Organic Home Garden

A cornucopia of information. Growing concerns over mass-produced fruits and vegetables are leading increased numbers of people to organic suppliers. While most supermarkets offer organic produce, the costs are too often surprisingly high. Many people are now growing their own fruits and vegetables organically, but with mixed results. With The Organic Home Garden, newcomers and seasoned growers will learn step-by-step how to plant, grow and harvest delicious fruits and vegetables. This book offers detailed instructions for enjoying fresh and healthy food from spring to fall. Spring brings salad greens, asparagus and strawberries. Summer produces vine-ripened tomatoes and melons, sweet corn, new potatoes and red peppers. Fall welcomes crisp carrots, vitamin-rich broccoli and colorful radicchio. A thriving organic garden starts with a foundation of lively soil, sustained by annual applications of compost and natural fertilizer. Organic growers can make neat, odorless in-ground compost--especially appropriate in urban and suburban yards; transform leaves into a valuable soil conditioner; and design, build and plant permanent raised beds. The Organic Home Garden covers domestic and exotic vegetables and fruits in detail from seed to harvest. Details include: Soil preparation Using cold frames Selecting seeds and transplanting techniques Natural pest and disease control Intensive output growing techniques Multiple harvests from a single garden Frost protection Fifty stunning color photographs, line drawings and charts illustrate the different gardening steps. Thirty recipes are also included for making the most of fresh fruits and vegetables.