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.


TIA,
Regards,
Martin.

"Martin_Stevens" wrote in message
...
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.

Can't lay my hands on the book but many years ago the Readers Digest guides
all seemed good.
I cut my teeth on the DIY manual, Cookery Year and Gardening Guide.
This was in the 1970s though, so I have no idea how the modern version
stacks up.

Ah - be warned!
Review at
http://www.amazon.co.uk/product-revi...owViewpoints=1

"Please be careful, I received this book yesterday after waiting 3
weeks.Initially I was elated, until I realised this was for the American
market! Tempertatures in Farenhiete, chemical weedkillers that we cannot buy
here & perennial weeds that we have, but obviously not in America.

I have one of these but it is a mid 70's version, and we wanted an
up-to-date one. "

So perhaps you should steer clear of the recent version, or at least read
through it first at Waterstones or similar.

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.

"Martin_Stevens" wrote
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.


The Complete Manual of Organic Gardening edited by Basil Chaplan
ISBN 0 7472 7830 X. Published by Headline Book Publishing.
I think it is out of print but you may be able to pick up a copy on Amazon
or similar.
Covers all aspects of gardening, veg and flowers, and although not
completely organic ourselves it is an excellent book.

Alternatively the Dr Hessayon books are usually good.
--
Regards
Bob Hobden
just W. of London

On 17 Oct, 16:45, "Bob Hobden" wrote:
"Martin_Stevens" *wrote

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.

The Complete Manual of Organic Gardening edited by Basil Chaplan
ISBN 0 7472 7830 X. *Published by Headline Book Publishing.
I think it is out of print but you may be able to pick up a copy on Amazon
or similar.
Covers all aspects of gardening, veg and flowers, and although not
completely organic ourselves it is an excellent book.

Alternatively the Dr Hessayon books are usually good.
--
Regards
Bob Hobden
just W. of London

I won't recommend any books, brows your local library and when you
find a book you dont want to hand back then think about buying it,
also brows some of the 2nd hand bookshops, you might find books from
the 20's and 30's of more usw as so many chemicals etc are being taken
off the market.
David Hill

"Martin_Stevens" wrote in message
...
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.


"Practical Gardening and Food Production In Pictures" by Richard Sudell.
Available secondhand from Abe Books for a couple of quid, plus P&P at about
£2. Published around 1940. An extremely useful book if you know nothing
about gardening. A bookseller in Barnstaple is selling this at the moment
via the Abe Books website.

"Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening" by J.I. Rodale and staff. 12th Ed.
1969. An American book, but very useful if you're an organic gardener.

s.

On Oct 17, 11:23*pm, "someone" wrote:

"Practical Gardening and Food Production In Pictures" by Richard Sudell.

Good 'eavens! One of my aunts bought that for me at the end of the
forties and I used it for donkey's years. Even great Uncle Victor gave
it his nod of approval! Don't forget Adam the Gardener!

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.
snippy

Vegetable growing month by month by John Harrison ISBN 978-0-7160-2189-6
£5.99
The essential allotment guide by John Harrison ISBN 978-0-7160-2212-1
Both published by 'The right way'
www.right-way.co.uk


--
Pete C
London UK

A splendid response and a load of useful suggestions - thanks all.

Regards,
Martin.