Organic Gardening for Dummies

by Ann Whitman, The National Gardening Association

Organic gardening means different things to different people. Everybody agrees that it means avoiding synthetic fertilizers and pesticides. For many it's about having safe food to eat. For others is about non-toxic lawns. But organic gardening is about much more than good eating and nice landscapes. It's also about making conscious decisions and taking responsibility for actions that affect the world outside your backdoor, beyond the end of your driveway, and outside the boundaries of your hometown. Growing organic food, flowers and landscapes represents a commitment to a sustainable system of living that is in harmony with nature. For many people, organic gardening is a way of life. Whether you're cultivating a fruit and vegetable garden, maintaining your lawn, or growing roses, this book shows you how to work with nature, not against it, to create an organic garden your whole family will enjoy. Well known gardening author and journalist, Anne Whitman, with the full support of The National Gardening Association, gets you up and running with what you need to know to: Design a resilient garden Wipe out weeds without chemical pesticides Combat pests with natural insect predators Buy or make compost and build healthy soil Prevent and control plant diseases naturally Find good organic suppliers and information sources

This enjoyable, easy-to-understand guide fills you in on the what, when, where, why, how and who of growing plants but protecting the environment. From composting and mulching to harvesting fresh fruits and vegetables, "Organic Gardening For Dummies" covers all the bases with clear, step-by-step coverage of: The basic concepts, practices and tools of organic gardening Building healthy soil and using organic fertilizers Keeping plants healthy, including tips on controlling pests safely Growing organically in your yard and garden--covers vegetables, herbs, small fruits, large fruits and nuts, flowers, trees and shrubs, and more Organic lawn care Organic solutions for challenging soils and climates

Organic gardening methods help the planet and yield healthier plants and people. Now "Organic Gardening For Dummies" makes it easy for you to grow organically.

Genres: Gardening, Nonfiction, Reference

332 pages, Paperback

First published February 28, 2001

Reviews

[Stephanie Sirois · Rating 4 out of 5]

A no nonsense in depth look at how to simply improve or take steps to become an organic gardener.

Most helpful was definitely the points where each possible plant was broken down into different strategies.

[Renee · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was my first 'for Dummies' book and I don't think I'll ever read another. Some information was presented in a very simple understandable way, then you're told you won't learn this until later, then same information repeated. I guess it is set up so that you can start at any point and not be lost but it lost me by annoying me half-way through the book. The only reason I made it that far was I'm very interested in organic gardening. I'm not ruling out the possibility that this book would be helpful to someone but it's definitely not for me.

[Rift Vegan · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is a terrible book.

it's too broad: the book covers info about vegetable gardens, herb gardens, growing berries, fruits, nuts, flower gardens, rose gardens, landscaping, and lawns. sheesh! Obviously, the info about all these things is extremely condensed... and lacking.

and then there's the pesticide thing. Organic gardeners don't use pesticides. and yet, there's a couple of chapters dedicated to pesticides in this book. And the "Why Garden Organically" section has pesticide use on almost every page. Literally!

Avoid this book at all costs!

[Mrs. Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's Spring and I'm getting very excited about putting my gardens together! This book was a good reminder of the basic principles of composting and preparing the soil, and I'm sure I'll use it as a quick reference this summer when my plants begin to have "issues."

[Rachael]

I just don't think that these types of books are for me. I like fiction and pictures, and these are neither. They are really boring and I don't think i really care about the topic. I was just looking for gardening books and brought them home from the library.

[Stacy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked this book. I have a small garden now, but wanted to know more about organic fertilzers, and different veggies/fruits to grow. I learned a lot from this book.

[Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great all-round book on organic gardening. Concise, well-indexed and thorough.

[Ravin Nichole · Rating 3 out of 5]

Informational. Helped me with fertilizing, in particular.