If you ever thought of propagating a plant, this is the book for you : American Horticultural Society Plant Propagation by Alan Toogood

American Horticultural Society Plant Propagation: The Fully Illustrated Plant-by-Plant Manual of Practical Techniques[Hardcover]

By

Alan Toogood

"The unrivaled priatical guide to the successful propagation of all garden plants -- from trees and shrubs to culinary herbs."

Expert Guidance On The Propagation Of More Than 1,500 Plants. Whether you want to increase your plants by the easiest or most reliable methods of propagation, or experiment with more unusual or advanced techniques, or use specialized techniques for a favorite plant group, AHS Plant Propagation contains all the techniques you need in easy-to-follow, step-by-step explanations such as:

What is is the best way to propogate a plant?
Each entry in the A-Z section of Plant Propagation tells you, plant by plant, which method of propagation to use, when to do it, and what degree of skill each method requires.

How can you improve germination of seeds?
AHS Plant Propagation tells you which seeds need special treatment before sowing and how to provide the conditions to ensure a good rate of germination.

How long does it take to obtain a flowering plant?
AHS Plant Propagation gives guidelines on the average success rate for each plant, how big a yield you can expect, and how long it should take to get a mature or flowering plant.

How do you make sure cuttings won't fail?
AHS Plant Propagation tells you how to take appropriate cuttings from each type of plant and how to make sure they root successfully.

Destined to become the standard work on the subject, AHS Plant Propagation is the practical handbook gardeners have been waiting for.

Amazon.com Review
The American Horticultural Society's Plant Propagation is one of those stuck-on-a-desert-island books. All the information you could ever possibly want in order to propagate virtually any plant or tree or cactus or succulent that might be growing on said desert island is to be found somewhere between the covers of this marvelous, informative book. If you're tired of buying many pots of expensive perennials, tuck a copy of Plant Propagation under your arm and buy one good specimen. From that specimen, following the simple directions, make many plants. It's the kind of skill that all grandmothers of a more distant generation seemed to have.

Still mixed up about hypogeal and epigeal germination? Can't tell a bulbil from a cormel? The very first section covers all the basics of plant biology as well as the history and basic how-to of propagation. The body of the book is divided into "Garden Trees," "Shrubs and Climbing Plants," "Perennials, Annuals and Biennials," "Cacti and Other Succulents," "Bulbous Plants," and "Vegetables." Each section begins with an overview of appropriate propagation techniques: the many styles of grafting, seed saving, taking cuttings, and bulb and root division. Individual plants within each section are addressed alphabetically. With Plant Propagation in hand, you can hybridize your own rose and name it after yourself. The text is written to an intelligent, somewhat experienced gardening reader, and the lush illustrations are accurate and effective. --Schuyler Ingle


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Review

Just as advertised. The book is easy to use, loaded with descriptions, both technical and practical, and lots of figures and pictures. My wife loved it.

Reviewed by: BABALOO (Edwardsville, IL)

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About the author

Alan Toogood (Editor-in-Chief) trained at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. He has worked as a horticultural journalist on Gardener's Chronicle and Amateur Gardening, lectured in Horticulture and was editor of Greenhouse magazine. He is now a freelance horticultural journalist and consultant, Horticulture Correspondant for The Times and Features Coordinator for The Garden. Alan resides in Hampshire.

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The beginner's introduction to greenhouses: All About Greenhouses (Ortho's All About Gardening) by Ortho Books

All About Greenhouses (Ortho's All About Gardening)

By

Ortho

Product Description

Using this book to plan your greenhouse
your greenhouse will be a practical structure well suited to your needs if you think the project through before buying anything. Think first about how you intend to use the greenhouse. Making a place to start seeds once a year is a much simpler project than designing a greenhouse for a wide selection of palms.The decisions you make now will guide you in choosing a site, the best kind and style of structure for your needs and budget, and its size, covering, and equipment. Planning begins with a consideration of greenhouse plans and kits, and the construction challenges and operating costs of each type. To proceed confidently, you must weigh the challenges of building it yourself or working with a constructor, and resolve any local tax, permit, and code issues.


Using this book to build and manage the structure
This book begins with an explanation of how a greenhouse works and where to locate one to make the most of your site and conditions. That knowledge will help you decide whether to build from scratch or begin with a kit, and answer questions of style and materials. Use this book to walk through each phase of greenhouse building, from construction basics and equipment options to plans for 10 greenhouses. The plans described in this book require a variety of skill levels and represent a range of costs. Each greenhouse plan offers tried-and-true techniques you can depend on and refer to as you build.

Each major component of a greenhouse-from ground to roof's peak, benches, and glowing areas-recieves detailed attention. A range of equipment is discussed for moderating temperature, managing light, and providing water and fertilizer. This book offers information about manual and automated systems as well as solar options.

You'll use the last two chapters to schedule planting and greenhouse maintenance projects, and learn more about favorite plants. Explore the cultural information to anticipate and solve common problems in both growing and management. Refer to the calendar on page 76 and 77 to know what maintenance tasks to do and how to keep them on schedule for good greenhouse health. Use it to remind yourself of fertilizer regimes and seasonal needs for added lighting or shade, and how to prevent pest problems with timely cultural practices. Details about plant groups will make their care easier, and a year's worth of projects will inspire you to use the greenhouse in every season.

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Review

This book provides an excellent understanding of greenhouses and lots of great ideas and designs for locating and building them on your property. I got the book to build a small greenhouse but it is so much more. This book is a good value.

Reviewed by: Gregg Reynolds

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The Hydroponics Bible: Hydroponic Food Production by Howard M. Resh

Hydroponic Food Production: A Definitive Guidebook for the Advanced Home Gardener and the Commercial Hydroponic Grower, Sixth Edition

By

Howard M. Resh

Product Description

This book is a comprehensive and practical guide to soilless growing. It is known as the Bible of the industry. It is a methods book in that it provides detailed information on how to design, set up and operate hydroponic culture systems. It also describes the most successful cultures to use with specific crops.

Hydroponic Food Production provides an immediatereference for those who are presently growing hydroponically as well as a guidebook to get prospective growers started. The sixth edition contains 450 photographs, drawings and tables. It has directories, addresses, references, bibliography and a complete index.

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Review

This is by far the most definitive work I've read on the subject. A co-worker of mine recommended this as the "Bible" of hydroponics and he was absolutely right.

It looks like a textbook right down to the ugly cyan/green cover, but it doesn't matter how a book looks if it's got it where it counts. Whether you're a hobbyist or a commercial hydroponics grower, this book is something you'll have wished you'd read.

Reviewed by: Spektyr

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About the author

Dr. Howard M. Resh (born January 11, 1941 in Canada) is internationally known as a pioneering hydroponics researcher, author and practitioner.

Educational Background:
Ph.D. Plant Science, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, B.C., 1975.
B.S.Ag. Plant Science, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, B.C., 1968.

Dr. Resh is one of the pioneers of development of large-scale hydroponic commercial greenhouse operations. In the 1970’s hydroponics started to make inroads into the greenhouse industry on a large scale.


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