Item: The Informed Gardener Blooms Again
Rating: 4.50
Author: murderbydeath

by Linda Chalker-Scott

The Informed Gardener Blooms Again picks up where The Informed Gardener left off, using scientific literature to debunk a new set of common gardening myths. Once again, Linda Chalker-Scott investigates the science behind each myth, reminding us that urban and suburban landscapes are ecosystems requiring their own particular set of management practices. The Informed Gardener Blooms Again provides answers to questions such as:

Does using drought-tolerant plants reduce water consumption?

Is it more effective to spray fertilizers on the leaves of trees and shrubs than to apply it to the soil?

Will cedar wood chips kill landscape plants?

Should I use ladybugs in my garden as a form of pest control?

Does aerobically brewed compost tea suppress disease?

Every year Chalker-Scott receives hundreds of e-mails from around the world on these and related topics. Her advice, based on more than twenty years of experience in the field of plant physiology, has helped home gardeners, landscape architects, and nursery and landscape professionals to develop scientifically based sustainable landscaping practices.

Watch the book trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gWrk2894iyA

This is the second compilation of columns from the author's blog The Informed Gardener. Her purpose behind both the blog and these books is to bust popular and often ingrained myths about gardening with hard, peer-reviewed science. i found the first book a little bit off-putting, if only because she busted more than a couple of myths I was suckered into. It's depressing to think you're a rational, objective, sceptical soul only to find out you're just as susceptible to marketing hype as the next gardener. Still, I came away from it determined to get my soil tested, convince MT to go back to wood chip mulch, and lay off the manure. This time around she covered stuff I hadn't fallen for so of course it's a better book! ::grin:: But in all honestly, I thought this one was a better book because it wasn't all about tearing down the myths; occasionally the chapters covered practices that had merit, or potential, but not necessarily in all situations. This book felt more balanced. The author does a great job keeping the writing accessible while sticking strictly to the hard science, and every chapter has its own citations/sources. This is an excellent resource for anyone remotely serious about gardening.

The Informed Gardener Blooms Again

by Linda Chalker-Scott

Reviewed by MurderByDeath on Oct 24, 2017

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