Grow All You Can Eat in Three Square Feet

258 Pages·2015·72.65 MB·English

by  DK

GROW

GROW
Horticultural Consultant Naomi Schillinger
Senior Editor Chauney Dunford
Senior Art Editor Clare Marshall
Editor Tia Sarkar
Illustrator Bryony Fripp
Senior Jacket Creative Nicola Powling
Jacket Designer Ria Holland
Senior Producer Che Creasey
Preproduction Producer Andy Hilliard
Managing Editor Penny Warren
Publisher Mary Ling
Art Director Jane Bull

DK Publishing
US Editor Kate Johnsen
US Consultant Lori Spencer
US Senior Editor Shannon Beatty
First American Edition, 2015
Published in the United States by
DK Publishing, 345 Hudson Street
New York, New York 10014
15 16 17 18 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
001–195596–February/2015
Copyright © 2015 Dorling Kindersley Limited
All rights reserved
Without limiting the rights under copyright
reserved above, no part of this publication may be
reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval
system, or transmitted, in any form,
or by any means (electronic, mechanical,
photocopying, recording, or otherwise), without
the prior written permission of both the copyright
owner and the above publisher of this book.
DK books are available at special discounts when
purchased in bulk for sales promotions, premiums,
fund-raising, or educational use. For details,
contact: DK Publishing Special Markets, 345
Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014 or
[email protected].
Published in Great Britain by
Dorling Kindersley Limited.
A catalog record for this book is available from the
Library of Congress.

ISBN 978-1-4654-2980-3

DK books are available at special discounts when
purchased in bulk for sales promotions, premiums,
fund-raising, or educational use. For details,
contact: DK Publishing Special Markets, 345
Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014 or
[email protected].
Printed and bound by Leo Paper
Products Ltd, China.
www.dk.com
Contents
Making a start 7 Small space projects 58
Your growing space Balcony planter 60
The golden rules 8 Strawberry colander 62
Where can I grow crops? 10 Balcony saddlebags 66
Growing crops in urban areas 12 Corn oil drum 70
Understanding light 14 Cucumber trellis 76
Water and exposure 16 Ladder shelves 78
Getting to know your soil 18 Easy lean-to shelves 82
Benefits of raised beds 20 Bicycle wheel trellis 86
Reasons to use containers 24 Potted bean arch 90
Being creative with containers 26 Pallet planter 96
Preparing your containers 28 Zucchini in a bag 102
Blueberry in a pot 104
Deciding what to grow DIY window box 108
What should I grow? 30 Squash trellis 112
What plants can you fit in? 32 Growing gutters 118
Top sun-loving crops 36 Productive paving 122
Top shade-tolerant crops 37 Hanging herbs 124
Top high-yielding crops 38 Wall pockets 126
Top quick-growing crops 39
Top easy-care crops 40 Crops in small yards 130
Top shallow-rooted crops 41 A nine-pot plot 132
DIY raised bed 158
Being space efficient The easy-to-grow bed 162
Making the most of your Gourmet bed 174
growing space 42 Circular salad bed 184
Extending the growing season 44 The Med bed 194
Preparing your soil 46 Shady bed 202
Sowing seeds 48 Tasty herb bed 214
Sowing seeds in succession 50
Feeding and watering 52 Plant know-how 222
Beneficial insects 54 Crop planner 224
Companion planting 56 Common pests 242
Common diseases and disorders 244
Common garden weeds 246
Resources 248
Index and acknowledgments 250

MAKING
A START
8 Making a start
3 golden
rules for
growing
your own
crops