Catherine Abbott - The Everything Grow Your Own Vegetables Book: Your Complete Guide to planting, tending, and harvesting vegetables

Dear Reader,

I was in my mid-twenties before I started my first vegetable garden. I had just moved into a new home with a great backyard and decided it would be fun to plant some veggies. I started planning what I would grow, turning over the grass to make a new garden spot, and then planted my first seeds. Once the seeds starting popping out of the soil I was hooked! Over the last fifteen years growing vegetables has become a full-time passion for me and has brought a huge amount of joy, friendship, and satisfaction to my life. I moved from growing a few veggies in my little backyard garden to growing on two acres of land and selling my veggies. I began teaching gardening workshops at my local community center when I realized people wanted to grow vegetables but were not sure how to get started. I then created a website (www.your-vegetable-gardening-helper.com) to help vegetable gardeners with practical and easy-to-follow steps and information. This book seemed like the perfect next step to reach even more of you who want to grow your own vegetables. Growing organic vegetables is a way of life I would recommend to everyone!

Happy gardening,

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THE
EVERYTHING
GROW YOUR OWN
VEGETABLES
BOOK

Your complete guide to planting, tending, and harvesting vegetables

Catherine Abbott
Foreword by Meghan Shinn, Editor, Horticulture Magazine

Avon, Massachusetts

This book is dedicated to every gardener who is committed to enjoying a healthy lifestyle by growing organic vegetables.

Copyright 2010 by F+W Media, Inc. All rights reserved.

This book, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced in any form without permission from the publisher; exceptions are made for brief excerpts used in published reviews.

An Everything Series Book.

Everything and everything.com are registered trademarks of F+W Media, Inc.

Published by Adams Media, a division of F+W Media, Inc.

57 Littlefield Street, Avon, MA 02322 U.S.A.

www.adamsmedia.com

ISBN 10: 1-4405-0013-4

ISBN 13: 978-1-4405-0013-8

Printed in the United States of America.

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
is available from the publisher.

This publication is designed to provide accurate and authoritative information with regard to the subject matter covered. It is sold with the understanding that the publisher is not engaged in rendering legal, accounting, or other professional advice. If legal advice or other expert assistance is required, the services of a competent professional person should be sought.

From a Declaration of Principles jointly adopted by a Committee of the American Bar Association and a Committee of Publishers and Associations

Many of the designations used by manufacturers and sellers to distinguish their products are claimed as trademarks. Where those designations appear in this book and Adams Media was aware of a trademark claim, the designations have been printed with initial capital letters.

Illustrations by Barry Littmann and Eric Andrews.

This book is available at quantity discounts for bulk purchases. For information, please call 1-800-289-0963.

I want to thank everyone who encouraged me to write this book. You are all very much loved and appreciated. I want to also acknowledge my local gardening community for the friendship, encouragement, and support you have all extended to me over the years. This is my way of thanking you and paying it forward.

1. Choose the best site you can to grow your veggies. A great site will have full exposure to the sun, great soil, and good drainage. It will also be easy to access from your house and near a good water source.

2. Start with good soil and keep improving on it. Keep your soil healthy by regularly adding in organic matter such as compost and aged animal manure. Use cover crops and mulches to help enhance the soil fertility.

3. Start planning your garden on paper. Planning what vegetables you want to grow, how much you will need, and where to plant the seeds or transplants will save you time, energy, and money in the long run.

4. Start with a small space. A vegetable garden takes time and effort, so start with a small garden site; as you gain confidence, you can gradually increase the size of your garden.

5. Grow what you and your family like to eat. You want to be able to enjoy the veggies you grow.

6. Select vegetable varieties wisely. Different vegetable plants and seeds need a variety of conditions to grow and produce well, so choose what grows best in your garden site.

7. A good water source is essential. You want your water source to be easily accessible. It is best to water deeply once or twice a week, preferably early in the day.

8. Take the time to observe your plants. You will be able to spot any problems early on, which will make it easier to prevent or control any damage.

9. Research any problems. Taking the time to research a problem before you start treating it will save you money, time, and energy.

10. Keep your garden clean. Having good garden practices is one of the best ways to prevent and control pests and diseases in your vegetable garden.

Foreword

WHEN WE WERE PLANNING content for Horticulture magazine's 2010 issues, one of our long-time columnists, generally a flower guy, pitched several stories about food gardening. It is the Year of the Vegetable, it seems, he quipped.