I have looked over quite a few books on gardening in the last year or so in an effort to sort it all out. Nothing beats Google to search for things like “what’s that bug”, but for a good overview of what to plant and how to plant it, I have personally found Ohio Vegetable Gardening to be the most useful to me.
The only complaint I have is that some subtle color information was lost in the printing, so maps to help you determine your zone are off because the shading on the map is different than the colors in the guide. I was able to use the charts, however, to determine planting times and all was good with the world.
The entire thing was invaluable for finding varieties that would grow well in my area of the country as well as how much space I need and determining planting and harvest times. There’s not a lot about technique, however, the author makes mention of things like cold frames so at least there’s a starting point to go research in more depth.
I also found a book in the clearance section of the book store called Month by Month Gardening in Ohio. I was looking for something to help me figure out what I was supposed to be doing when. I found I was doing some things too early or too late and suffering the consequences. For instance, I planted lettuce too late last year and it fried. I planted eggplant too early this year, and it died due to the soil being too cold.
I like that it gives a good general idea of what you should be doing, but it doesn’t get too bogged down in exact details. For instance, it says that in Ohio the last couple of weeks of July is a great time to plant for Fall harvest but to look at harvest times and the expected first frost in your area and count backwards to determine the best time for you.
I’m all about generalities because it means I can transfer the knowledge to things not mentioned in the book. For instance: wait on the lettuce and spinach for a couple of weeks since they can tolerate a harder frost but can’t handle the heat or they’ll not taste as good.
I’ll be putting together a more detailed calendar for things I like to eat and have room to plant some time this winter when I’m planning for next year.
I’m interested in checking out the concept of Square Foot Gardening which is a way to more intensely garden a small space for much larger yields. I don’t know if I’m willing to have such a high maintenance garden though… that’s definitely going to be one I borrow from the library.
I also love the idea of growing things on other things, but it seems like all of the building plans I find are prohibitively expensive or use parts that I can’t find in nearby stores. And in the interest of not poisoning myself, I think it’s a pretty bad idea to recycle old treated wood because they contain arsenic that leaches into the soil. I’m going to need to get pretty creative in my use of materials. I’m hoping to turn the basement into a workshop of sorts this winter and find a way to build what I need without breaking the bank. For now, I bought sturdier tomato cages from the local hardware store for about $5 a piece. They’re triangular in shape and seem to be doing the job unlike the cheap ones I used last year. I’ve also found that bamboo poles and some twine can be made into the most wondrous things… like bean trellises and supports for bell pepper plants. They won’t cut it for the bigger stuff like cucumbers though.
There’s a guy who doesn’t speak understandable English who has the best garden out of all of us… and he used a broken broom as a stake for one of his eggplants. Maybe I’m just being too picky.
Last recommendation – what to do with all of the tasty food coming out of the garden, farmers market or CSA. From Asparagus to Zuchinni
Why do I love this book… let me count the ways.
First, it tells you how to store your vegetables until you can use them.
Second, it includes recipes. The more unlikely you are to know what to do with it, the more recipes they seem to include.
Third: There is a noticeable lack of ingredients I can’t find any stores or am unwilling to pay for because they are crazy expensive. In fact, when using more than one vegetable, they use vegetables that are generally in season and abundantly available at the same time. This is great because then you aren’t buying expensive out of season vegetables that have been shipped in from Brazil in order to complete the meal. A lack of awareness for when things are in season is a huge issue with many recipes I’ve come across over the years.
Lastly and best of all – they are uncomplicated and accessible to the kitchen impaired such as myself.
