With a wealth of information and tested advice, this problem-solving treasure gives gardeners every-thing they need to do battle with garden pests, diseases, and weeds—with safe, natural solutions. Combining a troubleshooting approach with encyclopedic coverage and drawing on the most up-to-date research on biological and non- or low-toxic controls, Rodale's Vegetable Garden Problem Solver features: • more than 60 vegetables, organized alphabetically from asparagus to zucchini • individual pest entries on the 30 most common insect pests and how to combat them • individual disease entries on the 30 most common vegetable plant diseases—including symptoms and causes and ways to keep plants disease-free • a problem-solving approach to such favorite gardening topics as seed-starting, soil, weather, watering, crop rotation, fertilizing, transplanting, and season extension • "Beyond the Basics" sidebars for those willing to go the extra mile to eradicate a problem in the garden in a safe and natural way With numerous tips on prevention so gardeners can spend less time putting out fires and focus instead on producing higher-yielding and more attractive gardens, this will quickly become the trusted companion of every vegetable gardener.

Whether gardeners are growing vegetables, herbs, fruits and nuts, or flowers, this book will help them identify plants quickly and easily and avoid future problems by creating an enduring, naturally healthy balance in the garden. 250 illustrations.

Provides a field guide to pests and diseases, and recommends organic controls.

Designed to help readers make organic gardening easy and productive by using plants themselves instead of chemical care, a gardener offers a system that encourages pest-free growth

Discusses pest control

"A handy guide for public library gardening collections."-Booklist

Arranged by season, provides ideas and advice for vegetable and ornamental gardens

A complete guide to safe, effective solutions for insect & disease problems in the flower garden-without the use of chemicals.

Home gardeners can diagnose plant diseases correctly and treat them effectively using the least toxic methods available with the information provided in this comprehensive book. The ecologically minded gardener will understand the complex nature of plant pathogens and learn to identify symptoms of diseases and disorders. Information about the most common and devastating plant diseases that afflict trees, turf grasses, vegetables, and ornamental plants is given. Although a preventive approach is stressed, should diseases get a foothold, this book contains a thorough discussion of the range of the least toxic disease controls. Many of the remedies can be mixed from readily available ingredients and, when used responsibly, will protect the gardener and the environment.

Joe Cynikowski is a fifty-five-year old cynical, Republican conservative who is an investigator for the U.S. Navy. He meets thirty-year-old Frank Goodman, a liberal Jewish post graduate student in a Tempe, Arizona bar. Frank is trying to write a thesis for his doctorate degree in philosophy and has chosen "Cynicism" as his topic. Frank and Joe begin bantering about the current social climate in America and they discuss the views of conservatives, liberals, and the effects of media slants. Frank convinces a reluctant Joe to ride along with him on his business trip to continue the discussion. During the trip, they rescue a battered woman from her violent husband and with the help of the Border Patrol, they save a young Mexican illegal immigrant whose parents have been kidnapped by Mexican coyote slavers. The story contains severe criticisms by Joe about the ethical and moral decay in America, and discusses bigotry, racism, and religion. Joe explains the reasons for his cynicism and Frank counters with a liberal, more positive view. They team up together to do a few good deeds by helping those in distress and hope that their actions will make things better in some small way. It is a story with a powerful message. Certain passages might offend some readers, even though they tend toward moral conclusions.