National Gardening Association - Vegetable Gardening for Dummies: 3rd edition

Vegetable Gardening For Dummies, 3rd edition

Published by: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774, www.wiley.com

Copyright 2021 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey

Published simultaneously in Canada

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Library of Congress Control Number: 2021932173

ISBN: 978-1-119-78207-0

ISBN: 978-1-119-78208-7 (ebk); ISBN: 978-1-119-78209-4 (ebk)

1. Chapter 2
2. Chapter 5
3. Chapter 6
4. Chapter 14
5. Chapter 15
6. Chapter 16
7. Chapter 19
8. Appendix

1. Chapter 2
2. Chapter 3
3. Chapter 4
4. Chapter 5
5. Chapter 6
6. Chapter 7
7. Chapter 8
8. Chapter 9
9. Chapter 10
10. Chapter 11
11. Chapter 12
12. Chapter 13
13. Chapter 14
14. Chapter 15
15. Chapter 16
16. Chapter 17
17. Chapter 18
18. Chapter 20
19. Chapter 21

Everyone loves good food. Fresh, tasty, nutritious food is our birthright. And what better way to have great food than to grow it yourself? You dont have to be a farmer to do so either. Whether it be a plot of land in the yard thats tilled up to grow vegetables, a few vegetables planted amongst your flowers and shrubs, or containers loaded with attractive, edible choices, growing your own food is a satisfying and rewarding activity.

Vegetable gardening isnt rocket science either. Heck, people have been growing their own vegetables for thousands of years. Like any pursuit, you just need some direction, good advice, and inspiration to get started. Vegetable Gardening For Dummies, 3rd Edition, is for anyone who already grows vegetables or who has ever dreamed of growing some of their own food. All it takes is some resolve to get started. Youre already halfway there just by picking up this book!

In Vegetable Gardening For Dummies, 3rd Edition, you can find all the basic information you need to grow a vegetable garden. Ive been vegetable gardening my whole life, so throughout the book I try to impart some practical wisdom thats easily accessible. I also include some special tips and tricks that Ive discovered over the years and information on hundreds of vegetable varieties, many of which are beautiful to look at as well as tasty to eat.

In addition, I include this new and revised information in this book:

• A thorough review and update of all technical details and gardening techniques
• An update of vegetable variety recommendations to reflect the current most popular varieties available
• Discussion on new innovative gardening techniques based on permaculture and other sustainable practices
• A completely rebuilt appendix with up-to-date planting guides, frost charts, company recommendations, and more

Of course, none of this matters if you cant grow the vegetables successfully. Thats why a large part of this book is devoted to building soil, starting seeds, maintaining the garden, controlling pests, growing through the seasons, and harvesting. I like to encourage happy, healthy, successful gardeners who are willing to experiment, make mistakes, and enjoy sharing their bounty with their friends, family, and neighbors.

Before I even put one word to the page, I was thinking about who may read this book. Heres what I assume about you, the reader:

• You want to create a vegetable garden thats filled with healthy, nutritious, beautiful plants to eat.
• You want to understand the basics of vegetable gardening and, for experienced gardeners, find new tricks to help you garden better.
• You want to grow vegetables in an environmentally friendly manner.
• You want to try vegetable gardening even if you only have a deck or patio to grow a few plants.
• You want to share your love of gardening with friends, family members, and neighbors because you feel that if more people grew some of their own food, the world would be a better place.

Like all For Dummies books, this book has icons that highlight great tips, warnings, and other specific topics. Here are the ones in this book:

This icon highlights important information that helps you garden better. Dont forget this stuff!