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How to Grow More Vegetables (and Fruits, Nuts, Berries, Grains, and Other Crops) Than You Ever Thought Possible on Less Land with Less Water Than You Can Imagine
by
The world's leading resource on biointensive, sustainable, high-yield organic gardening is thoroughly updated throughout, with new sections on using 12 percent less water and increasing compost power.
Long before it was a trend, How to Grow More Vegetables brought backyard ecosystems to life for the home gardener by demonstrating sustainable growing methods for spectacular ...more
Long before it was a trend, How to Grow More Vegetables brought backyard ecosystems to life for the home gardener by demonstrating sustainable growing methods for spectacular ...more
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Paperback, 9th Edition, 250 pages
Published
July 25th 2017
by Ten Speed Press
(first published 1979)
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Community Reviews
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Start your review of How to Grow More Vegetables (and Fruits, Nuts, Berries, Grains, and Other Crops) Than You Ever Thought Possible on Less Land with Less Water Than You Can Imagine
This book is for you if:
1) You are planning a trip to Mars and need a self-contained food-producing system.
2) You are prepping for the zombie apocalypse and need to grow every scrap of your own food and compost to maintain soil fertility.
3) You are a nerd who had read too many gardening books that reference Grow Biointensive, and want to know what it actually is (that's me!)
This book isn't for you if:
1) You want to grow more vegetables. Most of the book is about growing grain -- both for eating ...more
1) You are planning a trip to Mars and need a self-contained food-producing system.
2) You are prepping for the zombie apocalypse and need to grow every scrap of your own food and compost to maintain soil fertility.
3) You are a nerd who had read too many gardening books that reference Grow Biointensive, and want to know what it actually is (that's me!)
This book isn't for you if:
1) You want to grow more vegetables. Most of the book is about growing grain -- both for eating ...more
I want to really like this book because I like the idea of gardening it´s built on, and it´s got lots of rigorous info based on an experimental gardening, and it gives me hope that one day I will be able to harvest some vegetables, but then it starts talking about planting by the phases of the moon because tides, or using crystal patterns to decide what to plant where, and I go ???? and start to wonder if any of it is good science.
I found this book too dense for my needs, and overflowing with unnecessary philosophy & anecdotes.
The original release was in the '70s. I attribute most of what I find overwhelming about this book to the fact that books of that era fulfilled a different purpose than books do today. In fact, "How to Grow More Vegetables" reminds me a bit of of the "Whole Earth Catalogue" and Ann Wigmore's "Recipes for Longer Life."
Anyways. If you're looking for a direct step-by-step, this is not it. ...more
The original release was in the '70s. I attribute most of what I find overwhelming about this book to the fact that books of that era fulfilled a different purpose than books do today. In fact, "How to Grow More Vegetables" reminds me a bit of of the "Whole Earth Catalogue" and Ann Wigmore's "Recipes for Longer Life."
Anyways. If you're looking for a direct step-by-step, this is not it. ...more
Aug 08, 2008
Maureen
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
everyone
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
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
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
This was cool. I learned a lot about preparing the soil, transplanting, etc. but I am not advanced enough to take its advice for making a totally sustainable homestead. Neat though and great food for thought. Maybe next year!
Apr 26, 2011
Nico Daniel
rated it
liked it
·
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.
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.
...more
I think I know less about gardening after finishing this book than before I started.
There are about three useful chapters in this book: one about compost, one about preparing raised beds, and one about companion planting (and that one is a little weak). The rest of this book is a repetitive advertisement for the GROW BIOINTENSIVE method, which we all need to adopt because the world will be unable to feed itself using traditional methods by 2020. (Naturally, I'm frantic. It's 2019 and I don't ev ...more
There are about three useful chapters in this book: one about compost, one about preparing raised beds, and one about companion planting (and that one is a little weak). The rest of this book is a repetitive advertisement for the GROW BIOINTENSIVE method, which we all need to adopt because the world will be unable to feed itself using traditional methods by 2020. (Naturally, I'm frantic. It's 2019 and I don't ev ...more
Title: How to Grow More Vegetables, and Fruits, Nuts Berries, Grains and Crops - 9th Editions
Author: John Jeavons
Publisher: Ten Speed Press
Published: 7-25-2017
Pages: 264
Genre: Home & Gardening
Sub-Genre: Garden Beds
ISBN: 978-0-997123-93-7
ASIN: B01M5I294G
Reviewed For: Net Galley & the Publisher
Reviewer: DelAnne
Rating: 5 Stars
Small or big. How to make the most of the space you have. Choosing between rows and raised beds. How to prepare the soil and maintain it Whether you are a novice or expert gar ...more
Author: John Jeavons
Publisher: Ten Speed Press
Published: 7-25-2017
Pages: 264
Genre: Home & Gardening
Sub-Genre: Garden Beds
ISBN: 978-0-997123-93-7
ASIN: B01M5I294G
Reviewed For: Net Galley & the Publisher
Reviewer: DelAnne
Rating: 5 Stars
Small or big. How to make the most of the space you have. Choosing between rows and raised beds. How to prepare the soil and maintain it Whether you are a novice or expert gar ...more
I've owned 3 editions of this book, and I finally read the new edition on the Kindle. Great information about double digging as a way to prepare garden beds. I learned this technique from a friend who attended one of the workshops that Jeavons and co. offer, and we grew wonderful produce. There are some things in the book that could use updating/translation, like how he calls what's now commonly called a broadfork a "U-bar." What really bothered me here is his tendency to guess at future statist
...more
Great book if you are interested in an intro to some sort of organic gardening! This one got me started, and I still refer to it very regularly. It is very labor intensive, but also doesn't require any mechanization of any sort. He even provides very detailed plans for starting out. The claims on amount of labor are exaggerated, but the other claims such as 66% reduction in watering and 2-4 times yields per unit of area I have found to be very true. He doesn't address the weed management problem
...more
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC, provided by the author and/or the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
The title of this one is a bit misleading. While ONE of the end-goals of the information presented in this book is to help gardeners and small-scale farmers grow more vegetables in a small space with less water, it's certainly not presented as the main one. The main one would be: building soil health in a natural and sustainable way, to lengthen the longevity of our soils, reduce the nee ...more
The title of this one is a bit misleading. While ONE of the end-goals of the information presented in this book is to help gardeners and small-scale farmers grow more vegetables in a small space with less water, it's certainly not presented as the main one. The main one would be: building soil health in a natural and sustainable way, to lengthen the longevity of our soils, reduce the nee ...more
If you ever needed a tried and successful vegetable gardening blueprint to copy - this would be it.
There's plenty of information on growing rich soil, crop rotations, companion planting and many other techniques that have stood the test of decades in the field. Instructions are clear and there's very little room for error, but plenty of room for customization.
Beginner's might seem overwhelmed by the amount of information, but it's possible to implement as much as you feel comfortable at the time ...more
There's plenty of information on growing rich soil, crop rotations, companion planting and many other techniques that have stood the test of decades in the field. Instructions are clear and there's very little room for error, but plenty of room for customization.
Beginner's might seem overwhelmed by the amount of information, but it's possible to implement as much as you feel comfortable at the time ...more
Thanks to NetGalley and Ten Speed Press for the opportunity to read and review How to Grow More Vegetables, ninth edition, by John Jeavons. How to Grow More Vegetables should possibly be named How to Grow More Crops. This gardening instructional guide covers soil preparation, creation and upkeep; composting; soil fertilization and nutrition; planting with seeds and/or plants; companion planting; crop rotation; insect control; garden charts, plans and tools. The book is based on the GROW BIOINTEN
...more
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair review.
This book, How to Grow More Vegetables, Ninth Edition (and Fruits, Nuts, Berries, Grains, and Other Crops) Than You Ever Thought Possible on Less Land with Less Water Than You Can Imagine by John Jeavons, was so filled with propaganda that it was hard to read. I sadly read about 10% and most of it was about GROW BIOINTENSIVE. I didn't get to the growing or awesomeness that the book description promised, so I cannot say definitivel ...more
This book, How to Grow More Vegetables, Ninth Edition (and Fruits, Nuts, Berries, Grains, and Other Crops) Than You Ever Thought Possible on Less Land with Less Water Than You Can Imagine by John Jeavons, was so filled with propaganda that it was hard to read. I sadly read about 10% and most of it was about GROW BIOINTENSIVE. I didn't get to the growing or awesomeness that the book description promised, so I cannot say definitivel ...more
I didn’t really get much out of this book yet. The text-heavy chapters of this book are all over the place, covering history, science, and a lot of trying to convince the reader that organic farming methods are the way to go. I don’t need that convincing, so I didn’t find those sections very useful. I was really looking for practical tips to improve my gardening practices, and I feel like this book hints at them rather than providing clear blueprints. There are tons of charts with information ab
...more
This book has a lot of very useful information, particularly for those wishing to grow intensively on whatever plot of land they own. The double-dig method is key to this methodology, as well as focusing on crop rotation, utilising companion planting and generating your own organic material to reduce dependence on outside inputs.
If you're interested in these elements I highly recommend the book. It is very readable with excellent graphs and insight from years of honing intensive, organic gardeni ...more
If you're interested in these elements I highly recommend the book. It is very readable with excellent graphs and insight from years of honing intensive, organic gardeni ...more
The book has confidence in its vision and belief, and sticks to it staunchly through its broad claims and pseudoscience spiels. While the gardening method it employs seems to be viable and well-backed, the title is misleading and the book itself is by no means comprehensive, citing other publications, dead links, and its own website (quite often) for the "further reading" crucial to the method itself.
...more
Oct 30, 2019
Erin
rated it
it was ok
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
gardening-homesteading-and-sustaina
Originally published in 1974 , this is an organic gardening classic. It has been an inspiration to many other gardeners and farmers whose books i find more easier to follow. This book does have some charts that are apparently useful for planning. I am not sure if those charts are available online or not. Also i did not see much advice here on cold climate farming. How do you grow a winter cover crop in the snow?
I was very entranced by the title of this book, and I've enjoyed reading it. Nothing is particularly new to me, perhaps since I've read lots of similar books, but perhaps also the ideas have become more common since the book was originally published. The book constantly refers to the "Grow Biointensive" method, but I've had a hard time determining exactly what makes up this method.
...more
A LOT of information, and a lot of technical information. If you want to be self-sustainable and have amazing soil amended by your own home-grown fodder, this is the book for you. For those of us who are more casual gardeners and just want a few more tomatoes from our little raised beds, this is a bit intense. Very useful reference, but not aimed at most of us.
Some really great tips in here and some parts to skim past. Isn’t that the way with most gardening books tho? Most notably is the idea that soil needs to be tilled. Definitely not a popular opinion anymore.
I found the sections on the science of compost to be one of the best explanations I’ve seen.
I found the sections on the science of compost to be one of the best explanations I’ve seen.
Really good advice in places but restrictive in other places.. as if they haven't taken any other well known market garden growing systems into account. Will reference the master charts at a later date but will definitely not be double digging! No-dig only systems for me
...more
"How to Grow” is a useful addition to the home gardener’s library. It details the science and practice of sustainable organic vegetable gardening for the dedicated amateur. I particularly found the master charts and sample plans useful, despite the limitations of my small garden.
...more
Over a decade into gobbling up gardening and farming books, and this one was full of new-to-me info and applicable charts/guides. I plan to add this to my bookshelf (in real life) after the library showed me how good it was.
Aug 19, 2018
Ted Gurley
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
prepardness,
home-library
Essential Gardening reference book.
Some great information on utilization of land. A bit doomsday in perspective, though helpful information for good stewardship. Overall, I thought it packed with useful charts and tidbits.
Super informative with great resources. Included PDF files of all the charts!
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