The Vegetable Garden Problem Solver Handbook: Identify and manage diseases and other common problems on edible plants

by Susan Mulvihill

If you’re tired of battling blight on your tomatoes, losing your basil to downy mildew, and watching deer raid your vegetable garden, you’ll find all the answers you need right here.

In The Vegetable Garden Problem Solver Handbook , author and veggie-growing guru Susan Mulvihill of YouTube’s Susan’s in the Garden is ready to set you up for long-term success in the vegetable garden. In these pages, Susan hands you all the info you need to stand firm against plant diseases, viruses, disorders, stressors, and even animal pests , and to do it without having to turn to harsh synthetic chemical products. All-natural solutions to your worst gardening woes are featured in an organized, problem-by-problem manner that makes this a quick and useful reference for both beginner and expert gardeners . This book is a wonderful companion to Susan’s previous book, The Vegetable Garden Pest Handbook , which covers organic solutions for managing insect pests common in home veggie gardens.

In this book, not only will you discover how to get your plants off to a healthy start, you’ll also find out how to properly identify plant pathogens , how to troubleshoot problems like pollination issues and weather-related disorders , and how to prevent ailments such as fruit cracking, leaf roll, and blossom end rot .

In addition, Susan hands you natural solutions  
 
Keeping vegetable plants healthy and productive is no easy task. An extensive quick-reference chart is included to help with identification and to direct you to the best possible solutions based on both the symptoms you see and the vegetable those symptoms have appeared on. This truly is THE guide every vegetable gardener has been waiting for! 

Genres: Gardening, Nonfiction

224 pages, Paperback

Published February 7, 2023

About the author

Susan Mulvihill is author of The Vegetable Garden Problem Solver Handbook and The Vegetable Garden Pest Handbook, and co-author of the Northwest Gardener's Handbook, all published by Cool Springs Press. She is the longtime garden columnist for the Spokane, Wash. Spokesman-Review newspaper and has been a Spokane County Master Gardener since 2002.

Susan believes strongly in following organic practices both for growing vegetables and controlling damaging insect pests. She aims to make all information easy to understand and implement, and is always happy to share what she knows with other gardeners.

Her YouTube channel, youtube.com/SusansintheGarden, has over 400 how-to-garden videos on a wide variety of helpful topics.

She also posts daily to her Facebook page (facebook.com/susansinthegarden) and Instagram (instragram.com/susansinthegarden.

Reviews

[Jess Combs · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is exactly what I’ve been looking for! I started a small garden on our deck last year and was best with some kind of weird black stuff on the leaves and little bugs I’d never seen before on some of my plants (I now know they were aphids). I do NOT want to go through that again this year and am determined to have a healthy garden. Not only did I find the answers to what happened to my poor veggies in the past, but how to prevent and/or mitigate rest the issues in the future. I’m so excited and plan on keeping this handbook on my shelf for years to come.

[Marzie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was fortunate to receive a Digital Review Copy of this book, which which is a very useful resource for vegetable gardeners. With excellent photos, it describes in detail many of the problems facing gardeners, particularly those growing cucurbits and nightshade family vegetables, as we deal with climate change and hotter, more intense summers that can include drought.

[Tove R. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had no clue how much I have longed for this book! I love it how everything is explained to the point, and the info is easy to find. For example, "Best start possible" has crop names, spacing between plants, and spacing between rows with a long list of plants. Perfect! Another great example is vegetable crops and potential diseases. This is my new go to book! Highly recommended!

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent reference for any vegetable gardener o keep on-hand!

[Catlin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a general purpose handbook that covers all sorts of garden problems. It begins with basic advice for productive vegetable gardening. I particularly liked the advice to not get carried away with big plans for a garden. Too many beginning gardeners try to do too much and underestimate the time required to maintain a healthy garden. The latter part of this chapter includes solutions to common gardening problems related to weather, pollination, and pests, as well as physiological disorders. The advice is succinct and science-based.

The second section focuses on plant diseases (bacterial, fungal and viral). The initial portion summarizes the three categories and includes a trouble-shooting guide and small glossary. This is followed by a multi-page table that lists vegetable crops and the diseases common to each--a quick reference when troubleshooting a problem. Then, the remainder of this section contains disease profiles. Each profile contains a description, the crops most impacted, a "what to look for" description, organic strategies for control and excellent photos of the problem. It was this entire section that convinced me that I need to buy a copy of this book as a reference. Very well done.

The final section of the book focuses on unwelcome critters in the garden. Each profile contains a description, list of favorite plants, signs of activity and control strategies. Photos of the damage caused are very helpful..

As a retired professor who taught horticulture, I think this is a great resource for both beginning and more experienced gardeners. I am particularly impressed by the focus on Integrated Pest Management techniques throughout the book, and also by the organization of information in a way that can be easily accessed. I like it so much, I'm buying myself a copy!

Thank you NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group/Cool Springs Press for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

[Susan Bewley · Rating 5 out of 5]

To be quite honest, this book is a lifesaver! Last year, I wish I had something like it going over the various diseases and salutations for caring for your garden. Some plants that over the years I had given up on I actually could have saved if I had the correct information, making The Vegetable Garden Problem Solver Handbook: Identify and Manage Disease and Other Common Problems on Editable Plants invaluable. Not only does it go into diseases but proper prevention, dealing with animal or pest issues in your garden, and so much more. I especially love the detailed pictures, allowing you to compare your issues with those in the book. My only complaint is that I wish I had this information sooner (or had seen the author’s Youtube channel). After reading this book, I feel more confident going into the growing season and looking forward to having a new reference book for dealing with vegetable garden issues!

[Heidi Robbins (Heidi Reads...) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderful resource for vegetable gardeners! I appreciated the introduction of getting off to the best start possible with good habits and preventative measures of location, timing, spacing, support, watering, and feeding your soil. The troubleshooting section addressed common issues such as weather and bugs. I appreciated the organic and sensible strategies to combat these problems. The book covers diseases common to each vegetable with a quick reference table, and then disease profiles with further information, what to look for, and possible solutions. I'm looking forward to planning my own garden and am glad to have this helpful book to turn to.

Disclosure statement: A complimentary copy of this book was provided from a tour group, publisher, publicist, or author, including NetGalley, OR was borrowed from the library, including OverDrive, OR borrowed from Kindle Unlimited, OR purchased. A review was not required and all views and opinions expressed are unbiased and my own.

[Polly Krize · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

No matter how many gardening books I read, there is always something new to learn, and this book does not disappoint. Many of the ideas in this book relating to garden pests, viruses, disease and even animals snacking on your produce are valid and well worth reading about. Trouble shooting before the decimation of your garden is worth it, believe me!

[Critter · Rating 5 out of 5]

I would like to thank Quarto Publishing Group for providing me with an ARC.

This book is a handy guide to issues you might have in the garden. There are great photos and it is a very easy to navigate guide. It has great tips and is great for helping to understand how to maintain a garden. There is also lots of information in easy to digest sections. This is a great guide for anyone who wants to have a little help with their garden.

[Monique the Book Geek]

As its title implies, this book contains very in-depth and helpful information on vegetable gardening. I love its layout with its ample use of pictures, and I can see purchasing a physical copy of this book to implement its advice once I obtain land where I can develop my own garden.

Thank you NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group for lending me a free digital ARC of this book to read and review!

[Alicia Bayer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very practical guide to dealing with common garden problems like diseases, pests, growing problems and more. I appreciate the focus on organic treatments. Best suited for those who do traditional gardening.

I read a temporary digital copy of this book via NetGalley.

[Summer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent resource. I checked out a library copy to determine if it was worth purchasing and I plan to proceed, it will be a great resource to have on hand to troubleshoot issues as they arise.

[Steph · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good info on plant diseases … fungal vs bacterial vs viral

[PottWab Regional Library]

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[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of good info, organized in a useful reference-style, with lots of helpful photos. A good book for any home gardener to keep close at hand