



3. I found this book a bore to read at best. It is full of omissions and confusing charts that don't explain what they are showing. I also found it constantly trying to convince you of this political dogma and to join the society that supports this. There are much better books on intensive planting that actually explain a syetem to do it that this.



4. while the idea of growing more vegetables is a noble (and highly marketable) title, the actual book didn't have much information that i didn't already read in 'square foot gardening' or 'four-season harvest'. a key difference is that an artificial soil mix isn't used, but rather using organic methods to improve existing soil - is that a new concept? while both books do a comparison of intensive methods, Jeavons recommends a hexagonal inter-planting pattern (similar to the spacing in chicken wire) to plant intensively, vs. the square foot method of rigidly planting only one kind of vegetable in each square. Jeavons also advocates the use companion plants whereever possible to increase yields and reduce pests. however, the sections devoted to double-digging and composting seem to make up a disproportionately large section of the book, and relatively little is said about what exactly increases yields except for treating the soil well (e.g., use good compost, raised beds, add organic matter, etc). for anyone interested in organic gardening, there isn't a lot of unique information in this book that couldn't be found on a good website.



5. In my honest opinion, this is the best how to garden book out there. Probably not for beginners, but for those who want more. It debunks the normal vegetable spacing on the seed packets, so you can get more that you can imagine......

5 comments about From Vines to Wines: The Complete Guide to Growing Grapes and Making Your Own Wine.

1. This book tells you everything about growing grapes and producing fine wine. It even deals with the choice of grape-varieties suited for your climate. It is almost perfect. I think many Europeans will read this book, and it would have been perfect if it included the Meditteranean countries in the tables of climate-zones and selection of suitable varieties. It is very difficult to find this (about Europe) on the internet. But a great and very useful book.



2. We wanted a resource for the wine process from growth to the glass.
   Everything you need is in here.



3. This is indespensible for home winemakers. Period.
   
   If you are a person engaged in wine studies, this is an essential first look into serious technical winemaking aspects. Before delving into more serious technical manuals such as "Understanding Wine Technology" and "The Science of Wines from Grape to Glass".
   
   Pros: wonderfully written in laymans terms
   Cons: drawings sometimes difficult to distinguish



4. I gave this to my father and he was so excited because it focused a lot on building a good trellis with good illustrations and also good for prunning.
   These are two things that lack in other books that i have bought him (and that I am starting to be interested in, too).
   Of course the book covers all aspects of the grape and wine making process, but the trellising and prunning in more detail was very welcome.
   Recommended on all aspects.



5. When we were planning our vineyard we needed all the help we could get. From Vines To Wines was one book kept by the bedside for constant reference during the planning and planting stage. (The other book was "Vineyard Simple." The illustrated guide to pruning is exceptionally well done. Now that we've made it through year 1, I find myself going back to the book time and again. I strongly recommend this book to anyone interested in planting a vineyard. Craig Justice, Webmaster of Winemaker's Journal and Founder, Blue Merle Vineyard & Winery

5 comments about The New Organic Grower: A Master's Manual of Tools and Techniques for the Home and Market Gardener (A Gardener's Supply Book).

1. This is absolutely the best, straightforward, down to earth, organic gardening book I have ever read. No hype, no buzzwords, no new age crap, no agenda. Simply down to earth - literally.



2. Mr. Coleman has packed so much information into this wonderful book! I have started to use many of his suggestions. Keeping the costs of growing food down was one of the first subjects that caught my attention.



3. Got me hiped up for my next several years here in Missouri. Practical, simplified systems for both the new and novice organic gardener. Definitely a fun read. Bring your highlighter. Thank you to the author, and all of the great shoulders that he stood on to get to this point...



4. This book is awesome. Eliot presents an abundance of information. The information is organized and clear. Eliot does not assume what we already know, and what we have at our disposal. For example, many books will tell you how to create a mulch pile. You need this much brown matter, this much green matter, ... . That is all fine and dandy, but where do I magically get all of this material! Eliot understands this and explains many ways we can obtain the mulch material. He also does not assume your knowledge basis. For example, he will explain what and how a lugume works. This book is a constant resource for the organic gardener.
   
   A great book!



5. It's nice to have the combination of someone so well researched who is simultaneously an excellent practitioner. Lots of great ideas about transplanting (I hadn't heard of soil blocks before). Many great tool recommendations as well. This is worth the time and money!

5 comments about Gaia's Garden: A Guide to Home-Scale Permaculture.

1. I bought this book together with Patrick Whitefield's "Permaculture in a Nutshell" and read the latter first, which is a mere introduction compared to Toby Hemenway's "Gaia's Garden". Toby transmits his love for and knowledge of permaculture very well. I am trained as an agricultural engineer and did learn a lot while reading. He first teaches the basics and then rehearses them in the different chapters. The concepts sort of grow and develop while reading, which leaves you with the feeling that you don't have to open the book again to start designing your own garden. Toby's enthusiasm is also tangible and infectious.
   The only thing that's missing for me is more examples and better documentation about existing permaculture gardens/farms. My design would be quite different from Toby's (I live in Spain and we have our own favourite mediterranean crops) but the book provides the tools needed to do it your own way and Toby comes over as an open minded teacher.



2. I highly recommend this book.
   It is a fun place to start, if you wish to create a sustainable garden. All the basics are covered, from grey water, to ponds, to guilds, to forest gardens, and it is enjoyable and easy reading.



3. I have totally enjoyed this book. The principles are a little murky because apparently this is a pretty new field and not very well developed for the eastern seabord which I live but it does provide enough guidance to begin setting up your own permaculture areas and start developing areas to be more ecologically sound food producing and living environments. I would HIGHLY recommend it as a first book on permaculture and the resources section alone has been a joy.



4. This book is excellent for establishing new concepts of applying time tested old technology. I use these principles everyday and I look forward to the days when we need to rely on our local resources and skills in order to make a living. This book teaches you how to make a start with permaculture.



5. This was recommended by someone when I started asking questions about permaculture. I am glad he did! It is a great introduction without being too simplistic. It is showing me how to start small and gradually increase the use of permaculture.
   
   I have shown it to friends who are all waiting to borrow it from me!

5 comments about The Self-sufficient Life and How to Live It.

1. Very nice addition to any collection. Most of the ideas and uses, in this book, I agree with. It'll open up all kinds of other ideas to lead a simpler life in harmony with nature and the land we should all be a good steward of.



2. This book is an absolute classic in self sufficiency. I don't think anyone seriously considering living "off the land" should leave this out of their library. The author not only lives what he teaches in the book but also teaches it in classes. This is a very well balanced book giving little golden nuggets that you probably never considered.



3. REVIEWER: First up, consider that this review comes from a suburban guy who has his eye on country living. I would imagine if you are a seasoned farmer or off-grider then this book is not for you. Veterans will likely find this book too shallow on the virtually hundreds of topics it addresses.
   
   SKILL LEVEL: However, if you are beginner to intermediate on topics of farming, gardening, livestock and all round back-to-basics living then this book is hands-down perfect. It deals with virtually every aspect of self-sufficient living in a concise, well illustrated manner. It's flat out makes me curious to try (put into practice) and to learn more about many of the different subjects contained within.
   
   QUALITY: A great quality book (well printed, solidly bound). The layout and typography are excellent and illustrations are an excellent companion to the text.
   
   CONCLUSION: This book is the culmination of decades of knowledge from a man who has lived his life as depicted in this book. It must be challenging to pack a lifetime into relatively so few pages (it's still a big book though!) but the "Self-Sufficient Life and How to Live It" does a great job. It packs a lot of punch on a broad range of subjects and one must appreciate that because of this, it will at times feel a little skinny on specifics or in-depth information.
   
   I'm rating this five stars because I believe that it communicates the subject matter perfectly to the audience for which it was intended.



4. I was very impressed by the amount of information covered in this book. It is a very good overview of all topics pertaining to Self Sufficiency. I would recommend it to anyone considering this as a lifestyle or who is looking to make even a few changes. My only complaint is that some topics that interested me were not covered in as much detail as I would have liked but this book is still a wealth of information.



5. For those wishing to find an overview of what it means to live a self-sufficient life, look no further than this text. Engagingly written and bursting with relevant information, Seymour's volume covers just about every topic with the fundamental information you need to properly evaluate your current situation and plan for the future. It is sure to be well-worn and dogeared before too long.

5 comments about The Vegetable Gardener's Bible: Discover Ed's High-Yield W-O-R-D System for All North American Gardening Regions.

1. I borrowed this book from our library a couple times this winter as I was making plans for this summer's garden. Then Spring hit and I needed it again, so I purchased it as I know it is a book that I will refer to again and again. And I have used it extensively already. It lays out all you need to know to garden using raised beds including bed preparation, soil amending, composting, watering, using trellis to have things grow up. The last part of the book gives specific information for individual vegetables and herbs, including when and how to plant, care for and harvest. It has been an invaluable resource and my garden is coming along nicely already.



2. I've just retired from Corporate America and decided to take up gardening. This book has been the best purchase I've made in years. It's well organized, easy to find and follow the instructions. As a novice gardener, I've appreciated the thorough coverage of all topics. I know I will have and use this book for many years. Thank you for a wonderful gardening tool. VTD



3. The content of this well written book has been covered in other reviews and I agree it is a solid, introductory text at a decent price. However, I find it a little too "coffee table" for my tastes with big type and lots of pretty photos, rather than a lot of breath or depth. If you haven't been introduced to bed gardening and creating a "living" fertile soil, it would be a nice intro, but easy to outgrow (no pun intended).
   
   Notably lacking is content on more than a couple herbs, most salad and Asian greens, as well as some of the less common crops and pest/disease situations that you might encounter. Also, while a prescriptive "how-to" guide, it doesn't educate as to the "why" of things as well as other texts I have read, which let you transfer the techniques to your own specific situations.
   
   
   I'd recommend picking up a good seed catalog that is at least partially aimed at commercial growers (e.g. Territorial and/or Johnny's) both for cultural and growing suggestions, as well as knowing what cultivars are available (since most of the books are 10-20 years out of date on that), and considering instead:
   
   Golden Gate Gardening: Year-Round Food Gardening in the San Francisco Bay Area and Coastal California -- Although written for one geography, both the general information on gardening, as well as the extensive sections on vegetables, herbs, fruit, and flowers make it a "go to" for me.
   
   Grow Your Own Vegetables -- Great general information on gardening as well as tons of specific information on a very wide range of vegetables. A well-respected British author, so you have to get used to some difference in language, like "marrow" and "beetroot". Also be aware that "organic" is different in the UK, so some US practices, like insecticidal soaps, aren't covered.
   
   Oriental Vegetables: The Complete Guide for the Gardening Cook -- If you are interested in "salad greens" or "baby greens" then this covers well a lot of the "fancy" leaves you'll find in mixes or at the market. (I don't recommend Larkcom's "Organic Salad Garden" as it is not much more than an extract from "Grow Your Own Vegetables" on high-end paper with lots of glossy pictures.)
   
   How to Grow More Vegetables and Fruits: (And Fruits, Nuts, Berries, Grains, and Other Crops) (How to Grow More Vegetables: (And Fruits, Nuts, Berries, Grains,) -- Covers "intensive" bed gardening and has a lot of good reference information on crop timing and yields. Sometimes a little "earthy" or "preachy" in style and content, and perhaps not as well researched and supported as the above (or The New Organic Grower: A Master's Manual of Tools and Techniques for the Home and Market Gardener (A Gardener's Supply Book), for another "second" book) but worth adding to a collection (as I prefer the previous as broader, more balanced texts). Revised and reprinted regularly, so make sure this links to the most recent.



4. This book was listed by someone who began a hobby farm as the best book she bought on the garden in general and for self sustaining wannabees...so I took a risk and I found it to be great! I live in an area with a short growing season (Pacific NW) and found many great ideas that are very applicable to me. This guy makes a lot of sense and makes it very easy, in fact you can decide how "deep" you want to take his ideas. So if you want to employ some of his methods, you can do that with ease, or if you want to go all out, and have a huge garden like he does. Anyway, I thought this was great for me, a beginner home gardener. This book got me very excited about a whole bunch of new things I never thought about, including things you do in the fall/winter & early spring that contribute to the health of your garden. Anyway, I highly recommend this book and thought it was worth it for sure.



5. Mr. Smith has produced an invaluable resource that will become a standard---I've had this book for a couple of years, but this year was the first I've had opportunity to put his words to practice. He's dead-on in his excellent advise, so this year's modest garden will definitely grow next year. I'm wearing out my copy from use---a book well-loved indeed! If your planning a vegetable garden and need help---look no further. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

5 comments about The Organic Gardener's Handbook of Natural Insect and Disease Control: A Complete Problem-Solving Guide to Keeping Your Garden and Yard Healthy Without Chemicals.

1. The book really is complete, easy to consult and delightful to page through. I live in a tropical area outside the US and was afraid the book might not cover the (many) pests we withstand here. But they were all there, and were referred to attacks against tropical foliages, which actually amazed me! The detailed pictures of insects and disease symptoms are accompanied by an informative text, and the chapter on organic controls covers cultural procedures, physical control, biological control and organic sprays and dusts, both commercial and homemade, with recipes. The structure is perfect for a handbook, easy to consult in any situation, be it garden design, crop choice, regular maintenance or solution of installed problems.



2. Great information on many different subjects. It would be helpful if it had more color pages with pictures of the actual bugs (which is has some of these but I needed more). It has many different places to look up things that you find yourself easily drawn into other subjects you were not looking for. It has plants seperated by diseases, or by insects that attack them. A ton of information on how to do an organic garden with sacrifical plants, a few home brewed help receipes, and lots of information for the new gardener, plus some wise parts for the small home farmer. Something for everyone and easy to read and understand.



3. Have referred to this book numerous times for specific problems that I've have in my garden and find it to be very helpful. It covers many plants and every pest and disease that you can imagine. It has separate sections on plants and pest/diseases.



4. Living in the tropics, I have had frequent failures starting up my organic garden due to pests taking it over. This year I have used some tips and "natural pesticide" recipies from this book with great success. It has also helped me identify "good" versus "bad" insects so I can better assess what treatment, if any, to use. I strongly recommend this book to anyone trying to start an organic vegetable garden!



5. I wish I had this book before I ever started a garden. You can look up info by plant or by insect. It will tell you how to grow a certain plant, what kind of soil you need. It tells you about any problems you may have and how to deal with them. It tells you how to water each type of plant and what insects you should attract for a plant type. All and all an excellent book.

5 comments about Four-Season Harvest: Organic Vegetables from Your Home Garden All Year Long.

1. I think this book conatins about all the information one needs to know about cold weather gardening.



2. This book has been a help, we are new to the garden scene and this is easy to understand and also has illistrations to actually see what to do.



3. Eliot Coleman is a superb author and teacher. This little book would inspire anybody to grow their own, stash and enjoy the larder of their labor and give humor along with it all! I also bought his other book on Organic Gardening and it's also very informative.....they go hand in hand and I feel like I've taken a biological study in the basics - right down to the tools! A great read...



4. Everything you need to know to grown your own. Harvest into the winter.
   It's becoming a necessity not a luxury to have family gardens; this gets you well on your way.



5. This book will take you to the next level of vegetable gardening.A very enjoyable read.

5 comments about Gardening When It Counts: Growing Food in Hard Times (Mother Earth News Wiser Living Series).

1. A previous reviewer was being nice in describing the author's writing style As 'grandfatherly'.
   
   Personally, my grandfather never talked to me like I was an idiot, and did not pat himself on the back every other sentence. While the book is intended to help the novice gardener, the tone made it a difficult book to read. The author spends a great deal of time ridiculing other garden writers (John Jeavons in particular) that he refers to as Everyone Else. While describing these authors as foolish slaves to production quantity (apparently Everyone Else include every person who believes in raised bed, intensive gardening), Steve Solomom extolls the virtues of planting in rows and giving plants 'room to grow'. He provides his example of not one, but TWO 2400sq ft garden beds - one lies fallow each year with a green manure while the other is planted. Steve also seems to loathe clay soil, so much so that he doesn't even bother giving any advice on how to improve it. He basically says clay is the worst, nutrient-sucking soil (like a battery that eats nutrients) and that even when adding lots of organic matter, it will still hurt your crop production. So instead of recommending a realistic and effective means to address this soil type, the author recommends paying someone to haul in a truckload of topsoil to create the ideal garden bed. That's what he did (spending $1200 in the process), and of course he has beautiful results. Seeing as how I am reading the book to learn how to garden 'in hard times', and I do live on clay soil, I had to look past this ridiculous recommendation to get to the good information in the book.
   
   The book does contain very good information that covers many aspects of how to treat a garden if you are to truly rely on its production. He provides an inexpensive recipe for a complete organic fertilizer (noting that today's chemical concoctions of potassium, nitrogen and phosphorus are creating vegetables that do not give maximum nutritive value - garbage in is garbage out). He also explains the importance of seed quality and provides information on how to obtain the ideal variety for your area.
   
   While I did find a lot of good information, Steve Soloman's writing style made this book torturous to read.



2. This is a good resource for a new gardener desiring to make the most of his/her time gardening. The book helps identify the type of garden you have and how to make the most of it or how to improve it to the garden you want. A quick read and good resource to keep handy



3. This is the perfect book for people like me with no gardening grandpa at their side.
   Nobody ever told me that a garden hoe must be sharpened before first use....
   And how to start a garden if you have a patch of grass land - I never knew how to do it right or where to start.
   This book is great for basic beginners in veggie gardening. Advanced gardeners may be shocked a little about the very few and basic tools: hoe, shovel, wheelbarrow, rake, knife and file.
   But the book was written for "hard times" and than it's good to know you can do your veggie garden with just these basic tools, without all the fancy and expensive stuff around.
   
   Very remarkable is the chapter about seeds and plants from the garden centers, it opened my eyes that most of the failures of the last years weren't really mine but from the bad stuff I bought without knowing it was that bad (it looked good when I bought it....)
   
   So I want to say "THANK YOU, Mr. Solomon" for sharing your experience with us.
   Your advices gave me back the joy of gardening and the very first time in 20 years I'm running a satisfying veggie garden without any problems.
   Thank you. ;-)



4. This book is excellent. It is my new gardening bible. I've been through all the intensive gardening books, and they all stressed me out with the intensity of the work that was required to get them started and keep them up. The whole philosophy here really makes sense to me. I felt like I could go ahead, get things started, without having to have so much in place. After all, this is about growing with the minimum amount of inputs.



5. Only a few pages into this book I realized I needed to read it before continuing with my gardening plans.
   I am thrilled to have the good solid advice. For me, I treasured the relearning of the things my father taught me so many years ago. Digging the garden, fertilizing the soil, using coffee grounds and how to weed were only vague memories which had been over-written by today's easy methods and equipment. Steve Solomon's words brought all the old learning back to my mind and provided so much more. I can't thank him enough and I highly recommend this book. The advice, techniques and subjects covered are of special importance for anyone interested in insuring their food source is available and safe.

5 comments about Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life (P.S.).

1. I first read this book just over a year ago, starting to read while sitting in a full auditorium waiting for author Barbara Kingsolver to begin speaking. I made it through the first ten pages or so before she began. For the next hour she read and discussed her book and graciously answered audience questions. Her interesting stories and personable manner drew me in. Afterwards, I couldn't wait to continue reading! This book lived up to my expectations. Premise? Her family made a decision to move to the Virginian Appalacians, grow their own food, raise chickens and turkeys, and buy what they couldn't grow/raise themselves from local farmers. They made tough decisions, worked hard, and had some wonderful stories to tell along the way. In her writing, interspersed with essays by her husband and college-age daughter, Ms. Kingsolver takes us on their year-long journey of eating locally.
   
   Barbara Kingsolver is not suggesting that we all should be able to do what her family accomplished - growing much of their own food, supplimented with food grown locally primarily by people she knew in her own community. Rather, she is sharing her family's story, much of it humerous, some of it sobering, and all of it educational. She is sharing the rationale of why they chose to do what they did. She admits that most families won't be able to make changes to the extent that her family did. Rather, she suggests that we all might be able to eat more locally. Whether that means beginning your own backyard garden, growing herbs in pots, buying from your local farmers market, or even reading labels in your grocery store... every bit counts.
   
   Thanks to Ms. Kingsolver for changing the way I think about food.



2. This is not only an outline and testament of one family being committed to local food production and consumption, it is a view into the lives of the author and her family. Sidebars from her husband provide more motivation and reason to become a Locavore. Her daughter provides excellent commentary on various parts and stages of the project as well as some excellent recipes that I look forward to trying myself. This book has motivated my wife and I to be more committed to being Locavores. Here in NW North Carolina we also have many local farmers that provide reasonably priced produce, meat, milk and cheeses, and other food items that are organically raised/grown. Thank you Ms. Kingsolver for sharing your experience on becoming a Locavore. My wife and I are more committed to local farmers as a result of your work and we have recommended this book to our family and friends.



3. I have thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. The book is most informative and an eye opener of our food sources. I would love to follow the Kingsolver/Hopp family's "A Year of Food Life" and maybe I'll be able to at some point. Anyway, the book is wonderful.



4. I'm amazed that so many negative reviewers claimed that Ms Kingsolver's tone was smug. I did not get that impression at all, nor was I smacked in the face with "wealth". I suppose some people are just looking to be offended, from any and all directions.
   
   Rather, I found her tone refreshing. Her talent as a writer and her passion as a lover of good food, gardening, and the environment came together beautifully to create an entertaining and inspiring read.
   
   I highly recommend it, along with Pollan's The Omnivore's Dilemma and In Defense of Food.
   The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals
   In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto



5. Very few books make me want to be a better person, even fewer make it seem easy. Kingsolver's engaging writing style was as fresh as her veggies. I've spent the past week identifying the location of everything on my plate and feeling better about the future than I thought possible.