Martin_Stevens wrote:
Hi,
Suggestions, please, for a textbook to comprehensively cover vegetable
growing for a new (coming to the end of my first season) allotment
holder.
I've had some good successes and a few failures and learnt a
tremendous amount but I'd like a single source of reference that has
good depth on everything I might need to know - and on things that I
might not need to know but will find very useful to know. A text that
covers everything and assumes a starting knowledge of zero would be
good, and with a 'want to at least try to be organic' bias.
ISBN numbers for suggested texts would be very useful, if you're
suggesting a book you own and can find such information.



In order of preference:

1. Geoffrey Smith, Mr. Smith's Vegetable Garden, BBC, 1976 (48 pages).

2. Joy Larkcom, Grow Your Own Vegetables, Francis Lincoln Limited, 2002,

3. D.G. Hessayon, The Vegetable and Herb Expert, Expert Books, 2008.

Amazon.co.uk will find the ISBNs for you.

Since 1. is out of print and costs a king's ransom on eBay, 2. would be
my recommendation; I'd have 3. as a backup and encyclopedia, but, IMHO,
it's a long way behind the other two.

Others may comment on the meeting of the 'starting knowledge of zero'
criterion.

Best regards,

Jon C.

--
Jonathan Campbell www.jgcampbell.com BT48, UK.