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Best Gardening & Horticulture Techniques

Marijuana Horticulture: The Indoor/Outdoor Medical Grower's Bible
With 512 full color pages and 1120 full color photographs and illustrations, Marijuana Horticulture: The Indoor/Outdoor Medical Grower's Bible is the most complete cultivation book available. --Phil Kilv, Editor in Chief, Weed World Magazine, January 2006.
Reviews
"This is the standard for the amateur/novice grower it has everything you will need and more."
"excellent book for anyone who is looking to get basic knowledge."
"love the dvd, fast speedy service, A+."
"Jorge Cervantes, is the one and only master grower!"
"good book with great pictures."
"Great book but needs to be updated."
Find Best Price at Amazon
The Vegetable Gardener's Bible, 2nd Edition: Discover Ed's High-Yield W-O-R-D System for All North American Gardening Regions: Wide Rows, Organic Methods, Raised Beds, Deep Soil
Ed Smith's W-O-R-D system has helped countless gardeners grow an abundance of vegetables and herbs. Everything you loved about the first edition of The Vegetable Gardener's Bible is still here: friendly, accessible language; full-color photography; comprehensive vegetable specific information in the A-to-Z section; ahead-of-its-time commitment to organic methods; and much more. New to this edition is coverage of 15 additional vegetables, including an expanded section on salad greens and more European and Asian vegetables. Readers will also find growing information on more fruits and herbs, new cultivar photographs in many vegetable entries, and a much-requested section on extending the season into the winter months. The impulse to grow vegetables is even stronger in 2009 than it was in 2000, when Storey published The Vegetable Gardener’s Bible . clearly explains everything novice and experienced gardeners need to know to grow vegetables and herbs. Edward C. Smith is the best-selling author of The Vegetable Gardener's Bible and The Vegetable Gardener's Container Bible.
Reviews
"The GREAT garden book and probably the only one you will ever need for veggie gardening."
"It provided me with enough information for create my own successful vegetable garden."
"If you love gardening like I do, this is a must!!!"
"This book is awesome."
"I need to use the book more but so far so good especially for the beginner."
"Great book to put in with garden tools and potting soils."
"Bought the book after checking it out in the library - great information and tips whether you're a beginner or have been gardening for years."
"Provides a lot of advice on planting all kinds of plants in your gardens."
Find Best Price at Amazon
All New Square Foot Gardening II: The Revolutionary Way to Grow More in Less Space
That explains why author and gardening innovator Mel Bartholomew has sold more than two million books teaching how to become a successful DIY square foot gardener .
Reviews
"The thought of tilling our soil was too daunting, so we put the gardening project on hold for several years. This year we decided to "go for it" and the idea of using raised garden beds made sense (due to our horrible local soil). One of the key elements of this book is the innovative composition of the soil used in the garden beds. I'll quote a portion of the book that discusses the ideal soil: "There are three characteristics of a perfect growing mix. Next, it is nutrient rich and has all the minerals and trace elements that plants need without adding fertilizers. Mr. Bartholomew goes on to say, "After many experiments, I found three of my favorite ingredients made the perfect mix when combined in equal portions." Ok. Now, something about cost that will make you feel better: When using this mix again for another planting season, you do not need to ever again add vermiculite and peat moss. I also needed seeds, seed starters, ingredients for organic pest control mixture (I chose neem oil and organic liquid peppermint soap - I got this idea from the Global Healing Center... they wrote an article entitled "10 Organic Homemade Pesticides"), a water hose nozzle, garden fabric (for underneath raised beds), and other miscellaneous items. Fortunately, a dear older couple is giving us their anti critter materials because they no longer garden. Again, all of these prices can vary dramatically, but I'm just giving you a ball park figure based on my own experience. Available information at this website includes a blog by Mel Bartholomew as well as a forum with posts from SFG gardeners from around the world. In the forum, moderators and SFG gardeners provide a huge amount of supporting information. Based on my family's experience so far (we are at the indoor seed raising stage), I have to highly recommend this book. UPDATE 3/2013: We are in the process of determining where our raised beds should be located based on sun exposure. QUICK SEED STARTING TIP: My daughter and I found that a turkey baster is excellent for watering seedlings gently and precisely. UPDATE 4/23/2013: I have had various experiences (very bad and very good) with Jiffy seed starters (pellets). I started my beds a bit late in the season, but there is still time for them to produce a good harvest. I think my successes are completely due to the SFG method (vermiculite water retention is great). I know that my situation is unusual, but I think it is a credit to this method that if circumstances are less than perfect, you won't have a total loss. My Black Krim tomatoes produced a nice amount of juicy and sweet fruits (and they are still going). Those tomatoes not planted with basil nearby had some leaves stripped off by caterpillars (I'm not sure if there was a direct connection, perhaps it was a coincidence). We got one beautiful Sugar Baby watermelon (a personal sized melon and you typically only get one or two per plant each season). Our chives survived and even our carrots did ok. Our squash, bell pepper, and eggplant, and cucumber plants fared badly. I took a big chance on the radishes because they hate very hot weather (I at least wanted to try). UPDATE 01/10/2014: Despite bitter cold days (sometimes in the teens), I have been having fantastic success with winter variety vegetables. These included: Lunar White, Solar Yellow, Cosmic Purple, Atomic Red, Bambino and Dark Knight. UPDATE 3/23/2014: I planted tomatoes, sweet bell peppers, anaheim chiles and eggplant 2/21/2014. The "in-and-out" thing (no pun intended for my CA readers who are burger lovers), can be tiresome. UPDATE 4/13/2014: Unfortunately, my family and I did not make a concerted effort to prepare our own compost during the past months. I have been getting some good advice from folks at the Square Foot Gardening Forum. The good news is that I have gotten lots of Anaheim peppers, tomatoes of all sorts of varieties and and an eggplant (with more to come it looks like). I set up a large pot full of Mel's Mix and in it I have rosemary, thyme and ginger. With regard to tomato horn worms: After my daughter saw the first one of the season, I applied BT Thuricide. Something interesting: My daughter has foregone her flower bed for winter variety vegetables."
"I read this book last winter and my husband built 5 boxes for me for my summer 2016 garden. Lettuce grew great but other plants grew to about 4 inches and then seemed to stop. This increased my depth (6 inches just was not getting the job done) and lessened the percentage of vermiculite which was making Mel's mix too light and dusty. The book says to use 1/3 vermiculite which might work for growing flowers, herbs, lettuce but next time I will make his mix with only 1/5 vermiculite."
"I'm an absolute novice at vegetable gardening and this book was among the 6 books I found at the library."
"The only people selling organics at the farmer's market were the square foot gardeners. It was such a powerful testimony of all the ways people win when it comes to personal gardens!"
"Not only did I learn how easy it was to put together a small garden, but I also really enjoyed reading Mel's story on how he developed the SFG method."
Find Best Price at Amazon

Best Container Gardening

All New Square Foot Gardening II: The Revolutionary Way to Grow More in Less Space
That explains why author and gardening innovator Mel Bartholomew has sold more than two million books teaching how to become a successful DIY square foot gardener .
Reviews
"The thought of tilling our soil was too daunting, so we put the gardening project on hold for several years. This year we decided to "go for it" and the idea of using raised garden beds made sense (due to our horrible local soil). One of the key elements of this book is the innovative composition of the soil used in the garden beds. I'll quote a portion of the book that discusses the ideal soil: "There are three characteristics of a perfect growing mix. Next, it is nutrient rich and has all the minerals and trace elements that plants need without adding fertilizers. Mr. Bartholomew goes on to say, "After many experiments, I found three of my favorite ingredients made the perfect mix when combined in equal portions." Ok. Now, something about cost that will make you feel better: When using this mix again for another planting season, you do not need to ever again add vermiculite and peat moss. I also needed seeds, seed starters, ingredients for organic pest control mixture (I chose neem oil and organic liquid peppermint soap - I got this idea from the Global Healing Center... they wrote an article entitled "10 Organic Homemade Pesticides"), a water hose nozzle, garden fabric (for underneath raised beds), and other miscellaneous items. Fortunately, a dear older couple is giving us their anti critter materials because they no longer garden. Again, all of these prices can vary dramatically, but I'm just giving you a ball park figure based on my own experience. Available information at this website includes a blog by Mel Bartholomew as well as a forum with posts from SFG gardeners from around the world. In the forum, moderators and SFG gardeners provide a huge amount of supporting information. Based on my family's experience so far (we are at the indoor seed raising stage), I have to highly recommend this book. UPDATE 3/2013: We are in the process of determining where our raised beds should be located based on sun exposure. QUICK SEED STARTING TIP: My daughter and I found that a turkey baster is excellent for watering seedlings gently and precisely. UPDATE 4/23/2013: I have had various experiences (very bad and very good) with Jiffy seed starters (pellets). I started my beds a bit late in the season, but there is still time for them to produce a good harvest. I think my successes are completely due to the SFG method (vermiculite water retention is great). I know that my situation is unusual, but I think it is a credit to this method that if circumstances are less than perfect, you won't have a total loss. My Black Krim tomatoes produced a nice amount of juicy and sweet fruits (and they are still going). Those tomatoes not planted with basil nearby had some leaves stripped off by caterpillars (I'm not sure if there was a direct connection, perhaps it was a coincidence). We got one beautiful Sugar Baby watermelon (a personal sized melon and you typically only get one or two per plant each season). Our chives survived and even our carrots did ok. Our squash, bell pepper, and eggplant, and cucumber plants fared badly. I took a big chance on the radishes because they hate very hot weather (I at least wanted to try). UPDATE 01/10/2014: Despite bitter cold days (sometimes in the teens), I have been having fantastic success with winter variety vegetables. These included: Lunar White, Solar Yellow, Cosmic Purple, Atomic Red, Bambino and Dark Knight. UPDATE 3/23/2014: I planted tomatoes, sweet bell peppers, anaheim chiles and eggplant 2/21/2014. The "in-and-out" thing (no pun intended for my CA readers who are burger lovers), can be tiresome. UPDATE 4/13/2014: Unfortunately, my family and I did not make a concerted effort to prepare our own compost during the past months. I have been getting some good advice from folks at the Square Foot Gardening Forum. The good news is that I have gotten lots of Anaheim peppers, tomatoes of all sorts of varieties and and an eggplant (with more to come it looks like). I set up a large pot full of Mel's Mix and in it I have rosemary, thyme and ginger. With regard to tomato horn worms: After my daughter saw the first one of the season, I applied BT Thuricide. Something interesting: My daughter has foregone her flower bed for winter variety vegetables."
"I read this book last winter and my husband built 5 boxes for me for my summer 2016 garden. Lettuce grew great but other plants grew to about 4 inches and then seemed to stop. This increased my depth (6 inches just was not getting the job done) and lessened the percentage of vermiculite which was making Mel's mix too light and dusty. The book says to use 1/3 vermiculite which might work for growing flowers, herbs, lettuce but next time I will make his mix with only 1/5 vermiculite."
"I'm an absolute novice at vegetable gardening and this book was among the 6 books I found at the library."
"The only people selling organics at the farmer's market were the square foot gardeners. It was such a powerful testimony of all the ways people win when it comes to personal gardens!"
"Not only did I learn how easy it was to put together a small garden, but I also really enjoyed reading Mel's story on how he developed the SFG method."
Find Best Price at Amazon

Best Hydroponic Gardening

Marijuana Horticulture: The Indoor/Outdoor Medical Grower's Bible
With 512 full color pages and 1120 full color photographs and illustrations, Marijuana Horticulture: The Indoor/Outdoor Medical Grower's Bible is the most complete cultivation book available. --Phil Kilv, Editor in Chief, Weed World Magazine, January 2006.
Reviews
"This is the standard for the amateur/novice grower it has everything you will need and more."
"excellent book for anyone who is looking to get basic knowledge."
"love the dvd, fast speedy service, A+."
"Jorge Cervantes, is the one and only master grower!"
"good book with great pictures."
"Great book but needs to be updated."
Find Best Price at Amazon

Best Organic Gardening & Horticulture

The Vegetable Gardener's Bible, 2nd Edition: Discover Ed's High-Yield W-O-R-D System for All North American Gardening Regions: Wide Rows, Organic Methods, Raised Beds, Deep Soil
Ed Smith's W-O-R-D system has helped countless gardeners grow an abundance of vegetables and herbs. Everything you loved about the first edition of The Vegetable Gardener's Bible is still here: friendly, accessible language; full-color photography; comprehensive vegetable specific information in the A-to-Z section; ahead-of-its-time commitment to organic methods; and much more. New to this edition is coverage of 15 additional vegetables, including an expanded section on salad greens and more European and Asian vegetables. Readers will also find growing information on more fruits and herbs, new cultivar photographs in many vegetable entries, and a much-requested section on extending the season into the winter months. The impulse to grow vegetables is even stronger in 2009 than it was in 2000, when Storey published The Vegetable Gardener’s Bible . clearly explains everything novice and experienced gardeners need to know to grow vegetables and herbs. Edward C. Smith is the best-selling author of The Vegetable Gardener's Bible and The Vegetable Gardener's Container Bible.
Reviews
"The GREAT garden book and probably the only one you will ever need for veggie gardening."
"It provided me with enough information for create my own successful vegetable garden."
"If you love gardening like I do, this is a must!!!"
"This book is awesome."
"I need to use the book more but so far so good especially for the beginner."
"Great book to put in with garden tools and potting soils."
"Bought the book after checking it out in the library - great information and tips whether you're a beginner or have been gardening for years."
"Provides a lot of advice on planting all kinds of plants in your gardens."
Find Best Price at Amazon

Best Propagation & Cultivation Gardening

American Horticultural Society Plant Propagation: The Fully Illustrated Plant-by-Plant Manual of Practical Techniques
AHS Plant Propagation instructs you on which seeds need special treatment before sowing, and how to provide the conditions to ensure a good rate of germination. This book is the quintessential, unrivaled, practical guide to the successful propagation of all garden plants—from trees and shrubs to culinary herbs, and everything in between. All the information you could ever possibly want in order to propagate virtually any plant or tree or cactus or succulent that might be growing on said desert island is to be found somewhere between the covers of this marvelous, informative book. The body of the book is divided into "Garden Trees," "Shrubs and Climbing Plants," "Perennials, Annuals and Biennials," "Cacti and Other Succulents," "Bulbous Plants," and "Vegetables."
Reviews
"My friend says this is all he needs for his greenhouse job :-)."
"Very comprehensive and worthwhile guide book."
"general information, lots of pictures; doesn't have detailed instructions."
"Nice add to my book collection."
"Absolutely essential primer for the beginning or experienced gardener."
"Excellent combination of scientific explanation and hands on practical "how to" information."
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Best Topiary Gardening

Niwaki: Pruning, Training and Shaping Trees the Japanese Way
Over the years, Japanese gardeners have fine-tuned a distinctive set of pruning techniques that coax out the essential characters of their garden trees, or niwaki. “More than a pruning manual, Hobson's guide encompasses the cultural implications of niwaki , an artistic custom integral to the gardening legacy of Japan.” — Booklist. “Of as much interest as the practical cutting points are the bits of history and lore woven into the chapters that stress the spiritual underpinnings of this ancient art.” — Seattle Post-Intelligence. “Detailed drawings of the pruning methods, as well as numerous photos of Japanese examples, make this an eminently practical guide.” — SciTech Book News.
Reviews
"Very helpful and complete book in the subject."
"Just what I needed: illustrations and details about which pruning method would be best for which type of tree."
"Being new to niwaki, Hobson gives a clear explanation of the principles."
"A truly great landscaping book for anyone with an eye toward Japanese sensibilities."
"A thoughtful perspective on aesthetic pruning."
"Very helpful."
"honest, knowledgeable, and valuable book."
"Loved the book, will be very helpful."
Find Best Price at Amazon

Best Urban Gardening

All New Square Foot Gardening II: The Revolutionary Way to Grow More in Less Space
That explains why author and gardening innovator Mel Bartholomew has sold more than two million books teaching how to become a successful DIY square foot gardener . Do you know what the best feature is in All New Square Foot Gardening?
Reviews
"The thought of tilling our soil was too daunting, so we put the gardening project on hold for several years. This year we decided to "go for it" and the idea of using raised garden beds made sense (due to our horrible local soil). One of the key elements of this book is the innovative composition of the soil used in the garden beds. I'll quote a portion of the book that discusses the ideal soil: "There are three characteristics of a perfect growing mix. Next, it is nutrient rich and has all the minerals and trace elements that plants need without adding fertilizers. Mr. Bartholomew goes on to say, "After many experiments, I found three of my favorite ingredients made the perfect mix when combined in equal portions." Ok. Now, something about cost that will make you feel better: When using this mix again for another planting season, you do not need to ever again add vermiculite and peat moss. I also needed seeds, seed starters, ingredients for organic pest control mixture (I chose neem oil and organic liquid peppermint soap - I got this idea from the Global Healing Center... they wrote an article entitled "10 Organic Homemade Pesticides"), a water hose nozzle, garden fabric (for underneath raised beds), and other miscellaneous items. Fortunately, a dear older couple is giving us their anti critter materials because they no longer garden. Again, all of these prices can vary dramatically, but I'm just giving you a ball park figure based on my own experience. Available information at this website includes a blog by Mel Bartholomew as well as a forum with posts from SFG gardeners from around the world. In the forum, moderators and SFG gardeners provide a huge amount of supporting information. Based on my family's experience so far (we are at the indoor seed raising stage), I have to highly recommend this book. UPDATE 3/2013: We are in the process of determining where our raised beds should be located based on sun exposure. QUICK SEED STARTING TIP: My daughter and I found that a turkey baster is excellent for watering seedlings gently and precisely. UPDATE 4/23/2013: I have had various experiences (very bad and very good) with Jiffy seed starters (pellets). I started my beds a bit late in the season, but there is still time for them to produce a good harvest. I think my successes are completely due to the SFG method (vermiculite water retention is great). I know that my situation is unusual, but I think it is a credit to this method that if circumstances are less than perfect, you won't have a total loss. My Black Krim tomatoes produced a nice amount of juicy and sweet fruits (and they are still going). Those tomatoes not planted with basil nearby had some leaves stripped off by caterpillars (I'm not sure if there was a direct connection, perhaps it was a coincidence). We got one beautiful Sugar Baby watermelon (a personal sized melon and you typically only get one or two per plant each season). Our chives survived and even our carrots did ok. Our squash, bell pepper, and eggplant, and cucumber plants fared badly. I took a big chance on the radishes because they hate very hot weather (I at least wanted to try). UPDATE 01/10/2014: Despite bitter cold days (sometimes in the teens), I have been having fantastic success with winter variety vegetables. These included: Lunar White, Solar Yellow, Cosmic Purple, Atomic Red, Bambino and Dark Knight. UPDATE 3/23/2014: I planted tomatoes, sweet bell peppers, anaheim chiles and eggplant 2/21/2014. The "in-and-out" thing (no pun intended for my CA readers who are burger lovers), can be tiresome. UPDATE 4/13/2014: Unfortunately, my family and I did not make a concerted effort to prepare our own compost during the past months. I have been getting some good advice from folks at the Square Foot Gardening Forum. The good news is that I have gotten lots of Anaheim peppers, tomatoes of all sorts of varieties and and an eggplant (with more to come it looks like). I set up a large pot full of Mel's Mix and in it I have rosemary, thyme and ginger. With regard to tomato horn worms: After my daughter saw the first one of the season, I applied BT Thuricide. Something interesting: My daughter has foregone her flower bed for winter variety vegetables."
"I read this book last winter and my husband built 5 boxes for me for my summer 2016 garden. Lettuce grew great but other plants grew to about 4 inches and then seemed to stop. This increased my depth (6 inches just was not getting the job done) and lessened the percentage of vermiculite which was making Mel's mix too light and dusty. The book says to use 1/3 vermiculite which might work for growing flowers, herbs, lettuce but next time I will make his mix with only 1/5 vermiculite."
"I'm an absolute novice at vegetable gardening and this book was among the 6 books I found at the library."
"The cost of the vermiculite represents about 2/3 of the total amount I have invested in these gardens."
"The only people selling organics at the farmer's market were the square foot gardeners. It was such a powerful testimony of all the ways people win when it comes to personal gardens!"
Find Best Price at Amazon

Best Water Gardens & Ponds

The Bio-Integrated Farm: A Revolutionary Permaculture-Based System Using Greenhouses, Ponds, Compost Piles, Aquaponics, Chickens, and More
A bio-integrated greenhouse, for example, doesn’t just extend the season for growing vegetables; it also serves as a rainwater collector, a pond site, an aquaponics system, and a heat generator. By carefully engaging the free forces of nature―water, wind, sunlight, convection, gravity, and decomposition―Jadrnicek creates sustenance without maintenance and transforms waste into valuable farm resources. The Bio-Integrated Farm offers in-depth information about designing and building a wide range of bio-integrated projects including reflecting ponds, water-storage ponds, multipurpose basins, greenhouses, compost heat extraction, pastured chicken systems, aquaculture, hydroponics, hydronic heating, water filtration and aeration, cover cropping, and innovative rainwater-harvesting systems that supply water for drip irrigation and flushing toilets. "Jadrnicek, a farmer, educator (he teaches at and oversees Clemson University’s organic student farm in the Blue Ridge Mountains), and perpetually tinkering designer and inventor, implements the permaculture principle of 'stacking functions’―'Every component of a design should function in many ways'―and pushes its limits. Shawn Jadrnicek’s designs for greenhouses, irrigation, composting systems, and more are based on the most enduring answer: let’s look to nature. Shawn Jadrnicek’s creative use of materials, animals, and space, which he clearly and thoroughly explains in this book, will inspire and teach you how to improve the efficiency and resiliency of your farm or garden. Shawn has integrated these simple and effective technologies into his modern-day working farm; his book will allow readers to access some of that ancient wisdom, too.” --Jerome Osentowski, author of The Forest Garden Greenhouse. “Harvesting, multiplying, capturing, conveying, sloping, fertilizing, irrigating, heating, cooling… ‘at least seven functions’ is the genius of Shawn Jadrnicek’s stacked systems in The Bio-Integrated Farm. As a connoisseur of college farms, I’ve visited several dozen such operations across the United States, and I have yet to see another academic farm demonstrate the level of careful design and innovation found on the Clemson University Student Organic Farm, one of several permaculture masterworks Shawn has helped create. Every farm's needs and layouts are unique, and this book allows the reader to customize and hybridize systems that harness the power of nature to transform ordinary farms into models worthy of world-class learning centers for permaculture.” --Tradd Cotter, author of Organic Mushroom Farming and Mycoremediation. In this practical, clearly written, and beautifully designed book, Shawn Jadrnicek shares his unique ability to conceptualize, design, and manage water for whole-system benefits at multiple scales.
Reviews
"It clearly doesn't expect the reader to implement all or even most of the ideas, but I am confident that there are a few things just about anybody could apply to their situation, weather you are a suburbanite, urbanite, or a rural dweller. I was surprised by the extensiveness of instruction in chicken and pond fish rearing. From my perspective washing eggs is needed because of a defect in the management, usually putting too many chickens in too small of a coop or too few of roost boxes or not changing the bedding frequently enough. I honestly believe that a more extensive (the opposite of intensive), but equally thoughtful, agriculture is more bio-friendly if you want to put it that way."
"I have over 30 years experience on farms, but this book took me to school!"
"This is a very well-written book on how to actually implement Permaculture principles (especially stacking functions)."
"This book is very informative."
"I love the ideas in this book, and hope someday to get my farm to this level of integration!"
"The book does a good job showing the how not just the why."
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Best Japanese Garden

The Complete Book of Bonsai: A Practical Guide to Its Art and Cultivation
CLASSIC STYLES EXPLAINED. The origins and development of bonsai are traced, and the underlying principles of this fascinating art clearly explained. DETAILS OF MORE THAN 100 SPECIES. A photographic catalogue of bonsai trees and shrubs lies at the heart of the book, providing the cultivation and styling details of over 100 different species. For the past thirteen years the author has been a professional bonsai artist with his own studio, and is a leading bonsai nurseryman.
Reviews
"This the second time I've bought this book, it's that nice."
"The book is OK, it contains some brief information on the basics of the art."
"This is a nice book but I should have purchased a coffee table book of this beautiful art."
"However, after a bit of reading decided it was not a good ideal...being that I do NOT have the appropriate environment."
"Was given as a gift."
"a good book to have in your collection."
"Great Book for styling, and quick fact purposes (watering, style, soil type etc."
"The book was an old book and I bought it from the Salvation Army via amazon.com."
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