Review by Booklist Review
More than 25 years ago, Jeavons wrote the best-selling How to Grow More Vegetables, which sold more than 350,000 copies in seven languages. It was a how-to book on high-yield, biologically intensive food-raising techniques. His new book, coauthored by Carol Cox, is a somewhat simpler book written for gardeners trying biointensive gardening for the first time. The focus is on the soil; and a good way to ensure sustainable soil fertility, the authors say, is the biointensive method of growing food. To achieve this, they give instructions and suggestions on what to grow; preparing biointensive beds, compost, and plating; growing compost crops, such as vetch, fava beans, wheat, and rye; and growing "calorie crops" (wheat, oats, dry beans, and corn). The authors make suggestions on companion planting--i.e., which crops to put beside each other for the best results. --George Cohen
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Library Journal Review
Jeavons and Cox offer a less technical version of Jeavons's best-selling book on biointensive gardening, How To Grow More Vegetables Than You Ever Thought Possible on Less Land Than You Can Imagine, published over 25 years ago. Written for both the beginner and the experienced gardener, this new book shows how to cultivate 11 commonly grown vegetables, calorie crops (beans), or compost crops in 100-square-foot plots using organic, soil-enriching methods. The authors discuss biointensive gardening theory, preparing garden beds, composting, starting seeds, growing crops, and collecting seeds. They offer detailed instructions and equations showing how to calculate how many seeds to plant to get the necessary seedlings to fill the suggested garden plans and suggest ways to customize garden plots. While the equations are easy to follow, the calculations and numerous charts may intimidate the beginner, who may also need more information on gardening techniques. Recommended especially for experienced gardeners interested in biointensive gardening.ÄSue O'Brien, Downers Grove P.L., IL (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
