Resource Library 1.

 

Vegetables

  • A Garlic Primer: Nice overview of how to grow garlic and the different types of garlic varieties, including some beautiful drawings, UC Santa Cruz Farm

  • Crops in the NOVIC Project, Northern Organic Vegetable Improvement Collaborative: Results of vegetable trials being conducted by researchers across the northern United States. Information is technical, but interesting to search for varietal reviews. Oregon State University, 2012

  • Grower’s Library: Includes links for many growing guides for specific vegetables. Also has links for comparison charts of different varieties, their characteristics, and performance at different times of year. Johnny’s Selected Seeds, 2012

  • Vegetable Growing Guides: Includes guides for growing nearly 60 types of vegetables. Cornell University, 2006

  • Vegetables and Herbs: Includes links to many useful brochures on cultivating specific vegetable types. Portland Nursery, 2012

  • Raised Bed Gardening by D. Hatch: Very basic introduction to building raised beds for home gardeners. Oregon State University Extension, 2002

  • Short Season Vegetable Gardening: Brief guide for Maritime Northwest gardeners who experience shortened growing seasons due to early and late season rains. This guide provides tips to make the most of a short summer, extending the season with plant covers, short season cultivars, and garden site selection. Jo Ann Robbins and Wm. Michael Colt, Pacific Northwest Extension, 2000

  • Vegetable Harvest and Storage: Guide for home and market growers that provides optimum storage conditions and storage times for a variety of vegetables and some fruits. David Trinklein, University of Missouri Extension, 2012

  • Vegetable Variety Trials: Results of vegetable trials being conducted by researchers at OSU. Information is technical, but interesting to search for varietal reviews. For information on vegetable trials from previous years seach “vegetable variety trials” on Oregon State University Extension’s Agriculture catalog Oregon State University Extension, 2011

Fruits

Fruit and Nut Trees

  • Apple Trees for Every Garden: Describes apple rootstocks, training and pruning systems that can be used by backyard gardeners to establish an orchard in a limited space. Includes information on planting, fertility and rootstock characteristics. Orin Martin, UC Santa Cruz Center for Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems

  • Growing Tree Fruits and Nuts in the Home Orchard: An introduction to home orchards, fruit and nut varieties for your region, and general orchard tree care. J. Olsen, Oregon State University Extension

  • Paw Paw -A ‘Tropical’ Fruit for Temperate Climates: Provides an introduction to paw paw cultivation and harvest. B.C. Strik and C.E. Finn, Oregon State University Extension, 2008

  • Persimmons, Asian and American: Provides information on site selection and care for persimmons. Also includes information on marketing for commercial growers. B.C. Strik and C.E. Finn, Guy Ames, ATTRA, 2001

  • Training and Pruning Your Home Orchard: Great overview of pruning terminology, techniques, and the particulars of pruning different types of fruit trees. Includes good illustrations of pruning cuts for different situations. Jeff Olsen, Pacific Northwest Extension, 2011

Berries

  • Blueberry Cultivars for Oregon: Describes the characteristics of different blueberry varieties including their yields and flavor characteristics. Oregon State University Extension, 2008

  • Growing Blueberries in Your Home Garden: Describes blueberry cultivation for home gardeners including establishment, care, and harvesting. JB.C. Strik, Oregon State University Extension, 2008

  • Strawberry Cultivars for Oregon: Describes the different strawberry varieties that grow well in Oregon both for the home gardener and commercial production. B.C. Strik and C.E. Finn, Oregon State University Extension, 2008

Vine Fruits

  • Growing Table Grapes: A guide for home gardeners, this publication includes information on grape terminology, selecting cultivars, pruning, and trellising systems. B.C. Strik, Oregon State University Extension, 2011

  • Growing Kiwifruit: Learn to select and grow kiwi plants. Includes information on pruning, trellising systems, harvest and storage. B. Strik, Oregon State University Extension, 2005

Seeds

 Suppliers

For more seed suppliers, see the Directory of Organic Seed Suppliers by the National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service, 2012.

Basic Seed Saving

  • Basic Seed Saving: Includes links to basic seed saving terminology and techniques for specific vegetables. International Seed Saving Institute, 2010

  • Seed Savers Zine: Well-written and constructed guide from the local Seed Ambassadors Project connected to adaptive seeds.

  • Seed Saving Resources: Provides techniques for saving seeds from specific vegetables. Seed Savers Exchange, 2011

  • A Seed Saving Guide: Great online guide for seed saving terminology, seed growing, and seed saving techniques for various vegetables. Organic Seed Alliance, 2010

  • Vegetable Seed Saving Handbook: Provides technical information on saving various types of vegetables, as well as bibliography of other seed saving resources.

Propagation and Transplants

  • Compost Calculator: Overview of growing plants from seed for beginners. Includes useful tables showing the average longevity of the seeds from different vegetable varieties, optimum germination temperatures, and a list of which vegetables transplant well versus poorly. Diane Relf and Alan McDaniel, Virginia Cooperative Extension, 2009

Calculators and Chart

  • Storing Vegetables and Flower Seeds: Guide includes a chart of expected life of seeds when stored properly. Also includes seed storage techniques. J.E. Ellis, L.N. Bass, and D. Whiting, Colorado State University Extension, 2008

  • Vegetable Garden Seed Storage and Germination Requirements: Another guide with approximate storage life of seeds. Also provides details on performing a germination test to check the viability of older seed. TDale Lindgren and Sarah Browning, University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension, 2011

  • Vegetable Seeds per Ounce / per Gram: A guide that makes it easier for home gardeners and small market growers to convert the number of seeds they need to an approximate weight. Harvest to Table, 2011