Contents
Ten Steps to a Bountiful Vegetable Garden
Foreword
Introduction
01 Choosing a Garden Site
Why Do You Want to Grow Vegetables?
What Do You Want to Grow?
Consider Your Climate
The Importance of Sunlight
The Water Source
From Lawn to Garden
City Gardening
02 Your Garden Layout
What Is Your Style?
Design Decisions
Pathways
Choosing the Right Vegetables
Consider What the Veggies Need
Placement of the Plants
03 The Garden Soil
What Is Soil?
What Is Your Soil Type?
Soil Testing: Is It Important?
Soil Nutrients
Do You Fertilize?
What Are Soil Amendments?
Soil Preparation
04 Veggies in Containers
The Advantages
Disadvantages to Container Growing
The Best Veggies for Containers
The Containers
Container Soil
Watering and Fertilizing
05 Raised Beds
The Benefits
What to Consider
Your Design
Building Your Raised Bed
Square Foot Gardening
Gardening with a Physical Disability
06 Greenhouse Gardening
Extend Your Growing Season
Protect Your Plants
Cold Frames
Plastic Tunnels
Glass Greenhouses
Greenhouse Maintenance
Best Veggies for the Greenhouse
07 Vegetable Seeds
Choosing Seeds
Starting Seeds Outdoors
Transplants: Buy or Start Your Own?
Caring for Your Seedlings
Saving Seeds
08 Salad Stuff
Lettuce
Celery
Oriental Vegetables
Salad Greens
Spinach
Swiss Chard
09 Brassicas
Broccoli
Brussels Sprouts
Cabbage
Cauliflower
Collards
Kale
10 Beans, Peas, and Perennial Vegetables
Beans
Peas
Artichokes
Sun Chokes
Asparagus
11 The Root Veggies
Beets
Carrots
Potatoes
Radishes
Rutabagas and Turnips
Garlic
Leeks
Onions
12 Heat-Loving Veggies
Corn
Cucumbers
Eggplants
Okra
Peppers
Squash
Tomatoes
13 Tips for Raising Happy, Healthy Veggies
Crop Rotation
Companion Planting
Protecting Your Plants
Trellis and Staking
Compost and Manure Teas
Green Manures and Cover Crops
14 Composting Basics
The Benefits of Composting
Choosing a Bin
Composting Materials
Making Compost
Composting with Earthworms
Problem Solving
15 Easy Ways to Water
Hand Watering
Overhead Watering
Drip Irrigation
Signs of Underwatering
Signs of Overwatering
Combating Drainage Problems
16 Controlling the Weeds
Know Your Weeds
What Weeds Can Tell You
Weed Your Garden
Mulch: Does It Work?
Other Ways to Control Weeds
The Benefits of Weeds
17 Pests and Diseases: What Do I Do?
Find the Problem
Start with Healthy Soil
Good Gardening Practices
Keep Your Plants Healthy
Use Natural Controls
Harmful Pests Versus Beneficial Insects and Animals
Common Diseases
18 Harvesting Your Bounty
Harvesting Tips
Knowing When to Pick Vegetables
Storage Tips
Freezing Veggies
Canning Veggies
19 Top Gardening Tools
Choosing the Right Tool
Shovels
Garden Fork
Rake
Hoe
Trowel
Wheelbarrow
Garden Hose
Sharp Knife
Garden Gloves
Garden Journal
Cleaning and Sharpening Your Tools
20 Troubleshooting
Identify the Problem
Garden Concerns
Signs of Nutrient Deficiency in the Soil
What's Wrong with My Plants?
Specific Veggie Concerns
Vegetable Pest and Disease Identification
21 Organic Versus Nonorganic Vegetable Gardening
What is Organic Gardening?
The Organic Principles
The Benefits of Eating Organic
The Transition
22 Plan for Next Season
Did You Choose a Good Garden Site?
Did Your Plants Get Enough Sunlight and Rainfall?
Was the Garden Too Large or Too Small?
Did You Have Too Many or Too Few Vegetables?
Did You Have Pest Problems?
Were Certain Diseases a Problem?
Did You Have the Tools You Needed?
What Do You Want to Try Next Season?
Did You Have Fun?
Appendix A: Web and Book Resources
Appendix B: Glossary of Terms
Appendix C: Vegetable Garden Recipes