Healthy Soils for Sustainable Gardens

by Grace Gershuny

Book Overview

The key to growing healthy, beautiful plants is good soil. This practical all-region guide helps you understand the unique characteristics of your garden's soil and build its natural fertility using organic and sustainable methods. Written by soil and horticulture experts from across North America, it emphasizes the importance of nurturing a diverse ecosystem of beneficial soil organisms, using recycled and renewable organic amendments and mulches,...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1889538469
• ISBN13: 9781889538464
• Release Date: April 2009
• Publisher: Brooklyn Botanic Garden
• Length: 120 Pages
• Weight: 0.55 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.3" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

Healthy Soils for Sustainable Gardens

I recently took a class on Soils of the Piedmont and found that much of the information we learned in that class is contained in this book. This book covers soil from the formation of soil to the types of soils, texture, structure, horizons from surface to bedrock, organisms in the soil, pH, as well as chemical reactions in different types of soils. The book covers the challenges of problem soils and some recommendations to help with them. I am a Master Composter and I know soil is the most important aspect for raising beautiful, healthy plants. This is a great reference book for any gardeners library.

Compact, Comprehensive

Healthy Soils for Sustainable Gardens is a great book for urban gardeners. Whether a beginner, or a veteran wishing to round out her/his knowledge of organic, sustainable gardening, the reader will find practical guidelines for creating, improving and maintaining garden soil. The photos are great, and appropriately illustrate techniques, conditions and examples. So much of successful gardening begins with the soil, yet we're enticed by marketers of chemicals to believe that their products are the key to bountiful crops and gorgeous blooms. In fact, the knowledge and materials to provide an ideal home for our plants are available free and originate largely from our own yards and kitchens! The Brooklyn Botanical Gardens series of books are ideal companions for new and established gardeners. Love this book!