Rodale's Illustrated Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening (Paperback)

~ Maria Rodale (Foreword), Pauline Pears (Foreword) "WHETHER YOU ARE REVAMPING an existing garden or starting a new one from scratch, it pays to think organic from the very start..." (more)
Key Phrases: plant problems, salad crops, italica group, Spacing Rows, Harvesting Harvest, Harvesting Pick (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Whether an experienced gardener is looking to go organic or a beginner wants to create a healthy, eco-friendly garden, the Rodale's Illustrated Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening contains the tips and techniques needed to produce beautiful flowers, top-quality herbs, and appetizing, wholesome fruits and vegetables. Explore the latest methods for cultivation without chemicals, discover the benefits of composting, and learn how to maintain an organic garden year-round.

About the Author

For more than 50 years, Rodale, Inc. has been a leading publisher of information on healthy, active, organic lifestyles.

Product Details

• Paperback: 416 pages
• Publisher: DK ADULT (April 18, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0756609321
• ISBN-13: 978-0756609320
• Product Dimensions: 10.8 x 9 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #54,385 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #12 in	Books > Reference > Encyclopedias > Gardening
  #20 in	Books > Children's Books > Series > Nonfiction > DK Illustrated Encyclopedias
  #37 in	Books > Home & Garden > Gardening & Horticulture > Garden Design

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

46 of 48 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Awsome reference book, November 30, 2006

By	Tyler J. Allison (Burlington, KY) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

If I could only have one book it would be this one. It is what is says...an Encyclopedia. Luckily I'm not limited to only one book as it does not cover some topics as well as other books. But that's the point of an encyclopedia..touch on all topics as best as can be done for the space available.

The first 30 pages are dedicated to the history of the organic movement and the basic design recommendations for an organic garden.

The next 70 pages cover the basics of soil care, watering, weed control, plant health and raising plants.

The next 100 pages cover various garden aspects like lawn care, woody plants, garden flowers, container gardening, gardening for wildlife and the use of greenhouses and covers.

Another 100 pages cover growing fruit, herbs and vegetables. This section alone is larger than 90% of most gardening book and well worth the price of the book alone.

It has the standard appendix and reference sections you would expect for a gardening book but a surprising extra is the H.D.R.A Organic Guidelines for Gardeners that is included as an appendix. I didn't even know such a thing existed until I read this book. Absolutely wonderful!

28 of 38 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Poorly researched, September 27, 2007

By	N. Reyna (TX) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This book is poorly researched. One section of the book talks about fungi being plants that do not undergo photosynthesis. This idea has not been accepted by the science community since the mid 50s. It goes on to mention potato blight as common pathogenic fungi....potato blight is not casued by a fungi. The causative pathogen (an oomycete) was once in the kingdom fungi but later moved to a different kingdom in the late 70's. This leads me to beleive that the authors have taken a lot of updated information for granted. I could go on and on about this book. If you are new to gardening and and want something to ready this is an OK book. If you want or need a book that give real uptdate advice this is not the book. In my opinonin this book falls into the catagory of books that are ment to be on a coffe table and not really used. A good name was used to sell a poor product.

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant! Buy this book., July 26, 2007

By	Violet "indie music geek" (Idyho!) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

I've been gardening for a few years, and this book really broadened my knowledge. Also made me feel less like a cheapskate for not running out to buy all the latest garden gizmos - they point out that you can reuse pruned shoots, for example, to stake up your garden plants. Highly recommended.