The Truth about Organic Gardening - Benefits, Drawbacks, and the Bottom Line - Softcover

Jeff Gillman

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0881928623 ISBN 13: 9780881928624

Publisher: Timber Press Inc, 2008

Synopsis

Gardeners tend to assume that any product or practice labeled as organic is automatically safe for humans and beneficial to the environment. And in many cases this is true. The problem, as Jeff Gillman points out in this fascinating, well-researched book, is that it is not universally true, and the exceptions can pose a significant threat to human health. To cite just two examples: animal manures are widely viewed as prime soil amendments. When properly treated, they are; but if they are insufficiently composted, they can be a source of harmful E. coli contamination. Even more dangerous, potentially, are organic insecticides like rotenone, which is every bit as toxic as the synthetic compounds it is meant to replace. Gillman's contention is that all gardening products and practices organic and synthetic need to be examined on a case-by-case basis to determine both whether they are safe and whether they accomplish the task for which they are intended. When gardeners are well informed about the precise nature and consequences of what they use and do in the garden, they are in a much better position to make responsible, effective choices. If you've ever wondered about the merits of a specific insecticide, herbicide, or fungicide, or debated whether practices such as planting cover crops or companion plants are worth the trouble, you'll find the answers you've sought in these pages, along with a clear, careful, and good-humored analysis of benefits and drawbacks. Ultimately, Gillman concludes, organic methods are preferable in most situations that gardeners are likely to encounter. After reading this eye-opening book, you will understand why, and why knowledge is the gardener's most important tool.

About this title

Review:

Destined to be a bestseller. ... An easy to read, practical, and fascinating book for veteran gardeners or someone who just moved from an apartment to their first home with two feet or 2,000 feet of gardening space. Cleveland Plain Dealer 20071201 Doesn't pull any punches. ... A thought-provoking eye-opener. -- Susan Brackney PlentyMag.com 20080130 Many gardeners use both conventional and organic methods in their gardens, and may welcome a book that doesn't make them feel guilty for doing so. ... [This book] will appeal to open-minded readers who want to be able to compare organic gardening methods to their conventional counterparts. -- Tammy Biondi Garden And Hearth 20080201 You will enjoy and learn from Jeff's clear, careful, and good-humored analysis of the benefits and drawbacks of organic gardening practices and products. -- Scott Conner AM1090Seattle.com 20080212 You'd have to be a professional horticulturalist yourself not to learn something from Gillman's wide-ranging descriptions of the more arcane chemical and mechanical garden methodologies that are out there. ... He shares his knowledge and experience in a way that entertains, enlightens, and sometimes surprises. -- Elizabeth Licata Garden Rant 20080203 Offers a wealth of useful information. ... Gillman's great contribution is his even-handed attitude about his subject. He's not a tiresome and relentless zealot about organic gardening but rather an objective analyst about the benefits and drawbacks of organic methods in comparison with synthetic methods. ... [A] fine resource, full of solid scientific information in a highly readable presentation. -- Tom Karwin Monterey County Herald 20080211 Trying to find definitive, impartial advice is hard. ... How do you separate the hype from the facts? Spending 13 bucks on Gillman's new book ... may go a long way. -- Adrian Higgins Washington Post 20080221 A thoughtful and surprisingly entertaining guide to organic and synthetic practices, balancing the advantages and drawbacks of each and giving gardeners the information they need to make informed choices. I don't know why it's taken so long for someone to write an objective analysis of horticultural products and techniques, but I'm glad Gillman came along and did it. This book belongs on every gardener's bookshelf and in every garden center. -- Amy Stewart Garden Rant 20080227 Gillman urges his readers to 'consider the long-term consequences' of the products they use in the garden. In writing this book he has given them a valuable tool to do just that. It belongs in every gardener's library. -- Ethel Fried Manchester (CT) Journal Inquirer 20080223 Sure to cause controversy and heated discussion. ... What this book does is introduce more than 100 products and planting techniques and cite the latest university tests and factual results so that gardeners can make responsible choices and not continue to link the words 'organic,' 'safe' and 'effective' so firmly in their minds. -- Marianne Binetti Seattle Post-Intelligencer 20080227 To be the best gardener, tend your soil, plant a diverse garden, tolerate some imperfection and make informed case-by-case choices to deal with problems. [This] book can help. -- Beth Botts Chicago Tribune 20080323 Should be a well-thumbed reference on the bookshelf of every gardener who cares about making the right choices. Highly recommended. -- Jane Starwood Suffolk Times 20080101 If you're a gardener, run, don't walk, to your nearest laptop or bookstore to buy [this book]. If you think you already know this stuff, trust me. You don't. ... It's a tough, confusing world out there for gardeners. Best to bypass the gurus. Read this book. -- Virginia A. Smith Philadelphia Inquirer 20080411 A highly readable, intelligent, and scientifically based discussion on the benefits and, yes, drawbacks of organic gardening. -- Susan Banks Pittsburgh Post-Gazette 20080426 I've come away from this book - a reference text masquerading as a beach read - with hands-on knowledge that is just plain useful. The book gives you the facts about synthetic and organic techniques and encourages you to do further research, then make educated decisions about your own garden. ... He is calm and even in his approach. His bottom line is that we all need to be more mindful about how we garden, and he encourages us to work towards a safer, healthier, and better world. -- Sara Begg Horticulture 20080501 Gillman is a brainy University of Minnesota horticulturalist who is applying both science and common sense to the battle between 'organic' and 'chemicals.' It turns out there are things found in nature that aren't all that good for your backyard zinnias, or the planet, and that some man-made stuff actually serves both masters. -- Brian Lambert Minneapolis-St. Paul Magazine 20080501 Finally, someone wrote a clear and concise book about gardening practices and products. -- Susan Randstrom Chicago Sun-Times 20080817 Refreshing, lucid, and enlightening. Their spare style, with no illustrations, and concentration of facts rather than 'inspiration' even gives them an old-fashioned charm. -- Noel Kingsbury BBC Gardens 20081001 Next time you have a problem in the garden, don't just react, think. This book can help you make smart, safe choices. -- Laura Christman Redding Record Searchlight 20081206 Finally, someone who's not biased at either extreme of the long-brewing organic vs. chemical garden debate weighs in with an even-handed, fact-based approach. ... Few fields are more rife with half-truths and old wives' tales than gardening. It's really refreshing to see someone look past the claims to what research really tells us. -- George Weigel Harrisburg Patriot-News 20081210

About the Author:

Jeff Gillman was born in South Eastern Pennsylvania and spent the first years of his life living on a small orchard in the then rural setting of Pughtown, Pennsylvania. He attended Franklin and Marshall College in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Jeff earned his a master's degree in entomology and his doctorate in horticulture from the University of Georgia. Jeff is an associate professor in the department of Horticultural Science at the University of Minnesota where he teaches graduate and undergraduate classes in nursery management. He also conducts research and gives talks on the production of woody ornamental plants and the use and abuse of pesticides. Throughout his professional career, Jeff has published numerous papers and articles on subjects that range from how plant hairs affect mites, using soluble silicon to combat plant diseases, and using lime in containers, to how to control deer. Jeff has a loathing for information that is passed out without concern for the consequences. Hearing self-proclaimed experts spouting things such as feeding syrup to plants gets him so fired up that he decided to do the research on all those common household remedies and write the tell-all book. When not teaching, conducting research, or participating in numerous master gardener programs in Minnesota and nearby states, Jeff likes to spend time with his four-year-old daughter who involves him in her slug hunting and slug control research. Together they test lint, eggshells, coffee grounds, and other top-shelf ingredients. "But," says Jeff, "that's another book." Jeff lectures throughout the year and speaks on a wide variety of topics such as homebrewed remedies, organic pesticides, and sprayer and fertilizer calibration techniques. Jeff currently lives in Maplewood, Minnesota where he spends his time growing plants and working on other research projects.

About this edition

• Publisher: Timber Press Inc
• Publication date: 2008
• ISBN 10: 0881928623
• ISBN 13: 9780881928624
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 208