Extreme Gardening: How to Grow Organic in the Hostile Deserts [Paperback]

David Owens (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0970501609 | ISBN-13: 978-0970501608 | Publication Date: November 1, 2000 | Edition: First

Extreme Gardening is the quintessential gardening guide to organic gardening against all odds. Written by the well-known gardening guru, the "Garden Guy," David Owens shows the experienced and novice gardener how to grow organic foods in hostile climates (all desert climates) and land. Simple to understand with user-friendly spine, the book covers all topics from watering, design, tools, schedules, fertilizing, companion planting, and soils.

The book is easily divided into three main sections-vegetables, fruits and nuts, and controlling extreme pests organically. Each section is full of useful tips such as: each plants nickname; when they are available; how they should be supported; when to plant them; how to properly shade or unshade it; and how to fertilize it, etc. The controlling extreme pests section is broken down into sections by bug name and how to use organic, insect, and sensory-distracting controls.

The author, David Owens is a familiar face on local Phoenix television and radio as one of the foremost experts on organic gardening.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Dave has been the Garden Guy for a long time, but with this book, he is now the Garden Guru of the southwest desert...." -- A. Wayne Smith, The Farm at South Mountain

"This is probably the best gardening book since that American classic, Catcher in the Rye Grass." -- Dan Davis, co-host of "Good Morning Arizona," KTVK

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Poco Verde Landscape; First edition (November 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0970501609
• ISBN-13: 978-0970501608
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.3 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #25,030 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #84 in Books > Crafts, Hobbies & Home > Sustainable Living

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

37 of 38 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good tips...not only for Desert Gardeners, April 8, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Extreme Gardening: How to Grow Organic in the Hostile Deserts (Paperback)

I live in Phoenix and have the opportunity of catching Dave Owens tips for gardening on Channel 3 on a weekly basis. Dave has so many tips for gardening that the only way to harness his knowledge is to purchase this book. I have come to find that these tips work not only for those of us living in the desert, but I pass them along to my Mother in Wyoming, and she has as much success as I do with them. Dave is an extremely knowledgable gardner and his book reflects that, the layout was very thought out and takes you step by step from the "what do I need", to "now I've got what I need, what do I do" stages. Bravo, Dave!

28 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Extreme Gardening--you bet!, February 1, 2010

By 

T. Denis (Arizona) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Extreme Gardening: How to Grow Organic in the Hostile Deserts (Paperback)

I'm an organic vegetable gardener who lives in the desert Southwest. I get the extreme hot summers but cooler winters than Tucson or Phoenix. I like this book mostly for plant culture. All the plant culture information most gardeners ever need is on-line, but desert gardening is bit counter-intuitive. It's helpful to have desert specific information. Most folks aren't planting their melons in March, but I am.

For example: Owens'tomato growing information is right on. I know because I do it his way. I raise my tomatoes in the shade. That wouldn't work well way back East where I was raised. Last summer I had a great harvest despite a late visit from grasshoppers. I brought in 45 tomatoes to ripen indoors the day before our first frost of Oct 27. We enjoyed the last tomato of year December 6th---not bad.
I'm talking real tomatoes you can slice and put on your sandwich, not just cherry tomatoes.

I own two other desert gardening books: Mary Irish's Month-by-Month gardening in the Desert Southwest. This one is good for figuring out when to plant everything. And,Desert Gardening Fruits and Vegetables, The Complete Guide by George Brookbank. This book isn't organized as well as the other two books, but it was the first desert specific gardening book I bought. I've read it cover to cover several times and despite the poor black and white photos, it's my favorite of the three. I consider my desert gardening library complete with these three books.

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best gardening books I have ever read!, March 22, 2002

By 

Fran Dentel (Glendale, Arizona United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Extreme Gardening: How to Grow Organic in the Hostile Deserts (Paperback)

David Owens has written a real winner with this book! He tells us which plants will survive in our harsh desert environment and how to plant and take care of them. The book is easy to follow and I'm having good luck with all the trees and vegetables I have planted using his guidelines.

If you thought that gardening was not an option since you moved to the desert you need this book to show you the way!