The Organic Gardener's Home Reference: A Plant-By-Plant Guide to Growing Fresh, Healthy Food (Paperback)

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Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

This is truly a one-stop comprehensive guide to organic gardening: it is a big book filled with techniques, definitions, solutions to gardening problems, and a huge listing of organic gardening resources. It's one of the most thorough guides I have seen for organic gardeners--it is well indexed and annotated, and covers all climate zones and growing conditions. If this book doesn't get your motor running about the garden, well, maybe you'll want to try a different hobby. I think it should be a part of any true gardener's library, covered with notes, muddy fingerprints, and with the well-worn pages.

Review

"This book is a masterpiece of detailed gardening information. You may never have to ask another question." -- Bob Thomson, author, and former host of the PBS Victory Garden show

"Everything the organic gardener would want to know is in this handy book." -- ALA Booklist

"The most extensive and up-to-date lists of non-chemical remedies in print. A terrific job of gathering information..." -- HortIdeas

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Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Storey Books (March 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0882668390
• ISBN-13: 978-0882668390
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 8.5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,169,217 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Organic Gardener's Home Helper, October 24, 2001

By A Customer

I have found this book to be loaded with helpful information. Some basic info, a good reminder for us all, through detailed info to help with specific problems is wonderful. The best thing is, if the book gives you options to fix a problem, it tells you why it works and whether the method is a certain or uncertain fix. It covers everything from planting by variety to pests vs beneficial insects, fungus, soil, and a large index/appendices to lead you elsewhere if needed. It covers companions/ally planting quite well. The only thing I have noted which appears not to be covered is crop rotation. I've used this for about 5 years now and wouldn't be without if for my Organic garden! Great Organic Reference book.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Comprehensive, September 9, 2004

By	Lynn Harnett (Marathon, FL USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This review is from: The Organic Gardener's Home Reference: A Plant-By-Plant Guide to Growing Fresh, Healthy Food (Hardcover)

The Organic Gardener's Home Reference is a chart book, plant by plant, in alphabetical order, for vegetables, fruits and nuts, and herbs. The final two sections offer charts for controlling diseases and pests and suggestions for companion plants.

Each chart includes growth conditions, from when and how to plant to what to expect from the mature plant. Following this at-a-glance information is harvest advice, storage requirements and growing tips. Pests, diseases, companion plants and incompatible plants are also listed and the opposing page offers selected varieties (not localized enough to be really useful), special notes, and space for the gardener's notes. A useful quick-reference guide with concise, sometimes unusual advice. For example, the tomato entry suggests solarizing the soil during the growing season to control disease.