The Informed Gardener Blooms Again

Linda Chalker-Scott

• $18.95 paperback (9780295990019) Add to Cart
• hardcover not available

• Published: 2010
• Subject Listing: Gardening, Landscaping
• Bibliographic information: 248 pp., 11 illus., index, 5.5 x 9 in.
• Contents

The Informed Gardener Blooms Again picks up where The Informed Gardener left off, using scientific literature to debunk a new set of common gardening myths. Once again, Linda Chalker-Scott investigates the science behind each myth, reminding us that urban and suburban landscapes are ecosystems requiring their own particular set of management practices. The Informed Gardener Blooms Again provides answers to questions such as:

¥ Does using drought-tolerant plants reduce water consumption?
¥ Is it more effective to spray fertilizers on the leaves of trees and shrubs than to apply it to the soil?
¥ Will cedar wood chips kill landscape plants?
¥ Should I use ladybugs in my garden as a form of pest control?
¥ Does aerobically brewed compost tea suppress disease?

Every year Chalker-Scott receives hundreds of e-mails from around the world on these and related topics. Her advice, based on more than twenty years of experience in the field of plant physiology, has helped home gardeners, landscape architects, and nursery and landscape professionals to develop scientifically based sustainable landscaping practices.

Linda Chalker-Scott is an urban horticulturist and associate professor at Puyallup Research and Extension Center, Washington State University. She is the author of The Informed Gardener, winner of the Best Book Prize from the Garden Writers Association. She is the editor and co-author of Sustainable Landscapes and Gardens, the Washington State editor of MasterGardener magazine, and author of the online column "Horticultural Myths." She has a new blog at gardenprofessors.com.

"Buy this book and I guarantee you'll save money. Linda Chalker-Scott prunes the advertising hype behind many garden additives-Epsom salts, peat mulch, gypsum, water crystals, compost tea, and more. Her commonsense approach, heralding scientific rigor and challenging 'junk science' is a must read for every serious gardener." - Suzy Bales, author of Garden Bouquets and Beyond

"An essential tool in deciphering both eco-myths and advertising copy. It helped me to distinguish the greenwashing from the truly 'green.' And to be guided by actual research findings? What a concept! One that advertising copy writers and eco-advocates alike don't want us to follow." - Susan Harris, author of Sustainable-Gardening.com and GardenRant.com

"Linda Chalker-Scott is a scientist with a mission - evidence-based gardening. Happily she is also the most interesting, entertaining, knowledgeable, and useful garden writer I've come across. Home gardeners will learn practices that are more effective, safer, and - believe me, this is no small thing - cheaper." - Constance Casey, former New York City Parks Department gardener and regular gardening and natural history contributor to Slate.com

Praise for The Informed Gardener

"A no-nonsense, no-hype, nothing-to-sell-but-the-truth voice that straddles an important line between hearsay gardening and scientific fact in ornamental horticulture." - Ketzel Levine

"This enjoyable book should find its way into the hands of almost every gardener. Highly recommended for public libraries with gardeners ready to tackle the literature, as well as academic and special libraries with interests in horticulture and gardening." - Library Journal

"A succinct and easy-to-navigate resource . . . Chalker-Scott's instructions are clear enough for even a first-time gardener to follow." - The Bloomsbury Review

Watch the book trailer: http://www.youtube.com/user/UWashingtonPress#p/a/u/1/gWrk2894iyA

Preface

EVIDENCE-BASE GARDENING
The Myth of Folklore Gardening
The Myth of Companion Plantings
The Myth of Biodynamic Agriculture
- What's Wrong with My Plant?: An Initial Guide to Diagnosis

UNDERSTANDING HOW PLANTS WORK
The Myth of Foliar Feeding
The Myth of Night Light
The Myth of Red Leaves
The Myth of Stoic Trees
The Myth of Designer Trees
The Myth of Uniform Plant Performance
The Myth of Wilting Leaves
The Myth of Winter Watering
- Why Weeds Will Always Be in Your Garden

HOW / WHAT / WHEN / WHERE TO PLANT
The Myth of Arbor Day / Earth Day Planting in the West
The Myth of Cloroxed Clippers
The Myth of Protective Preservatives
The Myth of Root Snorkels
The Myth of Vehicular Vibration
The Myth of Xeriscaping
- How to Avoid Phosphate Overloads in Your Landscape Soils

SOIL ADDITIVES
The Myth of Extraordinary Epsom Salts
The Myth of Gypsum Magic
The Myth of Permanent Peatlands
The Myth of Wondrous Water Crystals
The Myth of Fish-friendly Soil Amendments
- Tips for Creating and Maintaining Healthy Landscape Soils

MULCHES
The Myth of Allelopathic Wood Chips 153
The Myth of Nitrogen-nabbing Wood Chips 157
The Myth of Pathogenic Wood Chips 162
The Myth of Rubberized Landscapes 166
The Myth of Phytotoxic Yard Waste 172
- Why Buying Ladybugs for Your Garden is a Bad Idea

MIRACLES IN A BAG / BOTTLE / BOX
The Myth of Antitranspirants
The Myth of Bubbly Compost Tea
The Myth of Curative Kelp
The Myth of the Magic Bullet
The Myth of Milk and Roses
The Myth of Weed-killing Gluten

Index