If you have ever wanted to know more about aquaponics - a method of growing plants alongside fish - this little book is for you. An aquaponics system is a fabulous, self-contained, water-saving method of gardening on as small or as large a scale as you want. It can be a fair weather hobby or a year-round one if you add some sort of protection (e.g. a greenhouse or polytunnel), heat, and light to the system - or have a small system in your house. The fish water continually floods and drains through the plants, feeding and nourishing them, and the plants then act like a reed-bed, filtering the water before it goes back to the fish. The plants grow more quickly than plants in soil, and are less susceptible to disease and pests. The fish can also be eaten, providing a valuable source of clean protein without contributing to the devastating effects of over-fishing which are so damaging to our oceans and wild fish stocks. You don't have to eat the fish, though - lots of vegetarians grow food aquaponically. The growth in the self-sufficiency movement is unprecedented. More and more people are taking back control of their health from the government and pharmaceutical industries. Now it is possible to grow an abundance of healthy, organic produce even if you don't have a garden. It is also possible if you don't have a huge bank balance The book includes links to DIY plans and sets out the components you need for a basic system. The author of the book does not claim to be an aquaponics expert, she is just passionate about growing aquaponically as it has helped her health and grocery bills. She aims to dispel some of the myths about aquaponics, while showing how easy and inexpensive it can be to take up, and that you don't need to be good at electrics or plumbing in order to understand how a system works.

The top 50 indoor houseplants for brightening your interiors - what's best and how to keep them alive. Bring the outdoors in and breathe new life to your home with plants! House plants are well and truly back on trend - they instantly lift an area, make a room feel fresh and welcoming, and brighten your mood. On top of this, indoor plants are great for purifying the air and creating a healthier home.Together with microbes in the soil, plants work wonders to reduce harmful pollutants released from indoor furniture. (It's true: look at the study conducted by the University of Technology, Sydney.) If you feel like your rooms need a splash of colour and a breath of life, there's no better starting point than this book. Whether your style is dramatic jungle plants or to sweetly shaped succulents, you'll find something to suit. With loads of glorious illustrations for inspiration, data on which plants are suitable where, and clear advice on how to pot, prune and pet your plants, this is the perfect guide for bringing the outdoors in - no matter what your level of gardening skill!

This book contains techniques and formulations derived from extensive hydroponics experiments done at the Clarence Fitzroy Bryant College, that was designed for tropical and subtropical environments under shade house conditions instead of greenhouse conditions. It contains a variety of formulas for a range of crop types and useful background information on nutrient deficiency and will be useful for persons interested in hydroponic gardening. This book can also be used as a visual reference to diagnose plant deficiencies as well as showcase the hydroponics system used with crops grown just before harvest.

This Is A New Release Of The Original 1910 Edition.

All sorts of greenhouse, garden, and house plants can be propagated from cuttings, using only a cold frame or some sheltered ground. Budding, layering, grafting, division, and raising from seed are also simple operations once you know how-with the added satisfaction of obtaining new plants at a fraction of the cost of buying them. This manual explains all the techniques clearly and simply, illustrating the process with more than 80 diagrams and photos. There are also chapters on the uses of modern materials and equipment, the history of propagation, and the care of young plants after the propagation period, to ensure complete success. Comprehensive alphabetical tables cover the propagation of over 1,500 different kinds of plant, making this book as invaluable for the horticultural student as it is for the home gardener. For each variety the chart indicates the most suitable methods, times of year, and conditions-greenhouse, cold frame, outdoors, or indoors-to propagate successfully.

A thorough and comprehensive guide to various methods and stages to improving soil for crop cultivation. The maintenance and increase of soil fertility go hand in hand, as explained in this simple how to guide to maintaining good soil and farming practices. Originally written and published in 1912, valuable turn of the century and pre-technological involvement information is contained within this text.

How To Graft Tomato Plants demystifies grafting tomato plants for the home gardener. Grafted tomato plants have proven to be an effective technique to combat soil borne diseases, increase both fruit production and plant vigor. Grafted tomato plants can extend harvest, increase tolerance to heat and cold, and reduce the use of chemicals to fight root borne disease. Included in this easy-to-follow guide are the critical steps for successful grafting, the essential factors for choosing rootstock, and the importance of a germination test. You will learn a grafting technique, and how to simplify the healing chamber. Instructions for planting and caring for your successful grafted tomato plants is also included. With patience and practice, the guidelines in this book will assist gardeners everywhere to graft tomatoes and enjoy the benefits of beautiful, vigorous tomato plants all season long in the garden.

This Is A New Release Of The Original 1899 Edition.

The UK's leading gardening publisher brings you a horticultural handbook to fulfil your every need and seed! Get your gardening gloves on and join the green-fingered journey to growing fruit successfully at home. A must-have volume for first-time gardeners, Grow Fruit has tons of tips and tricks to sow, grow, plant and propagate a diverse range of fruit, from plums to persimmons, blackcurrants to blueberries, this grower's guide truly has it all! Try your hand at more than 40 different varieties of fruit trees, bushes, canes and vines, including allotment plot staples such as damsons and blackcurrants, as well as lesser-grown options like kiwis and pineapple guavas. With passion in every page, you can enjoy: - A jargon-free practical guide to harvesting home-grown fruits. - Easy to follow step-by-step instructions of fundamental gardening techniques. - Exploration of popular fruits as well as lesser-known options. In today's society, the ever-growing pressure of balancing family life with a career suggests a lot of today's green-fingered gardeners simply lack time for growing fruit and vegetables at home. We believe it's time to change that! Whatever your horticultural hopes may be, author and gardener Holly Farrell brings you a fantastic fruit-growing guide that is sure to shape first-time gardeners like never before, full of top tips to help your garden thrive! An ideal gift for first-time gardeners, budding botanists or the green-fingered lover in your life, make sure to get those gardening gloves on, and join the journey today! At DK, we believe in the power of discovery. If you like Grow Fruit why not try the other titles in our Grow series? Learn how to brighten your garden all year round with Grow Bulbs, enjoy a no-fuss guide to container gardening with Grow Containers or minimise garden waste with Grow Eco-Gardening. Ready, set, let's grow!