The Complete Compost Gardening Guide and over 670,000 other books are available for Amazon Kindle – Amazon’s new wireless reading device. Learn more

 

or
Sign in to turn on 1-Click ordering.
Express Checkout with PayPhrase
What's this? | Create PayPhrase
More Buying Choices
Have one to sell? Sell yours here
or
Get a $4.80 Amazon.com Gift Card
The Complete Compost Gardening Guide: Banner batches, grow heaps, comforter compost, and other amazing techniques for saving time and money, and producing ... most flavorful, nutritous vegetables ever.
 
 
Start reading The Complete Compost Gardening Guide on your Kindle in under a minute.

Don’t have a Kindle? Get your Kindle here, or download a FREE Kindle Reading App.

The Complete Compost Gardening Guide: Banner batches, grow heaps, comforter compost, and other amazing techniques for saving time and money, and producing ... most flavorful, nutritous vegetables ever. [Paperback]

Barbara Pleasant (Author), Deborah L. Martin (Author)
4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)

List Price: $19.95
Price: $13.57 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details
You Save: $6.38 (32%)
o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o
In Stock.
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com. Gift-wrap available.
Want it delivered Tuesday, September 7? Choose One-Day Shipping at checkout. Details
35 new from $12.89 12 used from $11.52

Formats

Amazon Price New from Used from
Kindle Edition $9.99  
Hardcover $23.96  
Paperback $13.57  

Frequently Bought Together

The Complete Compost Gardening Guide: Banner batches, grow heaps, comforter compost, and other amazing techniques for saving time and money, and producing ... most flavorful, nutritous vegetables ever. + The Vegetable Gardener's Bible (10th Anniversary Edition) + All New Square Foot Gardening: Grow More in Less Space!
Price For All Three: $43.63

Show availability and shipping details

Buy the selected items together
  • In Stock.
    Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
    Eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details

  • The Vegetable Gardener's Bible (10th Anniversary Edition)$16.47

    In Stock.
    Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
    Eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details

  • All New Square Foot Gardening: Grow More in Less Space!$13.59

    In Stock.
    Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
    Eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details


Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought


Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

When heaping mounds of garden debris just sit there like so much, well, garbage, many frustrated garden composters bemoan their lack of success and throw in the old pitchfork. Some worry about becoming a slave to elaborate, multiplex bins requiring heavy maintenance, while others fret over locating a compost pile where it won’t draw the ire of neighbors. Based on their own trial-and-error experiences, the authors calm the fears that can wriggle through gardeners’ psyches like so many burrowing earthworms. Writing in an easygoing, conversational style, the authors introduce such novel practices as underground composting and vermicomposting. Including critical safety tips, indispensable tool recommendations, and extensive guidelines for compostable materials, this comprehensive how-to will persuade novices to give composting a try, and offer accomplished composters ingenious new methods for creating healthy gardens. --Carol Haggas --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Product Description

Barbara Pleasant and Deborah L. Martin turn the compost bin upside down with their liberating system of keeping compost heaps right in the garden, rather than in some dark corner behind the garage. The compost and the plants live together from the beginning in a nourishing, organic environment. The authors' bountiful, compost-rich gardens require less digging, weeding, mulching, and even less planting. And here's one of the best parts — no more backbreaking slogs from compost bin to garden. The authors even identify the plants that benefit most from compost and how the elements of a composted garden work together.

A natural Six-Way Compost Gardening System provides the ruling principles for successfully improving every garden with healthy compost. Readers will learn how to:

1. Choose labor-saving sites that keep gardens and compost piles as close to one another as possible.

2. Work with the compostable riches produced at home. Every yard and kitchen produces plenty of material — easily identified with at-a-glance charts — for a great start.

3. Help composting critters do their work by balancing ingredients, adding high-nitrogen meals when needed, and keeping the compost moist.

4. Reuse recycling bin items, such as large plastic buckets and cardboard boxes, as composting equipment.

5. Keep diversity in the mix. The magic is in the variety of the components and how they work together to create "gardener’s gold."

6. Customize composting to suit specific garden needs, always concentrating first on soil care.

Adhering to these guidelines, Pleasant and Martin bring readers on a thorough, informative tour of materials and innovative techniques, leading the way to an efficient and rewarding home gardening system. Their methods are sure to help gardeners turn average vegetable plots into rich incubators of healthy produce, bursting with fresh flavor, and flower beds into rich tapestries of bountiful blooms all season long.

Product Details

  • Paperback: 320 pages
  • Publisher: Storey Publishing, LLC (February 13, 2008)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 1580177026
  • ISBN-13: 978-1580177023
  • Product Dimensions: 10.8 x 8.4 x 0.7 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 2.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #24,170 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
    #22 in  Books > Home & Garden > Sustainable Living > Organic
    #34 in  Books > Home & Garden > Gardening & Horticulture > Techniques
    #2 in  Books > Science > Agricultural Sciences > Soil Science

More About the Authors

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Inside This Book (learn more)

What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

The Complete Compost Gardening Guide: Banner batches, grow heaps, comforter compost, and other amazing techniques for saving time and money, and producing ... most flavorful, nutritous vegetables ever.
65% buy the item featured on this page:
The Complete Compost Gardening Guide: Banner batches, grow heaps, comforter compost, and other amazing techniques for saving time and money, and producing ... most flavorful, nutritous vegetables ever. 4.6 out of 5 stars (19)
$13.57
The Vegetable Gardener's Bible (10th Anniversary Edition)
13% buy
The Vegetable Gardener's Bible (10th Anniversary Edition) 4.8 out of 5 stars (126)
$16.47
Let it Rot!: The Gardener's Guide to Composting (Third Edition) (Storey's Down-to-Earth Guides)
10% buy
Let it Rot!: The Gardener's Guide to Composting (Third Edition) (Storey's Down-to-Earth Guides) 4.6 out of 5 stars (34)
$9.32
All New Square Foot Gardening: Grow More in Less Space!
6% buy
All New Square Foot Gardening: Grow More in Less Space! 4.6 out of 5 stars (304)
$13.59

Tags Customers Associate with This Product

 (What's this?)
Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
 
(2)

Your tags: Add your first tag
 

 

Customer Reviews

19 Reviews
5 star:
 (13)
4 star:
 (5)
3 star:
 (1)
2 star:    (0)
1 star:    (0)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.6 out of 5 stars (19 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
46 of 46 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Great practical ideas and a wonderful "compost philosophy", June 26, 2008
This review is from: The Complete Compost Gardening Guide: Banner batches, grow heaps, comforter compost, and other amazing techniques for saving time and money, and producing ... most flavorful, nutritous vegetables ever. (Paperback)
My favorite passage from this book points out that buying hundreds of dollars of composting gear runs directly counter to the philosophy underlying a compost / organic garden. Composting is about using what you have where you have it, and that idea resonates throughout this book. While the basic methods will be familiar to experienced gardeners, it's still cheering and invigorating to see the many ways in which not only compost but also simple, raw organic matter can be worked directly into the garden. This book brings compost out of a complicated and expensive bin in the far corner of the yard and puts it back where it belongs, right in the center of the garden.

Its methods are also highly effective and nicely fleshed out, with the authors not only decribing how to set up sheet, crater, bin, and worm composts, but also giving invaluable tips on the types of crops that thrive in each. I took their advice and dug layers of leaves, grass, pulled weeds and food scraps directly into the earth, and the reward has been an most amazing crop of potatoes and squash - two plants that they rightly singled out as being particularly fond of a compost crater. Now, instead of trying to keep up with high-labor speed batches or buying a pricey tumbler, I'm letting my compost do the work itself, snuggled into the bottoms of dug or raised beds or, in the case of my pine needles, mulched right around the roots of the azaleas. It's a deeply satisfying feeling to stop lugging garbage bags full of organic material to the curb and instead look around at a yard that gives itself everything it needs.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews  
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No


 
21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Composting Made Easy, January 1, 2009
By allanbecker-gardenguru (Montreal, Canada) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Complete Compost Gardening Guide: Banner batches, grow heaps, comforter compost, and other amazing techniques for saving time and money, and producing ... most flavorful, nutritous vegetables ever. (Paperback)
The Complete Compost Gardening Guide

By Barbara Pleasant and Deborah L. Martin

Storey Publishing

ISBN 978-1-58017-702-3

ISBN 978-1-58017-703-0

The hedgehog that lives in my back yard has let me know, in his own way, that purchasing a compost bin with a ground level opening is not a good idea. He already eats everything tasty in my garden, so access to compostable kitchen scraps will only create a feast for him and a mess for me. The solution would be to invest in a rotary compost bin that prevents animals from climbing inside. Not a good idea! While I would like to do my part to save the planet, spending a lot of money on equipment contradicts the idea of going green.

That is why the arrival of this book on my doorstep was so welcome. It only took the reading of a few pages to realize that there are many ways to compost without spending a lot of money. At first glance, I thought that this publication was targeting the commercial farmer, but on closer inspection, I discovered that this book has so much to offer the recreational gardener as well.

What I like best about this book is the scholarly method with which the subject of composting is introduced and expanded upon, in incremental sub topics, until the totality of the subject has been examined. The essential message in this publication is that anyone's back yard or farm can easily become a "compost- generating system" by simply following a few steps to create the right environment for organic matter to break down.

The first three chapters discuss the fundamentals by reviewing the science of composting, the tools needed and the materials that are helpful. Then the book gets really interesting when the various techniques of composting are discussed. In this section, we are introduced to four methods of composting. Here is where we personalize the book, by selecting the procedure or procedures that best suit our landscape, our skills and our needs. Farmers with large quantities of waste vegetation may opt for one process while the weekend gardener might choose another.

The first method is called "banner batches". This is composting that takes place in heaps or enclosures. The second method is referred to as "comforter compost and grow heaps" This is a labor saving procedure that requires one to simply pile garden waste in layers, moisten and allow nature to do the rest. The next method discussed is called underground composting. In this procedure, holes in the ground are filled with organic material and then covered with earth and allowed to decompose. The last method is called `vermicompost" which uses worms to convert waste into compost.

The final section of the book discussed how plants can interact with compost by growing in or near a compost heap. Some plants are enriched by growing close by and some plants enrich the heap itself by growing in it. In all, fifteen plants are recommended, each one being suitable for one of the four composting methods discussed in the book.

While composting is a science, at no point in the book does the writing become technical. The publication is written for the layperson in a friendly and easy-to -read style. It almost makes the reader feel that we are visiting the authors on a farm and learning from them as they go about their work.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews  
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No


 
21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Best Yet for Depth and Variety, December 2, 2008
This review is from: The Complete Compost Gardening Guide: Banner batches, grow heaps, comforter compost, and other amazing techniques for saving time and money, and producing ... most flavorful, nutritous vegetables ever. (Paperback)
I am a Master Gardener Educator with a special interst in organic, Mother Earth stewardship. Outside of Rodale's book on composting, this it the best overall guide on composting I have found. It is in-depth, yet takes us to practical ideas. Great photos and layout. Easy reading. Knowledgeable and inpiring. I think is a great choice!
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews  
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No

Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
 
 
 
Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars There's hope
This book has all types of useful information relating to composting and gardening. If the information given is true, our rose gareden should be easy care and healtier with less... Read more
Published 3 months ago by Norman Benoit

4.0 out of 5 stars good book
A lot of pages about composting with a lot of made up words about types of composting that I found irritating. Read more
Published 7 months ago by Hop N. Blueberry Farm

3.0 out of 5 stars Not what I expected
Although there is a lot of different information in the book it, in some instances, just briefly describes the technique, but offers no pictures or examples. Read more
Published 9 months ago by MML

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful
Great book for anyone who does gardening. I wasn't much into the worm farm in my house but to each it's own.
Published 11 months ago by Dorothy L. Eiswert

4.0 out of 5 stars A bit "cutesy", but informative
This is a very good collection of information, describing methods of composting suited to diverse living situations from inner-city apartments to country homesteads. Read more
Published 14 months ago by R. Peacock

5.0 out of 5 stars Compost finally explained
I have had compost issues for years. I have made every mistake possible and now I understand why. I was making composting much more difficult than it really is... Read more
Published 14 months ago by K. Robbins

4.0 out of 5 stars Takes Composting to A New Level
I was hoping this book would offer something "more" than the other books and articles I have read. Forget just the basics of composting, this book provides the how-to for almost... Read more
Published 16 months ago by A. Mooneyham

5.0 out of 5 stars Very well written and thorough
This book is very well written and thorough. The writing style is informal and somewhat breezy, but it covers a large scope at reasonable depth and completeness. Read more
Published 16 months ago by E. loren Buhle, Jr.

5.0 out of 5 stars Must Read
I have spent more time reading this than any other in the past several years. It is well worth the money spent.
Published 18 months ago by Michael W. Lemley

5.0 out of 5 stars Compost
I purchase these book when my sister in law borrowed my old compost book.
This new book is far better. Much more vivid. Read more
Published 18 months ago by Geob Donte

Only search this product's reviews



Customer Discussions

This product's forum
Discussion Replies Latest Post
No discussions yet

Ask questions, Share opinions, Gain insight
Start a new discussion
Topic:
First post:
Prompts for sign-in
 


Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
Search all Amazon discussions
   





Look for Similar Items by Category


Look for Similar Items by Subject

 

Feedback

If you need help or have a question for Customer Service, contact us.
 Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
Is there any other feedback you would like to provide?

Your comments can help make our site better for everyone.


Your Recent History

 (What's this?)

After viewing product detail pages or search results, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in.