Grow Your Own: How to Be an Urban Farmer

by Angus Stewart, Simon Leake

Urban environments require specific techniques to optimise growing conditions for plants. Two leading experts in horticulture and soil science teach the reader how to grow their own food—from the ground up—in this authoritative, accessible, generously photographed guide. Grow Your Own Food in the City provides simple step-by-step methods and information enabling the average city dweller to grow food plants at whatever scale their time and resources permit and no matter their location, be it suburban backyard or apartment balcony. Some of the many topics covered include creating the best environment for growing (influenced by water/temperature/light/air quality), setting up the soil; fertilisers, compost and worm farms; choosing crops (annual/perennial/heirloom/modern); propagation, planting and maintenance; pest and disease management; seed saving; rooftop spaces and vertical gardens; and integrated urban farming including bees and poultry. 

Genres: Gardening

272 pages, Hardcover

Published June 5, 2018

Reviews

[Gabby Z · Rating 5 out of 5]

I checked out a few gardening books and this was definitely my favorite. It’s well organized, has gorgeous imagery and details specific science reasoning behind planting techniques and remedies to common issues. Great stuff

[Tom Manning · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book covered a wide range of topics and offered plenty of practical advice. The Australian skew made it especially relevant.

[Michal · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are lots of illustrations and easy-to-understand explanations here.
It would be especially handy if you live in Australia since every resource and example are based on Australia. Not sure why we have it in our library. I'll have to be more specific next time I search for gardening books.

[Gladimore · Rating 4 out of 5]

Flipped through, will be checking back with this one. It is a great guide for urban farming.

[Heydi Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the book I’ve been searching for my entire adult life! This book holds all the wisdom I’ve always wanted about gardening. Also, I adore the cover.

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 rounded up

[Sølvi Goard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Learnt a lot about soil ecology and structure. It would have been interesting to get some more of the social / political history, something other than Australia too. The book references the fact that people in the global South do urban agriculture on a far larger scale. How do they do it? Why do they have to do it, what has the IMF etc done to those places. Still a very practical and interesting book.

[Peta · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is excellent. Full of expert advice, explaining sophisticated scientific concepts in really simple terms. I’ve read a lot of gardening books, but this is the best by far. I understand soil so much better now!!