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The 9 best books for learning how to grow vegetables, according to experts - Business Insider

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Tending your own edible garden can be a fun and interactive way to connect with the food you eat — you can sow small seeds and watch them gradually form stems and leaves as they grow into full-sized plants. Although vegetable gardening can be simple, there can be a lot to pay attention to and figure out, such as the right soil, sunlight, and water. Even for experienced gardeners, there can be plenty of variables that can affect how your garden grows.

Whether you have lots of backyard space or are limited to a balcony, porch, or stoop, there are creative ways to cultivate your own vegetable garden. From gardening with small containers to learning what it means to grow truly organic food, there are books for all types of vegetable gardening needs. 

To find the best books for gardeners of all levels, I reached out to Chia-Ming Ro, founder of Coastal Homestead; Dr. Allan M. Armitage, an author and professor of horticulture at the University of Georgia, Athens,  and Dana Zucker, a farmer, homesteader, and owner of Sugar Water Manor.

The 9 best vegetable gardening books for beginners:

The best beginner vegetable gardening book

Book cover of "Garden-pedia: An A-to-Z Guide to Gardening Terms" by Maria Zampini and Pamela Bennett
Amazon

"Garden-pedia: An A-to-Z Guide to Gardening Terms" by Maria Zampini and Pamela Bennett

Like any new activity, there can be a lot to figure out and learn. As the title implies, this book breaks down a lot of terminology to make it easy to understand and get started. "'Garden-pedia' takes the intimidation out of this calming, joyous hobby as well as simplifies the language of plant science," says Dr. Allan M. Armitage, who recommends this book to anyone who "wants to demystify the garden." "[It] easily defines terms like composting, cold frame, hardening off...and our favorite — dibbling; just a small sample of terms you need to know when starting out growing your own plants be it flowers, vegetables, or herbs."

$9.99 from Amazon $15.59 from Bookshop
Originally $16.95Save 8%

The best overall book for growing a vegetable garden

Book cover for "Western Garden Book of Edibles" by the Editors of Sunset
Amazon

"Western Garden Book of Edibles" by the Editors of Sunset

This is a fabulous reference book that digs in about everything you need to consider for starting an edible garden. "[It] touches upon all the basic elements of site selection, design, plant selection but it also talks a lot about microclimates," says Ro. "For example, I live in Southern California — known for it's hot summers — however, I live in a beach city so I have coastal influences creating a cooler microclimate within a hot microclimate." Knowing what is possible to grow in your region is the key to having success with your garden.

The best book for container vegetable gardening

Book cover for “Field Guide to Urban Gardening” by Kevin Espiritu
Amazon

"Field Guide to Urban Gardening" by Kevin Espiritu

If you live in a city or with minimal outdoor space, you may be surprised by what is possible to grow in containers. "This book will guide you on everything you need to know about growing food in pots," says Ro. "It is concise and easy to digest and apply, [and] Espiritu writes from vast personal experience in container gardening in small spaces."

$14.99 from Amazon $25.75 from Bookshop
Originally $27.99Save 8%

The best book for herb gardening

Book cover for "The Cook's Herb Garden" by Jeff Cox and Marie Pierre Moine
Amazon

"The Cook's Herb Garden" by Jeff Cox and Marie Pierre Moine

Growing herbs can be an easy and fun way to get your hands in the soil. "Herbs are great gateway plants to gardening!" says Ro. "This book covers the plants, different food uses including teas, and how to plant and care for them." It also highlights 120 types of culinary herbs — including recipes. "What I love about this book the most are the herb combinations they share, like a tea garden, or an Italian herb garden," adds Ro.

$11.80 from Amazon $16.64 from Bookshop
Originally $18.00Save 8%

The best book for edible gardening in small spaces

Book cover for "All New Square Foot Gardening" by Mel Bartholomew
Amazon

"Square Foot Gardening" by Mel Bartholomew

Growing an abundant vegetable garden with limited space may seem challenging, but it's possible. If you're not sure where to begin or what to grow, this book will guide you from sowing seeds to harvesting. "Mel Bartholomew solves this by giving step-by-step guides on how to grow intensively to maximize efficiency in a small space," says Ro.

$13.59 from Amazon
Originally $24.99Save 46%
$13.59 from Walmart
Originally $24.99Save 46%
$22.99 from Bookshop
Originally $24.99Save 8%

The best book for gardening multiple plants together

Book cover for "Plant Partners" by Jessica Walliser
Amazon

"Plant Partners" by Jessica Walliser

Some plants grow well together and can be mutually beneficial — such as helping with pest management or attracting pollinators — while other plants don't get along and shouldn't be planted near each other. "Walliser goes in depth beyond which plants go together, and explains the actual relationships formed between the plants," says Ro. "This book is carefully thought out in presenting plant partnerships in a different way."

$9.25 from Amazon $22.95 from Bookshop
Originally $24.95Save 8%

The best book for gardening by the phases of the Moon (biodynamic gardening)

Book cover for “Biodynamic Gardening” by DK
Amazon

"Biodynamic Gardening" by DK

Do you already have an organic garden but want to take your gardening methods and practices to a more integrated level? Consider growing food in a biodynamic way, which incorporates the phases of the moon during planning, growing, and harvesting. "If you want to know how to grow by the Moon and other interesting facets of this gardening method, this is your book," says Ro. "There is a complete guide on what to plant during which Moon phase and much more."

$16.69 from Amazon $21.11 from Bookshop
Originally $22.95Save 8%

The best book for permaculture gardening

Book cover for "Gaia's Garden" by Toby Hemenway
Amazon

"Gaia's Garden" by Toby Hemenway

Creating a garden that is in harmony with Mother Nature requires thinking about what you plant in a more holistic way. "To truly garden organically with minimal to no pesticide use, you need to create an ecosystem," says Ro, who considers this a gardener's bookshelf staple. "This takes time and patience, but it can be done, even in an urban environment." Anyone who wants to be more connected to nature will want to have this book — according to Ro, it "explains the relationships between the wildlife, the plants, and you."

$24.71 from Amazon
Originally $29.95Save 17%
$24.71 from Walmart
Originally $29.95Save 17%
$27.55 from Bookshop
Originally $29.95Save 8%

The best book for saving seeds

Book cover for "Starting and Saving Seeds" by Julie Thompson Adolf
Amazon

"Starting and Saving Seeds" by Julie Thompson Adolf 

Collecting and saving seeds after each harvest is an important way to be more self-reliant, save money, and maintain special or heirloom varieties. "Growing food for my family, guests and community has become so much more rewarding and doable with Julie's guidance, not to mention the cost savings in saving my own seeds," says Zucker. According to her, this book is "a must have for both new and experienced gardeners and backyard gardeners to professionals." Harvesting and storing seeds requires care, patience and time. "'Starting and Saving Seeds' has given us not only the how-to and information we need but also the confidence to do what we do."

$11.99 from Amazon $23.00 from Bookshop
Originally $25.00Save 8%

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Disclosure: Written and researched by the Insider Reviews team. We highlight products and services you might find interesting. If you buy them, we may get a small share of the revenue from the sale from our partners. We may receive products free of charge from manufacturers to test. This does not drive our decision as to whether or not a product is featured or recommended. We operate independently from our advertising team. We welcome your feedback. Email us at reviews@businessinsider.com.

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