The Best Books for Vegetable Gardening
Like me, many have joined the movement to grow their own vegetables. Whether it’s to cut costs or improve the quality of food on the table, hundreds of thousands of people now participate in the practice.
But where can you get the information you need to get started? Our friend Jessica R. has written an amazing guide to help you get started.
Sure, the Internet has tons of information you can tap into, but books for vegetable gardening are ideal sources of information.
Many times, the authors are writing from personal experience, giving some validity to their claims. As a reader, you can gain significant knowledge from these books, reaping abundant harvests.
This article will explore 25 of the best vegetable gardening books you can find!
**J&R Pierce Family Farm is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to allow sites to earn advertising fees by linking to products on Amazon. I often link to Amazon when recommending certain products, and if you choose to purchase, I may earn a small percentage of the sale. It costs you nothing extra, and all recommended products are ones that I personally vouch for.**
What is the Best Layout for a Vegetable Garden?
You can choose from many possible layouts for your vegetable garden. The possibilities are nearly endless. Some of the most popular options include:
Tallest vegetables in the back, mid-sized in the middle, and the smallest in the front or as a border
Break your garden into four squares with one vegetable per square–must be companion plants
Square foot gardening, where you break your garden into equal 4x4 squares, one for each vegetable
Plant in rows with the tallest vegetables on the north side down to the smallest vegetables on the south side
It’s important to note that the best layout truly depends on your needs; however, the gardening books we’ll tell you about in this post can you figure things out.
If you’d like to learn more about vegetable garden layouts, you can watch this video:
25 Best Vegetable Gardening Books to Read
When learning how to raise a successful vegetable garden, reading is fundamental to gaining the knowledge you need. With so many excellent books on the subject, a world of information is available. Let’s explore the 25 best vegetable gardening books.
Vegetable Gardening for Beginners by Jill McSheehy
Perfect for beginner gardeners, Vegetable Gardening for Beginners provides all the information you need to start from the basics. You’ll find all the details on how to make starter pots, construct your plant beds, and mix your soil.
From there, you’ll learn how to choose the best plants for your circumstances. It also includes in-depth profiles of many different plants. In relation to harvesting, you’ll have all the information you need to bring your plants to a successful harvest.
This book is ideal for beginners as it provides the foundation needed for developing a healthy, robust vegetable garden. In addition, you’ll learn a straightforward method for starting from seed indoors and finishing with a phenomenal harvest.
Vegetable Gardening for Dummies by the National Gardening Association and Charlie Nardozzi
Another excellent source for beginner gardeners, Vegetable Gardening for Dummies offers practical information on nurturing ripe vegetables. In addition, you’ll learn everything you need to know about creating the best soil mixtures.
If you need resources on protecting the vitality of your plants, this book is an excellent starting point. It offers information on controlling pests and insects that can cause severe damage, limiting vegetable growth.
The Vegetable Gardener’s Bible by Edward C. Smith
This book employs the W-O-R-D method, or wide rows, organic methods, raised beds, and deep soil. Readers will find the answers to many setup problems and a lot of guidance that a beginner needs in The Vegetable Gardener’s Bible.
In addition, Smith covers each crop with the greatest detail, providing planting tips and schedules, growing information, and pests and diseases to watch out for. You’ll learn many excellent ways to boost your garden’s production.
The First-Time Gardener: Growing Vegetables by Jessica Sowards
The First-Time Gardener: Growing Vegetables is ideal for those with a passion for starting gardening but no clue where to start. It focuses on answering all your burning questions, including what to plant and where to plant it.
It’s the total package for a guide to your first gardening experience, including preparing, planting, and tending your vegetables. The book also offers advice on how to grow with the seasons, create an eco-friendly layout, and maximize your harvest.
The Old Farmer’s Almanac Vegetable Gardener’s Handbook
An excellent companion for novices and experts, Vegetable Gardener’s Handbook provides all the resources you need to demystify the total gardening experience. It’s full of useful reference tables and photographs that make the experience more interactive.
In addition, you’ll enjoy reading humorous anecdotes from fellow gardeners. This book provides the knowledge you need to start from and save seeds. You can learn about traditional in-ground and raised-bed gardening to decide which is better for you.
The book also provides exceptional step-by-step advice for having ultimate success with over 30 different types of vegetables, no matter what zone you’re in.
Raised-Bed Gardening for Beginners by Tammy Wylie
If you don’t have the space for a traditional garden, don’t lose hope. You can always learn about alternative methods. When you choose Raised-Bed Gardening for Beginners, you’ll learn about gardening within a small space but achieving maximum gains.
This book teaches you the fundamentals behind building a raised-bed garden in whatever space you have available. After you learn how to build your bed, you’ll select your vegetables and start growing.
You’ll also gain essential knowledge on how to ensure your garden thrives with crop rotation techniques. The author also provides 30 profiles with growing and harvesting tips for easy-to-grow vegetables you’ll love to have in your garden.
Vertical Gardening: Grow Up, Not Out, for More Vegetables and Flowers in Much Less Space by Derek Fell
A common mistake many gardeners make is going too big from the start and ending up with too much work on their hands with maintaining their garden. In Vertical Gardening, an alternative is presented in which you’ll learn to grow your plants up instead of out.
In this process, you’ll choose vegetables that grow upward as climbers, reducing the ground coverage needed. These plants have the added benefit of being less affected by diseases, insects, and animals.
Small-Space Vegetable Gardens by Andrea Bellamy
While many may face the problem of limited space for their vegetable gardens, Small-Space Vegetable Gardens provides many alternatives. Bellamy takes you through the steps of taking advantage of their available space to create the garden of your dreams.
The options are plentiful, whether you have a balcony, patio, or a small yard. You’ll learn tips for assessing the space; planning and building your garden; and sowing, growing, and harvesting 60 of the best vegetables.
Foodscape Revolution by Brie Arthur
Foodscape Revolution provides a new take on gardening. This concept involves pairing flowers and food within the same space. However, the author further shows how you can use landscaped parts of your yard to grow homegrown vegetables.
For example, she pairs her shrubs and perennials with her food crops. In addition to having a beautiful, productive landscape, you’ll also have fresh food, a healthier lifestyle, and increased biodiversity.
What’s Wrong With My Vegetable Garden? by David Deardoff
Nothing is more frustrating than running into problems when trying to grow healthy vegetables. If you’re new to gardening, it can be a hassle trying to figure out exactly what’s happening. What’s Wrong With My Vegetable Garden? is ideal for answering questions.
The book includes photos of the most common problems so gardeners of all levels can quickly diagnose their specific issues. You’ll get to the root cause of your situation quickly with the solutions just a page turn away.
The Soul of Soil by Joe Smillie and Grace Gershuny
You can’t have a successful garden without the right soil. Maintaining it properly will ensure you have improved health and growth in your garden. The Soul of Soil provides the most concise and easy-to-read explanation of how the soil system functions.
The authors break down the most complex topics into language that everyone easily understands. Then, they provide excellent tips on building up your garden soil’s organic levels. The book includes several valuable charts to help you with your soil management.
Mastering the Art of Vegetable Gardening by Matt Mattus
When you’ve moved beyond the basics, it’s time to pick up Mastering the Art of Vegetable Gardening. Within these pages, you’ll find over 200 varieties of vegetables and herbs. Each has its own profile explaining how, why, and where you should grow them.
In addition to the step-by-step instructions covering the process from planting to picking, it’s chock full of photos that will have your mouth watering thinking about the delicious vegetables you’ll be growing in your next garden.
The Week-by-Week Vegetable Gardener’s Handbook by Ron Kujawski and Jennifer Kujawski
Geared toward gardeners in the northern climates, The Week-by-Week Vegetable Gardener’s Handbook helps keep track of critical tasks, including seed starting and planting. By following this book, you’ll plant on time and know what to do each week.
It’s broken down into detailed weekly to-do lists that ensure you always know what’s on your agenda. While you may need to adjust based on your exact location, this book is ideal for those just getting started in the gardening world.
Raised Bed Revolution by Tara Nolan
Raised Bed Revolution is an excellent choice for all the information you need on constructing the perfect raised-bed garden. Whether you have soil problems or accessibility opportunities, this book is an outstanding guide to get you through the process.
The author provides several plans for raised beds, including detailed instructions with photos and a list of needed materials. You’ll also be given the information on what to fill your new garden with.
All New Square Foot Gardening by Mel Bartholomew
If you’re looking for a compact way to garden, pick up a copy of All New Square Foot Gardening. In addition to growing in less space, you’ll have less work to do with weeding and watering.
The book has charts, illustrations, and photos with tips sprinkled throughout. It also features 42 guides for vegetables that explain the planting, growing, and harvesting methods required.
With this book, you’ll learn how to grow upward instead of outward. In addition, you won’t need to dig, till, or fertilize. It provides natural methods for managing pests, installing automatic watering systems, etc.
The Vegetable Gardener’s Container Bible by Edward C. Smith
The Vegetable Gardener’s Container Bible is your source for solutions to having no space for a traditional garden or simply wanting to grow food on your patio, deck, or porch. When you’re done reading, you’ll know how to grow vegetables wherever you are.
It provides information on choosing the right edibles, selecting the ideal containers, sustaining your plants, and managing pests organically. In addition, you’ll find plans for setting up your small-space container garden.
The book’s final section is dedicated to various vegetables, herbs, and flowers. Each one comes with a detailed description and recommendations for how to grow them in a container successfully.
The Suburban Micro-Farm by Amy Stross
In The Suburban Micro-Farm, you’ll learn how to turn your lawn into a productive garden and apply permaculture techniques to ensure an abundant harvest. It’s your ultimate guide to growing vegetables from seed to harvest.
The author provides essential information on how to deal with several issues, including managing garden pests and cultivating the ideal soil. While this book has everything a novice gardener needs, experienced gardeners will also find many benefits.
Four-Season Harvest by Eliot Coleman
If you’re curious about how to get fresh, delectable vegetables from your garden all year long, you need Four-Season Harvest. Coleman provides a thorough education on how North American gardeners can continue to grow vegetables throughout the winter.
You’ll learn how to use backyard cold frames and plastic-covered tunnel greenhouses. Perhaps the most interesting aspect is that no supplementary heat is required. The book is full of other resources, including composting techniques and mineral amendments.
Smart Start Garden Planner by Megan Cain
Before you start your garden, the best thing to do is devise a plan for the year. Smart Start Garden Planner has everything you need to create the ideal plan. With a smart plan, you’ll get the most abundant harvest for the least effort and money.
This book functions as a blueprint you’ll develop to ensure your garden is a success. Planning is fun and practical, making your gardening experience much more straightforward.
The Year-Round Vegetable Gardener by Niki Jabbour
Author Niki Jabbour is based in Nova Scotia, so she has significant experience with the cold. She uses that experience to teach her readers how to grow a successful garden year-round in The Year-Round Vegetable Gardener.
You’ll learn how to select the best vegetable varieties for every season and how to practice the art of succession planting. In addition, you’ll get detailed information on how to build structures to protect your vegetables from the elements.
Vegetables Love Flowers: Companion Planting for Beauty and Bounty by Lisa Mason Ziegler
If you want more from your garden than just vegetables, consider planting flowers as companion plants. Vegetables Love Flowers is the perfect guide to instruct you on how to do this effectively.
You’ll learn how to control pests without pesticides, use composting heaps and bins, attract pollinators, and grow your garden from start to finish.
Kitchen Garden Revival by Nicole Johnsey Burke
Kitchen Garden Revival offers an alternative to the traditional row-style garden. Kitchen gardens are, instead, raised planting beds arranged in a geometric pattern. You’ll learn how to manage and grow your food year-round in your garden.
The book contains information on the benefits of raised-bed gardening, how to install a beautiful raised-bed garden, and the best crops to choose for your kitchen garden.
Niki Jabbour’s Veggie Garden Remix
If you’re bored with your gardening options, give Niki Jabbour’s Veggie Garden Remix a shot. The author introduces several new plants to try with the recommendation to start with what you know you love and expand to similar options.
She presents every plant with detailed growing information, fun facts, and its history.
Edible Landscaping With a Permaculture Twist: Easy Organic Gardening by Michael Judd
Learn how to transform your landscape into an edible smorgasbord with Edible Landscaping With a Permaculture Twist. The author offers step-by-step guidance on how to achieve a blossoming vegetable garden in the midst of a sea of grass.
He provides many design options primarily geared toward suburban gardeners starting from scratch. However, they can be modified to work in an urban setting or scaled up to match the size of a homestead.
Growing Under Cover by Niki Jabbour
Pests and rough weather can destroy a well-cared-for garden. Growing Under Cover offers many excellent solutions to both issues. The author uses her first-hand knowledge to provide information to help gardeners worldwide achieve success despite the odds.
From shade cloth to greenhouses, she explores all the options for creating a controlled environment to protect your vegetables from danger.
Final Thoughts
With all the books available on vegetable gardening, there’s an ideal tome for just about anyone!
All the information you need is readily available, from beginner’s guides to more advanced texts. Choosing the perfect book will get you started on the path to a successful garden - so start thumbing through one today - and be sure to check out our garden planner to help you get off on the right foot after all that reading up.
What books do you like to read this time of year? Be sure to let me know in the comments!
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