Growing Vegetables West of the Cascades: the Complete Guide to Organic Gardening, 6th Edition, Steve Solomon, 2007. Sasquatch Books, 356 pages, 10” x 7”, $21.95 (paper).
There are no gimmicks in this book, the first edition of which was published in 1979. During this time the author has polished this work into the definitive guide to year round vegetable gardening in our area with its unique pattern of rainfall. That does not mean there are no “Ah ha!” moments, but simply that Solomon has come by his knowledge honestly. The author encourages us to think like a plant, or rather, with the way his “How to Grow It” chapter is structured– to think like vegetable “families”. By understanding that plants (and all variety of pests) are solely concerned with their own survival in a competitive world, we can achieve more plentiful gardens. Solomon favors extensive rather than intensive gardening, and explains why his experience tells him no till gardening is unsuccessful west of the Cascades. A change of heart with regard to methods for growing asparagus is a departure for this edition and will be of interest to anyone who has tried to sex an asparagus seedling or is faced with a plot of declining productivity.
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