The Informed Gardener

In this introduction to sustainable landscaping practices, Linda Chalker-Scott addresses the most common myths and misconceptions that plague home gardeners and horticultural professionals. Chalker-Scott offers invaluable advice to gardeners who have wondered:o Are native plants the best choice for sustainable landscaping?o Should you avoid disturbing the root ball when planting?o Are organic products better or safer than synthetic ones?o What is the best way to control weeds-fabric or mulch?o Does giving vitamins to plants stimulate growth?o Are compost teas effective in controlling diseases?o When is the best time to water in hot weather?o If you pay more, do you get a higher-quality plant?o How can you differentiate good advice from bad advice?The answers may surprise you. In her more than twenty years as a university researcher and educator in the field of plant physiology, Linda Chalker-Scott has discovered a number of so-called truths that originated in traditional agriculture and that have been applied to urban horticulture, in many cases damaging both plant and environmental health.The Informed Gardeneris based on basic and applied research from university faculty and landscape professionals, originally published in peer-reviewed journals.After reading this book, you will:o Understand your landscape or garden plants as components of a living systemo Save time (by not overdoing soil preparation, weeding, pruning, staking, or replacing plants that have died before their time)o Save money (by avoiding worthless or harmful garden products, and producing healthier, longer-lived plants)o Reduce use of fertilizers and pesticideso Assess marketing claims objectivelyThis book will be of interest to landscape architects, nursery and landscape professionals, urban foresters, arborists, certified professional horticulturists, and home gardeners.Linda Chalker-Scott is an extension urban horticulturist and associate professor at Puyallup Research and Extension Center, Washington State University. She is the Washington State editor of MasterGardener magazine and for six years she authored an online column, "Horticultural Myths".

Critical Thinking
The Myth of Absolute Science	p. 5
The Myth of Indisputable Information	p. 10
The Myth of Organic Superiority, Part 1	p. 14
The Myth of Organic Superiority, Part 2	p. 19
Understanding How Plants Work
The Myth of Fragile Roots	p. 29
Pruning Flawed Woody Roots Before Transplanting	p. 33
The Myth of Mighty Roots	p. 35
The Myth of Top-pruning Transplanted Material	p. 39
The Myth of Tree Topping	p. 43
How Big is Big?	p. 49
The Myth of Hot-weather Watering	p. 50
How/What/When/Where to Plant
The Myth of Instant Landscaping	p. 59
The Myth of Native Plant Superiority	p. 63
Going Native? Or Not?	p. 68
The Myth of Well-behaved Ornamentals	p. 69
The Myth of Plant Quality	p. 74
Choosing the Best Plants at the Nursery	p. 79
The Myth of Drainage Material in Containers	p. 81
The Myth of Collapsing Root Balls	p. 85
The Myth of Tree Staking	p. 91
Soil Additives
The Myth of Soil Amendments, Part 1	p. 99
The Myth of Soil Amendments, Part 2	p. 103
The Myth of Soil Amendments, Part 3	p. 107
The Myth of Phosphate Fertilizer, Part 1	p. 111
The Myth of Phosphate Fertilizer, Part 2	p. 116
The Myth of Beneficial Bonemeal	p. 120
The Myth of Polyacrylamide Hydrogels	p. 124
The Myth of Polyacrylamide Hydrogels Revisited	p. 131
The Myth of Wandering Weedkiller	p. 137
Mulches
The Myth of Landscape Fabric	p. 145
Using Arborist Wood Chips For Weed Control	p. 149
The Myth of Clean Compost	p. 150
How does mulching reduce pesticide and fertilizer use?	p. 155
The Myth of Paper-based Sheet Mulch	p. 156
The Myth of Pretty Mulch	p. 160
Characteristics of an Ideal Landscape Mulch	p. 165
Miracles in a Bag/Bottle/Box
The Myth of Compost Tea	p. 169
The Myth of Compost Tea Revisited	p. 175
The Myth of Mineral Magic	p. 181
The Myth of Vitamin Shots	p. 187
The Myth of Vitamin Stimulants	p. 193
The Myth of Wound Dressings	p. 198
Essential Garden Tools and Products	p. 204
Index	p. 207
Table of Contents provided by Blackwell. All Rights Reserved.

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The Informed Gardener

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