The how and why — and sometimes the why not — for more than 100 gardening practices.
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Can beer make plants grow? How about music — classical or rock? Is it true about planting trees in deep holes? And how about chasing insects with chilli sauce and stopping slugs with eggshells? Remedies for all garden woes are there for the taking: the challenge is to know what will work and what won't. Fearlessly conducting original experiments and harvesting wisdom from the scientific literature, horticulturist Jeff Gillman assesses new and historic advice and reveals the how and why — and sometimes the why not — for more than 100 common and uncommon gardening practices. The results will surprise even experienced gardeners.
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Enough is explained to enable the reader to follow the basic science but without causing a technical overload, and most usefully, there is a cogent summing up of each topic. Anyone reading or referring to this book will learn a lot about how plants and soils function as well as having specific queries answered.
Refreshing, lucid and enlightening. Their spare style, with no illustrations, and concentration on facts rather than 'inspiration' even gives them an old-fashioned charm.
The Truth about Garden Remedies is a book that is sorely needed in the gardening world. ... The discussions are thoughtful and researched or tested by easily repeatable experiments.
Smoothly written in Jeff's folksy, conversational style, this is a terrific book for beginning and advanced gardeners alike. Not only will you learn which homemade and commercial products work and which don't, you'll gain a solid layman's understanding of the science and chemistry behind plant growth and plant protection.
With graduate degrees in entomology and horticulture, Gillman brings scientific rigor to the topic of commercial, homemade and 'traditional' garden remedies. ... Never didactic or preachy, Gillman takes pleasure in testing techniques for treating plants and urges readers to 'divide off a section of plants in your garden just for experimenting and have fun with them.' Gillman teaches gardeners to think about what they do, know why they're doing it, and observe the results, trusting their knowledge and experience over claims made by companies, 'experts' or garden folklorists.
Gillman meets his goal of helping gardeners get a better understanding of the science behind the practices and does so in an entertaining and engaging style. His analysis is always helpful and sometimes even surprising. Recommended for all gardening collections.
We found it highly entertaining to browse through the book, enjoying Dr. Gillman's frequently humorous presentations of both common and strange ideas.
Although Gillman writes that gardening gurus are necessary to dole out knowledge of plants and the traditions that surround growing them, he also winces at all the superstition and half-truths flying around, hence, this terrific book.
This thoroughly delightful book will make you a less gullible and hence better gardener.
The book is organized in a no-nonsense and user-friendly manner, setting out the theory and practice of each claim as well as the bottom line for the gardener. The results are fascinating.
This is a book that many of us will want to consult frequently.
You'll enjoy the wry humor and outside-the-box thinking of Jeff Gillman. He presents material in an easy-to-follow order.
Jeff Gillman provides a rating scale for remedies of one to five flowerheads, with five being the best. Using his own scale, I'd give this book five flowerheads. It does what it proposes to do and does it well.
A good read full of unusual information, making it an ideal present for a keen gardener.
From Dr. Jeff Gillman, Associate Professor at the University of Minnesota, comes another must-have book for your garden reference bookshelf. ... This is the perfect companion to [The Truth about Organic Gardening].