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High-Yield Vegetable Gardening: Grow More of What You Want in the Space You Have
You won’t believe your eyes when you see the size of your harvest! In High-Yield Vegetable Gardening, authors Colin McCrate and Brad Halm show how you can make your food garden much more productive, no matter how big or small it is. You’ll learn their secrets for preparing the soil, selecting and rotating your crops, and mapping out a specific customized plan to make the most of your space and your growing season. Packed with the charts, tables, schedules, and worksheets you need — as well as record-keeping pages so you can repeat your successes next year — this book is an essential tool for the serious gardener.
- GenresGardeningNonfiction
683 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 29, 2015
77 people are currently reading
197 people want to read
About the author
Colin McCrate
3 books5 followersColin has been growing food organically for the past 15 years. He worked on a variety of small farms in the Midwest before moving to the west coast in 2003 to teach garden-based environmental education. He founded the Seattle Urban Farm Company in January of 2007 with the goal of applying years of horticultural and agricultural expertise to help aspiring growers get projects off the ground or more accurately; in the ground: so he bought a truck, grabbed a shovel and got to work.
Over the past seven years, he has helped guide hundreds of urban farmers through the design, construction and management of their own edible landscape. He works with clients through the entire design/build process because he believes that cohesion and attention to detail are what make each project unique and successful. He prides himself on creating environmentally responsible and long-lasting garden elements. Sourcing quality materials and locally adapted plants ensures the long-term health and beauty of these landscapes. The author of two books; Food Grown Right, In Your Backyard(Mountaineers Books, 2012) and The High-Yield Garden Planner (Storey Publishing, 2015); Colin believes that there will always be more to learn and share of his experiences.
Colin thrives on pioneering new ideas and empowering city dwellers to reap the rewards of local food production. He believes that sustainable urban agriculture can promote healthy diets, environmental stewardship, stronger communities and improved quality of life. He hopes that developing economically sound, city-based farming ventures will increase public awareness of agricultural issues and foster a greater appreciation of farmers everywhere.
Over the past seven years, he has helped guide hundreds of urban farmers through the design, construction and management of their own edible landscape. He works with clients through the entire design/build process because he believes that cohesion and attention to detail are what make each project unique and successful. He prides himself on creating environmentally responsible and long-lasting garden elements. Sourcing quality materials and locally adapted plants ensures the long-term health and beauty of these landscapes. The author of two books; Food Grown Right, In Your Backyard(Mountaineers Books, 2012) and The High-Yield Garden Planner (Storey Publishing, 2015); Colin believes that there will always be more to learn and share of his experiences.
Colin thrives on pioneering new ideas and empowering city dwellers to reap the rewards of local food production. He believes that sustainable urban agriculture can promote healthy diets, environmental stewardship, stronger communities and improved quality of life. He hopes that developing economically sound, city-based farming ventures will increase public awareness of agricultural issues and foster a greater appreciation of farmers everywhere.
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
December 10, 2020
If I had to recommend one vegetable gardening book to someone, it would probably be this one. It's thorough, if not deep, and covers enough of everything to launch a person successfully.
As a semi-seasoned gardener who's read a lot of books on the topic, there isn't a ton of new info in here for me, but their well-organized lists and tables make an excellent reference I would still want on my shelf.
As a semi-seasoned gardener who's read a lot of books on the topic, there isn't a ton of new info in here for me, but their well-organized lists and tables make an excellent reference I would still want on my shelf.
December 29, 2025
This book is intended for home gardeners who value efficiency and productivity. The authors, founders of the Seattle Urban Farm Company, explain techniques used by biointensive farmers and how to adapt these techniques for any size of garden. This professional help will assist gardeners to extend the season, increase yields, maintain healthy soils and deal with pests and other problems. This is not a beginner book telling you how to grow carrots (or any other crop). It will give you the information to choose the variety of carrot best suited to your goals, figure out how much land to put into carrots for the harvest you want, when to plant them, how to get maximum yields and how to have a continuous supply. It is not a book on marketing either. I want to set that out clearly, so no-one buys the book wanting something that it's not. It's a very good book if you want to "up your game" and get full potential from the land you have and the time you have available to spend working it.
This 7" x 9" spiral bound lay-flat book has 320 pages, including the index and resources section. The cover price is $18.95. It is illustrated with black and white drawings rather than photos, and has green spot color for headings and special sections. This gives an old-fashioned air to the book, until you come upon a drawing of a smart phone. There is nothing old-fashioned about the planning charts and spreadsheets.
After a poor start, on page 222 the gender ratio of the gardeners pictured starts to even up, and ends up close to the national average of 30% of farmers being female. https://www.agcensus.usda.gov/Publica...
The book opens with three examples of high-yield gardens: A typical city lot of 5000 sq ft (including the space occupied by the house); a quarter-acre in the suburbs; and a rural one-acre plot. The authors discuss how to make a garden map and determine which factors influence how you use the site (shade for instance), and what your priorities are. They advocate for standard size raised beds in order to simplify planning and to reuse materials like row cover, netting or drip tape.
There are tables of crop spacing and scheduling for 60 annual vegetables and herbs, about 20 perennial vegetables and fruits and 20 perennial herbs. There is a worksheet to help you calculate how much of each crop to aim for, based on the average serving size, depending on your tastes, whether that's non-stop arugula, tomatoes for canning or a large amount of carrots for a farmer wedding. Some of the charts can be downloaded from the Seattle Urban Farm Company's website www.seattleurbanfarmco.com. There is a table of yields and one of planting dates, working from your own frost dates. There is a Planting Calendar Worksheet blank you can copy and use for each crop you plan to grow.
There are clear instructions on designing a crop rotation, including a chart of crop height, life span and fertility needs. They discuss practical limitations that might lead you towards either two rotations within your garden, or a separate rotation for the greenhouse. They urge you to keep good clear records. (Oh so important! Who has time to make the same mistake twice in farming?).
There is a Seed Order Worksheet, and a clear description of the word "hybrid" which has sometimes become a bad word among some gardeners who misunderstand the plant breeding work of the past century or so, and how it has brought us high-yielding, disease-resistant varieties, which are a boon to gardeners wanting high yields. Sure, you can't save your own seed from hybrids and have it grow true, but who realistically grows all their own seed? So many crops cross with each other; sometimes seed-saving conflicts with getting food from that planting; Seed-growing and selecting is a skilled job. Seed companies can do that work for us. I do grow a few seed crops, so I know what is involved. But I also grow many hybrids, and am grateful for them.
In a couple of places the drawing isn't as good as a photo would be. The Jericho and Winter Density lettuces don't look so different, and you couldn't tell the size difference. The high tunnel (hoophouse) inflation blower tubing drawing on p 263 looks very strange to me, like maybe the artist has never seen a real one, and worked from a description.
There is a chart of seed longevity, a subject not always covered in gardening books. There is an excellent chapter on soil tests and interpreting them, which is very down-to-earth. ("We determined this to be about 75 and 50 pounds per 1000 sq ft.") Nice and user-friendly, it won't blind you with science. There is another good chapter on irrigation systems, a subject often ignored in backyard gardening books. "Because we strongly believe that hand watering a large, diversified garden site is an inefficient use of time and resources, we won't even include it as a viable option for garden irrigation." "Spending valuable hours trailing a hose through the garden is, at best, a poor use of your time." Absolutely!
Setting up spaces to start seedlings and keeping them well-lit and watered is clearly explained. So is the subject of small greenhouses. The drawing includes the 1970's craze of lining the back wall with black barrels of water, although the authors do point out that such devices can help, but will not be enough to warm the air to seed germination temperatures. In my opinion, the space given over to big barrels of water would be better given to more plants and the need for heat addressed in other ways!
There is a chapter on starting seedlings and planning for that on a large scale. It includes tips not found everywhere, such as when to sow rootstock and scion varieties for grafting tomatoes, starting cuttings, growing microgreens and hand pollinating. Planting depth is covered, including laying tall tomato plants in a small trench and planting brassicas up to the lowest leaves, rather than the same height as in the seed flat. There are recipes for mixing your own organic fertilizers, and which plants will respond most to extra nutrients. There are tables of organic management strategies for pests and diseases.
Compost-making is discussed, along with a table of Carbon:Nitrogen ratios of various compost ingredients. There is a table of cold-hardy salad crops and information about building low tunnels, caterpillar tunnels and basic types of small hoophouses for cold-weather growing. If you are planning a big hoophouse, I'd recommend getting more information than in this book. There is a chapter on harvesting, washing and storage.
As you've probably gathered by now, this is a book full of valuable charts. If you are a grower who doesn't want to work with spreadsheets, you can easily print off the Seattle Urban Farm Company's worksheets and use those. Or take the spreadsheets and run. Either way, this is a valuable book for serious backyard growers.
This 7" x 9" spiral bound lay-flat book has 320 pages, including the index and resources section. The cover price is $18.95. It is illustrated with black and white drawings rather than photos, and has green spot color for headings and special sections. This gives an old-fashioned air to the book, until you come upon a drawing of a smart phone. There is nothing old-fashioned about the planning charts and spreadsheets.
After a poor start, on page 222 the gender ratio of the gardeners pictured starts to even up, and ends up close to the national average of 30% of farmers being female. https://www.agcensus.usda.gov/Publica...
The book opens with three examples of high-yield gardens: A typical city lot of 5000 sq ft (including the space occupied by the house); a quarter-acre in the suburbs; and a rural one-acre plot. The authors discuss how to make a garden map and determine which factors influence how you use the site (shade for instance), and what your priorities are. They advocate for standard size raised beds in order to simplify planning and to reuse materials like row cover, netting or drip tape.
There are tables of crop spacing and scheduling for 60 annual vegetables and herbs, about 20 perennial vegetables and fruits and 20 perennial herbs. There is a worksheet to help you calculate how much of each crop to aim for, based on the average serving size, depending on your tastes, whether that's non-stop arugula, tomatoes for canning or a large amount of carrots for a farmer wedding. Some of the charts can be downloaded from the Seattle Urban Farm Company's website www.seattleurbanfarmco.com. There is a table of yields and one of planting dates, working from your own frost dates. There is a Planting Calendar Worksheet blank you can copy and use for each crop you plan to grow.
There are clear instructions on designing a crop rotation, including a chart of crop height, life span and fertility needs. They discuss practical limitations that might lead you towards either two rotations within your garden, or a separate rotation for the greenhouse. They urge you to keep good clear records. (Oh so important! Who has time to make the same mistake twice in farming?).
There is a Seed Order Worksheet, and a clear description of the word "hybrid" which has sometimes become a bad word among some gardeners who misunderstand the plant breeding work of the past century or so, and how it has brought us high-yielding, disease-resistant varieties, which are a boon to gardeners wanting high yields. Sure, you can't save your own seed from hybrids and have it grow true, but who realistically grows all their own seed? So many crops cross with each other; sometimes seed-saving conflicts with getting food from that planting; Seed-growing and selecting is a skilled job. Seed companies can do that work for us. I do grow a few seed crops, so I know what is involved. But I also grow many hybrids, and am grateful for them.
In a couple of places the drawing isn't as good as a photo would be. The Jericho and Winter Density lettuces don't look so different, and you couldn't tell the size difference. The high tunnel (hoophouse) inflation blower tubing drawing on p 263 looks very strange to me, like maybe the artist has never seen a real one, and worked from a description.
There is a chart of seed longevity, a subject not always covered in gardening books. There is an excellent chapter on soil tests and interpreting them, which is very down-to-earth. ("We determined this to be about 75 and 50 pounds per 1000 sq ft.") Nice and user-friendly, it won't blind you with science. There is another good chapter on irrigation systems, a subject often ignored in backyard gardening books. "Because we strongly believe that hand watering a large, diversified garden site is an inefficient use of time and resources, we won't even include it as a viable option for garden irrigation." "Spending valuable hours trailing a hose through the garden is, at best, a poor use of your time." Absolutely!
Setting up spaces to start seedlings and keeping them well-lit and watered is clearly explained. So is the subject of small greenhouses. The drawing includes the 1970's craze of lining the back wall with black barrels of water, although the authors do point out that such devices can help, but will not be enough to warm the air to seed germination temperatures. In my opinion, the space given over to big barrels of water would be better given to more plants and the need for heat addressed in other ways!
There is a chapter on starting seedlings and planning for that on a large scale. It includes tips not found everywhere, such as when to sow rootstock and scion varieties for grafting tomatoes, starting cuttings, growing microgreens and hand pollinating. Planting depth is covered, including laying tall tomato plants in a small trench and planting brassicas up to the lowest leaves, rather than the same height as in the seed flat. There are recipes for mixing your own organic fertilizers, and which plants will respond most to extra nutrients. There are tables of organic management strategies for pests and diseases.
Compost-making is discussed, along with a table of Carbon:Nitrogen ratios of various compost ingredients. There is a table of cold-hardy salad crops and information about building low tunnels, caterpillar tunnels and basic types of small hoophouses for cold-weather growing. If you are planning a big hoophouse, I'd recommend getting more information than in this book. There is a chapter on harvesting, washing and storage.
As you've probably gathered by now, this is a book full of valuable charts. If you are a grower who doesn't want to work with spreadsheets, you can easily print off the Seattle Urban Farm Company's worksheets and use those. Or take the spreadsheets and run. Either way, this is a valuable book for serious backyard growers.
July 8, 2017
I’ve mentioned in the past my love for Storey Publishers. They publish tons of unique and interesting books on all kinds of homesteading/DIY topics. Their books are colorful and well-organized and full of practical, accessible advice.
High-Yield Vegetable Gardening, subtitled “Grow More of What You Want in the Space You Have” was one of my birthday scores from last year. I really enjoy gardening, and I LOVE reading about gardening. I own literally dozens of different books on a variety of gardening subtopics. I was attracted to this book because it’s a bit “next level” – it’s really designed for people who already have grasped the basics of vegetable gardening and are ready to start growing beyond what you are planning to eat fresh.
While I’m not ready to start selling veggies at a roadside stand or a farmers’ market (yet), I am working on growing more produce to preserve for our personal consumption throughout the year. And even if I wasn’t wanting to expand our garden, High-Yield has a lot of practical tips for simply making your vegetable garden a healthier place to raise plants more easily.
The book roughly follows the stages of a garden through the season – starting with “Planning and Planting What You Need” and ending with “Timely Harvesting and Storage.” In between, the authors cover the basics of things like soil amendment, crop rotation, irrigation systems, setting up a home nursery, using crop tunnels and greenhouses, organic fertilizing, and transplanting methods. A lot of time is spent on seeding and growing seedlings, as this is the most financially efficient way to grow a large number of plants.
There are loads of charts that make it easy to reference back to information that has been covered in more depth throughout the chapter. There’s also a great list of references in the back that not only lists tons of books, but also supplies recommended by the authors, useful apps, online access to record keeping charts, and places that will do soil analysis.
All in all, High-Yield is a great addition to my ever-growing collection of gardening books (and Storey publications), and one I definitely recommend if you already have some gardening basics under your belt and are interested in taking it up a notch.
High-Yield Vegetable Gardening, subtitled “Grow More of What You Want in the Space You Have” was one of my birthday scores from last year. I really enjoy gardening, and I LOVE reading about gardening. I own literally dozens of different books on a variety of gardening subtopics. I was attracted to this book because it’s a bit “next level” – it’s really designed for people who already have grasped the basics of vegetable gardening and are ready to start growing beyond what you are planning to eat fresh.
While I’m not ready to start selling veggies at a roadside stand or a farmers’ market (yet), I am working on growing more produce to preserve for our personal consumption throughout the year. And even if I wasn’t wanting to expand our garden, High-Yield has a lot of practical tips for simply making your vegetable garden a healthier place to raise plants more easily.
The book roughly follows the stages of a garden through the season – starting with “Planning and Planting What You Need” and ending with “Timely Harvesting and Storage.” In between, the authors cover the basics of things like soil amendment, crop rotation, irrigation systems, setting up a home nursery, using crop tunnels and greenhouses, organic fertilizing, and transplanting methods. A lot of time is spent on seeding and growing seedlings, as this is the most financially efficient way to grow a large number of plants.
There are loads of charts that make it easy to reference back to information that has been covered in more depth throughout the chapter. There’s also a great list of references in the back that not only lists tons of books, but also supplies recommended by the authors, useful apps, online access to record keeping charts, and places that will do soil analysis.
All in all, High-Yield is a great addition to my ever-growing collection of gardening books (and Storey publications), and one I definitely recommend if you already have some gardening basics under your belt and are interested in taking it up a notch.
March 30, 2021
A pretty thorough look at vegetable gardening from a scientific and productivity focused angle. These techniques can be applied to smaller gardens, but it feels more geared towards larger gardens (ex: the three "example gardens" they have are 400 sq ft, 1,040 sq ft, and 8,000 sq ft). The text emphasizes techniques like frequent soil testing and outright refuses to talk about watering with anything other than automated or irrigation systems because of the "time waste." It is much more structured along the "reference guide" end of the spectrum, though I did read it through all the way. It has many helpful tables.
I feel that it's explained at more of an "advanced beginner" to "intermediate" gardening knowledge level. The explanations are simple and clear, but the density of information might be overwhelming for a newbie. I'd suggest people with very little garden knowledge to start with a smaller, less dense text before moving on to this one.
I feel that it's explained at more of an "advanced beginner" to "intermediate" gardening knowledge level. The explanations are simple and clear, but the density of information might be overwhelming for a newbie. I'd suggest people with very little garden knowledge to start with a smaller, less dense text before moving on to this one.
December 29, 2020
Have you been planting a vegetable garden for a few years? Are you ready to learn a bit more? If so this is the best single vegetable gardening book for you! It is not a beginner book and won't teach you how to plant a seed. This book helps you learn how to plan your vegetable garden; when do you need to plant, how much do you need to plant... And it teaches you tricks to minimize your expenses like how long can you store and use excess seeds... This is absolutely the best general vegetable gardening book I know. It is not without flaws and is not completely sufficient, but in conjunction with a "Johnny's Selected Seeds" catalog's germination charts, it is invaluable!
July 22, 2020
So practical and useful! I am still a beginner gardener and I appreciated that they explained advanced topics at a level I think anyone could understand. They offer context and explanations that are so helpful. There’s a lot of charts about how and when to plant different things and I know I will come back to this many times to look up info like that. I’ve been relying on google for that info but to have it all broken down in one place is perfect.
May 4, 2017
I've been devouring the garden books lately....
This one was definitely worth the read - full of very useful information on just about everything you'd want to know, explained in an easy to understand way. My biggest takeaways that I'm going to work on employing in my garden this year were crop rotation and building soil quality.
This one was definitely worth the read - full of very useful information on just about everything you'd want to know, explained in an easy to understand way. My biggest takeaways that I'm going to work on employing in my garden this year were crop rotation and building soil quality.
January 6, 2019
Definitely the best gardening book I've ever read.
I grow some veggies and herbs in the balcony, on a much smaller scale than described in the book, yet I learned so much.
This is gold. Well written, extensive, highly recommended.
I grow some veggies and herbs in the balcony, on a much smaller scale than described in the book, yet I learned so much.
This is gold. Well written, extensive, highly recommended.
January 8, 2020
Must purchase this book for myself instead of renting it from my library. Extremely practical, helpful and realistic information.
May 15, 2020
It was good. I just wanted to do a quick dive to see how to gain more high-yield. Read what I needed.
May 1, 2021
One worth owning! It's chock full of information and charts, allowing for scalibility from the backyard garden plot to a market or commercial grower. Thorough.
April 14, 2022
Great resource, extremely informative (and for more than just high-yield growing). Borrowed from the library but will probably buy a copy.
January 12, 2023
One of the best garden references for new and intermediate people looking to grow some of their own food.
December 27, 2015
I would like to thank Storey Publishing for a free ARC of this book in exchange for an open and honest review.
What a comprehensive guide to growing vegetables in your own yard! Although the amount of detail given in this book may make some feel it’s better suited for your beginner home grown veggie gardener, I feel home growers of all levels would get something out of this book. I, personally, loved how it not only provided charts and tables within the book to help you keep records on planting, seeds and other important schedules – it also gave advice on how to use applications on your computer to keep a record. So those more technologically minded (like me) are still encouraged to get out in the garden and get our hands dirty… but we can still find a use for our love of tinkering on a spreadsheet.
I will admit now I am really a novice to possibly advanced novice when it comes to gardening. I know the basics, try and grow at least one crop of something each year and have kept all my fruit trees alive and laden with fruits for the decade I’ve owned my current home. And yet I still gained a lot of helpful and extremely useful information from ‘High-Yield Vegetable Gardening’. Yes I knew a lot of the basics given, but there is such an amazing amount of detail given with them that I still gained pointers and inspiration to get out there and get more from my garden. And this book covered pretty much everything!
Oh, I also loved how it had more of an organic/ natural remedy lean to it too. From your heirloom and organic seeds, to better soil - via organic treatments - through to pest control and home remedies. LOVED IT! So many modern gardening books go for the fast and furious measures of instant results with the least amount of work by taking the GM seeds, putting them in the chemically fertilised soil and so on. This is a true gardener’s book and helps to teach gardening the way my grandparents and parents taught me. Keep it true, keep it real and keep it as healthy and chemical free as possible.
The only two extremely minor niggles I have about this book is firstly that it isn’t orientated to my location. As in, Storey Publishing is a publishing house in the United States, so this book is based on gardening there. I would have loved if it was set up for the Australian climate and planting season. But I knew this was going to be the case before I asked to read it so the fault is all mine and nothing to do with the book! Yes I still gained a lot of good advice and tips that can be used globally… but there are large parts of the book I would need to adjust to suit my wheel of the year, rather than the one followed in the northern hemisphere.
The other, very minor, problem I had is there was nothing there for your city apartment gardener. I know it can be hard to fit more than a few scenarios into a book, but there are patio and verandah vegetable gardeners out there and it would have been good if there had been some tips and tricks for them too. However, I can see why there isn’t, as this book really is set for your urban to suit your semi-rural garden and, to be honest, patio and verandah gardening can be so different in comparison that getting their own book may be of more use. So, yes, very minor flaw and probably just with me the reader!
Would I recommend this book to others? Yes I would. As I’ve said, this is a very comprehensive and well written ‘how to’ guide to vegetable gardening suited for all skill levels. Yes it covers everything from the basics through and so some of your more experienced gardeners may not want to read it… but I’m sure there are some pretty good tips in there for those gardeners too. I would, however, mention the locality issues I had as some newbie vegetable gardeners here in Australia may get more from a locally based book.
Would I buy this book for myself? I might. As I said, I loved the details and the amount of things covered and I really did gain a lot and could see myself referring to this book for hints, tips and inspiration in the future… but not being set out for the Australia climate does put me off a bit. I am so very tempted… but am sure there are more locally based books I could gain good help from too. If this book is ever revamped to suit the Australian climate, then yes. I would have it in my hot little hands before they finished unpacking them to put up on the book store’s shelves!
In summary – I know I’ve said it before, but I will say it again – a very comprehensive and well written guide to vegetable gardening in your own yard… as long you HAVE a yard. A great reference guide for pretty much all aspects of food gardening and one I feel would be of help to all skill levels.
What a comprehensive guide to growing vegetables in your own yard! Although the amount of detail given in this book may make some feel it’s better suited for your beginner home grown veggie gardener, I feel home growers of all levels would get something out of this book. I, personally, loved how it not only provided charts and tables within the book to help you keep records on planting, seeds and other important schedules – it also gave advice on how to use applications on your computer to keep a record. So those more technologically minded (like me) are still encouraged to get out in the garden and get our hands dirty… but we can still find a use for our love of tinkering on a spreadsheet.
I will admit now I am really a novice to possibly advanced novice when it comes to gardening. I know the basics, try and grow at least one crop of something each year and have kept all my fruit trees alive and laden with fruits for the decade I’ve owned my current home. And yet I still gained a lot of helpful and extremely useful information from ‘High-Yield Vegetable Gardening’. Yes I knew a lot of the basics given, but there is such an amazing amount of detail given with them that I still gained pointers and inspiration to get out there and get more from my garden. And this book covered pretty much everything!
Oh, I also loved how it had more of an organic/ natural remedy lean to it too. From your heirloom and organic seeds, to better soil - via organic treatments - through to pest control and home remedies. LOVED IT! So many modern gardening books go for the fast and furious measures of instant results with the least amount of work by taking the GM seeds, putting them in the chemically fertilised soil and so on. This is a true gardener’s book and helps to teach gardening the way my grandparents and parents taught me. Keep it true, keep it real and keep it as healthy and chemical free as possible.
The only two extremely minor niggles I have about this book is firstly that it isn’t orientated to my location. As in, Storey Publishing is a publishing house in the United States, so this book is based on gardening there. I would have loved if it was set up for the Australian climate and planting season. But I knew this was going to be the case before I asked to read it so the fault is all mine and nothing to do with the book! Yes I still gained a lot of good advice and tips that can be used globally… but there are large parts of the book I would need to adjust to suit my wheel of the year, rather than the one followed in the northern hemisphere.
The other, very minor, problem I had is there was nothing there for your city apartment gardener. I know it can be hard to fit more than a few scenarios into a book, but there are patio and verandah vegetable gardeners out there and it would have been good if there had been some tips and tricks for them too. However, I can see why there isn’t, as this book really is set for your urban to suit your semi-rural garden and, to be honest, patio and verandah gardening can be so different in comparison that getting their own book may be of more use. So, yes, very minor flaw and probably just with me the reader!
Would I recommend this book to others? Yes I would. As I’ve said, this is a very comprehensive and well written ‘how to’ guide to vegetable gardening suited for all skill levels. Yes it covers everything from the basics through and so some of your more experienced gardeners may not want to read it… but I’m sure there are some pretty good tips in there for those gardeners too. I would, however, mention the locality issues I had as some newbie vegetable gardeners here in Australia may get more from a locally based book.
Would I buy this book for myself? I might. As I said, I loved the details and the amount of things covered and I really did gain a lot and could see myself referring to this book for hints, tips and inspiration in the future… but not being set out for the Australia climate does put me off a bit. I am so very tempted… but am sure there are more locally based books I could gain good help from too. If this book is ever revamped to suit the Australian climate, then yes. I would have it in my hot little hands before they finished unpacking them to put up on the book store’s shelves!
In summary – I know I’ve said it before, but I will say it again – a very comprehensive and well written guide to vegetable gardening in your own yard… as long you HAVE a yard. A great reference guide for pretty much all aspects of food gardening and one I feel would be of help to all skill levels.
September 21, 2016
An easy-to-use manual for plotting your garden with tips on what/when to plant.
I liked the basic tenets: Know your plants; Grow for a purpose; Maintain fertile soil...
Helpful to set expectations: successful gardeners study the vagaries of nature. They learn how their crops grow and how plants respond to their care. A successful grower recognizes that highs and lows are part of the agreement to work with nature. While most everyone would prefer to spend less time weeding and more time harvesting, it's essential to seek creative ways of overcoming the challenges that weeds, pests, and weather present, and to find joy in the simple pleasure of doing a little better each season.
Anyone can become an artist in their garden. No matter the size of your plot, you'll find that as your knowledge and experience grow, so will your yields and your passion.
I liked the basic tenets: Know your plants; Grow for a purpose; Maintain fertile soil...
Helpful to set expectations: successful gardeners study the vagaries of nature. They learn how their crops grow and how plants respond to their care. A successful grower recognizes that highs and lows are part of the agreement to work with nature. While most everyone would prefer to spend less time weeding and more time harvesting, it's essential to seek creative ways of overcoming the challenges that weeds, pests, and weather present, and to find joy in the simple pleasure of doing a little better each season.
Anyone can become an artist in their garden. No matter the size of your plot, you'll find that as your knowledge and experience grow, so will your yields and your passion.
January 26, 2016
I received this book from the publisher for review.
Ok. I am a gardener. There, I said it, I am coming to terms with it. I love plants. All kinds of plants. I love to fiddle with my garden layout and getting it just right. I also love to grow food for my family.
There is nothing better to me in summer, than going out, getting some herbs to spice up our food. Fresh lettuce from the garden with home grown tomatoes, still warm from the vine? In our family, this can be dinner in itself.
I was so excited to see this book in the mail! I have been neglecting my garden a bit the last few years, because I was mostly away from home during growing season. This year I am home again, so I will tackle it again and I have PLANS! My husband offered to help and after I finished reading this book, I gave it to him. He is absolutely thrilled with what he read. I have never seen him excited about gardening before.
The best thing about this book has to be how much confidence it inspires that this can really be done, even in a small back yard in the city. You CAN grow eniugh food for your family, if you know how and this book will give you the necessary advice.
I have been keeping gardening journals before, as suggested in the book, but let them slide. Mostly, because I did not keep them in a way that was really useful to me. The journaling tips in this book are so much easier and seem to make much more sense, than what I was doing. I will definitely give it another go. I also like the way the book talks you through everything, including storage. It doesn't just dump a great big deal of produce on you and then lets you fend for yourself. Knowing what to do with what you grew is very important and I am so happy to see that covered in this book. (At this piint I would like to also remind you of my review on the book "Put em up", also by storey publishing. Goes really well with this one, as well as Fermented Foods, also by storey)
The crop amount worksheets are also very helpful. I think I will copy them and use them in my journal, so I can have them every year.
The same thing with the planting dates pages.
Our family will also implement low water gardening. I highly recommend the book Gardening with less water to go with this High Yield Gardening book.
The only gripe I have with this book is the binding. I do not like ringbound workbooks. Pages tend to come out with extensive use and we deffinitely will use this book a lot. I thin a solid binding would have done better service.
Other than tha?
GO GET THIS BOOK BEFORE PLANTING SEASON STARTS!!!!!!
Ok. I am a gardener. There, I said it, I am coming to terms with it. I love plants. All kinds of plants. I love to fiddle with my garden layout and getting it just right. I also love to grow food for my family.
There is nothing better to me in summer, than going out, getting some herbs to spice up our food. Fresh lettuce from the garden with home grown tomatoes, still warm from the vine? In our family, this can be dinner in itself.
I was so excited to see this book in the mail! I have been neglecting my garden a bit the last few years, because I was mostly away from home during growing season. This year I am home again, so I will tackle it again and I have PLANS! My husband offered to help and after I finished reading this book, I gave it to him. He is absolutely thrilled with what he read. I have never seen him excited about gardening before.
The best thing about this book has to be how much confidence it inspires that this can really be done, even in a small back yard in the city. You CAN grow eniugh food for your family, if you know how and this book will give you the necessary advice.
I have been keeping gardening journals before, as suggested in the book, but let them slide. Mostly, because I did not keep them in a way that was really useful to me. The journaling tips in this book are so much easier and seem to make much more sense, than what I was doing. I will definitely give it another go. I also like the way the book talks you through everything, including storage. It doesn't just dump a great big deal of produce on you and then lets you fend for yourself. Knowing what to do with what you grew is very important and I am so happy to see that covered in this book. (At this piint I would like to also remind you of my review on the book "Put em up", also by storey publishing. Goes really well with this one, as well as Fermented Foods, also by storey)
The crop amount worksheets are also very helpful. I think I will copy them and use them in my journal, so I can have them every year.
The same thing with the planting dates pages.
Our family will also implement low water gardening. I highly recommend the book Gardening with less water to go with this High Yield Gardening book.
The only gripe I have with this book is the binding. I do not like ringbound workbooks. Pages tend to come out with extensive use and we deffinitely will use this book a lot. I thin a solid binding would have done better service.
Other than tha?
GO GET THIS BOOK BEFORE PLANTING SEASON STARTS!!!!!!
September 23, 2020
Great resource for growing a vegetable garden in a small space. Good detail and lots of valuable tips and insights. Excellent for new gardener.
July 13, 2015
I received this book, for free, in exchange for an honest review.
I am an amateur gardener and have read many different gardening books looking for an all in one reference. This book is the closest I have come. It contains exhaustive details on many different aspects of gardening (irrigation, timing, soil, pest management).
The only area I found lacking was the lack of detail for specifi fruits/vegetables. In my ideal world there'd have been an appendix with each fruit/vegetable and a few pages of its most important characteristics. This is not to say that there were no tables and charts regarding the fruits/vegetables. There were plenty and they were quite useful. However, some of the information regarding fruits/vegetable specifics (how to propagate brambles, is X easy to grow, does Y self propagate) was somewhat lacking.
Highly recommended
I am an amateur gardener and have read many different gardening books looking for an all in one reference. This book is the closest I have come. It contains exhaustive details on many different aspects of gardening (irrigation, timing, soil, pest management).
The only area I found lacking was the lack of detail for specifi fruits/vegetables. In my ideal world there'd have been an appendix with each fruit/vegetable and a few pages of its most important characteristics. This is not to say that there were no tables and charts regarding the fruits/vegetables. There were plenty and they were quite useful. However, some of the information regarding fruits/vegetable specifics (how to propagate brambles, is X easy to grow, does Y self propagate) was somewhat lacking.
Highly recommended
December 8, 2015
This book has great tips and goes into much detail on some very important aspects of gardening. Learn how to map out your garden, soiling, how to keep up with it, etc. There are useful charts that you can reference back to throughout the life of your garden.
Bottom Line: If you are looking to get in to gardening, then this is for you! I highly recommend getting a hard copy of this book. E-books are not the best for flipping back and forth!
*I was provided a copy of High-Yield Vegetable Gardening by the publisher and author via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*
Bottom Line: If you are looking to get in to gardening, then this is for you! I highly recommend getting a hard copy of this book. E-books are not the best for flipping back and forth!
*I was provided a copy of High-Yield Vegetable Gardening by the publisher and author via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*
January 1, 2016
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Super book detailing how to maximize your vegetable gardening in the space you have. From beginning gardeners to the master, there is something here for everyone to learn and utilize. Invaluable tips from soil prep to use of organic fertilizer and heirloom seeds, presented in table and chart form. I must admit I would have preferred an actual book versus the e-copy, but this is personal preference. Recommended.
Super book detailing how to maximize your vegetable gardening in the space you have. From beginning gardeners to the master, there is something here for everyone to learn and utilize. Invaluable tips from soil prep to use of organic fertilizer and heirloom seeds, presented in table and chart form. I must admit I would have preferred an actual book versus the e-copy, but this is personal preference. Recommended.
October 25, 2019
This is another one of those books that would be much better in hardback format than the e book I am reviewing..
There is so much in here, tips, advice, pictures... There is plenty of help and advice for the budding gardener and allotment owner
There is so much in here, tips, advice, pictures... There is plenty of help and advice for the budding gardener and allotment owner
August 5, 2015
eARC: Netgalley
Great advice for the gardener looking to increase their harvest! Will definitely recommend to others!
I'm buying this in hardback format not just for myself, but for my daughter and her husband!
Great advice for the gardener looking to increase their harvest! Will definitely recommend to others!
I'm buying this in hardback format not just for myself, but for my daughter and her husband!
August 13, 2016
I'd say it's not the right "gardening" book for a beginner, but for someone who's thinking about what'd be needed to produce on a larger scale. There are some useful charts about different things. The crop planning section is excellent and I hope to sit with it this winter.
December 26, 2021
I've gone through many vegetable gardening books and this one is the best. It takes you step by step through building a productive garden, from irrigation to crop selection. This remains a must-have manual on my shelf.
February 19, 2018
I see that I checked this out in 2016 and again in 2018. It is excellent and answers many of my vegetable gardening questions!
April 18, 2020
Continues to be useful, even after multiple reads. Contains useful charts, and is a useful record keeping tool.
June 9, 2020
Awesome workbook.
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