Best holticulture by climate books according to redditors
We found 105 Reddit comments discussing the best holticulture by climate books. We ranked the 34 resulting products by number of redditors who mentioned them. Here are the top 20.
We found 105 Reddit comments discussing the best holticulture by climate books. We ranked the 34 resulting products by number of redditors who mentioned them. Here are the top 20.
As a fellow producer myself, boy, do I have just the book for you. Covers everything you need to know, and is even more relevant now than ever.
Because I'm an asshole.
Because every storm cloud ought to have a silver lining....
Brexit + XR
We all know that economic downturns are the fastest, surest way to reduce carbon emissions.
Everything seems to be claiming that a hard Brexit will cause an economic crisis in Britain. That may well spread.
So maybe Boris is giving XR exactly what they actually wanted. The economic downturn (or crash) that will reduce, perhaps drastically Britain's carbon emissions.
[Stay fed.] (https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=freeze+dried+vegetables&crid=1TW2FVNPOA3U3&sprefix=freeze+dried+veg%2Caps%2C244&ref=nb_sb_ss_i_1_16)
[However you can.] (https://www.amazon.com/Winter-Harvest-Handbook-Deep-Organic-Greenhouses/dp/1603580816)
Dave Jacke's book:
http://www.amazon.com/Edible-Forest-Gardens-2-set/dp/1890132608
Gaia's Garden:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1603580298/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_dp_ss_1?pf_rd_p=1944687542&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=1890132608&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=0DKFRRSMRZE5HP5F3XDB
Thanks for your interest, everyone!! First, some background information: I live in a desert (zone 8b), and this is for a community garden. Since it's a community garden, we have limits on what we can and can't install. A regular drip system with timer is not an option.
So, I did a ton of research, and read about olla pots for irrigation, and they seemed like a good idea. I also used this book from the library. Preliminary tests over the winter season were promising enough to expand the system.
Each plot in our garden is roughly 4'x8'. We used a total of six six-inch unglazed terra cotta pots for each plot. We glued the pots together in twos to equal three large ollas. The hardest work was digging and pick axing a trench that is deep enough and roughly twice the width of the pots.
From there, we used PVC to connect a five gallon bucket to each of the pots. Since the pots are unglazed, water will seep out from their entire surface area. The distance the water reaches away from the pots depends largely on how broken up the soil is.
Once all of the PVC glue is dry, we will recover the pots, and run water through the system. We have already tested one plot, and it seems like the water is reaching 3"-6" away from the pots, so we'll plant in that area.
The idea is to reduce evaporation and use less water. If it works, I'll post an update later in the season!!
ETA: The cost for each plot was about $15 for materials. We completed three plots on a Saturday morning with four volunteers.
Sure. I'm no shill or anything, but here's some good starting places:
[Book: The Savage garden, by Peter D'Amato] (https://www.amazon.com/Savage-Garden-Cultivating-Carnivorous-Plants/dp/0898159156/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_14_t_1?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=3AG6424FNV59DZW3H232). It wasn't my first VFT care book, but I think its one of the best out there. Teaches you enough about soil composition, water quality, and general good info to have about spotting pests and such.
TerraForums Venus Flytraps Forum. When I first got into the hobby, this place was very important to me. I got a lot of good help and advice. Someone even sent me free VFT so long as I paid S&H for them. A great group of folks. I don't interact there much anymore, but I still check in from time to time.
VFT are notorious for being easy to kill (which they are), but keeping them alive is actually painfully simple: De-chlorinated water with a mineral count of >100 PPM, (a gallon of distilled water is like, 50 cents), and as much light as you can get them. They can never have enough light. One or two bugs a month, and you'll have a very happy VFT.
I'm about six months in to five acre mature forest gardening in the Northwest. Any specific questions?
I can't stress this book enough, ESPECIALLY for your inquiry: Edible Forest Gardens.
I know they're expensive, but worth it. If you simply can't afford it and know of a way to exchange 15mb pdf files, I can hook you up!
Succulents (Idiot's Guide)
I got it at the library!
The appendix in Vol. II of Edible Forest Gardens (2 volume set) by Dave Jacke and Eric Toensmeier has a pretty extensive list. It's broken down by zone, size, function, moisture requirements, and a zillion other factors – including food and other uses.
I'd would plant a small edible forest garden. I like the ecological soundness, variety of produce and yield/upkeep factor of such systems.
Resources:
Creating a Forest Garden by Mark Crawford.
Edible Forest Gardens by Dave Jacke and Eric Toensmeier
Forest Gardening by Robert Hart
Sure thing. We're just setting it up for the winter, as most of her plants do very well outside (Detroit). Are you looking at a year-round terrarium setup, or a place to maintain them across a cold/wet season?
She went through and sorted everything by light/temp/water needs and figured out that her cephalotus/sarracenia (potted pitchers), drosera(sundews), and most of her pinguicula (butterworts) will be ok with a similar temp range - so they are all going into the same tank. I've been voluntold that I'm building risers this weekend to make sure each one gets the right amount of light - from a 4' x 4 tube T5 light setup that rests on top of the tank, just like an aquarium. There is a waterproof heating pad under the tank, and a thermometer inside to keep tabs on temp.
The top easily comes off and a couple pieces of plexi keep humidity constant. Since they won't be naturally hunting inside the tank plants can be dropper feed a thinned out 16/16/16 (maybe 18/18/18 - I don't know these things) solution, or you can apparently get wingless fruit flies or freeze dried mealworms.
Her nephentes (hanging/tropical pitchers) are getting cycled between window rods and the big shelving unit for succulents/orchids.
These books are definitely worth checking out:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1607744104/ (great wide overview)
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1505891604/
TLDR:
Hope this helps. If you have any questions, PM me and I'll direct you to the expert. All of my knowledge comes from whatever I need to order online or construct to support the habit.
There are a couple different species you could potentially keep in a kitchen environment as long as you have appropriate conditions.
Your best bet is going to be to check out /r/savagegarden, read Barry Rice's Carnivorous Plant FAQ and if you start getting serious, purchase a copy of The Savage Garden which is probably the best book around for learning how to grow carnivorous plants.
In terms of species that will do well in that environment, you're probably going to want to look at the genus Drosera (Sundews) or maybe Nepenthes (Tropical Pitcher Plants).
The best Sundews for your purposes are going to be:
Those are all fairly easy to cultivate and as long as fairly appropriate conditions are provided, they will thrive.
I'm not really certain of what Nepenthes would be best, as I don't really grow too many of them.
For "around the house growing" you're going to have to keep two major factors in mind.
Last thing, don't worry about the black thumb, I have an extremely pronounced one, but CPs seem to be just about the only thing I can actually grow! They're pretty easy to grow once you get a hang of it!
Try to get your hands on Edible Forest Gardens ( vol 1 and 2 ) by David Jacke and Eric Toensmeier. It's the premier work on Eastern North American ecological agroforestry.
Martin Crawford's work is also very applicable since he's in a humid zone 3-5 ish British climate. His book is an amazing resource.
The Bullock Brother's have done a lot of work in Cold climate permaculture but they're in Washinton so it's still more humid.
Great Plains ecology is an interesting biome though and I'm not sure there's been a lot of work done on food forestry in that particular climate. I know a fair amount of work has been done on perennial grasslands but it gets more complicated since you are dealing with elements of dryland design and cold climate design. Some tropical techniques for water retention aren't going to work since frost is going to be a factor. Probably the best technique would be to follow the ecology and design around coolees since that's where great plains deciduous forests tend to thrive.
There are some really awesome books out there:
The Savage Garden is always a great gift, but if he's an expert then he probably already has it. California Carnivores sells books signed by Peter (the author,) which could be fun.
Do you have an idea of what specific plants he's into (Nepenthes, sundews, Sarracenia)? If there's a specific type that he's passionate about, Stewart McPherson's books are incredibly detailed and beautiful (they're on Amazon too.)
Plants are a good way to go, but it's risky if you don't know what you're doing. If he's on any forums (Terraforums, etc) then he might have a "want list" posted. I know it's a stretch, but if you can find that then you're in great shape. If you happen to know of specific plants that he's after, PM me and I can try to help you source them.
Here are all the local Amazon links I could find:
amazon.com
amazon.co.uk
amazon.ca
amazon.com.au
amazon.in
amazon.com.mx
amazon.de
amazon.it
amazon.es
amazon.com.br
amazon.nl
amazon.co.jp
amazon.fr
Beep bloop. I'm a bot to convert Amazon ebook links to local Amazon sites.
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You can probably get this book at your local library, or find a used copy on Amazon:https://www.amazon.com/Gardening-Mediterranean-Way-Waterwise-Drought-Tolerant/dp/0810956004/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1487451378&sr=1-1&keywords=gardening+the+mediterranean+way
Around the World In Eighty Plants is right up your alley. It's by a fellow in Norway (!) who trialed hundreds of perennial vegetables for hardiness, and wrote a book about his favorites. Since /u/BioCuriousDave is in Britain, he'd also probably find it useful.
If you are considering a forest garden, I would not recommend doing so without a proper design. I highly recommend these two books: http://www.amazon.com/Edible-Forest-Gardens-2-set/dp/1890132608
They will help you create the right design which will save you a ton of work/ resource usage in the long term.
Oh ok. There is info on micronutrients in my forest gardening book. Apparently most of the US has the right kind of geological history, meaning there is very little risk of those micronutrients being depleted (since plants need so little of them and the subsoil is still pretty young). Certain areas (like in the SE where I am) need more careful balancing of the ecosystem in order to not deplete them too quickly, and are more sensitive to ecological disturbances like clear cutting.
A proper ecosystem cycles these nutrients via dynamic accumulators. This family might have planted comfrey, for example. The comfrey uses it's deep-reaching roots to take in the micronutrients from the subsoil. It stores it in it's tissues which you can then harvest and add to your top soil.
This family is not exporting 100% of their produce, they are composting, planting dynamic accumulators, and growing on young subsoil. So they shouldn't have any problems with micronutrient depletion for centuries.
With low covers and a small hoop house you can grow spinach all winter long.
I love this book https://www.amazon.com/Winter-Harvest-Handbook-Deep-Organic-Greenhouses/dp/1603580816/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1473282231&sr=8-1&keywords=eliot+coleman
> Is there a guide anywhere to owning them?
You're lookin' for a guide, huh? Well, this book is one of the best ones out there. Not only is it a guide to venus flytraps, it's a guide to all kinds of other carnivorous plants too. You could check your local library to see if they have it, the library near me does.
In the same boat, preparing to garden. Someone recommended this book to me and I will recommend it to you. They have it at the library.
http://www.amazon.ca/The-Calgary-Gardener-Essential-Gardening/dp/1895618673
If you are looking for examples, Sepp Holzer has lots of videos on youtube. Search "temperate permaculture" and you will find a lot of stuff on youtube.
http://tcpermaculture.com/site/ is a great temperate permaculture resource with guild lists and explanations of how permaculture can be used in a temperate climate.
The absolute BIBLE I rely on is this:
http://www.amazon.com/Edible-Forest-Gardens-2-set/dp/1890132608/ref=sr_1_sc_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1368994131&sr=8-3-spell&keywords=eric+tonsmeijer
It's pricy and worth the hardcopy. But it's out there in torrents. It has an absolute ton of information on HOW to do permaculture in a temperate setting. I can't recommend this highly enough. If there is one thing you do, find this and read it!
Good tips. I have a bit of experience in your current study topic and if you feel like diving in deep I'd suggest Edible Forest Gardens by Dave Jacke. It's like the bible of permaculture in my opinion.
There is no link to any book here. :(
Link - I hope
http://www.amazon.com/The-Winter-Harvest-Handbook-Greenhouses/dp/1603580816/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1376327754&sr=8-4&keywords=eliot+coleman
Put up the wrong link: http://www.amazon.ca/The-Calgary-Gardener-Essential-Gardening/dp/1895618673
Sorry about the length of the post but this is information I wish someone had given me when I was starting. Hopefully it's not too basic.
I am by no means an expert but I can walk you through my trial and error period (which I am certainly not finished with) for terrariums. I don't know that I'll be able to help with the nepenthes though discussion in this thread indicates that humidity is key for those plants. I am seriously limited on space where I currently live so I've developed a setup that seems to work for my plants, though it's not ideal for all of them.
Initially I had been growing my plants on a windowsill but this summer I moved to a location that has proper shading over the windows (great for people, terrible for plants) so I needed to migrate to a terrarium. I started caring for plants in May so I didn't really know what I was doing. If you haven't already, I recommend purchasing The Savage Garden: Cultivation Carnivorous Plants by Peter D'Amato. It's a great introductory book with lots of useful information about growing and indoor/outdoor setups. You can find it on Amazon for a moderate price.
I ended up purchasing a 10 gallon aquarium from PetSmart or PetCo for something like 30 dollars. The box was damaged so I got it for cheaper than whatever it was listed for. Those come with a water heater for fish which you can place in a bottle of water inside the aquarium to increase humidity if needed. I then bought some Plexiglas and melted holes in it with a soldering iron for ventilation. I used that instead of the lid the aquarium came with so I could use more lights if I needed to. I mostly have sundews so I opted for a 2' t5 light set up which can get pretty toasty, but my sundews loved it and it got very humid inside. I use four of these lights for ~5000 lumen output. You would probably want to go with t8 lights as they operate at a lower temperature. Do not purchase lights branded as "growlights" as they are almost always more expensive than similar lights and will not last as long as something from Phillips or GE. Like UseUrLogic said, use lights with a color temperature of 6500 K or higher. I find that 6500 K is the easiest to find and work fine.
I do have two flytraps and they were not happy in the aquarium, but they were still growing. I imagine one of them would have died had I left them in such a humid environment for any longer. I then moved again and needed a new setup, since I didn't want to kill the traps. I'm now doing something like this but much more jerry-rigged. My plants seem to like it though. You might consider something like this as my flytraps love it too. I'm going to try taking them outside soon in an attempt to have them go through natural dormancy. I may just give in and try fridge dormancy though I have heard mixed results.
--------------------
I was bored so I looked up some information that may be useful to you when deciding what to do with your plants. Most of the is from The Savage Garden.
It behooves you to find out what your pings are, as different species can have radically different growth requirements. Consider posting images here or on the ICP forums if you can't ID them yourself. Here is what Peter says about pings in terrariums: "Forget temperate varieties here. some warm temperates do nicely, sich as P. lusitanica, P.caerulea, and P. primuliflora, but do best with cooler winters. Most of the Mexican species thrive under grow-lights, in a tank or not, at room temperature. Use the pot-and-saucer method to allow for drier winter conditions."
For the cephalotus he says "Excellent as a potted specimen year round in the unheated greenhouse-style terrarium. Colorful and vigorous under grow-lights." He also says it should be fine on a partly sunny windowsill in relatively high humidity and that you should mist it often.
The Nepenthes maxima (Highland Nep.) is apparently a good terrarium plant and easy to grow, though it likes good air circulation and misting at night. The truncata is a lowland variety and apparently will do well in a steamy terrarium. Both of these varieties will eventually outgrow all but very large terrariums.
The only plant you own that I have personal experience with, other than the flytraps, is D. Aliciae. Unfortunately I overfed mine shortly after getting it an it died back to the root. It's coming back now but it won't be as big as it was before for a least another two months. I've found that it's a pretty hardy little plant. It can handle temperatures of up to 95°F and down to ~40°F (though that's pushing it). I currently grow mine at ~85°F. It doesn't need much humidity at all (I was growing it in 50% and it's now doing quite well in about 35-40% rh) but growsundews.com recommends humidity over 60%.
Good luck with the plants!
TL;DR "UseUrLogic" is correct in that you will not be able to keep them all in the same terrarium. You may be able to start with all but the flytraps in but then I recommend migrating the pitchers to windowsills and misting often. Try to find out what the pings are. Maybe consider a setup similar to Bisnick's as it will accommodate your pitchers even when they are larger, though it will require a larger light setup.
EDIT: Units were incorrect.
You should check out the winter harvest handbook by Elliot Coleman. https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1603580816/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1502285786&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=winter+harvest+handbook&dpPl=1&dpID=614anb5TiKL&ref=plSrch
Also on the sides of your greenhouses. Put semi ridged plastic and the. Pile up hot pile composts then entire length of the house
Yay ! New CP people :)!
For water: Do not use Tap water. Use Distilled, Reverse Osmosis, or Rain water only.
​
Dormancy has been covered above. Where do you intend to keep your VFT? Inside / outside?
California Carnivores are a great resource for care tips :)
https://www.californiacarnivores.com/collections/venus-flytraps-dionaea-muscipula/products/dionaea-m-typical-deluxe-potted
Also a good resource is the CP bible
https://www.amazon.com/Savage-Garden-Revised-Cultivating-Carnivorous/dp/1607744104
These books might be useful:
https://www.amazon.com/California-Native-Landscape-Homeowners-Restoring/dp/1604692324
https://www.amazon.com/Designing-California-Native-Gardens-Ecological/dp/0520251105/ref=pd_sim_14_5?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=NQYP2D82BTGM308QXF0D
I've read the first one and can recommend it. They focus on native plants but as a result they discuss what works in different areas of California. As u/walkswithwolfies mentioned you can probably find them at your local library!
Try this one- primarily for horticulture students and commercial growers, but home growers can use it as well or this one- intended for home growers.
This book on carnivorous plants represents me pretty well, because I'm attracted to things that are beautiful, yet dark.
Also, I subsist completely on flies and raw meat.
Italian cypress are easy care trees and will help give your yard some privacy.
Olives and citrus also do well in your climate, although citrus will need watering and some have sharp thorns. Fruitless olives are best if you don't want fruit all over the yard.
Lavenders, santolinas, myrtles, box, euphorbias are all easy care shrubs. Rosemary and New Zealand flax also do well. Agapanthus and daffodils put on attractive seasonal displays.
You might want to go to your local library and check out some books about gardening in Mediterranean climates.
Like [this one] (https://www.amazon.com/Gardening-Mediterranean-Way-Waterwise-Drought-Tolerant/dp/0810956004/ref=pd_sim_14_1?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=0810956004&pd_rd_r=1c30bf26-af6e-11e8-b369-ffe841fc31b4&pd_rd_w=SjWsA&pd_rd_wg=RTzIz&pf_rd_i=desktop-dp-sims&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_p=18bb0b78-4200-49b9-ac91-f141d61a1780&pf_rd_r=SY3QVJM87AZDG3BQ08RK&pf_rd_s=desktop-dp-sims&pf_rd_t=40701&psc=1&refRID=SY3QVJM87AZDG3BQ08RK)
Las Pilitas Nursery also has a good selection of California natives if you want to add some to your landscape:
http://www.laspilitas.com/
The Sunset Western Garden Book is a good resource for California gardeners, available at your local library or used on Amazon.
Do you mean how to plan for a long blooming season? A lot of us start with crocus and hellebores, then tulips, daffodils, and annuals from nurseries. By the time those are done, various summer blooming perennials are doing their thing. There are quite a few fall blooming flowers, like chrysanthemums and Japanese anemones. It’s helpful to have at least a few evergreens that look good year round. Here is a book about planting for fall.
> Do I put sand / bark / styrofoam / tiny rocks at the very bottom of the pot?
You dont have to put anything at the bottom of the pot. Personally I use rocks as a filter so I dont lose any medium through the drainage hole, but i've read you can use LFS and it'll do the same thing.
> Should I use an empty bottle inside the soil as a water reservoir or is a pipe with holes in it a better solution?
I've done both. With the bottle I can dump a lot of water very fast into the pot. I use it for my big pots. The pipe is okay but will quickly overflow and I still have to wait for the water to be absorbed into the soil before I can add more.
> After browsing this sub for a while, it seems to be the consensus to create a 33:66 to 50:50 mixture of sand:soil. Why is that a thing? Is it to make it easier for the water to spread throughout the pot?
There is a book called The Savage Garden where the author talks about different media mixes he has tried. For Sarracenia he recommends 80/20 peat to perlite. Perlite is porous so its full of air and will absorb water . The book also goes through other common mixes and states their benefits.
> Is the height of the pot an issue?
I dont think the height will be an issue. If youre worried about the amount of soil you'll need, you can put something in the bottom to fill up space. Ive heard people use Styrofoam to fill up space and reduce weight
> Will the water be able to spread to the middle from the bottom, or the bottom fill up with standing water that will eventually start to smell?
Peat moss is like a sponge and will keep itself moist all over as long there is water in the pot. I read a post from somebody who said they used new soil every 2 years because the plants started doing poorly and the water would start to smell bad at the bottom. I havent experienced any issues in my setups though.
I think an American pitcher would probably eat the most, but I don't think they will be as effective as you'd like. Carnivorous plants can be difficult to care for, but they are beautiful and enjoyable to own. If you decide to try, I recommend picking up the book Savage Garden, it will give you a good basis for understanding and caring for them, and California Carnivores is a reputable place to buy them.
I mentioned Sarracenia earlier, but since it will not really solve your problem (with just a couple of plants, at least), I would personally go with one of the many sundews available, since they are pretty AND you can watch the mechanism they employ to eat, though, depending on the flies you have, they may not be very attracted to the plant.
Good luck, and I hope it works out for you.
NoMoreNicksLeft... I always had the impression that you were one of the more informed crazy survival nuts around here.
You really ought to read this...
Awesome! That's a great variety. You shouldn't have any problem making hybrids if you get your initial crop to grow well; if I remember correctly, sarracenia easily hybridize naturally much of the time and can be artificially hybridized with a q-tip, transferring pollen from one plant to the stamens of another.
You ever check out this book? The savage Garden by Peter D. Amato was responsible for most of my obsession as a young 'un.
If you remember to, you should message me some pics of your crop when they sprout :). Fun geeking out on CPs again, it's not exactly the hobby I generally discuss with my friends/gf. It's a weird hobby, but it's just damned interesting, anyhow. Good luck!
UK Link
Winter Harvest Handbook
by Eliot Coleman
I know this may be the wrong sub to suggest this, but I had no lawn and xeriscaped when I lived in Phoenix. You live in the desert with low water resources. Embrace it, it can be more beautiful and is much more responsible there than a lawn.
Check out the Desert Botanical Garden for ideas. I had no cactus or lantana in my yard, choosing many varieties of drought resistant and endemic flowers and agave. This book and others like it will also get you started.
Valid point re: squash. But for other veggies, I liked this book:
https://www.amazon.com/Winter-Harvest-Handbook-Deep-Organic-Greenhouses/dp/1603580816/ref=sr_1_5?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1504882936&sr=1-5&keywords=winter+garden
Edible forest gardens
What are the temps like there? You might be able to do winter gardening.
Just some link I found by googling for winter gardening. There are much better books on it like The Winter Harvest Handbook: Year Round Vegetable Production Using Deep-Organic Techniques and Unheated Greenhouses. You can get greenhouses in the US for like $500.
There are tons of farmer/homesteader/gardener memoirs. I think my mom alone probably has a zillion. Unfortunately I haven't read that many myself, but a few titles that I remember from her shelves include:
Animal, Vegetable, Miracle
Enslaved by Ducks
The Egg and I
Hit by a Farm
Here's one that (amazingly enough) she doesn't have, but which is on my to-read list: http://www.amazon.com/Paradise-Lot-One-Tenth-Making-Edible/dp/1603583998/
On a more practical front, this guy may change your life ;)
http://www.amazon.com/Four-Season-Harvest-Organic-Vegetables-Edition/dp/1890132276/
http://www.amazon.com/The-Winter-Harvest-Handbook-Greenhouses/dp/1603580816/
ETA: Thought of a few more from mom's collection:
The Dirty Life
Rurally Screwed
The Bucolic Plague
I know its not exactly what your looking for but I might suggest picking up some reference texts on cold hardy cacti.
This and This
might be good places to find information. I have limited experience with cold climates, 90% of my plants are tropical or sub tropical, but I have read the second book in the past when borrowing it from a local library and it is quite informative on caring for cacti in wet climates. The first reference is older and I have not personally read it but it has good reviews and I have seen it cited several times in the past when researching plants for my own area, cooler winter with heavy rain, so it may be worth a read if you can find them.
Also, from what I find online it looks like you are located in Zone 8 - 9 depending on your location and distance from water. This is pretty close to my own climate area with the exception of rain fall. I can recommend you try growing Echinocereus spachianus, Echnopsis pachanoi, and as /u/GregTJ suggested Echinopsis terscheckii provided that your growing bed is sufficiently drained (maybe even a layer of grit or lava rock 12 or so inches down). If you looking for more barrel or clumping plants you might try Thelocactus tulensis, Gymnocalycium baldianum, and Echinocactus texensis which I have grown outside unprotected during the winter, however all of my plants are potted and drain freely when it rains here so I cannot comment on their habits when planted in the ground.
It actually won't be the first food forest of the nation. There are already plenty of food forests and forest gardens in america... they just arent public. For those interested in forest gardening, I recommend these books. This link also is a well done video detailing why forest gardens/ food forests are important for the future.
Stink bugs are not their natural most common prey, but they wont be exempt from turning into snacks.
Give your plants time and those conditions described above. For the future: read Savage Garden, its a great source of information and will answer all your questions. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1607744104/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Look into dormancy in the winter. You may need to add layers of protection, like wood chips over your plants if your winters are harsher than the ones they usually experience. You have time obviously to look into this.
Well, depends on the scope of what you're looking for. Tucson Cactus and Succulent Society put out a pretty comprehensive field guide but it's limited to cacti and succulents native to Arizona. Cactiguide has images and taxonomic notes, but it doesn't really have descriptions on how to care for the plants. This book is pretty comprehensive when it comes to Agaves. There are other books specific for different genera, which is why you'll find us plant enthusiasts have multiple books.
Yes it has 5 reviews, and a good cover
last free give away I gave away 500 copies, got 6 sales the next day
link here
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00NDA0OSC
> http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00NDA0OSC
Just checked it out. If I were you, head to fiverr and get a new cover done. No offense but that one's a bit amateur.
Also, increase the size of your description. If you check mine out (http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00OEQ03SK) you can see it's pretty large which is good for longer tail keyword searches. You can also use HTML to have titles etc. This is your sales copy. It's the most important bit! Make me want to buy your book.
Most carn. plants need a lot of water (tray method) and lots of light. Depending on your USDA zone you can keep them outside. I have flytraps, sarracenias and some sundews in my garden all year round. In winter they are not pretty but in summer they thrive.
Try to get a copy of this book the Savage Garden.
It has a much info. Lots of love for the plants and 'learn as you go' worked for me.
Good to see this many answer.
Karma arising from clinging to I and mine and the negative emotions, what impede us to realize the nature of the ground or Buddha nature and being trapped in the world of cause and effect. So you should try to learn and train yourself in emptiness and non-dualist, since while you keep the clinging to conditioned self you will continue to create more karmic imprint, even if you don't kill.
Now, about pest control, you should try some alternative way to kill, this book give you some options: http://www.amazon.com.br/dp/B00MQ994VY . However, specialty if you don't leave a life of a monk, it could be difficult to protect the life of family and others without to kill, that don't mean you should go around killing all time, only I high level Bodhisattva could do that, since they realized the union between emptiness and interdependence and know how to act to the benefit of beings.
I would recommend read Shamar Rinpoche's Animal Rights chapter in his Creating A Transparent Democracy: A New Model and also Patrul Rinpoche's 'Nine Considerations and Criteria for Benefiting Beings'.