Customer Reviews
the best gardening book 
2008-07-02
In my honest opinion, this is the best how to garden book out there. Probably not for beginners, but for those who want more. It debunks the normal vegetable spacing on the seed packets, so you can get more that you can imagine......
there are better books out there 
2008-06-22
while the idea of growing more vegetables is a noble (and highly marketable) title, the actual book didn't have much information that i didn't already read in 'square foot gardening' or 'four-season harvest'. a key difference is that an artificial soil mix isn't used, but rather using organic methods to improve existing soil - is that a new concept? while both books do a comparison of intensive methods, Jeavons recommends a hexagonal inter-planting pattern (similar to the spacing in chicken wire) to plant intensively, vs. the square foot method of rigidly planting only one kind of vegetable in each square. Jeavons also advocates the use companion plants whereever possible to increase yields and reduce pests. however, the sections devoted to double-digging and composting seem to make up a disproportionately large section of the book, and relatively little is said about what exactly increases yields except for treating the soil well (e.g., use good compost, raised beds, add organic matter, etc). for anyone interested in organic gardening, there isn't a lot of unique information in this book that couldn't be found on a good website.
Very disappointing 2008-05-27
I found this book a bore to read at best. It is full of omissions and confusing charts that don't explain what they are showing. I also found it constantly trying to convince you of this political dogma and to join the society that supports this. There are much better books on intensive planting that actually explain a syetem to do it that this.
Planned my Fall/Winter Garden With It 
2008-03-28
I am fairly new to vegetable gardening and had no clue how much to plant for my wife and I in a Fall/Winter Garden. The book contains many charts and diagrams, which show how many square feet of space to alot for each vegetable. I currently use a hybrid method with 4x4 square foot gardening instead of the large rectangles as suggested in the book since my garden is in my backyard and I do like to have some lawn. A square foot is a square foot, so it really doesn't matter shape/size. There is also some good general gardening advice in the first few chapters. It is a good reference book for the library.
Not a book for "casual backyard gardening" 2008-01-27
The people who are disappointed with this book are the ones who bought it without understanding what it was. This book isn't a "gardening for the soul" book of fluff, nor is it a typical "how to get bigger tomatoes" text.
What this book is is a compendium of information on growing as much food as possible for real, live people to eat.
Yes, it delves into the science and discusses the big, scary numbers involved. For you 'visual types' who find yourselves having to use your fingers to complete a single digit multiplication problem, don't bother. If you want purpler plumbs or redder radishes, look elsewhere.
Assuming your IQ is above 100 and you're looking for a book to tech you some of the skills required to feed your family under all circumstances, I can hardly think of a better book than this one. It is exactly what it says.
If I had to put my family on a fertile island and give them one book on gardening, it would unquestionably be this one.
A good book with surplus pages 2007-08-16
A classic in the field of sustainable gardening, HOW TO GROW MORE VEGETABLES shows how to produce a beautiful organic garden with minimal watering and care, whether it's just a few tomatoes in a tiny backyard or enough food to feed a family of four on less than half an acre. Updated with the latest biointensive tips and techniques, this is an essential reference for gardeners of all skill levels seeking to grow some or all of their own food.
It's not easy, but it's brilliant and could save the world 2007-05-22
I am impressed at how many people misunderstand the purpose of this book. It's not just a gardening book. It lays out a comprehensive guide to growing the most food you can on the least amount of land in the most sustainable way -- meaning the way that is, on an ongoing basis into perpetuity, most healthy both for your family, your land, and the wider world. All those things are connected, and maintaining the connection is part of what the book and authors are all about.
The title means what it says, and they tell you exactly how to do it, basing their recommendations on the work of the organization that publishes the book, Ecology Action. They have been growing experimental gardens and conducting detailed research over the past 35 years. In succeeding editions of "How to Grow More Vegetables" they summarize their continuing research for those interested in personally benefiting from their methods and discoveries.
Some may object to the excruciatingly detailed charts and plans. Some of us find them a godsend. Regardless of what we think of them, they are the outgrowth of years of research and are intended to help, not just backyard gardeners in the US, but people in Kenya, India, Russia, Mexico, and other places around the world, whose lives and livelihoods, not to mention the health of their environment, may depend on maximizing their yields while minimizing their purchased inputs and water usage.
The central fact underlying this method is this: the only way to achieve the highest sustainable yields is to build and feed your soil, and the only way to build your soil without taking away fertility from someone else's soil (through purchased inputs such as compost, fertilizer, etc.) is to make and use your own compost. This book explains why, and shows you how. It works.
Though we are still shielded from it in the US, the world is facing a potentially devastating loss of agricultural fertility due to a combination of squandered topsoil (lost through both development and abuse by chemicals and poor tillage practices), water shortages, and soaring prices and reduced availability of fossil fuels (which power the farm equipment, get it to market, and form the basis of most chemical fertilizers). Years ago, Ecology Action set out to discover in a rational and scientific way, just how much land and labor it would take to grow the amount of food, properly balanced for calories and nutrition, required by one person for one year. Could a family of four truly feed itself from a 1200 square foot garden if it had to, or wanted to? How much work and water would it take? How much fertilizer would they have to buy? Could they grow their own fertilizer? What tools would they need? What about fiber for clothing? Building materials? Animal feed?
The "How to Grow More Vegetables" books answer those questions, and much, much more. As the years go by, (and with each succeeding food contamination scandal) more of us, even in the US, are realizing just how important those questions are. You may not need or want all the information in this book. But it is all there, and nowhere else that I am aware of, for those who do want it.
This book could save the world, if only the world would pay attention. But it will also show you how to grow fabulous, tasty vegetables with less water, less work, less weeding, less money.
Are you into numbers? 
2007-05-12
I like John Jeavons and his book is very useful. However, I'm not into calculating and figuring every square inch in the garden with tables/charts. I enjoy growing for the freedom of spirit it provides. This book although very useful, feels very constrictive. Not to mention EVERY page has at least 5 mentions of "Grow Biointensive". I felt like a was reading a long drawn out advertisement. Enough John, say it in the intro and then leave us alone to enjoy the book. If we weren't interested in your method we wouldn't be reading your book.
This is a great book 2007-05-04
I had an earlier edition of this book that I used as an introduction to high intensity gardening. I love the book because gives technical information on such things as soil pH, soil preparation, plant spacing, and crop yields. It probably is not a book for people that do not enjoy the technical aspects of gardening; those wanting only a quick fix approach. I have ordered the 7th edition.
California Vegetarians 2007-03-05
I have gardened organically for over 30 years, and always love to read good gardening books hoping to learn more. Unfortunately this book is so very focused on being totally vegetarian that they do not even recommend animal manures to be used in compost. I feel that they have totally ignored the natural cycles of birth - death - decomposition - and rebirth. A quote that says it all is, "Everything that eats is in turn eaten". That includes plants that feed on the remains of other plants, insects, or algae and bacteria. The author overlooks the fact that there are no total vegetarians in nature. Even grazers, gorillas, and great whales ingest insects or micro-fauna along with their grass, leaves, and plankton.
