Vegetable Gardener's Bible: Discover Ed's High-Yield W-O-R-D System for All North American Gardening Regions

by: Edward C. Smith

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Book Description:

Wouldn't it be lovely to have a patch of corn, lettuce, tomatoes, peppers, and beans just steps from your kitchen door? Would you like to learn how to control your zucchini plant? Ed Smith, an experienced vegetable gardener from Vermont, has put together this amazingly comprehensive and commonsensical manual, The Vegetable Gardener's Bible. Basically, Ed and his family have been growing a wide variety of vegetables for years and he's figured out what works. This book, filled with step-by-step info and color photos, breaks it all down for you. Ed's system is based on W-O-R-D: Wide rows, Organic methods, Raised beds, Deep soil. With deep, raised beds, vegetable roots have more room to grow and expand. In traditional narrow-row beds, over half the soil is compacted into walkways while a garden with wide, deep, raised beds, plants get to use most of the soil. In Ed's plan, growing space gets about three-quarters of the garden plot and only about a quarter is used for the walkway. Ed teaches you how to create raised beds both in a larger garden or in separate planked beds. One of the most important--and most often overlooked--aspects of successful vegetable gardening is crop rotation. Leaving a crop in the same place for years can deplete nutrients in that area and makes the crop more likely to be attacked by insects. Rotate at least every two years and your vegetables will be healthier and bug-free. There's also a good section on insect and blight control. Before choosing what to grow, go through the last third of the book, where Ed takes a look at the individual growing, harvesting, and best varieties of a large number of both common and more exotic vegetables and herbs. Whether you are a putterer or a serious gardener, The Vegetable Gardener's Bible is an excellent resource to have handy. --Dana Van Nest

A committed organic gardener, Smith is a proponent of staggered planting in raised, wide and deep beds that provide conductive root systems and produce abundant harvests. He explains his system, from optimum siting and soil preparation (he prefers broad-forking over rototilling or double-digging) to companion planting and compost ("The path to the garden of your dreams leads right through the middle of a compost pile"). For beginners, he takes the mystery out of such subjects as hardening off ("like a little boot camp for vegetables") and deciphering the shorthand used in seed catalogues. An abundance of photographs (most of Smith's own garden) visually bolster the techniques described, while frequent subheads, sidebars and information-packed photo captions make the layout user-friendly. The book concludes with an alphabetically arranged listing of vegetables and herbs in which Smith offers advice on every aspect of cultivation, as well as a selection of the most flavorful varieties. Smith doesn't necessarily break new ground here, but his book is thorough and infused with practical wisdom and a dry Vermont humor that should endear him to readers. (Feb.) Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal Smith, caretaker of a 1500-square-foot garden containing almost 100 varieties of vegetables, clearly explains everything novice and experienced gardeners need to know to grow vegetables and herbs using his system of wide, deep, raised beds. He gives detailed instructions on siting, preparing, and planning a vegetable garden, then goes on to cover choosing plant varieties, starting seed, and growing plants. Smith discusses how to create compost and ecologically friendly methods of dealing with plant diseases and pests. Detailed explanations of companion planting, crop rotation, and succession planting add to his book's value. The final third of the book gives specific cultural information (covering all regions of North America), as well as recommended varieties for many vegetables and selected herbs. Recommended for all libraries for its thorough, easy-to-follow instructions and information on companion plants and crop rotation. -Sue O'Brien, Downers Grove P.L. IL Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist Smith, who raises nearly 100 varieties of vegetables in his Vermont garden, recommends a method of gardening that calls for wide, raised, deep beds, resulting in more vegetables with less work. In part 1 Smith explains how this is achieved, giving instructions on selecting a site, acquiring the correct tools, laying out the beds, interpreting the information in seed catalogs, and starting seeds indoors. He also offers instructions on crop rotation, sowing seeds outdoors, installing a trellis, weeding, mulching, fertilizing, watering, harvesting, and growing plants in cold frames and greenhouses. Part 2 deals with soil requirements, making and using compost, and pest and disease control. Part 3 is an A-to-Z listing of vegetables and herbs, with details on growing, harvesting, and storing. Each entry has a list of the plant's best varieties. There are 550 color photographs that complement the informative text. George Cohen--This text refers to the Hardcover edition. James A. Baggett, Executive Editor - Country Living Gardener "Clear, straightforward information on earth-friendly vegetable gardening that reads like sound advice from a friend, plus a wealth of useful information on higher yields with less work, making and using compost, and how to have a weed-and-pest-free garden that promises the most bountiful of harvests. The Vegetable Gardener's Bible is an impressive accomplishment by a seasoned expert. It is destined to end up dog-eared in the potting shed." Today's Librarian, January 2000 "Smith gives insight into the gardening world through pictures, sidebars and a thick easy-to-use section on nurturing vegetables with names from A-Z. Smith also covers tools, what to consider when mulching, and many other details that an amateur might overlook when planting. The book takes the reader through an entire growing year, with photographs of Smith's garden to illustrate the wonderfully conversational text. This is a well-organized piece in caring for vegetable plants and an asset for any gardening section." ForeWord, January 2000 "Like other garden books of comparable length, it is practical. It is also a clear coverage of comprehensive garden care. Smith will please those who want to learn about the many aspects of gardening and also have clear and accessible reference material. His advice, hints, illustrations and charts will benefit any gardener." The New York Times "One of the most American gardening tomes ever published...the principles Smith advocates are completely sound, as is his practical advice." Book Description Discover the last W.O.R.D. in vegetable gardening with Ed Smith's amazing gardening system. By integrating four principles -- Wide beds, Organic methods, Raised beds, and Deep beds -- Smith reinvents vegetable gardening, making it possible for everyone to have the best, most successful garden ever. By following this complete system you cultivate deep, powerful soil that nourishes plants and discourages pests and disease. The result is fewer weeds, healthier plants, and lots of great-tasting vegetables. Plus, you'll enjoy gardening as you never have before. The Vegetable Gardener's Bible -- the last W.O.R.D. in vegetable gardening. From the Back Cover Discover Ed Smith's Total Gardening System. It's the Last W-O-R-D in Vegetable Gardening! WIDE ROWS are easier to tend and provide a bigger yield per square foot. You'll get up to four times more delicious vegetables! ORGANIC METHODS are better for you, your garden, and the earth. They really work, so you'll have fewer pests and diseases! RAISED BEDS mean soil that drains better and warms up faster in the spring. The result is bigger, healthier, and better vegetables! DEEP SOIL provides a reservoir of nutrients and moisture that encourages root growth while producing the best harvest ever! "The Vegetable Gardener's Bible is an impressive accomplishment by a seasoned expert. It is destined to end up dog-eared in the potting shed." --James A. Baggett, Executive Editor, Country Living Gardener About the Author Edward C. Smith lives with his wife, Sylvia, and two children, Lindsey and Nathaniel, in Cabot, Vermont, where he is Town Moderator. The Smiths tend a garden of over 1,500 square feet filled with raspberries, blueberries, flowers, herbs, and nearly 100 varieties of vegetables, including some Vermont heirlooms. His great knowledge and love for gardens is present in his Storey title, The Vegetable Gardener's Bible. Edward is also an award-winning woodworker whose writings have appeared in Fine Woodworking magazine. Excerpted from The Vegetable Gardener's Bible: Discover Ed's High-Yield W-O-R-D System for All North American Gardening Regions by Edward C. Smith. Copyright © 2000. Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved Some Thoughts about Vegetable Gardening Once in a long time, a truly fresh gardening personality emerges. Over the past 30 years, I've had the privilege of working wit a few of these--Jim Crockett in the 1960s, Dick Raymond and Bob Thomson in the '707s, Louise Riotte in the '80s, Lewis and Nancy Hill in the '90s. Ed Smith, vegetable gardener, Cabot, Vermont, is the latest of these amazing personalities. He and his family tend a richly fertile garden of over 1,500 square feet filled with raspberries, blueberries, flowers, herbs, and nearly 100 varieties of vegetables, including some Vermont heirlooms. His garden looks like what I envision as the "vegetable garden of Eden." I never would have learned of, nor met, Ed but for his brother Charly, a Storey staff editor and horticultural expert in his own right. When we were looking for someone who was doing new and exciting things in the vegetable garden, he suggested that we meet his brother Ed. When we learned that Ed lived in the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont (where gardening is only slightly easier than in Siberia!), we were skeptical. That is, until we saw his vegetable gardens. They are beautiful, the result of a high-yield system of gardening that Ed has been refining for over three decades. "If I can do it here in northern Vermont, it can be done just about anywhere," said Ed. The proof was before our eyes, and as we talked, we realized how logical and easy his approach was. To underscore a point, he took us to the richest compost pile I've ever seen. With mock seriousness he instructed, "The path to a high-yield garden leads straight through the middle of a compost pile." Clearly, Ed's no stick-in-the-mud when it comes to gardening. Wherever we walked, Ed had gardening wisdom to share. At the corn patch he said, "Corn has the highest sugar content early in the morning. So pick it then, before it's warmed by the sun, and refrigerate it in the husk until dinnertime. You'll get the best-tasting corn with the morning harvest." It's true. When we saw him dusting his seed potatoes with sulfur, he explained that sulfur is a fungicide, but that wasn't the reason he did it. "Treat seed potatoes with sulfur, and Colorado potato beetles will be much less of a problem." I followed his advice, and my new red potatoes were the best I've ever had. In the pages that follow, you'll see the results of his gardening system with your own eyes. We've come to refer to this system as the "W-O-R-D," to remind us of the wide rows, organic methods, raised beds, and deeply dug soil that underlie everything that Ed does. You'll discover these, along with the trellises that allow beans to grow to the sky, knowledgeable companion planting, and basic crop rotation, all leading to remarkable harvests--a vegetable gardening paradise. We spent the past year with Ed in Vermont, photographing his gardens from the first day of soil preparation to the last days of putting the garden to bed. These year-round photos will be very helpful to you in planning and planting your own vegetable garden, as will the numerous charts, tables, and garden plans. We think that this is the most comprehensive and exciting new system of gardening that has come along in a very long time. Through the dozens of illustrated gardening lessons, and hundreds of tips, insights, and suggestions that Ed shares, you'll quickly become a more skilled gardener. This book will help you do it, and have the best vegetable garden ever. That's why we call it "the bible."

Reviews:

Serious gardening...... Ed Smith is a serious gardener. His approach to vegetable growing is best suited to half acre gardens in the northern areas of the United States. Smith lives and gardens in Vermont and judging by the contents (great photos as well as text) of his book, THE VEGETABLE GARDENER'S BIBLE, I suggest his gardening effort constitutes year-round full-time employment for him. I am a dedicated urban gardener, but one with a less than one-eighth (<1/8) acre plot of land, much of which is covered by a house and driveway. I cannot begin to use most of the material in Smith's book, however, even for urban gardeners like me, Smith provides much useful information. My experience has shown that vegetable growing in the city has one advantage over growing vegetables in the hinterland...most of the pests that plague the countryside have not moved to town...yet! When I grew green beans on a half acre plot in the country, I fought a daily war with bean beatles. I've yet to see a bean beatle in my urban back yard. On the other hand, the larvae of the Monarch Butterfly found my parsley last year. Smith's section on pests includes something I have not seen in other gardening books..a picture of Monarch Butterfly larvae or Parsley Caterpillers as Ed calls them, munching away. Smith is an organic gardener so he advises pest control methods that deter unwanted visitors without damaging the larger envirnoment. He also advises moving the Parsely Caterpillar out of harms' way when you battle other insects. However, the birds living in my yard consider Parsley Caterpillars a delicacy, much to the horror of my granddaughters who watched the pretty little green and yellow striped caterpillars with interest last summer as they grew bigger and bigger until one day they were discovered to have been eaten by a feathered predator who left only a few body parts in his wake. Smith includes much that will be of interest to anyone setting out to grow vegetables for the fifteenth or first time. Although most of us don't have a green house for winter gardening, most of us do have a sunny window sill that can be used to germinate seedlings for transplanting. Most of us can compost (check out WormWoman.com on the Internet if you live in an apartment). Smith advocates growing vegetables in (W)ide rows, (O)rganically, in (R)aised beds with (D)eep soil. Even with my small yard, I can do that. We built raised beds with timbers, and filled them with compost made entirely of yard and kitchen waste and the result is fabulous. He provides a nifty section that shows you how to construct a raised bed on a patio or balcony. You may not have a half-acre spread, but you can use Smith's Bible if you want to grow vegetables.

vegetable gardeners bible indeed! I started my own garden using the wide, deep, rised bed technique described in this book and the yields were really quite stunning. I used planks to rise my beds by a feet. Explains every step from designing/planning via building and planting and taking care of your garden to harvesting and readying for the winter. Fabulous gardening book for the beginner and advanced gardener. Full of wonderful tips and info about everything vegetable garden.

The best vegetable gardening book I've seen: I stumbled across this book at my local bookstore and even though I ended up paying the full retail price, it was well worth it. I knew nothing about gardening before I read the book but Ed Smith's detailed instructions and nuggets of wisdom gave me the know-how to grow vegetables that exceeded my expectations. I have an urban garden in CA (zone 9a) so I'm limited on space and have high clay content in my soil, but with three 4x6x12 raised beds I can grow fantastic organic vegetables. I've probably read the book cover to cover now several times over, but I still keep finding myself flipping to the back of the book where Ed has 1-2 pages dedicated to each of the most popular vegetables. Within these sections you can find useful information such as watering conditions, when to grow seedlings, seed longevity, most popular cultivars, and many tips for sowing, growing, and harvesting. The last part of the book alone is worth the price of the book.

It's a * * WONDER* * book! THANK YOU Mr. Smith for writing this book! I couldn't say enough about how helpful it's been to me. Wanting to be careful and do things right, since I'm a beginning gardener, this book tells in simple, everyday language with photos on how to start and keep up a vegetable garden. Here's a list of a few things it covers: * designing your garden * insect control * soil care * what veges to NOT plant with other veges * diagrams * lots of veges and all the info you could want about them * herb section * seed companies * other recommended resources * and MORE