Gardening Books

recommended reading

One of the most helpful books I have on my gardening books shelf is Steve Solomon's "Gardening When It Counts: Growing Food In Hard Times".  As the title implies, it has a self-sufficiency and sustainable living slant,  currently in vogue (and for good reason) 

Hard Times a'coming?

Whether you subscribe to the "preppers" movement or are just worried about contaminated food and rising costs, this book is a good addition to any gardening library.  Solomon shares gardening knowledge from a time before chemical fertilizers and hybrid seeds.  

He covers such things as land acquisition, soil fertility, how to start different types of gardens, tools, composting, insects and diseases, and (my favorite) seed saving.

Mr. Solomon created and ran a seed company in the 80's and he passes on his knowledge of collecting and saving seeds.  I found the seed storage section particularly useful.  Keeping saved seeds viable is a must if we want to become self-sufficient and maintain heirloom seed varieties.  Proper seed storage is the key to retain viability.  After using  his seed-saving regime, I have better germination percentages than before.

A large portion of the book is dedicated to "What to grow and how to grow it".   Many popular vegetables are covered with instructions on growing, harvesting, and (of course) seed saving.  Check this book out sometime at your local library or online.  It's a book that's been well-used in this household.
More Information:
Visit Mr. Solomon's "About Me" page.

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