The Vegetable Garden Problem Solver Handbook

This book is a general purpose handbook that covers all sorts of garden problems. It begins with basic advice for productive vegetable gardening. I particularly liked the advice to not get carried away with big plans for a garden. Too many beginning gardeners try to do too much and underestimate the time required to maintain a healthy garden. The latter part of this chapter includes solutions to common gardening problems related to weather, pollination, and pests, as well as physiological disorders. The advice is succinct and science-based.

The second section focuses on plant diseases (bacterial, fungal and viral). The initial portion summarizes the three categories and includes a trouble-shooting guide and small glossary. This is followed by a multi-page table that lists vegetable crops and the diseases common to each--a quick reference when troubleshooting a problem. Then, the remainder of this section contains disease profiles. Each profile contains a description, the crops most impacted, a "what to look for" description, organic strategies for control and excellent photos of the problem. It was this entire section that convinced me that I need to buy a copy of this book as a reference. Very well done.

The final section of the book focuses on unwelcome critters in the garden. Each profile contains a description, list of favorite plants, signs of activity and control strategies. Photos of the damage caused are very helpful..

As a retired professor who taught horticulture, I think this is a great resource for both beginning and more experienced gardeners. I am particularly impressed by the focus on Integrated Pest Management techniques throughout the book, and also by the organization of information in a way that can be easily accessed. I like it so much, I'm buying myself a copy!

Thank you NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group/Cool Springs Press for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

Such a useful book! Practical no nonsense help on how to tackle problems you discover when growing vegetables. It's a book I will refer to often and put the advice into practice.

This is a really a gem of a find! Straight forward solutions for every gardener. I found the author’s writing style very engaging and informative. Thorough, organized and great pictures too!

This book is exactly what I’ve been looking for! I started a small garden on our deck last year and was best with some kind of weird black stuff on the leaves and little bugs I’d never seen before on some of my plants (I now know they were aphids). I do NOT want to go through that again this year and am determined to have a healthy garden. Not only did I find the answers to what happened to my poor veggies in the past, but how to prevent and/or mitigate rest the issues in the future. I’m so excited and plan on keeping this handbook on my shelf for years to come.

This book is an excellent reference for home gardeners to have on hand to deal with pests and diseases. The pictures are extremely helpful for quickly diagnosing and treating issues. In minutes I was able to do this for issues I have seen for many years in my garden. I did wish there was a bit more information on pests and diseases for fruit trees (we have both peach and apple). Thank you so much to #Netgalley for the opportunity to preview #TheVegetableGardenProblemSolverHandbook book by Susan Mulvihill - it will be a fantastic resource for years to come!

A great go-to book for the home gardener. This is one of the most well-organized books I've read on the subject--there are three main sections to it: troubleshooting problems, a disease guide, and common pests. It's so incredibly accessible (with so many very helpful charts) and I'd definitely consider buying this when it releases. I'm not a beginner, exactly, but I'm by no means an expert gardener, and it's always helpful to have guidance all in one place. The photography and illustrations are excellent as well.

Thanks so much to Cool Springs Press and author Susan Mulvihill for making this book available to request through NetGalley.

I had no clue how much I have longed for this book! I love it how everything is explained to the point, and the info is easy to find. For example, "Best start possible" has crop names, spacing between plants, and spacing between rows with a long list of plants. Perfect! Another great example is vegetable crops and potential diseases. This is my new go to book! Highly recommended!