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358th out of 2,088 books
—
3,730 voters
How to Grow More Vegetables: And Fruits, Nuts, Berries, Grains, and Other Crops Than You Ever Thought Possible on Less Land Than You Can Imagine
by
John Jeavons
A classic in the field of sustainable gardening, HOW TO GROW MORE VEGETABLES shows how to produce a beautiful organic garden with minimal watering and care, whether it's just a few tomatoes in a tiny backyard or enough food to feed a family of four on less than half an acre. Updated with the latest biointensive tips and techniques, this is an essential reference for garden...more
Paperback, 240 pages
Published
March 1st 2004
by Ten Speed Press
(first published 1979)
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In my search for really basic primers on gardening, I came across this very foundational book that really puts good soil at the heart of good gardening. I appreciated that certain aspects (like double-digging) were explained so thoroughly, with detailed illustrations and charts. There were however many other things that could have been explained more completely. For instance the author explains the whys of crop rotation in the garden, and offers a couple basic rules for rotating the crops: 1) do...more
I am an evangelist for this book! Anyone, really anyone, can garden.
(When my dad was a quadriplegic, I remember becoming acquainted with a horticultural therapist- hired by the city of all things- can you imagine that happening is the current political climate?)
Anyway.
John's project started soooo looong ago still rocks!
Read this book! Start small, keep it up.
I heard a report (and admittedly have not verified) that the United States is now importing food to have adequate supply for our populat...more
(When my dad was a quadriplegic, I remember becoming acquainted with a horticultural therapist- hired by the city of all things- can you imagine that happening is the current political climate?)
Anyway.
John's project started soooo looong ago still rocks!
Read this book! Start small, keep it up.
I heard a report (and admittedly have not verified) that the United States is now importing food to have adequate supply for our populat...more
I bought the sixth edition when I bought my house in 2007 and my first garden flourished despite the thick clay soil. This edition clarifies the vast amounts of information in it by providing concise step-by-step procedures for many common intensive gardening tasks.
The Grow Biointensive method is a bit of a form of gardening for wonky people who like numbers, but I like the idea of creating a closed system, even if it means sacrificing good "vegetable" space to grow your own "browns" to be compo...more
The Grow Biointensive method is a bit of a form of gardening for wonky people who like numbers, but I like the idea of creating a closed system, even if it means sacrificing good "vegetable" space to grow your own "browns" to be compo...more
This should have been right up my street: sustainable, organic gardening being something I'm pretty passionate about. But it was a disappointing read: simultaneously didactic and uninformative. I found it repetitive in places and with the exception of the section on plants to repel certain bugs, was left feeling that I had learnt very little. There were numerous mentions of other booklets published by the Ecology Action group which were rather irritating: if it's important enough to keep referri...more
This is the best gardening book I have ever read, hands down. The author explains everything, including how to: make your own compost bin, plan a garden, rotate crops, companion plant, create a biodynamic environment that can sustain itself, water your garden and conserve your water, and feed your family on just hundreds of square feet of garden space. You don't need acres of land or even one acre to have a backyard farm that can produce enough to sustain you. The secret is planting your garden...more
To be honest, I more or less skimmed this book as I was getting ready to plant my garden. I found, however, the principles taught in the book to be logical, they made perfect sense to me. The book talked about the history of Biodynamic/French intensive methods of gardening, and how to grow more vegetables in a small area. The thing I found to be most helpful in this book was the list given of veggies and herbs that grow well together, and what plants and herbs are antagonistic to one another. Re...more
Apr 26, 2011
Nico Our Lady of the Sacred Bonechuck
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
peeps who are serious about sustainably growing their own food
Shelves:
reference-books
Mr. Jeavons knows what the hell is up.
Decades before the terms “eco-friendly” and “sustainable growing” entered the vernacular, How to Grow More Vegetables demonstrated that small-scale, high-yield, all-organic gardening methods could yield bountiful crops over multiple growing cycles using minimal resources in a suburban environment. The concept that John Jeavons and the team at Ecology Action launched more than 40 years ago has been embraced by the mainstream and continues to gather momentum. Today, How to Grow More Vegetables, no...more
I am a big, big fan of this book. In my varied career as a gardener, I have tilled soil everywhere from rooftop boxes in Canada, to an herb garden at a historic house in Georgia, to a market garden in West Virginia. I have found this book to be absolutely indispensible. It describes growing using the bio-intensive method, first championed by British gardening genius Alan Chadwick, and further developed in California by John Jeavons and the folks at Ecology Action.
One distinguishing aspect of b...more
One distinguishing aspect of b...more
Mar 13, 2009
Mo Tipton
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
gardeners who want to max their yields
Shelves:
gardening
I initially gave this book four stars before realizing that my opinion had less to do with the book and more to do with the fact that my current situation doesn't allow me to put many of the Grow Biointensive principles into practice, so I found myself getting a little bored/frustrated at times.
Aside from a very crowded windowsill (and mushrooms in the closet), a community garden plot is my only available growing space, and it's highly unlikely that I'll have access to the same plot year after...more
Aside from a very crowded windowsill (and mushrooms in the closet), a community garden plot is my only available growing space, and it's highly unlikely that I'll have access to the same plot year after...more
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The textbook for a gardening class I recently took, which centered on sustainable home gardening. The narrative parts aren't that interesting to read, but the instructional content is great. Lots of advice on particular crops and making a nutrient cycling system that will eventually require few inputs. I'll forgive the woo bits like the moon cycle gardening as long as I get some robust and tasty produce on the other end.
I have no question that "How to Grow More Vegetables" is a great resource for an experienced gardener. For a beginner like me, it was a little overwhelming... and a little too technical for my taste. I did like the spacing charts and the simple mini-garden plans. Don't get me wrong, I learned a lot from reading the book, but I think a good portion of it was just over my head.
What I loved: excellent plans, layouts, charts, and some intriguing ideas I hadn't come across before (planting by moon phases), *amazing* list of references in the back of the book to refer to for more info
What frustrated me: many times ideas were presented but then not explained in full... So I still don't understand how to implement the idea.
What frustrated me: many times ideas were presented but then not explained in full... So I still don't understand how to implement the idea.
Despite everything Steve Solomon said in Gardening when it counts (and what I said in my review of it), this is a great book. It explains to the beginner from start to finish how to make a great organic garden. Even if you already know everything about plant and ecology, you'll still want this book simply for the charts that have been compiled by Ecology Action. They tell you not just how far apart to plant your seeds or transplants (using the biointensive method), they give estimated yields yea...more
If your only going to buy one gardening book, get this one. Although their are many organic gardening books on the market, and many of them, especially those from Rodale Press are good, this is the best. Building on the Biodynamic and French Intensive methods, the ideas outlined in this book can be implemented by any individuals with basic hand gardening tools. One important point is that for a suburban or urban gardener the earlier editions (1-4) like this one are superior to later versions in...more
Intensive methods are overrated. Crowded vegetables are less healthy and tasty and require a lot more irrigation and fertilizer. Overall, it's an inefficient use of resources and labour. To learn better methods, read the book Gardening When It Counts, by Steve Solomon.
I'm not even a gardener (though I have ambitions), and this book was really just completely fascinating to read. I have no idea if everybody would find it so interesting, but wow, I'd think if you have any impulse toward gardening at all, you want to read this one.
1 like · like · see review
This is one book I have on my list to read cover to cover when I get the time. As it is I have skimmed through it and loved what I saw, it is a reference book that you can actually read! It has interesting facts combined with step by step how to information.
Introduces the biodynamic/French intensive method of gardening, which has some interesting elements but seems pretty solid.
The book covers:
Bed preparation - the double-dig method
Composting
Seed propagation
Companion planting
Insect life - natural pest management
The book covers:
Bed preparation - the double-dig method
Composting
Seed propagation
Companion planting
Insect life - natural pest management
This was a fantastic gardening book, It first gardening book that I picked up and read from cover to cover, I learned so much and have started putting the practises to work and getting wonderful results. Highly recommend to any gardener new or experienced.
I borrowed this one from the library but I am definitely planning on buying it. Great reference book, lots of charts and tips. Perfect if you plan on growing your own food in a very small space. My garden will definitely be a biointensive one!
Wow what a lot of interesting information. My only concern is that the writers claim their findings are applicable to ANY climate/soil type, and I'm not certain that's truly the case. That said, I was fascinated by their planting techniques, the information about companion planting and natural ways of getting rid of pests. Not to mention the raised bed style of gardening, which I want to go out and try right now.
This is where "square foot gardening" originated. It is better executed, with more accurate descriptions of how to get that weed-free garden. It's older and less-frequently updated than its square-foot competitor, but much better.
Amazing gardening book. It was out of print for ever - and is now back in print. We use this double dug method to literally grow 5x what our neighbors grow. We eat the veggies all winter only to run out just before they are ripe again.
A little bit of information on sustainability starts off the book. But this book mainly explains how to grow food on a minimal amount of soil and water using a specific method the author was part of developing.
This is the first gardening book I ever bought. Lots of planting and spacing charts. Very clearly written and helpful illustrations too. Don't let it scare you, though. Gardening is not this hard to do.
excellent so far (I have yet to grow a season using this method but am about to start). great drawings of root structure, etc. and sample garden plans that will make you drool in winter.
Jul 10, 2011
Lulu
added it
I love to garden and so of course I love books about gardening!
This one is particularly useful and informative. If your new or old to gardening you will still find this book helpful.
This one is particularly useful and informative. If your new or old to gardening you will still find this book helpful.
I'm torn between giving How to Grow More Vegetables three and four stars. The book has several thought-provoking portions, but...it just rubbed me the wrong way. I'm a bit worried that people won't read it with a critical eye and will try to mimic the Grow Biointensive techniques that are either kooky or inappropriate to the backyard. (There are also some techniques in there that are much less kooky and much more appropriate to the backyard, of course.)
I'd recommend this book to advanced gardene...more
I'd recommend this book to advanced gardene...more
May 29, 2009
Laura
is currently reading it
i always thought my beets & squash were too spread out . now , am becoming empowered to squish squish squish . companion planting & its metaphorical value abound in the essex street wave.
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