Food Gardening

By Phillip Duke

Food gardening is increasingly  popular. Growing your own food is healthful and economical. The food is tasty, nutritious and inexpensive, the outdoor exercise is healthful, and communing with Mother nature is good for body and mind.

This book by Master Gardener Phillip Duke Ph.D. explains in detail how to grow both cold tolerant and heat loving vegetables. It also details how to garden in greenhouses, and indoors under lights.

A bountiful harvest climaxes the gardener's efforts, and food preservation is an important adjunct to the gardener's knowledge. This book explains how to preserve food by canning, freezing, dehydreation and krauting.

Soybeans are "the meat on a vine." They provide inexpensive cholesterol-free quality protein, and  are increasingly popular with gardeners..This book details growing and harvesting soybeans, and also provides soybean recipes.

Whether you are a beginner or experienced gardener,  there is much in this book for you. Now, Into the garden, and good growing with a bountiful harvest, for us all!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Phillip Duke Ph.D.
• Release date: Mar 18, 2013
• ISBN: 9781497773424

Phillip Duke

Phillip Duke B.S., Ph.D. is a graduate of UCLA with the B.S. in Chemistry, and of USC with the Ph,D. in Experimental Pathology/Biochemistry.  Now retired, he writes on various aspects of life. His most popular titles:are: Jack the Ripper vs. Sherlock Holmes HEROIN God's Own Medicine Folly of the Hydrogen Bomb Starship To New Earth Now Karma GOLDEN SHOWERS Stories by Phyllis All 26 published titles are described on Philduke.weebly.com.  Any of  Dr. Phil's ebooks will be gifted to you on  request, simply email [e-mail]. All readers are invited to contact Dr. Phil Duke by email. An ancient saying- "The mills of the Gods grind very slowly, but they grind very fine." Buena suerta, y vaya con Dios!  

Book preview

Author’s Introduction

Front materials including the Table Of Contentsare in the rear, to facilitate sample ebook reading.

This is a how-to book about food gardening and preservation. It presents reliable time-tested information about how-to grow food by gardening, and how-to preserve and prepare garden raised foods, for super eating experiences. Gardening theory and practice are presented in separate, easy to follow and understand sections. Theory and practice are presented for preserving food by canning, freezing, dehydration, and sourkrauting. This book is for all persons interested in food growing, food preservation and preparation, and super eating experiences.

Gardening is an under-used tool in the efforts to obtain good nutrition and super taste, especially by people living in cities. Food grown in the garden is very tasty, nutritious, and inexpensive. It does not require transport from grower to consumer, or refrigeration until purchase. Gardening provides all ages with pleasant and healthful outdoor exercise, and direct contact with Mother Nature.

Food taste is very important, and I have included information on how-to obtain maximum good taste and freshness, along with time-tested recipe favorites that will please everyone.

Soybeans are a nutritious, tasty, inexpensive and under-utilized food. Information is presented on how-to grow and use them, including two popular recipes.

Each type of food plant, vegetable and fruit has its own individual, unique beauty. Drawings illustrate this beauty, and also help identify possibly unfamiliar food plants.

The plentiful harvest comes over a short time period, and preserving greatly extends the garden’s benefits. Information is provided on how-to preserve food by canning, freezing, dehydration, and sourkrauting. Food preservation is healthful, inexpensive and not especially difficult. It should be an integral part of the overall gardening plan.

For those with limited or no access to gardening outdoors, there is gardening indoors, with indoor light gardening, any time of year. Information is provided about how-to garden and grow different foods indoors under lights. This gardening method is increasingly popular for persons living in apartments, and persons with limited mobility.

The climax of food gardening is in the eating! Nothing compares with a vegetable or fruit fresh from the garden, or better yet, eaten while still in the garden. Don’t forget to take a little salt along!

Gardening is a good deal for everyone who does it. Gardening is good for the body, the mind, and the soul. If you don’t garden already, give gardening a try; you will be glad you did.

I have been gardening for over 60 years, and have always found gardening to be a source of great personal satisfaction and healthful exercise, as well as top quality tasty and nutritious food. Good luck

in your gardening endeavors! Any and all questions are invited, email me [e-mail] I am interested in hearing from you. Good gardening!

Chapter One

Introduction

When detailed information is presented on a subject, the impression may be given that everything is known about it, and therefore that by applying that knowledge, the result is certain. I do not want to give this impression. Food plants are important subjects of intensive scientific and practical study, but there is much we do not know about them. Basic concepts are established, but we do not have a really detailed, intimate understanding of how plants live.

We do not know the biochemical mechanism of photosynthesis, the process by which green plants capture light energy and employ it to make food from carbon dioxide and water. If we did, it should be possible using light energy, to make food from carbon dioxide and water, without using plants.

Gardening is intimately involved with the processes of life, because plants are alive, they are living beings. The garden soil itself contains diverse living microorganisms, earthworms, etc., and soil fertility depends on them. The gardener is a human being, and so not always quite perfect. Gardening deals with living beings, and with living beings there are always inherent uncertainties.

The changing weather introduces another element of uncertainty. Plant life is very environment dependent, and although we try to anticipate and compensate for adverse conditions, this is not always possible. When plants require water or fertilizer we can supply it, but when it hails, or is toocold, we can do little or nothing.

Good plant growth requires that plant needs be well met. Plants generally require a certain temperature range, and a soil composition with adequate moisture, chemical nutrients, and aeration. They also require adequate sunlight, and may need protection from garden pests. Different kinds of plants vary at least somewhat in their requirements, and if plant needs are not met, they will stop growing, and may die. Successful growing is based on providing conditions that satisfy plant needs as much as possible.

Because sunlight is a plant’s basic energy source, and foods are generally energy rich, food plants are high light intensity plants. At least six hours a day of full sun is recommended for a food garden. You can grow food with less, but yield is decreased, and time to yield is increased.

Garden pests such as various insects, rabbits and deer may try to eat your plants. With pests identify the cause and take action to remedy the problem.

Working in the gardener’s favor is the fact that plants, like all living beings, will do their utmost to live. They will adapt to varying and adverse conditions, repair damage, and recover from harm as best they can. Plants have been around for 3 billion years, and in that time they have learned very well how to live in many different environments. Most plants in the garden are very far removed in location from their ideal, native habitats. The gardener tries to supply the same conditions, but can only approximate them. The plants do their best to live under the conditions provided them. That is how it is, and usually it works.

Gardening success cannot be guaranteed, but by knowing plant requirements, and by providing conditions approximating them, agriculture and gardening are largely successful.

Plant growing is both an art and a science. Successful growers pretty much know how things are going with their plants, because they feel for them, something like the way artists feel for their creations. Familiarize yourself with how your plants look when all is