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Teaming with Microbes: The Organic Gardener's Guide to the Soil Food Web, Revised Edition Hardcover – Illustrated, February 24, 2010

4.8 out of 5 stars 2,183 ratings

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“A breakthrough book. No comprehensive horticultural library should be without it.” —American Gardener

When we use chemical fertilizers, we injure the microbial life that sustains plants, and then become increasingly dependent on an arsenal of toxic substances. Teaming with Microbes offers an alternative to this vicious circle, and details how to garden in a way that strengthens, rather than destroys, the soil food web. You’ll discover that healthy soil is teeming with life—not just earthworms and insects, but a staggering multitude of bacteria, fungi, and other microorganisms. This must-have guide is for everyone, from those devoted to organic gardening techniques to weekend gardeners who simply want to grow healthy plants without resorting to chemicals.

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From the brand

Editorial Reviews

Review

“A breakthrough book. . . . well worth owning and reading. No comprehensive horticultural library should be without it.” —American Gardener

“Digs into soil in a most enlightening and entertaining way.” —
Dallas Morning News

“Required reading for all serious gardeners.” —
Miami Herald

“The authors have given gardeners an inside scoop on the scientific research supporting organic gardening.” —
Pacific Horticulture

“This intense little book may well change the way you garden.” —
St. Louis Post-Dispatch

“Exceptional. . . . A brief, clear overview of scientific information with which every gardener should be familiar.” —
Monterey Herald

“Sure, it’s a gardening book, but it has all the drama and suspense of an extraterrestrial thriller. A cast of characters without eyeballs or backbones. Battle scenes with bizarre creatures devouring one another. Only this book is about as terrestrial as it gets.” —
Anchorage Daily News

“All good gardeners know healthy plants start with healthy soil. But why? And how? In
Teaming with Microbes Lowenfels and Lewis reveal the new research in the most practical and accessible way.” —The Oregonian

“Read this book and you’ll never think of soil the same way.” —
Seattle Post-Intelligencer

“Sure, it’s a gardening book, but it has all the drama and suspense of an extraterrestrial thriller. . . . Read this book and you’ll never look at soil the same way.” —
BB Magazine

“A must read for any gardener looking to create a sustainable, healthy garden without chemicals.” —
Virginian-Pilot

“It takes readers underground to meet the critters that live if you let them under the garden.” —
Rockland Courier-Gazette

“[
Teaming with Microbes] was one of those ‘aha’ moments for me, where I realized I had been growing wrong this whole time.”  —Matthew Frigon (Founder of Lazy Bee Farms) in Dope Magazine

From the Back Cover

Winner of the Garden Writers Association Gold Award for Best Book Writing

Smart gardeners know that soil is anything but an inert substance. Healthy soil is teeming with life—not just earthworms and insects, but a staggering multitude of bacteria, fungi, and other microorganisms. When we use chemical fertilizers, we injure the microbial life that sustains healthy plants, and thus become increasingly dependent on an arsenal of artificial substances, many of them toxic to humans as well as other forms of life. But there is an alternative to this vicious circle: to garden in a way that strengthens, rather than destroys, the soil food web—the complex world of soil-dwelling organisms whose interactions create a nurturing environment for plants. By eschewing jargon and overly technical language, the authors make the benefits of cultivating the soil food web available to a wide audience, from devotees of organic gardening techniques to weekend gardeners who simply want to grow healthy, vigorous plants without resorting to chemicals.

This revised edition updates the original text and includes two completely new chapters—on mycorrhizae (beneficial associations fungi form with green-leaved plants) and archaea (singled-celled organisms once thought to be allied to bacteria).

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Timber Press
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ February 24, 2010
  • Edition ‏ : ‎ Revised
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 220 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1604691131
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1604691139
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.31 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.5 x 1 x 9.5 inches
  • Best Sellers Rank: #54,423 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.8 out of 5 stars 2,183 ratings

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Customer reviews

4.8 out of 5 stars
2,183 global ratings

Customers say

Customers find this gardening book informative and easy to understand, with one review noting how it makes complex science accessible. Moreover, the book helps customers understand their gardens from the ground up and provides practical advice for organic gardening. Additionally, they appreciate its focus on healthy soil as the most important aspect, and one customer mentions how it changed their gardening approach. The writing style receives positive feedback, and customers consider it a must-have for gardeners.

146 customers mention "Information quality"140 positive6 negative

Customers find the book provides detailed and insightful information about soil science, with one customer noting it includes references for further exploration.

"Very informative and interesting. Details are used that are easily understood...." Read more

"I enjoyed reading this book. It was informative and instructive. I checked it out from the library and liked it so much I ordered it from Amazon...." Read more

"...Part 1 is very informative and well written, while Part 2 is more conjecture than based on scientific justification...." Read more

"Interesting and good information. I did not expect it to be mostly a science book. Thought it would have more how to in it...." Read more

141 customers mention "Readability"139 positive2 negative

Customers find the book readable and engaging, describing it as a must-read for gardeners, with one customer noting it reads like a novel.

"Great book, the first half covers the soil biology to a degree that some may consider boring, but to me really opened up the door to learning about..." Read more

"Fantastic book. Wish I could have had this information years earlier. My soil is extremely poor due to large number of oak trees...." Read more

"...The first chapter outlines the rest of the book. It's a great book if you want to understand what's wrong with our farming practices and how..." Read more

"Excellent book,a bit technical, someone overwhelming, but once you get by this excellent information backed by solid experience and research...." Read more

77 customers mention "Soil knowledge"77 positive0 negative

Customers find the book to be a must-have for soil and gardening knowledge, helping them understand their garden from the ground up and providing practical advice for organic gardening.

"Excellent read on the importance of understanding soil and how to treat it...." Read more

"...So many practical suggestions to successfully cooperate with & optimize the microbes & the soil." Read more

"...that is total avoidance of the synthetic chemicals, this is a useful reference." Read more

"...exploration, and the easy to understand "Rules" are helpful reminders of the advice given in the text, I highly recommend this book for..." Read more

57 customers mention "Ease of understanding"51 positive6 negative

Customers find the book easy to understand and not too technical, with one customer noting it is clear enough for novice gardeners.

"...has a great list of references for further exploration, and the easy to understand "Rules" are helpful reminders of the advice given in the..." Read more

"...part way into reading this book but find it very interesting and easy to read; the author explains the information simply and I am finding out lots..." Read more

"Easy to understand, good basic information. Highly recommend this book to anyone who's interested in what makes their garden soil "tick"." Read more

"...of sharing this very valuable information in a manner that is not overly technical, while very informative...." Read more

48 customers mention "Book content"47 positive1 negative

Customers find this book to be an essential resource for organic gardening, describing it as a must-have for gardeners.

"Excellent resource regarding how to increase microbial life in the soil as well as other soil organisms from a strictly "organic" perspective..." Read more

"Great book on microlife, and how they work in soil, this is a must read for any gardener, that uses organics." Read more

"This is a great book for the gardener and Medical Marijuana Connoisseur...." Read more

"Great book for organic gardening a must read." Read more

44 customers mention "Soil quality"43 positive1 negative

Customers appreciate the book's focus on soil biology, noting that healthy soil is crucial for gardening and that it is alive with microorganisms.

"...(Teaming with Microbes and True living Organics)" Read more

"...great opening book for anyone interested in the importance of having good soil in order to have good crops!..." Read more

"Fertile soil is more than finely ground rock with some shredded peat moss and some roots and a worm or two sprinkled with some water and chemical..." Read more

"To have a great garden you have to start with the soil but understanding the components that make soil work requires an understanding of the details..." Read more

37 customers mention "Soil health"36 positive1 negative

Customers praise the book's approach to soil health, explaining how to maintain and improve it for better plant growth, with one customer noting it can be done without synthetic fertilizers.

"...It teaches you, in a very easy to understand way, how the soil food web works and what you can do to naturally improve your soil and crops/plants..." Read more

"This book will change the way you garden. It is a MUST READ not only for organic gardeners but anybody with a garden or wanting a nice lawn naturally." Read more

"Buying this book again as a gift because it has changed the way I garden. 'Teaming With Microbes' explains "how stuff works" in the soil...." Read more

"...Highlights the importance of the soil food web and how symbiosis occurring between plants, bacteria and fungus mutually benefit one another (and us)...." Read more

28 customers mention "Writing style"27 positive1 negative

Customers appreciate the writing style of the book, with one customer noting it is well-suited for non-biology readers.

"This book is well written and I got a lot of good understanding from it. I raise worms for the castings and had a lot to learn...." Read more

"Well written and a primer for anyone who believes in organic gardening. Learned a lot and constantly referring back to different portions of the book" Read more

"An amazing book written so that the reader completely understands the role and value that microbes play in soil and environmental health...." Read more

"...Give this book to anyone looking to improve their native soil. Great writing, makes soil science fun and approachable." Read more

Scratched up, used looking book.
2 out of 5 stars
Scratched up, used looking book.
The book is covered in scratches and does not look brand new.
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Top reviews from the United States

  • Reviewed in the United States on May 29, 2016
    Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
    Fertile soil is more than finely ground rock with some shredded peat moss and some roots and a worm or two sprinkled with some water and chemical fertilizer. Organic gardeners know that compost often holds a variety of visible lifeforms, but this book explains all the orders and families of lifeforms that can be found in a synthetic chemical free soil, with the most being microscopic in size. These tiny things are a food web, similar to what we call a food chain, which during their lifetimes contributes to the health of large plants like tree, and small like vegetables. However, I learned trees tend to benefit from fungal life forms that break down "brown" material like leaves and twigs, while vegetables and other soft stem plants prefere the bacterial forms that break down "green" material. There is much more explanation and detail of the life forms in a good composted soil, with some excellent photographs. It is easily read for such a complex subject, and get right down to the "how tos". One can open this book at any point and grasp what the authors have written. I have started a compost heap this spring, and I'm looking forward to seeing some of these forms under a microscope, and towards strengthening my drought stressed trees and shrubs. I got the hardcover because it's one of those subjects where I can look up a topic faster than searching on the internet. I am not knew to the concept of the vast kinds and amounts of organisms in the soil, but I still have learned useful facts. I think for anyone who is seriously into "organic" gardening, that is total avoidance of the synthetic chemicals, this is a useful reference.
    30 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on April 8, 2025
    Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
    I found this to be the best book I've read thus far for getting close to genuinely Understanding soil and therefore successfully knowledgeably gardening and farming in it.

    I recommend this book to people who want to know How and Why and are willing to dig deep so to speak in order to think bigger (sometimes by thinking smaller!). I do not recommend this to people who want Google to hurry up and tell them a simple answer. Because of this book I learned that Google's answers can easily be incorrect: Google will still tell you to Kill your Earth and the important Microbial Life within it with fertilizers that burn all your precious earthworms and Microbes away, making you 100% reliant on company's chemicals instead of the Earth. I am grateful to this book for opening my eyes, and I am now reading "Teaming With Fungi" to learn more.
    2 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on June 13, 2025
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    This is a must read book for organic gardeners. Its full of interesting facts about the invisible world in our soil.
  • Reviewed in the United States on April 5, 2014
    Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
    I think most gardeners who are serious about the sport/hobby/obsession of plant growing and nurturing will enjoy this book. It adds a layer of "why" to the things we all do. You know you fertilize, but understanding the microbiology helps you understand WHY this plant might want this type and others might like another. It also takes the art/science of composting to a much more interesting (to me) level.

    As some other reviewers pointed out already, the first half of the book does get a tad boring, (but still densely packed with useful information!!) but I dealt with that by skipping to the back half of the book and then coming back to the portions I skipped and taking them in smaller does broken up by more zippy reading.

    I do not want to give the impression the first half of the book is badly written or anything, it is just information dense, and like a text book it gets a little boring here and there if you do not take a break. At least for me.

    I am eagerly anticipating making my gardens some lovely compost tea this spring, inspired by this most excellent book. I had been composting for years, and was not really sold on the need to go the extra mile and make tea, but these authors have sold me on taking the time for a garden tea party.
    9 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on December 19, 2024
    Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
    I am a farmer and this book is fantastic if you want to know about soil life
    2 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on January 19, 2016
    Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
    Really enjoyed the book. Learned a lot. Most of the material in the book was new to me, and very worthwhile. I would have given it five stars, but I think the book comes up a little short in real-world application. I understand the concepts of a good soil food web and the disadvantages of chemicals and tilling and how this negatively impacts the soil. The authors didn't seem to offer any ideas on controlling grasses and weeds, other than by mulching, and I suppose pulling by hand. In my garden grasses and weeds can't be controlled by constantly pulling them, unless I want to dedicate 12 or more hours per day to the task (and I don't). I think the principles in the book can be applied properly on a very small scale. I have two 5700 sq ft garden areas. Not a farming operation, but larger scale gardening than most people attempt. Tilling the areas in the spring gives me a fighting chance against weeds and grasses. No amount of mulching seems to control the field grass in the gardens unless the ground is turned and tilled. After reading the book I was still scratching my head about that and looking forward to tilling in the spring. Otherwise I found the book to be excellent.
    22 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on August 31, 2025
    Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
    The holy grail.
  • Reviewed in the United States on August 21, 2024
    Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
    It covers from A to Z about soil life, and what you should know about what’s living in your soil. Good and bad!

Top reviews from other countries

Translate all reviews to English
  • aMonkstUs
    5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating, Engaging & Applicable
    Reviewed in Canada on August 30, 2024
    Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
    Absolutely recommend this book, if you have even the slightest interest in this topic you will greatly impressed.
    Customer image
    aMonkstUs
    5.0 out of 5 stars
    Fascinating, Engaging & Applicable

    Reviewed in Canada on August 30, 2024
    Absolutely recommend this book, if you have even the slightest interest in this topic you will greatly impressed.
    Images in this review
    Customer image
  • Krishnendu Chatterjee
    5.0 out of 5 stars Timely delivery
    Reviewed in India on December 12, 2018
    Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
    Just apt
  • Yagiz Savas
    5.0 out of 5 stars Konusu ile ilgili tatmin edici bir içeriğe sahip.
    Reviewed in Turkey on June 8, 2021
    Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
    Kitabın baskısı ve kapağı kaliteli. İçerik olarak da oldukça zengin bir kitap
    Report
  • Borchia Walter Mario
    5.0 out of 5 stars meglio di un romazo giallo
    Reviewed in Italy on September 21, 2017
    Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
    mi sono sempre sentito un minorato per quanto riguarda la cura delle piante o dell'orto.

    le mie prove sono state sempre negative. vangare, rivoltare la terra: tanto lavoro e pochi risultati.

    ora ho una speranza: capire bene la biologia del suolo (batteri, funghi micorrizie, .....)

    forse si puo' sostituire la conoscenza e l'attenzione ai dettagli al duro lavoro

    il sapore dei prodotti dell'orto e il sentirsi in armonia con la natura sono impagabili.
  • Catherine
    5.0 out of 5 stars Understand soil life and how to support it
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 24, 2024
    Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
    This book is all about things living in the soil, what they do and how they do it. It's a book to really concentrate on, just about every page so far has something which has made me think "ah, so that's why..."
    The science is there and explained in a way to make it accessible: I'm a gardener with a technical background but no no biology at school.

    It's helping me to understand soil life, and how I can be helping and supporting it.