Good Books for Food Gardening
Question from Kevin:
I live in Simi Valley, Southern California. I have citrus and I love to grow all kinds of eatable foods. I have been picking away at my entire backyard for some 5 years now, trying to create a good food system. I need help from a pro, what books can you suggest for me and I read on the blog something about getting a sunset book.
Answer from Pat:
I recommend you purchase two books:”The Sunset Western Garden Book” and “Pat Welsh’s Southern California Organic Gardening, Month-by-Month”. Read the monthly chapters beginning with the one in March. You will find the vegetable section at the end of each of my chapters and a checklist of jobs following that. Though Sunset and I are not connected, other than through a few personal friendships, my book and the Sunset book work hand-in-hand. I recommend you purchase the older edition that has the pink flower on the cover. If you can afford it, also purchase the newer volume with an orange flower on the cover. The stuff at the back has been expanded and is good information, but this was never the strength of the book. They have cut down the length of the encyclopedia section and reduced the number of plants in it, and it’s a shame since it was the encyclopedia section that was always the great value of this classic book.
You will also need a pruning manual. If you can find an old paperback Sunset Pruning manual that would be good. Another book i recommend is HP Books Citrus: How to Select, Grow and Enjoy by Richard Ray and Lance Walheim. It’s old but good. Also use all the UC pest and disease publications if you need them, though growing a good organic garden keeps things healthy. I have few pest and disease problems in my garden since I have been an organic gardener for so many years and grow many pollen-rich plants to encourage beneficials to be attracted to my garden and remain here long term. All other UC publications on plants and gardening are helpful also.
I will be speaking at Rogers Gardens nursery in Corona Del Mar at 9:00 am on “Growing Organic Vegetables Year Round” on April 20. Would love to see you there if you can make it. I always pack my talks with masses of tips and hints and also there is a handout. It’s only one hour and 27 minutes from the Simi Valley to Corona Del Mar via the shortest route 118, I-5, I-605, I-405, and CA-3. Hope to see you then.
I was looking for the Citrus ” How to select, grow and enjoy” by Richard Ray and Lance Walheim book and saw the original book was published in 1980, are there other editions in later years, that would be the same print form? Because I did locate one book, but I did not call them yet to see if it was printed in another edition. I think finding a book for sale in 1980 print is a tuff find.
I think my copy is 1980 and it’s still useful. I’d just go ahead and get it if I were you. It has all the basic stuff you might want to know, laid out so it’s easy to access, for example, the zones and harvest times of various varieties. Sunset Western Garden Book lists any newer varieties not mentioned in that book, but the HP book includes a lot of information that’s not in Sunset and has very good photos too.
I found a book called CITRUS by Lance Walheim printed in April 1 1996, I can get this book for a good price, but the 1980 book on Citrus with Richard Ray & Lance Walheim is a tuff find. Is the !996 Citrus book a well informed book?
This is an excellent book. Yes, go ahead and purchase it.