Vegetable Gardening

by John Tullock

Overview

Thanks to a "growing" interest in the local food movement, self-sustainability, as well as health and money-saving concerns, vegetable gardening is more popular than ever. Using full-color, step-by-step examples, Idiot's Guides: Vegetable Gardening covers all of the techniques and tools needed for every type of garden, including small plot, raised bed, container, and vertical. Ideal for all types of gardeners — whether they live in a rural, suburban, or urban setting — content includes planning, soil preparation, pest control, maintenance, harvesting, and much more!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781615647095
Publisher:	DK
Publication date:	01/06/2015
Series:	Idiot's Guides
Pages:	288
Sales rank:	1,112,750
Product dimensions:	7.60(w) x 9.10(h) x 0.80(d)

About the Author

John Tullock has written more than 15 how-to books and blogs regularly about food gardening and sustainable living at johntullock.blogspot.com. He is a self-employed sustainable technology consultant with clients in the United States and Italy. Tullock is an avid gardener, and among his books are Idiot's Guides: Vegetable Gardening, The New American Homestead: Sustainable, Self-Sufficient Living in the City or the Country, and Pay Dirt: How to Make $10,000 a Year from Your Backyard Garden. In 2006, the American Horticultural Society honored his Growing Hardy Orchids with an AHS Book Award.

Table of Contents

Section 1 Gardening 101 3

What Vegetables Need 4

Sun 6

Soil 8

Soil Building 10

Water 12

Air 14

Choosing a Garden Spot 16

Planning Your Garden 18

Vegetables in Containers 20

Herbs in Containers 22

Self-Watering Containers 24

Garden Tools: The Essentials 26

Garden Tools: Nice to Have 28

Building Raised Beds 30

Plant Supports 32

Installing a Cucumber or Pea Trellis 34

Building a Pole Bean Teepee 36

Tomato Supports 38

Planting Transplants 40

Direct Sowing Seed 42

Thinning 44

Using Seed Tape 46

Planting Bulbs and Tubers 48

Intercropping 50

Irrigation 52

Mulch 54

Fertilizers 56

Liquid Fertilizers 58

Cover Crops 60

Soil Testing 62

Weeds 64

Basic Pest Control 66

Disease Prevention 68

Crop Rotation: Why? 70

Crop Rotation: How? 72

Culture Problems 74

Vegetable Storage 76

Vegetable Preservation 78

Your Garden Journal 80

Section 2 Beyond the Basics

Composting 84

What to Compost 88

What Not to Compost 89

Building a Compost Bin 90

Plants from Cuttings 92

Starting Plants Indoors 94

Integrated Pest Management 96

Natural Predators 98

Refuge Borders 100

Physical Earners to Pests 102

Organic Pesticides 104

Season Extenders 106

A Simple Cover for Raised Beds 108

Building a Cold Frame 110

Artificial Light Gardening 112

Section 3 Vegetables to Grow

Arugula 116

Bean, Green 118

Beet 120

Broccoli 122

Broccolini 123

Brussels Sprouts 124

Cabbage 126

Chinese Cabbage 127

Carrots 128

Cauliflower 130

Celery 132

Celery Root 133

Swiss Chard 134

Collards 136

Corn 138

Cucumber 140

Edible Flowers 142

Eggplant 144

Endive, Belgian 146

Raddichio 147

Endive, Curly 148

Escarole 149

Kale 150

Kohlrabi 152

Leek 154

Lettuce 156

Melons 160

Sprouts and Microgreens 162

Miscellaneous Garden Beans 164

Miscellaneous Greens 166

Mustard 168

Okra 170

Storage Onions 172

Peas, Field 174

Peas, Shelling 176

Peas, Snow and Snap 178

Peppers, Hot 180

Peppers, Sweet 182

Potato 184

Potato, Sweet 186

Pumpkin 188

Radish 190

Radish, Winter 192

Scallions and Bunching Onions 194

Spinach 196

Spinach Substitutes for Warm Climates 198

Squash, Summer 200

Squash, Winter 202

Tomatillo 204

Tomato, Cherry 206

Tomato, Determinate 208

Tomato, Heirloom 210

Tomato, Hybrid 212

Tomato, Grafted 214

Turnips 216

Rutabaga 217

Watercress 218

Upland Cress 219

Section 4 Perennial Crops 221

Artichoke, Globe 222

Artichoke, Jerusalem 224

Asparagus 226

Blueberry 228

Garlic 230

Horseradish 232

Perennial Onions 234

Raspberries and Blackberries 236

Rhubarb 238

Shallots 240

Strawberries 242

Section 5 Culinary Herbs 245

Basil 246

Chervil 248

Chives 250

Cilantro 252

Dill 254

Ginger 256

Lemon Verbena 258

Lemongrass 260

Mints 262

Oregano, Greek 264

Parsley 266

Rosemary 268

Sage 270

Tarragon 272

Mexican Tarragon Thyme 273

Thyme 274

Index 276

Editorial Reviews

No better way exists to rapidly ramp up your vegetable gardening IQ than this reliable DK primer. In 288 full-color, well-planned pages The Idiot's Guide to Vegetable Gardening sets out the information, techniques, and tools you need to know for growing tasty edibles, whatever your plot size or type. This trade paperback original covers planning, soil preparation, planting, pest control, maintenance, harvesting and more.