Vegetable Gardening for Dummies

by Charlie Nardozzi

A hands-on guide to the ins and outs of raising and using vegetables

Want to grow your own vegetables? You can do it the fun and easy way with this practical guide. From selecting the right spot to preparing the soil to harvesting, "Vegetable Gardening For Dummies, " "2nd Edition" shows you how to successfully raise vegetables regardless of the size of your plot or your dietary needs.

You'll discover how to plot your garden and get the soil in tip-top shape; select the types of vegetables you want to grow; plant the seeds properly; and care for them as they grow. You'll also know the right time to pick your vegetables and the best ways to enjoy them. Plus, you'll get tips on preserving foods grown at home. Expert advice on planting, caring for, harvesting, and enjoying the fruits of your own vegetable garden Features environmentally friendly ways to combat pests in your garden Charlie Nardozzi is senior horticulturist and spokesperson for the National Gardening Association; he's also been the gardening expert on such programs as HGTV's "Today at Home" and "Way to Grow" and the Discovery Channel's "Home Matters"

Whether you have a green thumb or you've never grown a plant before, "Vegetable Gardening For Dummies, " "2nd Edition" has all the information you need to create a healthy garden.

Genres: Nonfiction, Gardening, Reference, Food, Plants, Cooking, How To

366 pages, Paperback

First published February 15, 1999

Reviews

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like all "Dummies" books it's pretty basic information. Nice photos and I picked up some interesting tips on gardening.

[Caitlynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

such a good book! i read it on my 12 hour car ride. my ideas of vegetables and their potential grew exponentally after reading this book. i was really enlightened about the art of gardening vegetables and now have this passion myself. so much so that i went to my local library and borrowed seeds to grow my own garden. i have devoted so much time to my backyard garden that i might as well drop out of school and become a farmer! i also invested money into buying good quality seeds from home depot and nurseries around the country because that is how intrigued this book has made me. so far, i have started with lettuce, corn, and broccoli. i overwatered all my lettuce and it died, however, my broccoli is still growing strong! and its looking like i get to eat corn this fall 😋😋😋 i have one fear though, and its the future, as what if i die? no one will be there to water my vegetables.

[Nece · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is BY FAR the best book for beginner gardeners. So many other books assume you already know all of the gardening terms. I have read and referred to this book countless times since I started gardening. It is a must-have for anyone who's just getting started or for anyone who'd like a well-organized reference book on veggie gardening.

[Trish · Rating 4 out of 5]

Going to have an awesome garden next summer ;)

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is comprehensive but has a few HUGE issues:

1) Although the book contains everything you might want to know, it does so haphazardly, without a framework for understanding the entirety or scope of what's needed. I don't see why a generalised framework couldn't have been developed, and then expanded on throughout the book. This means the book is just filled with a comprehensive collection of lists of tidbits, rather than a structured understanding or mental framework of how to approach gardening.
2) It's written entirely for the North-American market. I checked on Amazon UK and DE to see if I could purchase it in other countries (I purchased mine from Amazon.com), and sure enough, you can. This means the looooong lists of various sub-varieties and the constant references of USA geography (rather than more general climate management principles) are useless for anyone outside of the USA.
3) It uses concepts before it teaches them. For example, it discusses mulching before introducing what mulching is and fertilizer numbers prior to discussing what the numbers mean. In fact, it places ALL of the general gardening techniques at the end of the book and places all of the individual-vegetable gardening methods that use the general methods at the beginning. Hence, you're never really sure what's going on!

That said, with a LOT of effort, you can sift through all the "tips and tidbits" to get to some generalisable and useful information.

Here's a short summary of some generally quite useful info:

• Sunlight: Fruiting vegetables (tomatoes, peppers, beans, squash, melons, cucumbers, and eggplant) need at six hours+ direct sun/day. Root crops (carrots, potatoes, and beets) need four to six hours of sun a day. Leafy greens (arugula, bok choi, and spinach) like a partially shaded location with three to four direct sunlight hours a day.
• Pick veg varieties that are early-season, mid-season, or late-season to extend growing season. Alternate between warm and cool-weather crops.
• Cool-weather: lettuce, spinach, peas, potatoes, broccoli, and cabbage like spring and autumn and survive freezing temperatures. Plant early spring so they mature before the hot summer. If you plant a cool-season vegetable when it’s too warm, it will "bolt," (flowers before you can harvest it). Cool-season veg are grown twice per year: four to six weeks before the last spring frost and 8 to 12 weeks before the first autumn frost.
• Warm-weather: beans, tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, cucumbers, melons, squash, okra, and corn need warm soil and air temperatures to grow their best; if they’re planted while the weather is still too cool, they’ll suffer and not grow. Freezing temperatures kill these vegetables, they’re usually planted after the threat of frost in spring for a summer or autumn harvest.
• Root crops, such as carrots, beets, turnips, and parsnips don’t like to be transplanted and are better sown directly in the ground. Crops such as corn, beans, and peas also are pretty finicky about transplanting and grow better when you sow them directly in the ground.
• Watering: Seedlings with small root systems near the soil surface and germinating seeds like frequent, gentle watering; each veg has critical periods where watering is more important, mostly it's when the fruit or veg is forming.
• Macronutrients: Nitrogen promotes chlorophyll and leaches easily requiring continuous top-ups. N deficiency shows yellowing leaves; too much delays fruiting and over-promotes foliage. Phosphorus promotes root growth, disease resistance, and fruit and seed formation. P deficiency shows as stunted growth and purplish stems and leaves; a pH of 6 to 7.5 is needed to keep P available. Potassium promotes growth and disease resistance. K deficiency shows as slowed growth and brown leaf edges and deformed yellow leaves.

[Dawnelle Wilkie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Significantly decreased the amount of unintentional abuse I was inflicting on our poor garden as well as doubling its footprint in the backyard (...what yard?).
Significantly increased the amount of time (and money) spent at the hardware store/garden center AND the enjoyment we get out of our outdoor space.
Plus, getting to watch our 14 year-old graze her way through a forest of tomatoes and then harvest basil to make her own pesto has been good for my soul.

[G. Lawrence · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good, easy to understand. I listened to an audio version, and it was an American version so some of the planting/season (and certainly pest and animal!) advice was not relevant, but there was plenty of good stuff in here, helpful hints and tips, gave me a good, basic knowledge, which is what I go looking for with Dummies guides

[Kat Nic · Rating 5 out of 5]

Extremely comprehensive. A great book for beginners. Helped give me lots of insight on exactly what to plant.

[Paschalis]

elibrary

[Alexa]

Skimmed! Come back to when need more information.

[Joline Moore · Rating 5 out of 5]

So good and invaluable, I bought it after checking it out from library!

[Ida Wilcox · Rating 5 out of 5]

mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
what an interesting read.

Very Informative.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

if you don't know anything about gardening (like me!), then this is the book for you. very basic, easy to understand. there were many useful tips on keeping my babies alive and it also gave lots of references to other books and websites for after you get your feet wet and want to get into more advanced gardening issues. can't wait to eat the beautiful bounty that is "lisa's lil veggie patch"

[Ida Wilcox · Rating 4 out of 5]

April - A month to begin the garden

July 4th - second read and it is better than I originally thought.


This is a good reference book not great but it will help with my journey in having a garden.

[Наталия Стоева · Rating 5 out of 5]

Много полезна и добре оформена книга за начинаещи и напреднали градинари. Текстовото оформление ми харесва. Много лесно се намира дадена информация и няма затормозяване с излишен текст. Има и хубави графики.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good guide to learn about vegetable gardening. I have actually read this book several times. It's very helpful for getting started the first time, or just for getting ready for Spring.

[La Fay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of practical advice for those who either have no gardening experience or just ‎need a bit of a refresher. Easy to read and understand. ‎

[Sheri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good book for beginner gardeners. if only I had read it before I started my garden. :)

[Hom Sack · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent! April 6th (average last frost date), here goes my 100 square feet garden.

[Brad · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well written and there is a lot of helpful information but there is more and better information for free online, especially location specific information. Save the money and Google it!

[Jennifer Ware · Rating 4 out of 5]

fun, easy to read and understand

[Ryan · Rating 3 out of 5]

book is a good resource. It speaks in detail on each vegetable & how to garden them.

[Rachel Hacker · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was just the book I was looking for to help me start my veggie garden!

[Paula Larry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just what this dummy needed lol

[Ken]

EDITORIAL REVIEW:

A hands-on guide to the ins and outs of raising and using vegetables

Want to grow your own vegetables? You can do it the fun and easy way with this practical guide. From selecting the right spot to preparing the soil to harvesting, *Vegetable Gardening For Dummies,* *2nd Edition* shows you how to successfully raise vegetables regardless of the size of your plot or your dietary needs.

You'll discover how to plot your garden and get the soil in tip-top shape; select the types of vegetables you want to grow; plant the seeds properly; and care for them as they grow. You'll also know the right time to pick your vegetables and the best ways to enjoy them. Plus, you'll get tips on preserving foods grown at home. Expert advice on planting, caring for, harvesting, and enjoying the fruits of your own vegetable garden Features environmentally friendly ways to combat pests in your garden Charlie Nardozzi is senior horticulturist and spokesperson for the National Gardening Association; he's also been the gardening expert on such programs as HGTV's *Today at Home *and *Way to Grow *and the Discovery Channel's *Home Matters*

Whether you have a green thumb or you've never grown a plant before, *Vegetable Gardening For Dummies,* *2nd Edition *has all the information you need to create a healthy garden.

[Euan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very useful for a dummy like myself, particularly on non greenhouse roots and roses too.