Specialised gardening methods Books

Book SynopsisThis is the most accessible, attractive, and easy-to-use beginner''s guide to growing marijuana. In only 144 illustrated pages, High Times editor, Danny Danko, covers the basics of successful pot cultivation. This book is a primer that covers:The basics of setting up a grow roomGenetics and seeds GerminationSexingCloningBuilding budsHarvestingPest, fungi, moulds and deficienciesConcentrates, edibles, tinctures and topicalsThis is the novice marijuana grower''s handbook that guides readers through the absolute essentials of cannabis horticulture to produce the most potent buds. From where to buy seeds to sowing, nurturing and maintaining a crop, this handy "Pot Bible" is essential for the perfect harvest.

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Book SynopsisDevelop mature compost right in your garden. Barbara Pleasant and Deborah Martin explain their six-way compost gardening system in this informative guide that will have you rethinking how you create and use your compost. With your plants and compost living together from the beginning, your garden will become a nourishing and organic environment that encourages growth and sustainability. You’ll also find that the enriched soil requires less tending, weeding, and mulching, so you can do less back-breaking work for the same lush, beautiful results.

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Book SynopsisThe Bio-Integrated Farm is a twenty-first-century manual for managing nature’s resources. This groundbreaking book brings “system farming” and permaculture to a whole new level. Author Shawn Jadrnicek presents new insights into permaculture, moving beyond the philosophical foundation to practical advanced designs based on a functional analysis. Holding his designs to a higher standard, Jadrnicek’s components serve at least seven functions (classical permaculture theory only seeks at least two functions). With every additional function a component performs, the design becomes more advanced and saves more energy. 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. Jadrnicek’s prevalent theme is using water to do the work. Although applicable in many climates, his designs are particularly important for areas coping with water scarcity. Jadrnicek focuses on his experience as farm manager at the Clemson University Student Organic Farm and at his residence in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. These locations lie at the cooler northern edge of a humid subtropical climate that extends west to the middle of Texas and north along the coast to New Jersey. He has created permaculture patterns ranging from raising transplants and field design to freshwater prawn production and composting. These patterns have simplified the operation of the 125-share CSA farm while reducing reliance on outside resources. In less time than it takes to mow his two-acre homestead, Jadrnicek is building a you-pick fruit farm using permaculture patterns. His landscape requires only the labor of harvesting, and the only outside input he buys is a small amount of chicken feed. 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.Trade ReviewPublishers Weekly- "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. 'Something very special happens when a component within the design exceeds seven functions,’ he writes. 'Once the odd magic number of seven is breached, the design takes on a life of its own.' With curiosity, imagination, and exuberant obsession, he shares his successful manifestations and ongoing experiments and shows readers how to implement them in their own agricultural pursuits, whether a market farm or steep urban yard. He provides both broad conceptual overviews and comprehensive specifics. Less committed growers may balk at the complexity of these living designs and the basic physics, chemistry, and algebra needed to realize them, but permies and others committed to developing a regenerative agriculture—as well as ambitious weekend gardeners dreaming of an in-town, self-sufficient aquaculture greenhouse—will likely be impatient to try it themselves.”“The Bio-Integrated Farm provides practical solutions for farmers and homesteaders facing the dual challenges of sustainably feeding an expanding global population and building resilience into their systems in response to climate disruption. Shawn Jadrnicek’s designs for greenhouses, irrigation, composting systems, and more are based on the most enduring answer: let’s look to nature. From experience, Jadrnicek knows how to create organic, resilient, and highly productive systems based on creative use of water, solar energy, and other free forces of nature.”--Courtney White, author of Two Percent Solutions for the Planet“The Bio-Integrated Farm is an invaluable resource for market farmers, homesteaders, and serious gardeners who are interested in improving their relationship with the land. 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. I can’t wait to implement some of Shawn’s designs at my site. While reading through this book, I was reminded of the ancient gardening techniques mentioned in F.H. King’s Farmers of Forty Centuries. 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. Shawn turns almost everything we think we know about farming on its head, beginning with the notion that the odds are stacked against the small farmer and permaculturist. Instead, he stacks the odds in our favor by requiring every component of a farm to serve at least seven functions. These stacked systems create biological and mechanical efficiencies that maximize production and ecological diversity. While innovators abound in the permaculture world, Shawn is unparalleled in the practicality and detail of his innovative designs. 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. As much an engineer as he is an ecologist, Shawn teases out nature’s secret systems with a covey of collaborators—students, prawns, soldier flies, chickens, and thermophilic bacteria to name but a few—and he shares all his best designs in this paradigm-altering guide. Be prepared to have your vision of a farm’s limits shattered. Fear not, Shawn shows you how to reassemble those broken pieces into a ‘7-plus mosaic’ that can take any homestead or farm to the next level.”--Philip Ackerman-Leist, professor, Green Mountain College; author of Rebuilding the Foodshed“What is unique about permaculture, at its heart, is integration of elements like fish ponds, greenhouses, chickens, and crops. The Bio-Integrated Farm highlights real-world farm management experiences, including particularly innovative practices such as raising freshwater shrimp in greenhouse tanks that also provide thermal mass. The authors also respect and acknowledge the ancient roots of many of these ideas.”--Eric Toensmeier, author of The Carbon Farming Solution“Nature knows no waste, and cutting-edge farmers should start today to incorporate the bio-integration principles that Shawn Jadrnicek describes in detail in this book. Shawn shares his in-the-field experience using easy-to-understand formulas and charts to encourage the reader to develop a plan and translate project descriptions into hardworking results. I have seen Shawn’s transformational power in person at Clemson University, and his visions are addictive, teaching you not just to think outside the box by harmonizing natural systems but to act outside the box to create inexpensive and highly functional growing environments that are much more profitable and efficient than traditional growing systems. Even at our mushroom farm, we are incorporating Shawn’s design approach with aquaponics, black soldier fly composting, and passive heating. Farmers need all the financial help they can get, and The Bio-Integrated Farm will help readers prevent costly experimental failures. 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“As climate change drives increasingly challenging weather variability and extremes, ecosystem-based strategies such as those presented in The Bio-Integrated Farm will be crucial to successful adaptation efforts. 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. A must read for anyone interested in design and management of water systems for resilient homesteads and farms.”--Laura Lengnick, author of Resilient Agriculture“Shawn Jadrnicek has spent the last decade getting his hands dirty and taking risks, experimenting with how to create systems that actually work. The Bio-Integrated Farm covers areas often neglected in the current permaculture literature. Shawn's systems-based designs show permaculture's relevance beyond typical gardening scenarios. He offers a load of detailed practical advice based on personal experience, demonstrating how to make connections that result in greater yields and ease. His zeal for making the most out of the resources on hand has inspired to me to find ways to further integrate my own permaculture homestead!”--Rain Tenaqiya, author of West Coast Food Forestry

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Book SynopsisThe biggest mistake gardeners make each season is starting out too big and then quickly realizing their large plot requires too much weeding, watering, and backbreaking labour. Vertical gardening guarantees a better outcome from the day the trowel hits the soil - by shrinking the amount of "floor" space needed and focusing on climbing plants that are less prone to insects, diseases, and animal pests. Notable author and gardener Derek Fell has tried and tested thousands of varieties of vegetables, flowers, and fruits and recommends the best plants for space-saving vertical gardening. His grow-up, grow-down system also shows which ground-level plants make good companions underneath and alongside climbing plants. Best of all, many of Fell's greatest climbers and mutually beneficial plants are available in seed packets in every local garden centre. With a mix of DIY and commercially available string supports, trellises, pergolas, raised beds, skyscraper gardens, and topsy-turvy planters, the vertical garden system reduces work, increases yields, makes harvesting easier, and can be practiced in spaces as small as a container or a one-by-four-foot strip. "Vertical Gardening" features 100 colour photos of the author's own vertical methods and showcases beautiful, troublefree perennials, shrubs, vegetables, annuals, and fruit perfect for this new, rewarding way to garden.

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Book SynopsisIn this eloquent plea for compassion and respect for all species, journalist and gardener Nancy Lawson explains why we should welcome wildlife to our yards and provides foundational advice for doing so. Through personal narratives, profiles of home gardeners and interviews with scientists, the book applies the broader lessons of ecology to our own backyards.Trade Review" Nancy Lawson explains how applying the lessons of ecology to our own outdoor spaces can help welcome wildlife to our gardens." * Gardens Illustrated *

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Book SynopsisRodale''s Ultimate Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening has been the go-to resource for gardeners for more than 50 years, and the best tool novices can buy to start applying organic methods to their fruit and vegetable crops, herbs, trees and shrubs, perennials, annuals, and lawns. This thoroughly revised and updated version highlights new organic pest controls, new fertilizer products, improved gardening techniques, the latest organic soil practices, and new trends in garden design. In this indispensable work you will find: ? Comprehensive coverage for the entire garden and landscape along with related entries such as Community Gardening, Edible Landscaping, Horticultural Therapy, Stonescaping, and more ?The most in-depth information from the trusted Rodale Organic Gardening brand ?A completely new section on earth-friendly techniques for gardening in a changing climate, covering wise water management, creating backyard habitats, managing invasive plants and insects, reducing energy use and recycling, and understanding biotechnology ?Entries all written by American gardeners for American gardeners, with answers for all the challenges presented by various conditions, from the humid Deep South and the mild maritime coasts to the cold far North and the dry Southwest Rodale''s Ultimate Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening has everything you need to create gorgeous, non-toxic gardens in any part of the country.

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Book SynopsisStarting plants from a seed grants earlier harvests, greater variety, healthier seedlings, lower costs, and the undeniable sense of satisfaction and reward. For the most complete, up-to-date information on starting plants from seed, turn to The New Seed-Starter''s Handbook. Written by a gardener with 30 years of experience, this updated, easy-to-use reference explains everything you need to know to start seeds and raise healthy seedlings successfully. You''ll find:- The latest research in seed starting- The best growing media- The newest gardening materials- Solutions to seed-starting problems- Source lists for seeds and hard-to-find gardening suppliesThe robust encyclopedia section lists more than 200 plants—including vegetables and fruits, garden flowers, wildflowers, herbs, trees, and shrubs—with details on how to start each from seed.

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Book SynopsisFrom the creator of the wildly popular website "Vertical Veg" and with over 200k people in his online community of growers, comes the complete guide to growing delicious fruit, vegetables, herbs, and salad in containers, pots, and more--in any space, from window boxes to garden yards, no matter how small! [A] thorough and enthusiastic guide to vegetable gardening . . . both handy and hefty...Aspiring urban gardeners will want to give this a look.--Publishers Weekly If you long to grow your own tomatoes, zucchini, or strawberries, but thought you didn't have enough space, Mark Ridsdill Smith, aka the "Vertical Veg Man," will show you how to make the most of walls, balconies, patios, arches, and windowsills. Ridsdill Smith has spent over ten years teaching people to grow bountiful, edible crops in all kinds of containers in small spaces. Inside The Vertical Veg Guide to Container Gardening, you'll find: Mark's "Eight Steps to Success" How to make the most of your space How to draw up a planning calendar so you can grow throughout the year Planting projects for beginners Compost recipes and wormery guide for the more experienced gardener Troubleshoots for specific challenges of growing in small spaces How growing food at home can contribute to wellbeing and the local community With quick, proven results from his own tests, failures, and successes, Mark will show you how gardening in containers is not just a hobby, but a way of creating a significant amount of delicious, low-cost, high nutrition food. Don't be confined by the space you have--grow all the food you want with Mark's Vertical Veg Guide to Container Gardening.

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Book SynopsisFlowering meadows are appealing to gardeners and valuable for wildlife, but they can be difficult to establish and many people give up. This book will change all that with practical advice and new establishment techniques. Garden owners will value this alternative approach that can deliver a flowering meadow the same year it is planted. Previous knowledge of plant communities, plant ecology, or even plants is not required. Simply choose the best option for the site using seed, plug plants, bulbs or roll-out turf. At the heart of the book is a collection of 30 case studies in private gardens, public spaces and community gardens. Thriving meadows are featured alongside paths, utility areas and ponds and in mixed borders, orchards, green roofs, sloping banks, and containers. Interviews with the owners offer a fascinating insight into the many pleasures of living with a wildflower meadow.Trade ReviewIn the most comprehensive guide to creating a meadow I've ever seen, he discusses the pros and cons of using seed, the merits of adding annuals and how to keep the display going for as long as possible. His book leaves us with no excuses not to try creating meadows of our own. Kate Bradbury, BBC Wildlife Magazine -- Kate Bradbury * BBC Wildlife Magazine *This book explains how a lot of the unpredictability of meadow-making can be overcome. Alys Fowler -- Alys FowlerLook at James Hewetson-Brown's How to Make a Wildflower Meadow, which is a good down-to-earth mix of information and examples, including meadow turf and green roofs. Stephen Anderton, The Times -- Stephen Anderton * The Times *

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Book SynopsisA useful guide to growing successful, thriving bonsai trees covers a wide range of topics--including soil, watering, pest control, pruning, and much more--in an accessible A-to-Z format. Original.

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