gardening data book

[Caithness Gardener]

In science I am used to accessing data books with the properties of metals, alloys etc... Is there an equivalent for plants?

I would be looking for
*germination tips, (like leaving lettuce seeds on the surface as they require light)
*pest vulnerability (lettuce leaves liable to slug damage)
*disease problems (potato vulnerability to pythoptera in humid conditions)
*companion plants
*cross-infection (potatoes can't be grown where toatoes have been)
*fertiliser advice (avoid high potash)
*pruning advice (i.e. fruit on new or old growth?)
*flower setting (self polinating or needing help?)
*sunlight requirements (don't grow nasturtiums in shade)

I am sure such a little data book for fruit and veg would be highly prized. It could include recipes for organic greenfly killer etc... how to avoid bolting etc.... etc....

[Alice]

Hello Caithness gardener, Yes i know what you are looking for. A bit of the appliance of science. All the info you seek is available (you answered all your own questions) but maybe not all in the one place in the format you would like. Why not write the book. As you say, it would be highly prized.

[Jaxom]

Such a book would be worth buying. There are a number of good books out there but the problem is the wide scope of plants.
Unless they discover a new element the periodic table is not getting any bigger. Testing each element to get properties has a finite end.
With plants the tests would be infinite. The book would never get to an end. A bit like the Oxford English Dictionary.
A “Vegetable growing for Dummies” would be good. You could put me down for a copy.

[Jaxom]

The RHS encyclopædia of Gardening is as near what you are looking for, Caithness Gardener. I dip into that all the time. What would be really good is if they combined "Grow your own vegetables" by Joy Larkcom with the RHS know-how in regard to fruit and vegetables with the Dorling and Kindersley format that the curent RHS encyclopædia uses.

[Shortie]

Hi CaithnessGardener

If you're looking for a book that seems to cover everything, I have one that I think is quite good. I'm on my hols at the moment so I'll get you the name when I get back. I bought it when I first started in gardening a couple of years ago, and it covers garden design, soil, flowers, food crops, etc as well as crop rotation and a 'gardeners year'.

If it's what you may be after, I'll grabyou the name next two Monday's time and check for a review on the net to give you an idea of it...?

Let me know if it's the mind of thing you're after

[Caithness Gardener]

I have thought of gathering the information. I already do this with my use of computers. I now have a 26 page booklet with notes on Excel, PowerPoint,Word, printing, formating and data recovery techniques etc...

I just want the darned thisng not to have to write one. Anyway I will maybe use these pages to gather info. I would want to concentrate on fruit and veg though so flowers will have to be done by somebody else. Local gardening club is run basically by women (interested in flowers) a few blokes appear at the shows wioth some fruit and veg but vanish the rest of the year.