Grow More Food: A Vegetable Gardener’s Guide to Getting the Biggest Harvest Possible from a Space of Any Size

“As your knowledge and experience grow, so will your yields,” write McCrate and Halm, owners of the Seattle Urban Farm Company, in their handy debut guide to growing one’s own vegerables. Their approach is centered on treating a backyard garden like a “small-scale farm,” and they kick things off with a discussion of planning and record-keeping (featuring tricks for picking the best site and an exercise to write down one’s “growing priorities”), followed by a section on maximizing soil health, which includes a guide to interpreting soil test results and fixing common problems. Then comes a chapter on seeds; a section with tips for creating “efficient systems” that achieve adequate lighting, water, and humidity in a home nursery; and a final chapter that offers suggestions for extending the growing season, harvesting, and storage. Though the authors apply the seriousness of professional growers, they don’t lay on too much pressure: “Gardening is fraught with challenges. It will make you lose your mind if you don’t take a step back... and laugh at the whole process.” Backyard gardeners looking to bring crops into their kitchen need look no further. (Feb.)