Four-Season Harvest: Organic Vegetables from Your Home Garden All Year Long, 2nd Edition

One caveat: if you grow veggies on 1/4 acre or more you're going to like this book more than if you grow veggies on a small lot (less than 100 sq. ft), on a balcony, or in containers. The reader will have to scale down significantly the concepts in this book. I don't think it's impossible; but it is more work for the reader. also, this is not a how-to book. Coleman gives some guidance but no step-by-step instructions.I'm not much of a fan of line drawings but Coleman's drawings in this book have grown on me. This book details far better than Winter Harvest Handbook. Even though the book is written through the eyes of a small commercial grower and would benefit any commercial grower, I believe the concepts can be applied on a modified scale to the home grower. His focus is on unheated hoop houses (high and low tunnels), cold frames, and the growing techniques (soil amending, tilling, cover crops, etc.) that apply. the same techniques that are used in regular outdoor summer growing can be, with little modification, be applied in an unheated green house or tunnel. One major difference from this book and his other books is a more complete (not exhaustive) list of details for various crops grown in his New England farm. Details like row spacing and plant spacing, selected varieties, along with histories, and anecdotes. Why is this different? More details that I didn't find in Coleman's two other books. New Organic Grower is a collection of his experiences; and Winter Harvest Handbook, I found, to not be as engaging in spite of the glossy photographs (the whole book is on glossy paper).In Four-Season Harvest, Coleman, mentions in more details crop rotation in the greenhouses; mobile greenhouses; materials; outdoor crops that use support, like tomatoes, and beans and how to get a head start with temporary a-frame greenhouse with easy to get materials. I was really impressed with this book (more impressed than with New Organic Grower). I'm not sure why. I think it must be because I can apply the winter harvest techniques to the summer outdoor garden. Even though the book's focus is winter crops (salad greens, in particular) I feel like it opened up my mind to the endless possibilities of the the summer outdoor garden. With the New Organic Grower, I feel like I still have to figure out how to scale down commercial concepts to the home garden--not an impossible task. Four Season Harvest--even with it's small commercial concepts--feels scaled down already, do-able. Again, the crops focused in the book are primarily winter crops but he doesn't leave out entirely summer crops like tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, etc. in Appendix A. I did notice watermelon was missing but I wonder if their growing season is so short that he doesn't grow it (they don't grow pumpkins either) or he just lumped watermelon with the "melons" in the last chapter.I find myself referring to the Four-Season Harvest more so than any of his other books; and just FYI, I haven't decided to use hoop houses or tunnels (our growing area is about 5500 sq. ft.) . Lastly, I'm a reader in Central Texas. This was one key that I had to keep in mind while reading his books--written by a New England small commercial grower. Growing conditions clearly different in Texas from New England. However, this doesn't discourage me from trying the techniques he writes about. I really really liked this book the most!If you're still unsure about buying this book, check it out from your local library. This is what I did, even though I read many reviews.

Before I tell you how much I adore this book, let me tell you first what some may consider to be negatives.1. Eliot writes in a very conversational manner, and in so doing, he tells of some personal stories (particularly their visit to France). If you are a 'cold hard facts' kind of person and you're looking for a technical manual, you probably will not enjoy this book. It is not a very technical book, though it is filled with a lot of great information.2. If you do not have much of a winter to speak of (say, possibly Zone 9 and above), then this book may not prove to be too applicable to your situation.That's really the only negatives I can forecast for any of you readers out there! Now, on to my review.This book is a fun, easy-to-read manual on how to successfully grow crops year- round, and focuses on the crops that work best in the fall/winter months. You don't have to have a ton of money to do this. Eliot describes both the usage of cold frames and/or 'low tunnels' AKA 'chenilles' in the garden. These methods are described in enough detail that even a novice can successfully utilize them. The lovely thing about these methods is that you are using the warmth of the sun to keep your crops happy and healthy, and not using external heating devices. The list of acceptable crops is pretty expansive. I have read and re-read this book many a winter's evening sitting in front of our fireplace. It's very inspirational!While Eliot is in Maine (Zone 5, is it?) the book can be used for any US zone, with the exception of those lucky temperate zones which never experience a freeze. The tables can be converted to your own zone and your growing method (cold frame/low tunnels)and he explains how to do this. I am in Zone 8, which rarely freezes for more than a day or so, so instead of using cold frames I can instead use the low tunnels, which look like a miniature greenhouse. Mine are only about 2 feet tall in the center and were created with clear plastic sheeting (you can buy in a roll at most any home improvement store) and either PVC or steel rods which make up the 'hoops'. I have had GREAT success with my low tunnels. This is my second year to do this, and I'll never look back, thanks to Mr. Coleman.Last year, by the end of winter, I was treated to chard, broccoli, onions, cabbages, and cauliflower. This year, I have planted many lettuces, more chard, green onions and other crops which can be harvested throughout winter rather than at the very end of it.Some people have complained that they would need to drop a ton of cash and buy a greenhouse. I'm not sure where they would get that idea from this book, since it clearly tells you what to plant, when to plant it, and how to properly protect it...all without going into discussion about investing in a greenhouse. If you are in a cold zone (6 or less) and can't spend a lot on cold frames, I would imagine that you could use old single pane windows or even doors for the glass.

I ve been too late in discovering Eliot Coleman. Don't make the same mistake I did. Make this the first gardening book you buy. So much sense without preaching.

A really informative, detailed and practical book for the home gardener/allotmenteer. Based on decades of experience and personal research, this professional grower generously shares his knowledge and makes it accessible and easy to follow. I am a complete fan of his now! ; )

Fab

I purchased this book because I have been growing my own veg for seven years now but have never managed to keep things going in the winter, once the clocks change and I can no longer pick runner beans. That's it. This book is actually a good read! And it has insprired be to have a go, I already have a greenhouse and its is very unlikly that I will have to clear snow too often to harvest crops.

No sólo la información que da es excelente, pero además lo hace de manera didáctica, entretenida y desbordante de pasión.Descubrí a Coleman a través del libro de los impulsores de Bec Hellouin, en Francia. Coleman es un apasionado y estudioso de la horticultura francesa, y explica que Maine (donde está su huerto) está en el paralelo 44, que es el mismo paralelo que el sur de Francia (mismas horas de luz a través del año). Más allá de las corrientes cálidas que benefician a Francia, la aplicación que hace del aprendizaje en otra zona enriquece muchísimo el espectro de lo que se puede hacer en el huerto.Ojalá hubiese encontrado a Coleman antes, pero nunca es tarde.La única pega es que hay que convertir todas las medidas de imperial a métrica.