Download or read book Improving Your Soil written by Keith Reid and published by . This book was released on 2014 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Valuable advice from an expert in soil science. Intended for both small and medium-size gardens, Improving Your Soil reveals the steps to take to achieve the perfect soil base in which to grow plants. With directions on amending poor soil, modifying mediocre earth, aerating compacted topsoil and substrates, and testing pH levels, this book enables gardeners to nurture their plants and promote more abundant growth. The features of good soil include proper structure and nutrients that encourage healthy plant growth. Soil in "good tilth" is loamy, nutrient-rich and friable because it has an optimal mixture of sand, clay and organic matter that prevents severe compaction. Improving Your Soil shows gardeners how to improve the soil in their garden to encourage good seed bedding and a strong root system for proper nutrient disbursement throughout various soil depths. Flower gardeners and vegetable gardeners will all benefit from the tips and methods in Improving Your Soil. Topics include: What your soil can tell you about how you need to manage it Soil texture and structure -- building soil tilth Using amendments to correct soil problems, such as clay or sandy soil Creating a good environment for plant growth in different situations Providing the right amount of water for plants The teeming microscopic world of soils Building soil organic matter Crop rotations Types of compost and how to make good compost Managing soils to minimize pest and disease problems Feeding the plants -- the nutrients they need, and how to get them there Overcoming common nutrient deficiencies Organic vs. mineral fertilizers. The detailed information is complemented with line drawings, diagrams and illustrations that demonstrate various soil issues and how to resolve common problems. With information on remedying specific problems with particular plants, Improving Your Soil will be an often-consulted resource for all gardeners.
Download or read book The Land Gardeners written by Bridget Elworthy and published by National Geographic Books. This book was released on 2023-02-07 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From enriching the soil to creating floral arrangements, The Land Gardeners explores all aspects of creating a productive cut-flower garden. When Bridget Elworthy and Henrietta Courtauld established their firm Land Gardeners, which specializes in cut flowers, they revived the tradition of working with the land to produce abundant, seasonal flowers for use in decoration, design, and events. Yet, as beautiful and idyllic as their designs are, soil health and productivity are their main concerns. Beginning with their philosophy and origins as gardeners, The Land Gardeners provides vital information on everything you need to create your own cut-flower garden, from necessary tools and how to support health to what plants flourish in which seasons and advice on gathering, preparing, and arranging your blooms. In this gorgeous volume, the authors provide a plan for growing flowers in all four seasons. As beautiful as it is informative, this book explores the joy of gathering cut flowers and the importance of surrounding ourselves with healthy, vital gardens.
Download or read book The Complete Guide to Restoring Your Soil written by Dale Strickler and published by Storey Publishing, LLC. This book was released on 2021-10-26 with total page 716 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Healthy soil is key to sustaining life on Earth. While more and more people are starting to see the need for soil restoration, there is very little understanding of just how it can be accomplished. There is a rapidly emerging demand for a “how to” manual for soil restoration. Dale Strickler is an expert on building healthy soil and restoring degraded soil, and in The Complete Guide to Restoring Your Soil, he presents the science of soil, along with proven methods of restoring depleted soil and agricultural practices from around the world that continue to build soil, rather than cause it to deteriorate. Strickler provides a solid foundation in the science of healthy soil, explaining how soil has become so degraded over time and the dire consequences for the human species, not just in terms of food scarcity but also the social, health, and environmental consequences of growing food in poor soil. He addresses the chemical, physical, and biological principles behind soil function, and presents actual farming practices that can be used to regenerate soil, techniques and strategies for remediating contaminated soil, and agriculture systems both past and present that functioned to build soil, such as the ancient chinampas systems of Mexico and the permaculture systems of today. This publication conforms to the EPUB Accessibility specification at WCAG 2.0 Level AA.
Download or read book Soil Improvement and Ground Modification Methods written by Peter G. Nicholson and published by Butterworth-Heinemann. This book was released on 2014-08-29 with total page 474 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Written by an author with more than 25 years of field and academic experience, Soil Improvement and Ground Modification Methods explains ground improvement technologies for converting marginal soil into soil that will support all types of structures. Soil improvement is the alteration of any property of a soil to improve its engineering performance. Some sort of soil improvement must happen on every construction site. This combined with rapid urbanization and the industrial growth presents a huge dilemma to providing a solid structure at a competitive price. The perfect guide for new or practicing engineers, this reference covers projects involving soil stabilization and soil admixtures, including utilization of industrial waste and by-products, commercially available soil admixtures, conventional soil improvement techniques, and state-of-the-art testing methods. - Conventional soil improvement techniques and state-of-the-art testing methods - Methods for mitigating or removing the risk of liquefaction in the event of major vibrations - Structural elements for stabilization of new or existing construction industrial waste/by-products, commercially available soil - Innovative techniques for drainage, filtration, dewatering, stabilization of waste, and contaminant control and removal
Download or read book Building Soils for Better Crops written by Fred Magdoff and published by Sare. This book was released on 2009 with total page 294 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "'Published by the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program, with funding from the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture."
Download or read book Weedless Gardening written by Lee A. Reich and published by Workman Publishing Company. This book was released on 2000-01-08 with total page 209 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Garden like Mother Nature, with an organic system that’s good for plants and good for people. Say good-bye to backaches and weed problems! Lee Reich’s organic Weedless Gardening eschews the traditional yearly digging up and working over of the soil. It’s is an easy-to-follow, low-impact approach to planting and maintaining a flower garden, a vegetable patch, trees, and shrubs naturally. "If you love to knock yourself out digging beds, buy a better shovel. If you're looking for a no-nonsense alternative, buy this book!" -Ketzel Levine, National Public Radio's Doyenne of Dirt) "Thoroughly practical, easy-to-follow guide to good gardening Lee Reich make it sound simple, and if you follow his methods and philosophy, it is." -Dora Galitzki, Gardening Columnist, The New York Times, and Author of The Gardener's Essential Companion "Finally, a book filled with science-based information that insures success and frees us from busywork in the garden." - Dr. H. March Cathey, President Emeritus, American Horticultural Society
Download or read book Building Soils for Better Crops written by Fred Magdoff and published by . This book was released on 2000 with total page 244 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Grow Your Soil written by Diane Miessler and published by Storey Publishing, LLC. This book was released on 2020-02-18 with total page 177 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Growing awareness of the importance of soil health means that microbes are on the minds of even the most casual gardeners. After all, anyone who has ever attempted to plant a thriving patch of flowers or vegetables knows that what you grow is only as good as the soil you grow it in. It is possible to create and maintain rich, dark, crumbly soil that’s teeming with life, using very few inputs and a no-till, no-fertilizer approach. Certified permaculture designer and lifelong gardener Diane Miessler presents the science of soil health in an engaging, entertaining voice geared for the backyard grower. She shares the techniques she has used — including cover crops, constant mulching, and a simple-but-supercharged recipe for compost tea — to transform her own landscape from a roadside dump for broken asphalt to a garden that stops traffic, starting from the ground up.
Download or read book No Dig written by Charles Dowding and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2022-09-06 with total page 631 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Work in partnership with nature to nurture your soil for healthy plants and bumper crops - without back-breaking effort! Have you ever wondered how to transform a weedy plot into a thriving vegetable garden? Well now you can! By following the simple steps set out in No Dig, in just a few short hours you can revolutionize your vegetable patch with plants already in the ground from day one! Charles Dowding is on a mission to teach that there is no need to dig over the soil, but by minimizing intervention you are actively boosting soil productivity. In fact, The less you dig, the more you preserve soil structure and nurture the fungal mycelium vital to the health of all plants. This is the essence of the No Dig system that Charles Dowding has perfected over a lifetime growing vegetables. So put your gardening gloves on and get ready to discover: - Guides and calendars of when to sow, grow, and harvest. - Inspiring information and first-hand guidance from the author - “Delve deeper” features look in-depth at the No Dig system and the facts and research that back it up. - The essential role of compost and how to make your own at home. - The importance of soil management, soil ecology, and soil health. Now one of the hottest topics in environmental science, this "wood-wide web" has informed Charles's practice for decades, and he's proven it isn't just trees that benefit - every gardener can harness the power of the wood-wide web. Featuring newly- commissioned step-by-step photography of all stages of growing vegetables and herbs, and all elements of No Dig growing, shot at Charles’s beautiful market garden in Somerset, you too will be able to grow more veg with less time and effort, and in harmony with nature - so join the No Dig revolution today! A must-have volume for followers of Charles Dowding who fervently believe in his approach to low input, high yield gardening, as well as gardeners who want to garden more lightly on the earth, with environmentally friendly techniques like organic and No Dig.
Download or read book Seed to Seed written by Suzanne Ashworth and published by Chelsea Green Publishing. This book was released on 2012-10-31 with total page 231 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A complete seed-saving guide of 160 vegetables, including detailed info on each vegetable.
Download or read book Soil Science for Gardeners written by Robert Pavlis and published by New Society Publishers. This book was released on 2020-04-07 with total page 224 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Build healthy soil and grow better plants Robert Pavlis, a gardener for over four decades, debunks common soil myths, explores the rhizosphere, and provides a personalized soil fertility improvement program in this three-part popular science guidebook. Healthy soil means thriving plants. Yet untangling the soil food web and optimizing your soil health is beyond most gardeners, many of whom lack an in-depth knowledge of the soil ecosystem. Soil Science for Gardeners is an accessible, science-based guide to understanding soil fertility and, in particular, the rhizosphere – the thin layer of liquid and soil surrounding plant roots, so vital to plant health. Coverage includes: Soil biology and chemistry and how plants and soil interact Common soil health problems, including analyzing soil's fertility and plant nutrients The creation of a personalized plan for improving your soil fertility, including setting priorities and goals in a cost-effective, realistic time frame. Creating the optimal conditions for nature to do the heavy lifting of building soil fertility Written for the home gardener, market gardener, and micro-farmer, Soil Science for Gardeners is packed with information to help you grow thriving plants.
Download or read book Building Soils Naturally written by Phil Nauta and published by . This book was released on 2012 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Outlines proven, sustainable methods for growing healthy food and plants that contribute to a healthy planet and a healthy you. Grow vigorous, more pest-resistant vegetables, flowers and ornamental plants by using complete and balanced nutrients -- far beyond the simplistic, imbalanced concept of NPK. Healthy soil doesn't happen just by composting, fertilizing or companion planting. It happens by using a holistic approach -- outlined in this book and crafted right in your garden.
Download or read book Gardening with Biochar written by Jeff Cox and published by Storey Publishing, LLC. This book was released on 2019-01-22 with total page 128 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Bio-activated charcoal — called biochar — is the new darling of organic gardeners, embraced for its outstanding abilities to enrich the soil and improve plant growth. Gardening with Biochar is the first comprehensive guide to understanding, making, and using it effectively in the home garden. In this highly accessible handbook, long-time garden writer Jeff Cox explains what biochar is and provides detailed instructions for how it can be made from wood or other kinds of plant material, along with specific guidelines for using it to enrich soil, prevent erosion, and enhance plant growth. Now widely available at garden centers, biochar is also being lauded for its ability to sequester carbon in the soil, making it good for the health of the planet, as well as the plants.
Download or read book Building Soils for Better Crops written by Fred Magdoff and published by . This book was released on 2021-06 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Improving Your Soil written by Stu Campbell and published by Storey Publishing. This book was released on 1999-01-01 with total page 36 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Since 1973, Storey's Country Wisdom Bulletins have offered practical, hands-on instructions designed to help readers master dozens of country living skills quickly and easily. There are now more than 170 titles in this series, and their remarkable popularity reflects the common desire of country and city dwellers alike to cultivate personal independence in everyday life.
Download or read book The Intelligent Gardener written by Steve Solomon and published by New Society Publishers. This book was released on 2012-12-25 with total page 339 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Presents advice on how to improve growing soil, discussing some of the current misconceptions about soil and providing the best methods for adding enhancements that will produce nutrient-dense foods.
Download or read book The Gardener s Guide to Better Soil written by Gene Logsdon and published by . This book was released on 1975 with total page 264 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Includes information and techniques for testing, fertilizing and conditioning soil, mulching, making and using composts, draining, irrigating, and cultivating gardens.
