Guest Author - Diana Pederson

Tanya L. K. Denckla. The Gardener’s A-Z Guide to Growing Organic Food. Storey. 2003.

It is hard to talk to people about the quality of our fresh produce without the subject of organic gardening coming up. Too many people really don’t understand the difference. Therefore, I thought Denckla’s explanation of the reasons for organic gardening and our government’s move towards enacting appropriate laws is important for every food gardener to read. She also emphasizes the importance of soil quality in sustainable gardening. Even if you choose not to read this book, I suggest you ask for it at your local library and carefully study this chapter.

Detailed information on growing herbs, vegetables, and fruits and nuts are given for the most popularly grown produce. This information includes a general description followed by specific details on soil temperature needs, pH, fertilizing practices, and watering. You’re even told how deep to plant the seeds and given a generalized calendar showing the germinating, transplant date, and how many days from the last frost date to begin the seeds.

Organic gardening emphasizes growing plants that help each other together. One example for cucumbers is planting beans, cabbage, kale, melon, peas, sunflowers, tomatoes and eggplant alongside the cucumber plants. According to organic gardening theory, this combination helps prevent some problems and diseases. I was very surprised to find a list of plants that are NOT compatible with cucumbers. Information on selected varieties is also provided.

The book concludes by discussing organic remedies to various problems. Methods of preventing these problems through proper growing conditions are discussed. Using chemicals is only for extreme cases. I wish more landscapers would learn this fact and quit trying to place plants in situations where problems are almost guaranteed.

Recommendation

If you are a food gardener, you need this book close to your seed growing/gardening area. You’ll find yourself turning to it frequently. Anyone reading this book will become convinced that organic gardening is really, the only way to garden.

Negatives: I wish this book had added better pictures of the plants described and sample pictures showing the various pests, diseases and other problems. It makes it necessary for the gardener to have additional books illustrating this information. That really is too bad because this book is supposed to be a “potting bench reference book” according to the book’s cover.