The Old Farmer's Almanac Vegetable Gardener's Handbook

Educational & Enjoyable

The Old Farmer's Almanac Vegetable Gardener's Handbook

As a full time organic farmer, I have learned a lot over the years. Because I am madly in love with my job, I continue to learn & read anything I can get my hands on regarding natural farming. While I did already know much of the information in this book, I also learned a great deal too. My favorite thing to say is that no matter how much I learn, I know nothing.

This small & slender book is beautifully laid out with full color photos & packed with information regarding the growing requirements of vegetables. From soil health, to compost, fertilizers, weather, plant variations, & more, this book is bursting with useful information & tips. At the end of each section there are charts you can fill out to help you keep track. For example: 'My Seed-Starting Record' This has a column for the date planted, the seed/variety, the medium, & the days to transplant. There are disease & pest records, fertilizer records, rotation records, & much more. If you don't want to write in the book, I suggest photo copying these pages & putting them into a dedicated farm journal/binder.

If you are new to gardening, know that you will make mistakes. If you are smart you will learn from them. The more in tune you are with your micro climate & your land, the more progress you will make each growing season.  After a few years you will be amazed at how far you have come & how much knowledge you have gained, not to mention a pantry full of your bounty come the dreary winter months.

Be aware that this is strictly a vegetable & herb book. If you would like growing advice for fruits, flowers, berries, or cotton, you will want to buy separate books.

I highly recommend Rodale's Ultimate Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening. It's not as pretty as this book, but it's great if you want to look something up.

Do I recommend this book by The Old Farmer's Almanac? Yes, yes, & yes. I love it.