Gain the scientific knowledge you need to achieve excellence in home food production with this unique and in-depth guide by Tony O'Neill of YouTube's Simplify Gardening.
If you are an intermediate or advanced gardener looking to level-up your growing skills, Simplify Vegetable Gardening is the ideal reference for meeting your goal. Your garden will flourish with the help of Tony's growing prowess and eye-opening approach to enhancing plant health and yields that relies on a clear understanding of the interconnectedness of Earth's many systems and how they each affect plant growth.
From the soil food web's impact on plant nutrition and the atmosphere's connection to photosynthesis to the effects of the water cycle on plant transpiration, Tony offers a deep dive into the science of growing a robust and sustainable home garden. You will learn how to:
- Optimize plant health by understanding mineral nutrition
- Enhance soil tilth by fostering the right microorganisms
- Maximize plant breeding and propagation techniques to grow more and better-adapted plants
- Boost production through the understanding of essential plant functions
- Improve biodiversity and plant resilience by adopting a mixed planting strategy
- Be a crucial part of your regional food system and enhance community food security
Plus, diversify your garden's offerings through profiles of 16 plant families that encompass 81 different food crops. Each family profile provides information on how to cultivate these plants based on the commonalities of the plant family in which they belong.
Starting with the "Why?" and ending with the "Wow!", Simplify Vegetable Gardening is exactly what you need to help your edible garden reach peak performance.
"Obviously, a TON of research and experience has gone into Tony's Book Simplify Vegetable Gardening! This master of edible literature is full of modern and original food-growing information and tips you simply won't find anywhere else. Get into it!" -Mark Valencia of @selfsufficientme
-- Mark Valencia of @selfsufficientme
"As always, Tony O'Neill pulls it out of the bag or should I say...the 30 liter bucket. Tony's book is full of in-depth knowledge for beginners and professional gardeners alike. Great photography and fountains of knowledge to be learned here. Well done, Tony. Another great book!" --Danny at The Grapevine Garden Channel
-- Danny at The Grapevine Garden Channel
" Simplify Vegetable Gardening is a must-have for any gardener. It's educational and well presented. Whether you're a seasoned gardener or just starting out, this book has something for everyone. The step-by-step instructions provide valuable insights on everything from plant selection to pest control and plant care tips. The seasonal guides are very useful, which in addition, are complimented by photographs and diagrams that are relative to each chapter." --Nigel Jewkes, MuddyBootz Allotment
-- Nigel Jewkes, MuddyBootz Allotment
"Tony has done it again! In this thorough gardening book, Tony highlights the importance of vegetable gardens and shares his core strategies for successful gardening. This is more than a 'how to garden' book. It also explores the why and what questions need helpful answers. With a science-based approach and his years of gardening experience, Tony has crafted another great reference book that deserves a place in every gardener's library." --Scott "Gardener Scott" Wilson
-- Scott "Gardener Scott" Wilson
"As someone deeply rooted in the world of chilli growing, I can't help but appreciate the genuine value Tony O'Neill delivers in Simplify Vegetable Gardening. This book offers an incredible blend of theory and practical knowledge that any aspiring or experienced gardener will find invaluable. Tony dives deep into the key facets of vegetable gardening--be it the symbiotic relationship between nature, science, and the grower, or the specifics of plant health and nutrition. Each chapter is a treasure trove of insights that could only come from someone who's had their hands in the soil for years. Whether you're a seasoned grower or just sowing your first seeds, Tony's book serves as a go-to manual for maximizing your garden's yield while simplifying the process. Two green thumbs up!" --Shaun Hurst of youtube.com/@chillichump
-- Shaun Hurst of youtube.com/@chillichump
"Tony is an incredibly knowledgeable and detail-orientated gardener with a wealth of grow-your-own experience. This book will speak to those who want to understand the full spectrum of growing vegetables from a scientific perspective - everything from seed saving and crop diseases to optimal plant nutrition." --Tanya Anderson of Lovely Greens
-- Tanya Anderson of Lovely Greens
"Beginning gardeners will get everything they could possibly need from Tony's book, and more advanced gardeners will find this book full of information they didn't even know they needed. I know I did!" --Brian Lowell of youtube.com/@nextlevelgardening
-- Brian Lowell of youtube.com/@nextlevelgardening
"Tony calls the reader to action, with a scientific approach, by explaining why it is so important for more people to become self-sufficient through gardening, how to do it, and what to grow. He also provides an abundant amount of supporting factual evidence, providing a deeper understanding to the reader. I've enjoyed Tony's work on YouTube for ages now, and his second book has a permanent place on my gardening shelf." -- Kevin Espiritu of @epicgardening, author of Epic Homesteading-- Kevin Espiritu of @epicgardening, author of Epic Homesteading
Table of Contents:
Introduction
Chapter 1: The Growing Importance of Vegetables
Chapter 2: The Perfect Trio--Nature, Science, and You
Chapter 3: Optimizing Plant Growth
Chapter 4: Optimizing Plant Health
Chapter 5: Optimizing Plant Nutrition
Chapter 6: Vegetable Gardening Groups
Conclusion
References
About the Author
Index
Tony O'Neill is a leading global gardening influencer. Though a full-time firefighter, he uses every opportunity to build his growing gardening brand, Simplify Gardening. The brand is the product of 14 years of gardening content creation, evolving from the initial platform Tony's Allotment to UK Here We Grow, where the focus was on sharing gardening knowledge. In 2020, with the growing global popularity of his UK Here We Grow YouTube channel and realizing the need to better appeal to his expanding US market, Tony rebranded his social media channels and blog to Simplify Gardening.
Tony's gardening journey started more than four decades ago with his grandfather and led him to pursue horticultural studies at the tender age of 16. His love of being of service led to his joining the South Wales Fire and Rescue Service, where he rapidly progressed through the ranks. But his love for gardening was ever-present.
Tony believes gardening's appeal is linked to nature's generous response to nurturing, proven by his growing near-record-sized cabbages (67 lbs [30.39kg]), squashes (131 lbs [59.42kg]), rhubarb, and potatoes in abundance.
Winner of the 2021 Ezoic Publisher-of-the-Year Award for Educational Content
Cool Springs Press
Pub Date: February 27, 2024
0.55" H x 9.92" L x 7.87" W
192 pages
paperback