Rodale's Vegetable Garden Problem Solver [Paperback]

Fern Marshall Bradley (Author)

Book Description

Release date: January 9, 2007 | ISBN-10: 1594863083 | ISBN-13: 978-1594863080

With a wealth of information and tested advice, this problem-solving treasure gives gardeners every-thing they need to do battle with garden pests, diseases, and weeds--with safe, natural solutions

Combining a troubleshooting approach with encyclopedic coverage and drawing on the most up-to-date research on biological and non- or low-toxic controls, Rodale's Vegetable Garden Problem Solver features:

• more than 60 vegetables, organized alphabetically from asparagus to zucchini

• individual pest entries on the 30 most common insect pests and how to combat them

• individual disease entries on the 30 most common vegetable plant diseases--including symptoms and causes and ways to keep plants disease-free

• a problem-solving approach to such favorite gardening topics as seed-starting, soil, weather, watering, crop rotation, fertilizing, transplanting, and season extension

• "Beyond the Basics" sidebars for those willing to go the extra mile to eradicate a problem in the garden in a safe and natural way

With numerous tips on prevention so gardeners can spend less time putting out fires and focus instead on producing higher-yielding and more attractive gardens, this will quickly become the trusted companion of every vegetable gardener.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Starred Review. This encyclopedic collection of gardening advice is, in the Rodale tradition, purely organic, albeit with a no-nonsense, 21st-century attitude. Extensive attention is given to tantalizing techniques such as cover cropping and dealing with deer damage (including what to protect, repellants and scare devices, and 10 kinds of antideer fences). The vegetable entries are equally comprehensive, with sections detailing "Crop Basics," "Secrets of Success," "Preventing Problems," "Regional Notes" and "Troubleshooting Problems." Drawings of pest-infested plants are helpful, and Bradley covers the gamut of solutions, from timed planting to crop rotation, barriers to repellants, wisely advising prevention as the first tactic and using (organic) insecticides as a last resort. The book is extensively illustrated with attractive drawings, although the choice of what to depict is sometimes mysterious; the image of flowering arugula is lovely, for example, although readers may wish they could see a picture of, say a disease called "aster yellows." the "new growth... pale and bushy, forming a witch's broom." For any gardener who needs to keep track of "crucial care" for squash, how to control cucumber beetles with a vacuum cleaner or any of the myriad details that arise every day in the garden, this book is a must. (Feb.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

About the Author

FERN MARSHALL BRADLEY is a freelance writer and editor with extensive experience in garden and nature books. A former garden book editor for Rodale, she conceived and edited several top-selling titles, including Rodale's All-New Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening and The Experts Book of Garden Hints. She lives in the Hudson Valley region of New York.

Product Details

• Paperback: 416 pages
• Publisher: Rodale Books (January 9, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1594863083
• ISBN-13: 978-1594863080
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7.3 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #282,153 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Fern Marshall Bradley is the former gardening books editor for Rodale Press. She is best-known for the best-selling Rodale's All-New Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening, and has also authored or edited many books, including Reader's Digest's Vegetable Gardening.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A wonderful refernce guide February 12, 2007

By Sharon Tepe

Format:Paperback

I am not a novice to organic gardening, but I have never focused on growing vegetables before. I bought this book thinking it would be a good reference book to get started. It is that and more.

The book is extremely easy to navigate; everything is arranged alphabetically. Under each vegetable there is a section on crop basics; site, soil, timing of planting, planting method, crucial care and harvesting. I was also very pleased and surprised to find information on growing each vegetable in containers, with the size of the container often mentioned. There is also sections for secret to success, regional notes, preventing problems and troubleshooting (diseases, pests, etc.)

If you are looking for a specific pest, these too are alphabetically arranged. There is a pest profile, pictures of the various stages, control methods and a control calendar. Under diseases, there is a description, crops at risk, etc.

The book also contains information on crop rotation, companion planting, composting and many other topics - all organized alphabetically.

I am sure that I will be using this book often during the growing season. I am now looking for a book just like this for growing organic fruit.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Knowledgeably compiled and skillfully organized May 11, 2007

By Midwest Book Review

Format:Paperback

In "Rodale's Vegetable Garden Problem Solver", lifelong organic gardener Fern Marshall Bradley has knowledgeably compiled and skillfully organized a wealth of practical, applicable, 'user friendly' advice and instruction on dealing with pests, diseases, weeds, and other problems that beset the vegetable garden. The solutions to these diverse issues that vegetable gardens must commonly deal with are based on the cutting edge of horticultural research and offer gardeners hundreds of organic and natural solutions for plant disease, pests, and weed problems. From polytape and mesh fences, to deer repellents, to flea beetle infestations, "Rodale's Vegetable Garden Problem Solver" offers safe, effective remedies that will enhance a vegetable garden's performance producing healthy, bountiful, 'bumper crop' yields. If you have a vegetable garden of your own, you need to avail yourself of the "Rodale's Vegetable Garden Problem Solver", Fern Marshall Bradley's essential 'how to' manual.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars yes --- but... December 19, 2009

By Enamelation ! VINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

I like the fact that it's just about vegetables and doesn't go into turf or roses. There's just about every veg you can think of in here. Some of them are covered in great detail.

However, Rodale, like so many gardening authors are located "up north". I'm in Florida. I wish They had written exactly this book for the Southern gardener. A goodly amount of space is taken with problems specific to northern climes.

Still, there's a lot of stuff in here to know and being arranged the way it is, one stands a fine chance of getting right to what you need to know when you need to know it.

I'd like to have seen more information on the virtues of various soil additions. For instance, I know that cottonseed meal is about 7-1-1 and as it breaks down it acidifies the soil. I love the stuff. If I had not learned that elsewhere but knew that my soil was bursting with P & K, a little low on nitrogen and rather to alkaline --- this book would not have told me.

Over all well done.