Movable Harvests

This book is short, but it packs quite a punch. It contains many photos which are useful in diagnosing diseases, etc. This is a great starting point for the beginning urban gardener (like me) who is attempting to make the most of limited space. The authors keep keep things short, sweet, and to the point. If you're wondering what sorts of containers to use, how deep you should plant various seeds, what varieties thrive best in containers, etc., this is a great place to start. At the very least, it's a nice reference book to have on hand for for the urban gardener.

I am a Gardening Idiot. I like growing things, but I have no idea why some of my plants thrive and some of them drop dead. I decided it would be easier to isolate some of the variables (I play a scientician during the work week) if I grew more things in containers, particularly since I am now getting into more exotic fruits and berries that actually cost real money. The trouble, of course, is that there is a bewildering array of containers and conditions for people like me to choose from. This book was recommended by someone on the Internet as a great source of information on soil, placement, containers, and cultivars (varieties of a given plant -- don't laugh, I didn't know what it meant) that are best suited for container gardens. For example -- dwarf fig trees are fiction. You can, however, restrain a fig tree's growth. You just don't feed and water it as much, and you put it in a big pot. (Eventually I suspect that you will have to either kill it or move it outside, but I'm not there yet) My biggest relief is that the book showed me how to meet the somewhat stringent preferences of the Mara des Bois strawberries that I'm growing this season. I didn't realize that strawberry planters are shaped the way they are so that the plants can share the soil (which you feed from the top with organic matter, i.e. compost). The net benefit (which I assume people have known for decades) is that you can manage the soil for a dozen or so plants at once, since their roots are close together and the pH/moisture is pretty much the same for all of them. There are more complicated ways to achieve this (eg. the Earthbox design), but they don't seem to work any better for what I am doing. So the book saved me some needless spend, too. I paid $3 for this book. If I got as much value out of every $3 I spent, I would be an incredibly happy guy. Even after perusing all the books at the local library (and the Los Angeles Public Library is *immense*), I still think this book delivered for me. I would have paid 5 times as much if I'd seen it in a bookstore, and I would not have regretted it for a second. Great information and extremely clear guidance for a very reasonable price.

Want to grow fruit trees but don't think you have the space? Like to try new vegetable varieties but never remember where you planted them? Kids want to start a garden of their own but you don't want to give up the space? Movable Harvests has your answers to all these dilemmas. There are tips on creating the perfect potting mix and picking the right container as well as basic crop growing instructions. Pest control is addressed on a by-vegetable basis and is split between cultural and chemical controls. Movable Harvests has good ideas for all sorts of crops from fruits and berries to salad greens and root vegetables. You can grow ANYTHING in a container. A final, although short, chapter provides instructions on indoor farming including how to grow your own dwarf banana tree.

I have found this book a wonderful starting point for vegetable gardening in containers. It has chapters on proper containers, soil mixes, all natural ways to deal with pests, fertilizing options, and many helpful suggestions, even has a section for growing indoors. I originally checked it out at the library, and have found it so helpful that I am ordering my own copy!

This is the only book I have found that covers growing vegetables in containers. It is a good start. It provides just enough information about the all important-soil recipes, companion plants, container sizes & types, watering, pests, fertilizers and suitable crops. It's not a big book, which is why I can't give it my highest rating. I am still looking for something more in depth and with more personal experiences, ergo the reason for my web site LinLu's Container Gardening -