Before it was a book, The Gardener's A-Z Guide to Growing Organic Food was organic gardener Tanya L. K. Denckla's highly prized personal database, the distillation of years of careful research and hands-on, real-life, dirt-under-the-fingernails experience in growing her own vegetables, herbs, fruits, and nuts. Now available to all, this easy-to-read sourcebook offers much to gardeners of all skill levels, answering questions quickly and authoritatively so more time can be spent enjoying the garden. Six comprehensive chapters cover vegetables, fruits and nuts, herbs, organic remedies, and allies and companions. Within each chapter plants are arranged alphabetically, making needed information eminently accessible. Individual plant entries provide specific information on planting; temperature; soil and water needs; measurements; seed-starting dates; pests, diseases, allies, companions, and incompatibles, as applicable; when to harvest; how to store produce; and overviews of selected varieties. Fully half of the book is dedicated to organic remedies that can prevent or combat plant diseases and garden pests. Hundreds of common diseases and pests are discussed, as well as which plants are likely to be affected, how to recognize the problem, and tried-and-true natural remedies. The Gardener's A-Z Guide to Growing Organic Food demystifies how to work collaboratively with the complex natural systems of the environment, making gardening a little easier and definitely more fun.

In this revised edition of (1994), the co-founder of the Virginia Natural Resources Leadership Institute introduces sustainable home gardening through entries on growing 765 foods naturally. She includes an update on the National Organic Standards, resources, and woodcut illustrations.
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An encyclopaedic primer for growing 765 varieties of vegetables, herbs, fruits and nuts, also including more than 100 organic remedies for plant diseases and garden pests. Specific information is given for each variety - planting, care, harvesting and storage - in chart format for easy reference.

Includes bibliographical references (p. 455-458) and index.

The distillation of Denckla's years of hands-on experience, this book answers the questions that sprout up among novice, intermediate, and experienced organic gardeners. More than 750 plants are arranged in an A-to-Z format, with information on care, harvesting, and more. Two-color illustrations.

Tanya L. K. Denckla is a gardener, writer, and professional mediator specializing in environmental policy. She has extensive experience in grassroots community organizing and is the former director of two non-profit organizations involved in urban and community forestry. She lives in Charlottesville, Virginia, where she is a Senior Associate at the Institute for Environmental Negotiation at the University of Virginia.