Hydroponics for Home Gardener: Completely Revised and Updated (Gardening S.) [Paperback]

Stewart Kenyon (Author), Howard M. Resh (Author)

Book Description

Series: Gardening S. | Publication Date: April 10, 2002

Revised and updated.

Hydroponics for the Home Gardener is an easy-to-follow, step-by-step guide to growing organic, healthy vegetable, herbs and house plants without soil.

Clearly illustrated with black and white line drawings, the book covers every aspect of home hydroponic gardening including:

• Building a hydroponic system versus buying a kit
• Plant propagation and indoor pollination
• Outdoor hydroponics, recipes, and much more.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Stewart Kenyon has studied, designed and retailed home hydroponic systems for over thirty years.

Product Details

• Paperback: 146 pages
• Publisher: Key Porter Books; Revised edition (April 10, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1550133756
• ISBN-13: 978-1550133752
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #660,641 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #67 in Books > Professional & Technical > Professional Science > Agricultural Sciences > Soil Science

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

36 of 37 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Gardening By Numbers  With Missing Numbers, June 30, 2003

By 

Stephen Foster (Seattle, WA United States, via Scotland) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Hydroponics for Home Gardener: Completely Revised and Updated (Gardening S.) (Paperback)

I borrowed this book from the library, learned many useful things from it, but also found it maddeningly sketchy and incomplete. Thinking that a new edition would improve things, I ordered this one, but there is very little difference between versions.

A short, introductory text for beginners can get away with describing "how-to" while going light on "why-to," but only if the instructions are error-free and complete. The authors would have been better to leave out the extensive sections on history and commercial methods and concentrate purely on simple systems suitable for the home. They could also have explained a little more why things are done the way they are.

For example: many pages are devoted to the description of methods for circulating nutrient solution, either by hand or automatically. Why nutrients are circulated is barely mentioned. The reader is left wondering why a constant flow of the same nutrient solution is better than just leaving the solution where it is. (Answer: for the same reason that blood circulates.)

So, a maddening book, but still a useful one. I used it to design some cedar window-boxes, fed by inverted 2-litre soda bottles that look like enormous IVs.

After modifying my design to account for the authors' nearly-fatal omission that their choice of growing medium, perlite, is actually lighter than water (!), the tomatoes and herbs exploding out of my boxes now block the sun, and the neighbours are jealous of my IV-covered walls.

38 of 40 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Out of date information, October 20, 2005

By 

A Reviewer (Mississippi) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Hydroponics for Home Gardener: Completely Revised and Updated (Gardening S.) (Paperback)

I purchased this book because it had supposedly been "Completely Revised and Updated" in 2005. That is rather hard to believe as most of the methods discussed are no longer appropriate. Also the copyright says 1992. However the book does have its high points. The section on selecting and growing herbs is outstanding. Also included is very good info on which herbs to use with certain foods along with recipes from professional chefs. Using hydroponic systems outdoors is also covered. I would recommend this book as an addition to a collection of hydroponic books. If you only buy one book there are many other better ones such as "How-To Hydroponics" by Keith Roberto. "Hobby Hydroponics" by Howard M. Resh would be another great choce. All in all anyone would probably learn something new from this or any other hydroponic book that would justify the price.

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good book, July 13, 2006

By 

Arvid G. Evans (Boise, Idaho USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Hydroponics for Home Gardener: Completely Revised and Updated (Gardening S.) (Paperback)

In a world where most hydroponics books talk about the exotic ways to grow things, this book covers a basic approach which would seem to insure success. I don't know about others but it helped me find and correct several misconceptions and problems that I have been experiencing with my hobby level hydro growing (excessive watering, inapropriate nutrient levels, etc.) Overall, a good text for beginning or hobby level hydroponic growing.