Winter 2016 Propagation Checklist

Seeding

Task	Date	Results	Initial*
Sow small seeds (one six pack)
Sow medium seeds (one six pack)
Sow large seeds (one quart)
Pot on seedlings

Division

Task	Plant Type	Date	Result	Initial
Divide perennial 1
Divide perennial 2

* Initial means instructor's initials

Cuttings

Task	Plant Type	Date	Results	Initial
1st rose
2nd rose
Fig tree ( 4 cuttings)
Grape (6 cuttings)
Pomegranate (4)
Root stock (8)
Leaf cutting

Grafting (three only)

Task	Scion/Root stock	Date	Results	Initial
Chip Budding
T-budding
Saddle graft
Cleft or Bark Graft
Whip Graft

The Winter Syllabus

(I thank you for your patience for the time it has taken to get these posted.  I was sick for over two weeks in February and only now am feeling human again.  This post will be followed by many others leading up - in a couple of hours from now - I hope to be completely current by the end of today...")

COURSE SYLLABUS

Instructor: David King

Email: greenteach@gmail.com

Phone: 310.722.3656

There are no prerequisites for this course, although some knowledge of basic botany is extremely helpful. We meet on Sundays from January 11 through March 29 for 10 meetings, nine on Sunday and one Saturday field trip.

In our field trip we will attend the WLA chapter of the California Rare Fruit Growers meeting on February 14^th, from 10:00 to noon. This is the day of their annual ‘Scion Exchange’ and is not to be missed if you can help it. There is no other forum in Los Angeles that offers a better introduction to grafting!

All other meetings are on Sunday 1:30 to 4:30 PM to The Learning Garden, at the Venice High School campus. This site is close to the ocean and because we meet outside or in a poorly heated classroom, please dress appropriate to the weather, which is invariably colder than one would imagine. We will do what we can to mitigate the cold and rain, should it come, but the material of the class is best covered with live plant material in the garden – which, of course, is outside.

We will also be working with potting soils and cut plant material in almost every single class, gloves will probably be desired. Dress so that you can comfortably get dirty and still stay dry. Dressing in layers is probably the best idea when it comes to being outdoors at The Learning Garden.

Course Purpose

This course is an introduction to the principles and practice of plant propagation, both sexual and asexual, and the science and art of grafting and budding.

Course Objectives

1. Understand the care and safe use of tools in plant propagation.
2. Understand the biology of sexual and asexual propagation of plants.
3. Understand and use the different styles of propagation of plants.
4. Be able to create or craft and use a plant propagation system.
5. Demonstrate an understanding of the above by propagating different species of plants.
6. Understand the physiology of plants sufficiently to be able to successfully bud and graft a variety of plants.

Application

The materials presented in this course will enable the student to start plants from seeds and cuttings, in an amateur or professional setting and graft woody plants with a working understanding of the scientific underpinnings of the process. While we are working mostly with food plants, these techniques cross easily to ornamental plants.

Text for this course

Plant Propagation A to Z – Bryant; Firefly Books, 2003 It is readily available online or in the appropriate UCLA Bookstore. There will be many additional handouts from the instructor. Reading assignments in this syllabus are from this book only. Please note, The Grafter's Handbook – Garner; Chelsea Green Publishing, 2013, has been reprinted. It has been and still is the most authoritative book on propagation in or out of print. This book is a wonderful reference book for someone involved in grafting. Unlike the modern books that only show a few grafts, this one shows grafts for all kinds of plant work and as such, is essential for one who wishes to make this work a part of a skill set.

All material for in class will be available online at http://lagardennotes.blogspot.com/. Additionally, I invite all of you to join the group, Greener Gardens, on Facebook. Handouts are put there as well, and students use the group to contact one another – I also post other items of interest for you. I try to not have handouts in class to avoid wasting paper printing handouts you may not care to keep and using the internet allows us to use videos (especially of grafting) you may find helpful.

Class Meetings

To each class meeting, in addition to any note-taking tools you deem necessary (paper, camera, tape recorder etc), each student should bring propagation tools that will be described in our first class meeting; please don't purchase a lot of stuff until then. You will need pruners, a grafting knife, a regular pocket knife (or one knife with two blades for different purposes), a black, permanent Sharpie, a sharp pencil and a sturdy pair of gloves – leather preferred. If you are unsure of what to buy, buy NOTHING until after the first class meeting – we will not be using most of these items until later.

Grading

Your grade in this class is based on a checklist you will keep and two short exams. You need to be able to perform each of the tasks on the log with sufficient skill and understanding of the process in order to receive a passing grade in this course. The completed checklist must be turned in the last day of class unless other arrangements have been made before hand with the instructor. I reserve the right to administer quizzes throughout the course to insure comprehension. They will count in your participation score.

Instructor’s Office Hours

Please avail yourself of my willingness to meet with you at any time to discuss your progress in the course or to clarify instructional material or to answer any difficulties you are having. My preference is to meet with you at my office at The Learning Garden where we can cover material without distraction but I am willing to meet with students anytime, anywhere to assist you in learning; after all, that is the point your taking the class and my teaching it. It is my wish that all students learn and are profited by their enrollment in this course. Do not struggle; I am here to help.

At The Learning Garden:

 THE FIRST AID KIT IS LOCATED DIRECTLY ON THE LEFT OF THE FRONT DOOR AS YOU ENTER my office

Remember its location.

I’m very serious... So far only two students have had to have emergency medical treatment. I don't like adding to that number. It's hard enough to get students without killing them off.

A garden is filled with uneven surfaces, rocks, plants with thorns and other armaments and an infinity of possibilities for injury; most of the time in this course we will be using very sharp tools which deserve your utmost attention at all times, please give due attention and consideration of this. Remain on pathways and do not walk into planted beds unless it is absolutely necessary. Do not pick anything without permission.

Food and drink are allowed, but the removal of any trash or waste is entirely incumbent on the eator and/or drinkor. I will hold you responsible.

We will probably have hot tea and coffee to mitigate the cool weather we anticipate needing to endure. Bring your own cup or mug and any eating utensils you feel you need. I drink my coffee black – if you want sugar or cream, it's on you.

Appropriate clothing is essential. Remember, Venice can be hot and cold by turns. Layering is suggested; a jacket or sweater close at hand is essential. We will meet regardless of weather. If it is a light rain/mist, we will continue work. If it is a gully-washer (as though we get those in Southern California), we will meet in a classroom and carry on.

Point Assignment

For Credit Students. It is more important to me that you learn the material above all other considerations. I will endeavor through point assignment, lecture and demonstration to teach you in a way that will facilitate learning the material. If you aren’t understanding, please allow me to help you.

Tools You Will Need

Each student shall provide:

Pair of pruners – secateur type, like Felco #2, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 12 or 13. No anvil pruners allowed EXCEPT for those students with hand pain or arthritis that must use the ratcheting type of pruners. Felcos can be bought on the internet (eBay) for much less than most local sources; I am also a Felco distributor and carry several models at a very competitive price. Coronas and other secateur pruners are OK, although if you have ever used Felcos, you can appreciate why I am so fond of them.

Pruning knife – only used for plants. It is suggested that everyone also have a second knife for all the other needs in a garden. If one does not plan on doing a great deal of propagation needing a sharp knife, an inexpensive knife with break-away blades available from many local stores may be used. Grafting knives and horticultural knives are also found for reasonable amounts on eBay and other internet connections; I also have a selection of inexpensive pruning knives from Swiss Army. No one should feel pressured to buy my items – I only have them because they can be hard to find locally and often all you can find are the really expensive Felcos which you don't need.

Pair of gloves – leather is preferred, some folks like to have more than one.

Sharpie – fine point, only black will not wash off

Pencil – sharp, wooden (the Learning Garden does have a sharpener)

You will need to take notes, so paper is necessary – may I suggest you take notes in pencil because it won’t run if it gets wet and a pencil is a wonderful small dibber in a pinch.

The Garden (or instructor) will provide as needed:

Cactus mix and potting soil

Watering devices

Pots

Root stimulating gel

Other tools and supplies as needed

Oil, sharpening devices, cleaners and rags for pruner and knife maintenance

Alcohol wipes, Listerine and hand soap.

Plant material/seeds

First aid kit

Plant markers

If you forget your pruners or knife, I do have a few of each, and while I do have gloves, a pair that fits your hand is preferred (and a pair of gloves are somewhat personal too). I can sharpen your pruners and we will learn how in this course.

Date	Mtg.	TOPIC
01/10/16	1	Lecture: Introduction – roll, Extension policy, meeting time and place, attendance and tardiness, tools etc. Tour Garden. Tool selection, care and safety. Sexual and asexual propagation defined. Introduction to the different arts of propagation. Botany as applied to propagation. Demonstration: Cutting scions for the exchange Practical: Harvesting scionwood
01/17/16	2	Lecture: Meristematic tissue and the principles of propagation by cuttings; Pages 92-113; soil mixes for propagation Demonstration: Different kinds of cuttings Practical: Making cuttings
01/24/16		NO CLASS
01/31/16	3	Lecture: General Propagation Methods and Application; Pages 47-91; pests and diseases and methodology to deal. Demonstration: Division of perennials Practical: Dividing perennial plants TEST: Primarily on Cuttings and Safety *
02/07/16	4	Lecture: Seeds, structure, germination and viability, collection, storage. Propagation, pages 47-74; seed starting problems and their solution. Demonstration: Scarification/Seed sowing Practical: Sowing seeds of different sizes
02/13/16	5	Field Trip to California Rare Fruit Growers
02/14/16		NO CLASS
02/21/16		NO CLASS
02/28/16	6	Lecture: More grafting and possibilities/Budding Demonstration: Another graft & budding Practical: More grafting
03/06/16	7	Lecture: California Native Propagation Demonstration: Fire scarification of a California native Practical: Transplanting seedlings TEST: Grafting Principles and Seeds
03/12/16	8	Lecture: Propagating ornamentals; Katarina Ericksen Demonstration: Ornamental propagation Practical: Propagating something unusual.
03/20/16	9	Lecture: Covering all things left uncovered. Demonstration: As dictated by circumstances. Practical: Work on your checklist. (Student evaluation of instructor/course…) FINISHING REQUIREMENTS FOR CREDIT STUDENTS

Our Class Meeting Locations

The Learning Garden

13000 Venice Blvd.

Los Angeles, CA 90066

310.722.3656 (my cell)

The Garden is located on the south east corner of Walgrove Avenue and Venice Blvd. It is the first gate on Walgrove south of Venice – there is a small amount of parking inside the gate, there is no other secured parking, other than those few spaces, you are on the street and on your own. DO NOT PARK ON THE CAMPUS PROPER.

California Rare Fruit Growers, West Los Angeles Chapter

Scion Exchange meeting on February 14 10:00 AM, Veteran's Community Building, Overland Boulevard, Culver City, CA 90232 *subject to change – depending on the CRFG's arrangements.

Tool Suppliers:

Search online at eBay and other buying services, but the following companies, in addition to myself, reliably have the tools you need and prices that are competitive. I know of no local company that supplies the ones I think are best.

A.M. Leonard (AKA The Gardeners Edge) www.gardenersedge.com They have everything and they make good house brands of knives and pruners.

Frost Proof Garden Supply www.frostproof.com A good source for many common garden tools including pruners and grafting knives and associated supplies. If you really want to splurge, they sell the Tina line of grafting knives. Truly beautiful works of art.

Peaceful Valley Farm Supply www.groworganic.com Felco and Corona pruners, inexpensive Swiss Army grafting knives. A good choice.

Scoring For Grading in This Class

Type	Weight		Notes
In Person Participation	20%		Attendance alone is insufficient for full credit in this assessment section.
Propagation Checklist	60%
Online quizzes	20%
TOTAL	100%

* Please note: ALL students take both tests even the not-for-credit students, I want to gauge your learning/my effectiveness in teaching this material. The same is true of pop-quizzes when given.

david

Introduction to Sequestering Carbon In The Soil For Gardeners

Mesquite beans from The Learning Garden

We already know that the level of carbon in the atmosphere is beyond acceptable levels. No agreement in France or anywhere else is going to reduce the level of carbon to levels that are necessary for the human species to survive without some pretty radical changes in our relationships with the planet and our human activities.

On the global level, governments are merely trying to cope with mitigating the damage we've caused and the resultant damage humans will suffer in turn. We already know about acidification of our oceans and the indication that the ocean's temperature increase of only .3ºF has started release of plumes of methane – another greenhouse gas – from the ocean floor. If this loop becomes established it could mean that NOTHING humankind can do to prevent collapse of our world's ecosystem. I'm not trying to paint a more bleak picture than there is already. It is pretty scary.

As usual, with these global environmental problems, individuals feel powerless to make substantial changes that can influence the outcomes. In this case, farmers can play a significant role and gardeners can also contribute. The way I advocate we garden already sequesters carbon in the soil and now we know how to even more effectively sequester carbon by combining parts of the garden that were formerly segregated and to interplant annuals with perennials. Simply using appropriate actions in our farming and gardening, we can emphasize carbon sequestration in the soil. It is a win/win propostion.

An important vehicle for moving carbon into soil is root, or mycorrhizal, fungi, which govern the give-and-take between plants and soil. According to Australian soil scientist Christine Jones, plants with mycorrhizal connections can transfer up to 15 percent more carbon to soil than their non-mycorrhizal counterparts. The most common mycorrhizal fungi are marked by threadlike filaments called hyphae that extend the reach of a plant, increasing access to nutrients and water. These hyphae are coated with a sticky substance called glomalin, discovered only in 1996, which is instrumental in soil structure and carbon storage. The U.S. Department of Agriculture advises land managers to protect glomalin by minimizing tillage and chemical inputs and using cover crops to keep living roots in the soil.  Yale University Research Report, Soil as Carbon Storehouse: New Weapon in Climate Fight?

Research suggests that it is more beneficial to have plants with an active mycorrhizal community. This aligns with the very propositions I have been proposing for over 15 years. The Yale report mentions that pesticides and fertilizers interrupt the biological cycle and the presence of the mycorrhizae, which is prerequisite for sequestering carbon in the soil.

The following gardening practices are included:

• Conservation tillage – minimize or eliminate manipulation of the soil for food production. Including leaving crop residues on the soil surface. Reduces soil erosion and improves water use efficiency and increases carbon concentrations in the top soil. Avoids disruption to the mycorrhiza in the soil and provides channels for water to penetrate more deeply in the soils.
• Cover cropping – use of crops such as clover, alfalfa and small grains for soil protection and improvement between seasons of growing food. Cover crops enhance the soil structure and add organic matter to the soil making it better for carbon sequestration.
• Crop rotation – by rotating crops in succession in the same area, we mimic the diversity of natural ecosystems more closely. How effective this is, however is related to the crops involved and the amount of time devoted to each one. (Millet is shallow rooted and is less efficacious than the same amount of time devoted to alfalfa which has a massive root structure.)
• Zero use of chemical fertilizer and pesticides – already noted as detrimental to mycorrhiza/soil relationships – all of these are petroleum products that kill off the mycorrhiza in the soil and ruin exactly what you are trying to build. Besides, we will need to wean ourselves off petroleum anyway, might as well start now learning how to do without the stuff. Once you accept NOT using these items, it doesn't take long for one to learn how to live without them and soon you see how superfluous they were all along.
• Mulching – placing organic matter over the soil and allowing it to breakdown without disturbing the process sequesters carbon. This is what creates the bases of all you want to achieve. Don't scrimp.
• Growing perennial crops – often with interspersed annual crops where practical, leaving the detritus on the soil between growing seasons. Perennial crops lend themselves to soil sequestration better than annual crops and survive untoward weather fluctuations on a seasonal basis without dying. Their mere presence makes cultivation more difficult and ensures a limited disturbance of the soil.

Keeping in mind those practices, let's concentrate on perennial crops as they afford the easiest effort to go with no-till and will increase the carbon in the soil with very little effort on our part.

Perennial crops include a wide variety of different crops and more are coming online all the time.

Trees – nut and fruit trees are the first that come to mind. Plant a tree and, all things being equal, you have food production for many years to come – even decades. In our area, apple, almond, apricot, avocado, citrus, figs, peaches, pears (only a few varieties work here), persimmon, pomegranates, nectarines, and others are easy, requiring only a little pruning attention annually and certainly no plowing. Clover and other ground cover crops grown in between your trees and other perennials will enhance your soil and increase the sequestration of carbon.

There are many shrubs and similar plant forms that are wonderful for sequestration.

Asparagus

Artichoke

Bananas

Beans – some of the climbing beans are really perennials – like Christmas Lima, Scarlet and other runner beans

Bramble berries

Blue Berries

Cactus – certain varieties

Carob

Grapes

Hazelnuts

Horseradish

Jerusalem artichoke

Jujubes

Kiwi fruits

Loquats

Macadamia

Mango

Mesquite

Oaks

Olives

Onions (bunching or walking onions)

Pineapple

Rhubarb

Sapote

Strawberries

Wheat – perennial types

There are several perennial varieties of wheat and I have heard of perennial varieties of other grains as well. These are going to be quite important in the our very near future. I would encourage everyone to keep an eye out for them and eagerly try growing and using them. I do not believe this list is exhaustive. Keep your eyes open for other opportunities to plant food once and harvest over and over again.

What I am expressing is very much like the concept of the 'food forest' found in permaculture and in many other approaches to gardening. Other terms that might be encountered include Agroforestry or Woody Perennial Polycultures. These are essentially the same practice varying only in the fine print.

Furthermore, with these no-till techniques, we are just starting to transition to more permanent groupings of ever-bearing, perennial food plant groupings that include natural windrows, water harvesting/filtration and wildlife habitats – in addition to feeding the world.

The most important point is to leave the ground as little disturbed as possible. Try to avoid that in all your gardening activities of planting, weeding and harvesting. Whatever causes the soil the least manipulation, this is the goal to strive for.

This style of gardening also encourages beneficial insects, pollinators and is, of course, wholly organic. The food grown will have an overall better nutrition and will be less work. It will, of course, probably be less “neat” in the modern way of thinking, but that is merely a human construct. There are different levels of 'neatness' that are more important!

david

More On Bees

Introduction to practical beekeeping:

Equipment you need:

        Bee suit - covers your entire body except your hands

        Gloves - vented with sealable gauntlets 

        Veil - some have helmet inside; others you need a helmet with

I suggest purchasing these at LA Honey where you can try them on and get items that fit you. If I had purchased these items online, I would not have gotten the correct size.

Smoker

Hive tool

Rags (some wet) (honey is sticky!)

Flashlight

Epi pen

Hive box(es) and frames

Couple of good books and a mentor

Resources;

http://www.backwardsbeekeepers.com/

http://honeylove.org/

Los Angeles Honey Co

Address: 1559 Fishburn Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90063

Phone:(323) 264-2383

I am about half way through Rob and Chelsea's beekeeping book, Save The Bees with Natural Backyard Hives, and it is stellar.  Written in a very readable style and loaded with good data, it is now my #1 pick for anyone's first beekeeping book!   

We touched on this in class last week, and this is further proof in recent days.

david

November 15th and 22nd

We have a schedule change to accommodate our guest speaker.

The 15th will be beekeeping.  As we have discussed, I do not have a live hive to show you, but I collected some links for you to examine before the 15th.

I want us all to observe the day as though we really do have a live hive.  Working with bees, things like scented hair spray or perfumes and the like are all bad ideas.  It is also not advisable to resemble anything like their most common enemy, a bear.  Avoid dark clothing, stick to white or light colors.

The most common hive in America is the Langstroth hive.



The hive I use is pretty much the same, although I've hybridized it with what is called a "nuc."  It is the same principle but a smaller hive with fewer moving parts.  Mine are built from scrap lumber by a friend of mine.

Here is a video describing the arrangement of a Langstroth hive - slightly different from above and he explains why he uses each component. Many folks find that a 10 frame box filled with honey is heavier than they can comfortably deal with, 8 frame hives are getting to be more popular.  This a different view and I like her presentation and "no drama!"

This guy does three package installs of bees.  I usually do not buy bees but capture local feral hives which I feel have superior genetics.

Even if we don't ever experiment with these different hives (I'll address some of the most popular hive arrangements in class, these are not them!) this site features some wonderful video of bees in a hive, it gives you a rather real sense of what it's like to look in at ten thousand bees in one small confined space with nothing between you and them.  Scroll down to see several different videos.

The 22nd we will be treated with the presence of Sheri Powell speaking to us on raising chickens and the soil food web.  Wikipedia introduces the matter here.

Food on the 15th will feature honey.

Food on the 22nd will feature eggs. From chickens.    

We have several things to catch up - so we will be up and around getting a few things done.  It looks to be quite cool and blustery on Saturday, so be prepared!  

david  

MOROCCAN SPICED CHICKPEAS & CHARD

Now is the time when leafy greens such as chard are tender and delicious. Chard can be prepared in many different ways, and in this respect it closely resembles its cousin, spinach. One of the ways that chard shines is in braises and stews.

This dish might seem to have daunting ingredient list. But don’t be put off; enough of the ingredients will already be lurking in your kitchen. And, if you leave out any one of the spices, it will probably still turn out well. In contrast to some meat tagines, which take hours to prepare and cook, this dish can be made from start to finish on a weeknight. And the flavor is a lovely mélange of spices, slight sweetness from the raisins, and savory flavors from the chickpeas. Serve with rice or quinoa for hearty vegetarian dinner.

• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• ½ sweet onion, minced

• 1 teaspoon paprika (sweet or smoked according to preference)

• 1 teaspoon ground cumin

• ½ teaspoon turmeric

• ¼ teaspoon thyme

• ½ teaspoon salt

• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

• ¼ cup golden raisins

• 1 tablespoon organic tomato paste

• 1 bunch chard (about 8 ounces) washed, center ribs removed, and chopped

• 1 cup cooked chickpeas plus 1 ¼ cups of their cooking liquid, or 1 can organic chickpeas with liquid plus ½ cup water

• 1 teaspoon hot sauce or ¼ teaspoon cayenne (optional)

Add the olive oil, onion, and garlic to a heavy-bottomed Dutch oven or 3-4 quart pot, and turn the heat to medium. Allow to cook for about 5 minutes, then add the paprika, cumin, turmeric, thyme, salt, and cinnamon. Stir together and cook for a minute or two until fragrant. Add the remaining ingredients, cover, and turn the heat down to medium-low.

Be sure to stir every 3-5 minutes to ensure that the bottom does not burn and that your ingredients are evenly combined. You can add a tablespoon of rice flour if you like your stew thicker. Remove from the heat after 20 minutes. Enjoy!

A Gardener's Bibliography

Some of the books on this list and some that will be added soon.

Becoming Native to This Place, Jackson, Wes, © 1994 University of Kentucky Press, One of our most brilliant thinkers in agriculture today, Jackson founded The Land Institute in Salina, KS. His work is leading to the development of perennial wheat that will mimic the native grasses of the Great Plains, enabling them to hold the soil in place – a farsighted goal by any measurement. This seminal work introduces the 'native' of the place he wants you to imitate.

Breed Your Own Vegetable Varieties: The Gardener's & Farmer's Guide to Plant Breeding & Seed Saving, Deppe, Carol © 2000, Chelsea Green Publishing, Don't let the title send you running for the exits. The first half of this book, all about breading your own veggies; he second half is on seed saving, she switches gears and it reads at times like well-written poetry. I have read most of this part many times since getting it in 2008. If you are interested in seed saving or breeding your own vegetable varieties (Hint: you can and it's not that hard!), this book needs to be on your shelf!

Collapse,

Gardening With a Wild Heart, Lowry, Judith Larner, © 1990 University of California Press Nothing to do with food gardening, but a lot to say about why plant California Natives near your food garden – I totally agree.

Good Bugs for Your Garden, Starcher, Allison Mia, © 1998, Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill Allison Starcher is an artist who grows in Santa Monica. This book's illustrations were drawn in her garden and that means this book is written for those of us in Southern California. A delightful book, you can learn from it and use it to teach children about insects in your back yard. Out of print – but you can find it used.

Heirloom Vegetable Gardening: A Master's Guide to Planting, Seed Saving, and Cultural History,Weaver, William Woys © 2003, BookSales Inc, Originally published in 1997, it is now out of print and getting a copy is expensive. The book sells for almost $300 used on Amazon! It is a wonderful book that needs to be put back in print because the research he put into the book allows this to be one of the most informative books on heirloom vegetables that has ever been published. Good luck in finding it, I'm sorry to say. The entire book is on CD-ROM from Mother Earth News.

How to Grow More Vegetables, Eighth Edition: (and Fruits, Nuts, Berries, Grains, and Other Crops) Than You Ever Thought Possible on Less Land Than You ... (And Fruits, Nuts, Berries, Grains,) Jeavons, John © 2012, 8^th Edition (so far, it seems to be close to an annual event) Ten Speed Press, Jeavons has research to back up his assertions but he's not intimidating by facts proving him wrong either. I do not agree with him on many thing, but the tables that tell what you need to feed a family of four translated into square feet of garden space are worth the books cost.

Making It; Radical Home Ec for a Post-consumer World, Knutzen, Erik and Coyne, Kelly © 2010, Rodale Press Local heroes both, their blog Root Simple has interesting topics and I've learned a lot from both of them. Gardening and cooking and all things home ec are included – it's a great book if conserving everything is on your mind!

Out of the Earth; Civilization and the Life of the Soil, Hillel, Daniel © 1991 Free Press This is probably the best book to read to get introduced to the soil we use for our gardens. What a tremendous book with such an authoritative presentation, so thorough and yet accessible at the same time! This is a wonderful introduction to soil without a lot of hoopla. I have enjoyed re-reading this book several times

Pests of the Garden and Small Farm © 1998, University of California, Agriculture and Natural Resources (ANR), One of many books that are a part of my gardening reference bookshelf. I can't remember all these pests and if I could only have one book on pests, this would be one of two. With Trowel and Error (below). (Their entire catalog is worth a look: http://anrcatalog.ucdavis.edu/default.aspx )

Save Three Lives; A Plan for Famine Prevention, Rodale, Robert © 1991 Sierra Club Books, Bob Rodale was killed before this book made it to print. We lost a leader in compassionate food production when we lost him – we lost a visionary and a solid business man that took over his father's publishing company and turned it into a (if not 'the') powerhouse in the organic farming/healthy eating field. When ever I go to countries struggling to feed their population, I always have copies of this book with me. I think it is golden.

Shattering; Food, Politics and the Loss of Genetic Diversity, Fowler, Cary and Mooney, Pat, © 1990 University of Arizona Press Though somewhat dated (1990 seems like a million years ago!) this book is still worth the time to read. Showing the way to becoming the man that would one day spear head the Svalbard Global Seed Vault, Fowler in 1990 is already formulating the framework and vision that will be required to lead such a profoundly important seed saving enterprise.

Small-Scale Grain Raising, Second Edition: An Organic Guide to Growing, Processing, and Using Nutritious Whole Grains, for Home Gardeners and Local Farmers, Logsdon, Gene 2^nd Edition © 2009 Chelsea Green Publishing ANYTHING written by Logsdon is worth the investment of your time and money. I read this from its original 1970 Rodale Press printing and it is still an excellent resource if you become intoxicated with growing your own wheat and other grains. It takes more land than most of us have, but a small patch of wheat is a delightful experiment.

Sunset Western Garden Guide 8^th Edition, Brenzel, Kathleen Norris, Editor, ©2007, Sunset Publishing All of the recent editions have their merit, but each successive edition has more plants and updates the scientific undergirding of gardening, so I encourage you to invest in the most recent edition you can afford (used copies are usually easy to find.) This is the number one go-to book for horticulture in Southern California; no other book is as authoritative as this one for our area.

Teaming with Microbes: The Organic Gardener's Guide to the Soil Food Web, Revised Edition Lowenfels, Jeff and Lewis, Wayne, © 2010, Timber Press This book changed the way I garden. Forever. Their introduction to the soil is somewhat dry, but when you get to the modern scientific discoveries dealing with soil, you will be amazed!

The Resilient Gardener, Deppe Carol, © 2010, Chelsea Green Publishing, Deppe has written one of the few books to really teach me something about gardening in the last 15 years. I love her writing style, yes. But I love the depth of knowledge she possesses and her well-earned observations. Not all of her ideas translate readily to Southern California, but we can learn from her and adapt.

The Home Orchard, Growing Your Own Deciduous Fruit and Nut Trees, University of California, Agriculture and Natural Resources, © 2007, Another great ANR book.. This book is about the most thorough book on home orchards you will ever find - comprehensive and easy to follow. Valuable.

The Kitchen Garden, Thompson, Sylvia © 1995, Bantam Books, Sylvia is from our area (she has written for the LA Times) so she knows a bit of gardening here. This is a great book that I refer to frequently along with her Recipes from a Kitchen Garden.

The New Seed Starter's Handbook, Bubel, Nancy © 1988, Rodale Press There is no facet of seed starting that isn't included in this book. It is old, still the best. The only thing that has changed are the new super powerful lights for growing plants. Which aren't useful if you are just starting seeds indoors to be planted out in a few weeks.

The Rodale Book of Composting: Easy Methods for Every Gardener, Gershuny, Grace © 1992 Rodale Press I learned how to garden organically in the early 1970's with Rodale Press and I owe a lot to many of their different gardening titles. This is the most authoritative book on composting for the layman that has been published to date. Everything you want to know about composting is here.

The Soul of Soil: A Soil-Building Guide for Master Gardeners and Farmers, Gershuny, Grace, © 1999 Chelsea Green Publishing, One of my favorite books on soils, this was not written for gardeners but for farmers which limits its usefulness, but the principles are useful and she writes with passion and clarity.

Trowel and Error, Lovejoy, Sharon © 2002 Workman Publishing, this is really the only pesticide book I use, although, it is not strictly a pesticide book. She is a delightful writer with lots of humor and she has gem of a home-made this and that collection.

Uncertain Peril, Genetic Engineering and the Future of Seeds, Cummings, Claire © 2008 Beacon Press, presenting a scientific look at the shortcomings of genetically modified seeds and their shortcomings to their lofty goals. Especially good for the rebuttal of the Yellow Rice, poster child of what is supposed to be good about GMOs.

Unlikely Peace at Cuchumaquic, Prechtel, Martín, © 2011 North Atlantic Books, It took me a long time to get into this book, but once I was able to follow his narrative and understand his approach, I became mesmerized by his prose and the process. With the subtitles of The Parallel Lives of People as Plants and Keeping the Seeds Alive, he introduces us to the ancient way the people of Guatemala see the seeds and their world.

Where Our Food Comes From, Nahan, Gary Paul, © 2009, Island Press Nabhan is a glorious writer and in this case he has picked an equally glorious hero to follow in his journey to discover where our food really does come. Nabhan follows the footsteps of Nicolay Vavilov's travels over the world, finding the centers of discovery for most of our food today. Vavilov was so far ahead of his time, even though he died in Stalin's Gulag in WWII, the institute he founded which still bears his name, is yet one of the premier seed banks in the world. This is good reading – fast, yet profitable.  

david