The Sustainable Vegetable Garden: A Backyard Guide to Healthy Soil and Higher Yields [Paperback]

Jeavons and Cox offer a less technical version of Jeavons's best-selling book on biointensive gardening, How To Grow More Vegetables Than You Ever Thought Possible on Less Land Than You Can Imagine, published over 25 years ago. Written for both the beginner and the experienced gardener, this new book shows how to cultivate 11 commonly grown vegetables, calorie crops (beans), or compost crops in 100-square-foot plots using organic, soil-enriching methods. The authors discuss biointensive gardening theory, preparing garden beds, composting, starting seeds, growing crops, and collecting seeds. They offer detailed instructions and equations showing how to calculate how many seeds to plant to get the necessary seedlings to fill the suggested garden plans and suggest ways to customize garden plots. While the equations are easy to follow, the calculations and numerous charts may intimidate the beginner, who may also need more information on gardening techniques. Recommended especially for experienced gardeners interested in biointensive gardening.ASue O'Brien, Downers Grove P.L., IL
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

More than 25 years ago, Jeavons wrote the best-selling How to Grow More Vegetables, which sold more than 350,000 copies in seven languages. It was a how-to book on high-yield, biologically intensive food-raising techniques. His new book, coauthored by Carol Cox, is a somewhat simpler book written for gardeners trying biointensive gardening for the first time. The focus is on the soil; and a good way to ensure sustainable soil fertility, the authors say, is the biointensive method of growing food. To achieve this, they give instructions and suggestions on what to grow; preparing biointensive beds, compost, and plating; growing compost crops, such as vetch, fava beans, wheat, and rye; and growing "calorie crops" (wheat, oats, dry beans, and corn). The authors make suggestions on companion planting--i.e., which crops to put beside each other for the best results. George Cohen

From the author of our best-selling and widely beloved HOW TO GROW MORE VEGETABLES comes this "quick and dirty" introduction to biointensive gardening that shows it is not only possible but easy to grow astonishing crops of healthful organic vegetables and fruits, while conserving resources and actually helping the soil. A revolutionary approach to feeding ourselves and nurturing the land, this book includes:• Step-by-step illustrations and instructions that make these techniques simple for even the novice gardener.• Everything you need to know about planning crops, composting, harvesting, and more.• Complete resources for seeds, tools, and other garden supplies.Feed a family of four on the bounty of your backyard, or just get more out of your garden with less effort with this wonderful resource.

JOHN JEAVONS is a cofounder of the group Ecology Action and the father of the modern biointensive gardening movement. He lives in Willits, California, where he has been growing more vegetables for decades.