Rodale Organic Gardening Solutions: Over 500 Answers to Real Life Questions from Backyard Gardeners [Hardcover]

Cheryl Long (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 2001

For years, gardeners have submitted questions to the staff and editors of Organic Gardening magazine, dealing with the real challenges they face in their own yards and gardens. Combined with the honest, well-informed answers of the OG staff, the question-and-answer department has become the most popular in the magazine. Now the best of these questions have been collected in one volume.

The OG experts answer tough questions about gardening safely and organically, such as "will it hurt my garden if I mulch with clippings from lawns that have been sprayed with herbicides or pesticides?" and "does watering my garden with chlorinated tap water kill helpful soil microorganisms?" Organic Gardening Solutions also includes helpful suggestions for all kinds of gardeners with specific questions on herb, flower, and vegetable gardening, controlling weeds, fighting insect pests, composting, soil care, garden design, caring for trees and shrubs, and water gardening.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

More than 10 years of horticultural troubleshooting is harvested in this compendium of tips from Organic Gardening magazine's "Solutions" column, which pairs queries from readers on some of gardening's thornier issues with advice from experts across the nation. The questions presented cover a wide range of topics, from vegetables and flowers to seed propagation, composting and battling pests and weeds; the corresponding recommendations are all organic and environmentally friendly. A lament over mutant zucchini, for instance, is answered by a vegetable breeder who attributes the aberration to the weather and advises gardeners to use fertile soil, lots of water and an early hybrid variety that is less susceptible to fluctuations in temperature and light. Arranged in a reader-friendly format, the entries are grouped by subject and capped with snappy headlines ("Turning Blue over Green Garlic," "Dud Spuds," "Invasion of the Grasshoppers," "Bye Bye Bermudagrass") that help set a brisk pace. Whether debating the value of Epsom salts as a tomato fertilizer or ferreting out the best rosemary variety for overwintering, this volume contains many helpful hints and should quickly become well-thumbed by inquiring gardeners. (May)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

Contrary to popular belief, larger asparagus spears are tastier than thin spears. It's also true that putting sprigs of rosemary, sage, and lavender in with potatoes will inhibit sprouting while in storage, and that weeds can be controlled organically. Once again, Organic Gardening Magazine comes through with advice and answers to more than 500 questions asked by new and veteran backyard gardeners. The easy-to-read chapters are divided into subject categories, ranging from vegetables, fruits, and herbs to essentials of starting and saving seeds, composting, and maintaining carefree lawns. Comprehensive resource listings and "Check It Out!" boxes provide alternative advice on finding answers locally. Compiled from 10-plus years worth of "Solution" columns, this useful volume features leading hands-on gardening experts from all around the country offering shortcuts, tips, and secret approaches to solving myriad garden problems. Doris Taylor
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 246 pages
• Publisher: Rodale Pr (September 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0875968511
• ISBN-13: 978-0875968513
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7.6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,891,482 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A "must" for the novice gardener., July 4, 2000

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Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Rodale Organic Gardening Solutions (Paperback)

In Rodale Organic Gardening Solutions, Cheryl Long collaborated with the editors of "Organic Gardening" magazine to offer the gardener easy, proven, practical organic, non-toxic solutions for sixty common gardening problems. Readers will learn how to get the most from their vegetable crops, produce beautiful flower gardens, learn to nurture tree and vine fruits, discover how to grow their own seasonings, master the nuts and bolts of saving and starting seeds, improve composting and soil management, keep pests under control, control weeds organically, and simplify lawn and landscape care. Superbly organized and thoroughly "user friendly", Rodale Organic Gardening Solutions is a "must" for the novice gardener, and has much of significant value to offer even the more experienced horticulturalist.