Teaching Choral Concepts

Review

     The Desert Shall Blossom has essential information for gardeners in the Mountain West, with the desert climate, alkaline soils, plant diseases and insect pests found only in that environment. 

This area extends east from California's Cascade range, and encompasses the Great Basin and central Rocky Mountains. It includes the Columbia basin of eastern Washington, Eastern Oregon, the Snake River Valley of Idaho, and most of Nevada, Utah, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, Arizona and New Mexico.  Other gardening books typically are written for southern California or for eastern climates.  Much of the information they contain does not pertain to the Mountain West, and such books fail to address many basic gardening problems encountered in the dry desert climate. 

In The Desert Shall Blossom, gardening essentials are presented in easy-to-understand chapters on soils, fertilizers, weed control, irrigation and garden design. Other chapters discuss close-row block planting techniques which can triple yields for limited-space gardeners, and techniques to extend the harvest season into the frosty spring and fall weather of the mountain states. The author has included even the most recent research findings coming from western agricultural universities to help the gardener increase his quality and productivity. 

A major section of the book discusses the common insects and disease problems found in Mountain West vegetable gardens. This book is unique because it deals specifically with the common problems found in the desert areas, and it covers both cultural (organic) and chemical controls. Insect pictures are included to help the gardener correctly identify specific problems. 

Another unique feature of the book is the listings on insecticides. Possible options in sprays are listed, but qualified as to those which are biological, organic or less toxic. Environmental factors associated with the use of some common sprays, such as potential bee kill, bird kill and spider mite build-up, are also included. 

Rarely has a book been produced with so much pertinent, valuable, and up-to-date information as  The Desert Shall Blossom. It is an essential tool for every gardener in the arid climate of the Mountain West. 

Table of Contents

1. Why Grow a Garden?, 9

2. Soil Management, 10
Tilth, 10
Texture, 10
Soil Textural Classes, 11
Judging Soil Texture by Feel, 12
Working with Clay-type Soils, 13
Sources of Organic Matter, 13
Making a Compost Pile, 14
Manures, 15
Nutritive Values of Manures, 15
Soil Depth, 15
PH Measurement, 15
Regulating Soil PH, 16
Salty Soils, 16

3. Fertilizers, 17
Plant Nutrients, 17
What Fertilizers are Needed?, 17
Plant Nutrients, 18
Soil Tests, 20
What a Soil Test Will Tell You, 20
How to Take a Soil Test, 20
Understanding Soil Test Results, 20
Types of Fertilizers, 21
Broadcast Application, 23
Band Application, 23
Sidedressing Fertilizers During the Season, 23
Fertilizer Burn, 23
Special-use Fertilizers, 24
Fertilizer Summary, 25
Iron Deficiency, 25
Control, 26

4. Weeds, Mulches and Irrigation, 27
Weeding, 27
Never Let A Weed Go To Seed, 27
Typical Seed Production, 27
Pull Weeds While They Are Young, Remove the Weeds From the Garden, 27
Irrigation Methods Impact Weed Growth, 28
Keep the Garden Small and Manageable, 28
Prevent Weeds With Mulches, 28
Mulching to Save Work, 28
Organic Mulches, 28
Plastic Mulches, 29
Chemical Weed Control, 30
Irrigation, 31
How Much and How Often, 31
Irrigation Summary 'by Soil Types, 32
How Irrigation Would Change if Root Depths Were Different, 32
Furrow and Flood Irrigation, 32
Sprinkler Irrigation, 33
Drip Irrigation, 33
Water Conservation, 33

5. Garden Layout and Planting, 34
Crop Rotation, 34
Companion Planting and Successive Cropping, 35
Close-row Planting Vs. Traditional Row Spacing, 35
Vegetable Planting Guide, 36
Close-row Block Planting Kitchen Garden, 37
Kitchen Garden with Traditional Row Spacing, 38
Close-row Block Planting, 39
Row and Vine Crops in Traditional Spacing, 40
Raised Bed Gardening, 41
When to Plant, 42
Vegetable Planting Times, 42
Germination Temperatures, 43
Crops for Fall Harvest, 43
Growth and Summer Temperatures, 43
Harvest Dates as Influenced by Planting Date and Local Temperature, 43
Sowing Seeds, 44
Starting Transplants Indoors, 44
Soils, 44
Containers, 45
Seeding, 45
Seeding Time for Vegetable Transplants, 45
Storing Seeds, 46

6. Extending the Harvest Season with Micro-climate Modification, 47
Frost Protection, 47
Using Sprinklers for Frost Protection, 48
Hot Caps, 48
Row Coverings, 49
Cold Frames and Hotbeds, 49
Solar Heated Cold Frames, 49
Standard Cold Frame for Extending the Growing Season, 50
Solar Greenhouse for Off-season Production, 52
Guidelines for Off-season Vegetable Production, 53

7. Growing Vegetables, 55
Asparagus, 55
Beans, 55
Snap Beans, 56
Lima Beans, 56
Dry Beans, 56
Cole Crops, 52
Broccoli, 57
Brussels Sprouts, 58
Cabbage, 58
Cauliflower, 58
Kohlrabi, 58
Corn, 59
Leafy Vegetable and Salad Crops, 60
Lettuce, 60
Spinach, 60
Swiss Chard, 60
Celery, 60
The Onion Family, 61
Peas, 61
Potatoes, 62
Rhubarb, 63
Root Crops, 63
Carrots, 63
Beets, 64
Parsnips, 64
Radishes, 64
Turnips & Rutabagas, 64
The Tomato Family, 64
Tomatoes, 64
Peppers, 66
Eggplant, 66
Vine Crops, 67
Cucumbers, 68
Squash and Pumpkins, 68
Cantaloupes and Watermelons, 69

8. Insects and Diseases, 70
Common Vegetable Insects and Diseases, 71
Common Garden Insects, 71
Aphids, 71
Caterpillars, Loopers, Cutworms and Leafrollers, 73
Controlling Caterpillars, 76
Controlling Cutworms and Armyworms, 76
Earwigs, 77
Controlling Earwigs, 77
Grasshoppers, 77
Leafhoppers, 78
Controlling Leafhoppers, 78
Slugs and Snails, 79
Preventative Measures, 79
Bait Stations, 79
Easy-to-Make Bait Station, 80
Spider Mites,80
Controlling Spider Mites, 81
Thrips, 82
Controlling Thrips, 82

9. Insect and Disease Problems of Vegetables, 83
Asparagus, 83
Insects of Asparagus, 83
Diseases of Asparagus, 83
Beans, 84
Insecticides for Use on Beans, 84
Insects of Beans, 84
Bean Diseases, 85
Beets and Swiss Chard, 86
Insects of Beets and Chard, 86
Insecticides for Use on Beets and Chard, 86
Diseases of Beets and Chard, 86
Carrots, 87
Insecticides for Use on Carrots, 87
Insects of Carrots, 87
Diseases of Carrots, 87
Celery, 87
Insecticides for Use on Celery, 87
Celery Insects, 87
Celery Diseases, 87
Cole Crops, 88
Insecticides for Use on Cole Crops, 88
Insects of Cole Crops, 88
Diseases of Cole Crops, 88
Corn, 89
Insecticides for Use on Corn, 89
Insects of Corn, 89
Diseases of Corn, 91
Eggplant, 91
Insecticides for Use on Eggplant, 91
Insects of Eggplant, 91
Diseases of Eggplant, 92
Lettuce, 92
Insecticides for Use on Lettuce, 92
Insects of Lettuce, 92
Onions, 92
Insecticides for Use on Onions, 92
Insects of Onions, 92
Diseases of Onions, 92
Peas, 92
Insecticides for Use on Peas, 92
Insects of Peas, 93
Diseases of Peas, 93
Peppers, 93
Insecticides for Use on Peppers, 93
Insects of Peppers, 94
Diseases of Peppers, 94
Potatoes, 94
Insecticides for Use on Potatoes, 94
Insects of Potatoes, 94
Diseases of Potatoes, 96
Radishes and Turnips, 98
Insecticides for Use on Radishes and Turnips, 98
Insects of Radishes and Turnips, 99
Spinach, 99
Insecticides for Use on Spinach, 99
Insects of Spinach, 99
Tomatoes, 100
Insecticides for Use on Tomatoes, 100
Insects of Tomatoes, 100
Diseases of Tomatoes, 101
Vine Crops, 104
Insecticides for Use on Vine Crops, 104
Insects of Vine Crops, 105
Diseases of Vine Crops, 105

Bibliography and Additional Reading, 108
Vegetable Seed Sources, 109
Index, 110

Order Information