 |
|
Title: The Great Tomato Book
ISBN: 1580800300
Author:
Shelia Buff
Publicate Date: 1999-04
Publish: 1999-04
List Price: $16.95
Average Customer Rating: 4.0
Format: Paperback
 |
|
|
|
|
Amazon Lowest Used Price: $5.00
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Customer Review: |
|
1: Good reference for novice growers
This book was a handy reference tool when I decided to grow heirloom tomatoes from seed. Though 145 pages, the bulk of helpful information is found within about 60 pages, which cover tomato growing essentials. The remainder is devoted to tomato history and tomato recipes. There is also a fairly good list in the back of the book of tomato seed resources. One noticeable omission from that list is Gary Ibsen's fabulous tomatofest.com, which offers more than 500 organic heirloom varieties (perhaps due in part to Ibsen's competing book of the same name!)
Nevertheless, this book does its job in walking the reader through the steps of successful tomato growing:
a. CHOOSING SEEDS (hybrid vs. OP, or open pollinated varieties.) I was especially glad to see the author discouraging the reader from hybrids, especially F1 hybrids, which:
reduce naturally occuring varieties over the years
encourage pollution through the seeds' reliance on fertilizers
don't reproduce normally from seed
F1s may be more disease resistant, but they also help the commercial seed grower maintain a monopoly over what kinds of tomatoes are grown, whch is why saving and sharing seeds of naturally occuring varieties is an essential component of biodiversity.
b. CHOOSING POTTING SOIL
c. STARTING THE SEEDS - how, where, when
d. TRANSFERRING SEEDLINGS
e. MAINTAINING AND ROTATING CROPS
f. FIGHTING PESTS AND DISEASE - an important chapter, since heirlooms are more prone to disease
g. MULCHING
h. HARVESTING
The book also covers "tomato lingo" fairly well, explaining such terms as determinate and indeterminate, and the difference between heirloom and other naturally occuring varieties. It features a few b/w photos and 8 color pages of tomato pictures that while pretty, are not at all functional. Better to have devoted the color photos to plants with insect damage or disease as a helpful reference to the home gardener.
The Great Tomato Book is a beginner's book, and a good one. It got my tomatoes off to a wonderful start a couple of years ago and I've once again pulled it off the shelf to refresh my knowledge as I start a new crop of tomatoes from seed.
|
2: A great book for tomato lovers
The Great Tomato Book is simply an excellent book. Clearly and concisely written, it covers all aspects of the tomato, from its history right down to what to do with your harvest. While it may not have loads of colour photopgraphs like some other tomato books--it does have some though--it more than makes up for it in the numerous interesting and useful bits of information that are found throughout.
|
3: The great tomato book
This book is truly one of a kind for the beginner or the expert. It provides informative incite to from the seedling to the dinner table for those that consider themselves tomato addicts. The book is an extremely good bargain for the price and should be in every gardener's library.
|
|
|
|
|
