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

276 Pages·2002·5.72 MB·English

by  John Jeavons

The Story So Far . . .
1972 through fair displays; school and college 1982
Ecology Action begins a 1⁄2-acre research lectures; radio interviews; national and How to Grow More Vegetablesis revised a
demonstration and teaching Biointensive international magazine articles; a PBS-TV third time and is expanded by over 40%.
garden and a 3-acre community garden on special, Gardensong,about Alan Chadwick Calorie, compost, and tree crops are
Syntex Corporation land in the Stanford and the projects he inspired, and the added, making the book really about how
University Industrial Park in Palo Alto, publication of Soybeans, The U-Bar, Food to grow more food. New booklets, Grow
California. Ecology Action emphasizes from Your Backyard Homestead, The Self- Your Compost Materials at Homeand
economic mini-farming. Fertilizing Herbal Lawn,and Beginning to Examining theTropics,are published.
Mini-Farm—booklets in the Self-Teaching Newsweekcovers gardening, highlighting
1973 Mini-Series. Tests of garden beds by a Ecology Action’s program. Continued
1972 Preliminary Research Reportoutlines University of California graduate student airing of the PBS-TV special, Gardensong,
initial yield and resource consumption in soil science shows an unexpected accel- results in thousands of inquiries to Ecol-
information. erated rate of humified carbon buildup, a ogy Action. Ecology Action moves to a
process that normally takes hundreds of new rural site in northern California, just
1974 years. Two beds from the research site outside of Willits. This site’s rustic condi-
We publish our first book on Biointensive are moved to a protected area to allow tions, heavy winter rains, prolonged sum-
philosophy and techniques, How to Grow future monitoring. mer droughts, short growing season,
More Vegetables. The Shri A.M.M. Murugappa Chettier steep slopes, and depleted rocky soil are
Research Centre in India reports success- similar in many ways to those in countries
1976 ful use of the Biointensive method to where Ecology Action’s work is having its
1972–1975 Research Report Summary improve local nutrition. A major article most dramatic impact.
is published with detailed data on yields, about Ecology Action’s work appears in
resource consumption, and worldwide the premier issue of Science ’80.Alan 1983
applications for Biointensive mini-farming. Chadwick, originator of the Biointensive A second report is received from India
approach used by Ecology Action, dies. about a successful pilot program, this one
1977 His work, vision, and example inspired involving women raising food under
We begin an apprentice program. thousands of people. drought conditions. Our first apprentice at
the Willits site graduates and leaves with
1978 1981 his family for a new home in Brazil.
A second edition of How to Grow More Veg- U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, Bob Berg- Steve and Judy Rioch offer their farm
etablesis published by Ten Speed Press. land, notes that Ecology Action’s work is and energies for an East Coast Bio-
Six years of research determine the feasi- “10 years ahead of its time.” Ecology intensive mini-farming site in the United
bility of an economic mini-farm earning Action cosponsors the Third International States. Ecology Action launches Bountiful
$5,000–$20,000 on as little as 1⁄8acre with Conference on Small-Scale and Intensive Gardens,a mail-order supply service for
one person working it, and of a complete Food Production. One hundred partici- essential seeds, books, and supplies, to
vegetarian diet for one person being pants attend from 14 countries, including increase our outreach. A Reader’s Digest
grown on as little as 2,800 square feet. Mainland China. A transcript of the con- article on gardening and Ecology Action’s
ference, Intensive Food Production on a approach is published.
1979 Human Scale,is published. This confer- Six Self-Teaching Mini-Series book-
How to Grow More Vegetablesis published ence also results in a Biointensive project lets—The U-Bar (1980), Food from Your
with Spanish data in metric units. Bio- in China. Three more Self-Teaching Mini- Backyard Homestead(1980), The Self-
intensive Mini-Farming: A Rational Use Series booklets—Modular Multi-Use Fertilizing Herbal Lawn(1980), Begin-ning
of Natural Resourcesand Cucumber Mini-Greenhouse Plans, A 10-Crop 5-Year to Mini-Farm(1980), Modular Multi-Use
Bonanza,the first two booklets in our Self- Learning and Test Workbook,and A Per- Mini-Greenhouse Plans(1981), and A 10-
Teaching Mini-Series, are published. spective—are published. Twenty books by Crop 5-Year Learning and Test Workbook
other organizations and individuals using (1981)—are gathered together in
1980 Biointensive techniques based on Ecology Backyard Homestead, Mini-Farm and
This is the last year for Ecology Action’s Action publications have appeared by this Garden Log Book,which is published by
Garden/Mini-Farm site in Palo Alto. Infor- time. Ecology Action actively looks for a Ten Speed Press.
mation on the method continues to spread new research garden/mini-farm site. [continued at end of book]
. . . for lo, the eternal and sovereign luminous space,
where rule the unnumbered stars,
is the air we breathe in
and the air we breathe out.
And in the moment betwixt the breathing in
and the breathing out
is hidden all the mysteries
of the Infinite Garden.
—Essene Gospel of Peace
How to
A Primer on the Life-Giving Sustainable
GROW BIOINTENSIVE®
Method of Organic Horticulture
*than you ever thought possible
Grow More
Veget ables*
(and fruits, nuts, berries, grains, and other crops)
by John Jeavons
Ecology Action of the Midpeninsula
TEN SPEED PRESS
BERKELEY • TORONTO
on less land than you can imagine
Copyright © 1974, 1979, 1982, 1990, 1991,
1995, 2001, 2002 by Ecology Action of the
Midpeninsula, 5798 Ridgewood Road,
Willits, CA 95490-9730
www.growbiointensive.org
Ten Speed Press
P. O. Box 7123
Berkeley, California 94707
www.tenspeed.com
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be
reproduced in any form, except brief excerpts for
the purpose of review, without written permission
of the publisher.
Distributed in Australia by Simon & Schuster
Australia, in Canada by Ten Speed Press Canada,
in New Zealand by Southern Publishers Group, in
South Africa by Real Books, and in the United
Kingdom and Europe by Airlift Book Company.
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 / by John Jeavons.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 1-58008-156-8
1. Vegetable gardening. 2. Organic gardening.
I. Title.
SB324.3 .J424 2002
635—dc21
2001006451
Cover design by Larissa Pickens
Interior design by Linda Davis, Star Type,
based on a design by Brenton Beck,
Fifth Street Design Associates
Major illustrations by Pedro J. Gonzalez
Illustrations on pages 10 through 12 by AnnMiya,
based on illustrations by Pedro J. Gonzalez
Illustrations on pages vi, vii, 2, 6, 22, 34, 49,
62, 65, 66, 74, 121, 142, and 156 by Susan
Stanley
Illustrations on pages 66 (top) and 78 (bottom)
by Sue Ellen Parkinson
Other illustrations by Betsy Jeavons Bruneau
Copyediting by Shirley Coe
Printed in the United States
3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 — 08 07 06 05 04
Drawing of the original Common Ground Garden in Palo Alto, California, provided by Landal Institute, Sausalito, California.
Contents
A Perspective for the Future / viii
How to Grow Made Simple / xiv
A General Preface / xvii
An Historical Introduction / xxii
1
History and Philosophy / 2
2 Bed Preparation / 6
Initial Preparation Process
Ongoing Preparation Process
Complete Texturizing Process
U-Bar Process
3
Sustainability / 22
The Loss of Soil Nutrients Ecology Action’s Pursuit of
andHumus Sustainability
Initially Adding Nutrients Current Goals of Understanding and
and Humus to theSoil Achieving “99%” Sustainability
Losses = Gains? How to Better Sustain Your Soil’s
100% Sustainability Impossible Fertility
The Need for Up to “99%” The 60/30/10 Crop Area Model
Sustainability Sustainability Worldwide
4
Compost / 34
A “Natural”System Size andTiming
Functions Compost Curing Maturation
The Process and Application Rates
Soil and Other Materials in Composting Methods Compared
theCompost Pile Materials to Use Minimally
Building the Pile or Not at All
Key Organic Functions Functions ofCompost in theSoil
Watering thePile Building a Compost Pile
5
Locating the Pile Step by Step
Fertilization / 49
Soil Testing pH
Organic Soil Amendments Shaping theBed
6 What a HomeSoil Test Will Adding Fertilizers and Compost
NotTell You More-Sustainable Fertilization
Seed Propagation / 62
Seed Planting Flat Soil
Flats Some Causes of Poor Germination
Pricking Out MASTERCHARTS
Transplanting (Use Column H for Spacings)
Spotting Vegetables and Garden Crops
Planting by the Phases of the Moon Calorie, Grain, Protein Source, and
Watering Vegetable Oil Crops
Shade Netting Compost, Carbon, Organic Matter,
Mini-Greenhouses Fodder, and Cover Crops
Key Water Factors Energy, Fiber, Paper, and Other
Weeding Crops
Planting inSeason Tree and Cane Crops
Plant-Growing Temperature Ranges Flower Spacing Chart
Soil Temperatures for Seed Germination Herb Spacing Chart
7
Making the Garden Plan / 121
The Garden Year Four-Year Plans for One-Person
Simple Mini-Garden Mini-Garden
Four-Person Family Food Garden
Companion Planting / 142
8
Health Physical Complementarity
Nutrition Weed, Insect, and AnimalRelationships
Beneficial Herbs Companionate Vegetable Chart
Crop Rotation Companionate HerbChart
Multi-Crop Planting
9
A Balanced Natural Backyard
Ecosystem and Its Insect Life / 156
Natural Predators Insect Pests and Plant Controls
Other Initiatives
Bibliography / 165
Alan Chadwick Energy Herbs Pruning
Animals Farming High-Altitude Food Raising Reference
Appropriate Technologies Fertilizer History Roots
Arid Regions/Dryland Farming Fiber Crops Homesteading Seed Catalogs
Bamboo Flowers Housing Seed Saving
Biodynamic Food and Nutrition Human Waste Seeds/Diversity
Biointensive (see alsoSolar Cooking) Hydroponics Seeds/GMOs
(see alsoGROW BIOINTENSIVE) Food Preservation and Storage Income Seeds/Green Revolution
Calorie/Diet Crops Fruits, Berries, and Nuts Insect Life and Balance/ Seeds/Plant Propagation
Children’s Books Fukuoka Culture Plant Health Soil
Climate Gardening (see also Intensive Gardening Solar Cooking
Communities Container Gardening) Language and Travel Supply Catalogs
Companion Planting Global Perspective Learning/Teaching Sustainable Agriculture
Compost/Carbon/Fodder/Organic Gourds “Living Farm” Museums Terracing
Matter/Cover Crops Grains Mushrooms Testing
Composting Grasses Native Americans Tools
Container Gardening Greenhouse Culture Out-of-Print Book Sources Traditional Agriculture
Cookbooks GROWBIOINTENSIVE Permaculture Trees
Crafts (see alsoBiointensive) Philosophy Tropics
Development Health Plant Names Vegetables
Education (seeLearning/Teaching) Hedges Plant Nutrient Indicators Water
Weeds
Who Is Ecology Action? / 219
Index / 235