Table Of Content

Copyright © 1974, 1979, 1982, 1991, 1995, 2002, 2006, 2012 by Ecology Action of the Midpeninsula All rights reserved. Published in the United States by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, a division of Random House, Inc., New York. www.crownpublishing.com www.tenspeed.com Ten Speed Press and the Ten Speed Press colophon are registered trademarks of Random House, Inc. www.growbiointensive.org www.bountifulgardens.org www.commongroundinpaloalto.org See also: www.johnjeavons.info Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Jeavons, John. How to grow more vegetables : (and fruits, nuts, berries, grains, and other crops) than you ever thought possible on less land than you can imagine / John Jeavons. — 8th ed. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. 1. Vegetable gardening. 2. Organic gardening. I. Title. SB324.3.J43 2012 635—dc23 2011040066 eISBN: 978-1-60774-190-9 Illustrations by Pedro J. Gonzalez, Ann Miya, Susan Stanley, Sue Ellen Parkinson, Betsy Jeavons Bruneau, and Dan Miller Photos on this page and this page by Cynthia Raiser Jeavons Cover photograph (pumpkin) and spine photograph courtesy of Bountiful Gardens Cover photograph (red chard) © iStockphoto.com/swalls Cover photograph (soil) © iStockphoto.com/AdShooter Cover photograph (red boots) © iStockphoto.com/cjp v3.1 CONTENTS Cover Title Page Copyright Dedication ACKNOWLEDGMENTS by Alice Waters FOREWORD Ecology Action and the Common PREFACE Ground Project by the Ecology Action Staff Building Soil, Building the INTRODUCTION Future History and Philosophy of the GROW BIOINTENSIVE Method • How to Use This Book 1 Deep Soil Creation and Maintenance Getting Started—Correct Tools • Laying Out Your Beds • Types of Deep Soil Preparation • General Double-Digging Procedure • Considerations for Initial Dig with Very Poor Soils • Prepared Beds 2 Sustainability Sustainable Soil Fertility • The Loss of Soil Nutrients and Humus • Initially Adding Nutrients and Humus to the Soil • 100% Sustainability Impossible • The Need for Up to 99% Sustainability • Ecology Action’s Pursuit of Sustainability • How to Design for Your Soil’s Fertility 3 The Use of Compost and Soil Fertility A “Natural” System • Compost Functions • The Process • Soil and Other Materials in the Compost Pile • Locating the Pile • Size and Timing • Building the Pile • Watering the Pile • Compost Curing and Application Rates • Composting Methods Compared • Materials to Use Minimally or Not at All • Benefits of Compost in the Soil • Building a Compost Pile Step-By-Step • All Compost Is Not Equal 4 Fertilization Soil Testing • Taking a Soil Sample • pH • Recommended Sources of Nutrients • Adding Fertilizers and Compost • More Sustainable Fertilization 5 Open-Pollinated Seeds, Seed Propagation, Close Spacing, and Seed Saving Seed Planting • Seedling Flats • Flat Soil • Some Causes of Poor Germination • Pricking Out Seedlings • Transplanting • Spotting • Planting by the Phases of the Moon • Watering • Shadenetting • Mini-Greenhouses • Key Water Factors • Weeding • Planting in Season 6 Companion Planting Health • Rotations • Nourishing the Soil • Physical Complementarity • Weed, Insect, and Animal Relationships 7 An Interrelated Food-Raising System: Creating and Caring for a Balanced Natural Ecosystem with Insect Life Natural Predators • Other Initiatives 8 Master Charts and Planning Letter Codes • Vegetable and Garden Crops • Calorie, Grain, Protein Source, and Vegetable Oil Crops • Compost, Carbon, Organic Matter, Fodder, and Cover Crops • Energy, Fiber, Paper, and Other Crops • Tree and Cane Crops • Flower Spacing Chart • Herb Spacing Chart • Planning Sheet 9 Sample Garden Plans Appendices Tools APPENDIX 1 The Efficacy of the GROW APPENDIX 2 BIOINTENSIVE Method in Increasing Sustainable Yields and Building Soils Ecology Action Publications APPENDIX 3 Organizations APPENDIX 4 Memberships and Ordering APPENDIX 5 INDEX ABOUT THE AUTHOR