The Backyard Homestead Guide to Growing Organic Food: A Crop-by-Crop Reference for 62 Vegetables, Fruits, Nuts, and Herbs

by Tanya Denckla Cobb

Overview

This essential guide to growing a bountiful food garden includes detailed seed-starting, growing, and harvesting information for 62 vegetables, fruits, and herbs, a complete companion-planting guide, and organic pest-control handbook.

The latest addition to Storey's bestselling Backyard Homestead series, The Backyard Homestead Guide to Growing Organic Food is a one-stop reference for all the key information food gardeners need to grow a healthy, bountiful garden. Author Tanya Denckla Cobb presents key information based on extensive research and years of experience, including when to start seeds for each type of crop (and at what temperature), how far apart to space seedlings, how to tell when a crop is ready to harvest, and notes on preservation. The book features a comprehensive companion planting guide and an in-depth review of the most effective organic pest control practices, including recipes for how to make your own pest deterrent sprays.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781635867916
Publisher:	Storey Publishing, LLC
Publication date:	02/20/2024
Sold by:	Hachette Digital, Inc.
Format:	eBook
Sales rank:	427,371
File size:	8 MB

About the Author

Tanya Denckla Cobb is the author of Reclaiming Our Food and The Backyard Homestead Guide to Growing Organic Food and is director of the Institute for Engagement & Negotiation at the University of Virginia, where she co-founded and chairs the Sustainable Food Collaborative and has taught food system planning. She co-founded and serves as faculty for the Virginia Natural Resources Leadership Institute. At home, she enjoys the restorative energy of gardening and cooking. She lives in rural Virginia.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1        Creating a Self-Sustaining Garden
                        The Self-Sustaining Garden
                        Partners in a Self-Sustaining Garden
                        Planning and Maintaining a Healthy Garden
                        How to Use This Book

Chapter 2        Vegetables
                        Artichoke
                        Asparagus
                        Dried Beans
                        Lima Beans
                        Snap Beans
                        Beet
                        Broccoli
                        Brussels Sprouts
                        Cabbage
                        Carrot
                        Cauliflower
                        Celeriac
                        Celery
                        Corn
                        Cucumber
                        Eggplant
                        Kale
                        Lettuce
                        Muskmelon
                        Onion
                        Pea
                        Peanut
                        Pepper
                        Potato
                        Spinach
                        Squash
                        Sweet Potato
                        Tomato

Chapter 3        Fruits & Nuts
                        Planting a tree
                        Almond
                        Apple
                        Apricot
                        Blackberry
                        Blueberry
                        Sour Cherry
                        Sweet Cherry
                        Chinese Chestnut
                        Filbert/Hazelnut
                        Grape
                        Kiwi
                        Peach
                        Pear
                        Pecan
                        Plum

Chapter 4        Herbs
                       Sweet Basil
                       Caraway
                       Chives
                       Cilantro
                       Dill
                       Fennel
                       Garlic
                       Lavender
                       Sweet Marjoram
                       Oregano
                       Parsley
                       Rosemary
                       Sage
                       Tarragon

Chapter 5        Organic Remedies
                        * Selected Beneficial Insects
                        * First line of Defense: Plan Ahead
                        * Second Line of Defense: Prevention Strategies
                        * Third Line of Defense: Identify the Problem
                        * Identifying and Treating Common Problems
                        * Overview of Symptoms and Remedies
                        * Glossary of Organic Remedies
                        * Controlling Diseases
                        * Controlling Insects and Animals

Chapter 6        Allies & Companions
                       
                        Afterword
                        Bibliography
                        Suggested Reading
                        Index






                       
                        

 
 

Editorial Reviews

"This fantastic resource will put you on the fast track to gardening success."—Niki Jabbour, author of The Year-Round Vegetable Gardener and Growing Under Cover

"Tanya Denckla Cobb presents a wealth of gardening information in an accessible format, while showing that creating a healthy soil and working with the earth's natural systems are the foundation of a productive, sustainable, and satisfying garden!"—John Jeavons, author of How to Grow More Vegetables

"If it isn't in this book, you don't need to know it."—Ed Smith, author of The Vegetable Gardener's Bible

"Anyone can become a steward of a sustainable garden with the help of this comprehensive and superbly organized book. There is a treasure trove of useful information here for gardeners of every experience level."—Barbara Pleasant, author of Starter Vegetable Gardens and Homegrown Pantry

“This rich compendium on self-sustaining, organic backyard gardening and food should be on every aspiring gardener's shelf."—Marcia Caton Campbell, Executive Director of Rooted (Madison, WI)

“A straightforward, serviceable guide to an array of vegetables, fruits, nuts, and herbs that can be grown organically by the home gardener.”—Booklist

“A solid reference guide that’s best for established gardeners looking to introduce organic methods and self-sustainability into their practice.”—Library Journal

“Whether the subject is earthworms, compost, or the way gardening supports mental health, I’m drawn to the quiet passion that flows just beneath the surface of these detail-rich pages. Unlike the author, I only grow a few herbs and tomatoes for the kitchen. And yet, I found the particulars of raising my favorite vegetables endlessly fascinating and educational.”—Ken Haedrich, author of The Harvest Baker and Pie Academy

“Tanya shares her knowledge and resources in such a clear and actionable way. There is useful information here, whether you grow a mini-farm or a simple border of hardy herbs. I really appreciate the afterword where Tanya breaks down what "organic" means as a label and what organic means in our backyards... where we have the most control over what goes into our food.”—Renee Brooks Catacalos, author of The Chesapeake Table: Your Guide to Eating Local

From the Publisher

01/01/2024

Cobb (Reclaiming Our Food) is an environmental mediator and food-systems planning instructor. Her book's opening pages extol the sustainable, practical and stress-relieving virtues of gardening. The "For Starters" chapter details how to plan and maintain a self-sustaining garden. It includes tidbits about composting, soil balance, and managing essential bugs. Other chapters cover vegetables, fruits and nuts, and herbs. Each crop is presented with clear instructions on planting, determining the proper soil, understanding water and temperature needs, and storing. Readers will also learn about companion and incompatible plants, ideal times to harvest, and pests and diseases. There are tips for identifying and preventing common garden problems and advice about gardening without chemicals. The final chapter compiles allies and companion plants into an easy-to-read chart that lists the plants they help and the insects they repel or attract. Additional resources, such as recommended readings and metric conversion charts, appear at the back of the book. VERDICT A solid reference guide that's best for established gardeners looking to introduce organic methods and self-sustainability into their practice.—Whitney Bates-Gomez

Library Journal