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Justin Credible

Recommended books, resource links etc for introductory in Horticulture

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I have just started my cert II in horticulture and would love to hear other peoples suggestions for their must have books and recommendations for any other books, sites, learning tools etc that you found useful.

So far I have found the internet to be very unreliable in terms of correct information so am hoping for some more reliable resources.

So far I have purchased

* Weeds of Southern Qld 3rd Edition - The Weed Society of Qld publication

* Plant Protection 1,2,3&4 3rd edition - Author: Kerruish & Unger

I have also been looking at "A gardeners Latin - The language of plants explained" by Richard Bird and similar books. Any one else read this or similar books and found it useful either immediately or further into their pursuit of knowledge.

Just like to add a quick thanks to Torsten & the team at SAB for labeling scientific names on the plants I have ordered over the years and also the members here for using the scientific names. This has helped familiarize myself with a few Genus and many Species names which has contributed greatly to the foundation of my learning and made the latin part not so overwhelming all of a sudden. I'm starting to hear the same words over and over and once I get my head around the plant anatomy I can really see stuff flowing.

Anyways back on topic..what ya got for me :)

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Handreck and Black - Growing Media for Ornamental Plants and Turf

should be essential reading, if not look it over for sure :wink:

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handreck and black is essential.

there are a couple of DK books on propagation and fruit trees etc that are brilliant.

books on organic pest control are essential too.

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Botany for gardeners- Brian capon, awesome book written so anyone can understand, with lots of good photos and diagrams, etc. I can't recommend this one enough. I'd also recommend looking at subjects complimentary to horticulture to round out your knowledge e.g geology, climate, evolution, etc. good luck.

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Teaming with Microbes by Lowenfels & Lewis.. perhaps not essential to begin with but as your studies deepen...

The Old Country by Seddon.. Amazing book that gives Australian horticulture some context..

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Just writing this post to add handreck and Black again to ensure you get it!!

:D lol

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seriously dont forget handreck and Black :D

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I have ordered all the books so far, they actually all seem to compliment/go together from what I could see in the samples.

Handreck and Black!!! I'm excited to see what all the shiz is about. Everyone wants to have a beer with Kevin.

Botany for gardeners- Brian capon, awesome book written so anyone can understand, with lots of good photos and diagrams, etc. I can't recommend this one enough. I'd also recommend looking at subjects complimentary to horticulture to round out your knowledge e.g geology, climate, evolution, etc. good luck.

From the looks this book will really help me get my head around alot of areas I might not quite understand.

I can't help but branch out into complimentary subjects, I knew before I started this I was just going to feed a thirst. Flora and fauna are connected to the elements and all that stuff that goes on in space...it would seem everything in life really. Sometimes it seems that human race is the only thing not connected.

I even found myself brushing up on high school math online and realized how magic maths is.

Teaming with Microbes by Lowenfels & Lewis.. perhaps not essential to begin with but as your studies deepen...

The Old Country by Seddon.. Amazing book that gives Australian horticulture some context..

Teaming with Microbes is a defs goer for me as even if it does start as a flick through or ref. guide....underground companion planting...the underbelly of the garden world.

Had to get the Old Country by Seddon, this paragraph in a review was the sell point for me. I think I am really going to appreciate his approach as well as knowledge

"One of the sections that most interested me was titled "Mediterraneity". In this, Seddon does what few authors are brave enough to do in writing - he says "For thirty years or more, I have been wrong". This is in regard to his advocating the use in gardens of plants from comparable soils and climate, those he now says are "most likely to leap the garden wall". (His statistics for the spread of weeds in Australia are devastating.) Two aspects of a "Mediterranean garden", plant selection and style, should be separated. The image of such a garden in Australia, based on climate and latitude, is suspect (backed by tables of comparative measurements). Seddon now recommends forgetting the term and using indigenous plant material but with awareness of Mediterranean style. My favourite section, "By design", I shall say least about here but I'll write in some detail for the Garden Design Study Group newsletter. It is an excellent analysis of such concepts as "hybrid design", "responding to local context", "the vocabularies of design" and "edge phenomena". It also looks at the work of three pioneer designers. I think all gardeners would enjoy and benefit from reading this section."

Full Link to Review: http://anpsa.org.au/APOL2006/sep06-r1.html

seriously dont forget handreck and Black :D

Bloody Hell! I have already ordered the book am still awake yet still hear a haunting voice....Kevin....kevin.

ty all for input so far really appreciated and can see it really helping

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Yates garden guide is a must its so handy

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Yates garden guide is a must its so handy

That was the first book on horticulture I ever read, when I was about 7, there's heaps of good info on when to plant and cultivation hints and tips etc.

It's interesting to see how much it's changed over the years. My first copy was from the 1920's and it harldy mentioned chemical fertilisers at all. Back in those days (before they were selling ferts) they always recommended the use of aged liquid manures and had lots of info on how to make your own. Now all the references to liquid manures are gone and they just say tip chemicals on everything.

It's still a good reference to have though.

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Will have a gander at Yates garden guide on the weekend when have a bit more time...from the sounds of it the 1920's version is the way to go. Wonder if I can find a copy. Will have to wait a bit before I make any more purchases...if only I could eat the books after.

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Sources are possibly out of date/revised, so look around for the appropriate version of things.

Name that flower - Ian Clarke and Helen Lee. Look around some places are charging excessive amounts.

Growing Australian Native Plants from Seed - Murray Ralph

Seed Collection of Australian Native Plants - Murray Ralph

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Will have a gander at Yates garden guide on the weekend when have a bit more time...from the sounds of it the 1920's version is the way to go. Wonder if I can find a copy. Will have to wait a bit before I make any more purchases...if only I could eat the books after.

Don't buy a new copy, I've never been to a second hand book shop that didn't have a few copies. I wouldn't pay more than 3 or 4 bucks one. You can find some really good horticulture books in a book exchange very cheap because they are not in high demand.

Edited by Sally
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Sources are possibly out of date/revised, so look around for the appropriate version of things.

Name that flower - Ian Clarke and Helen Lee. Look around some places are charging excessive amounts.

This!

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when i did cert 2 at groverly tafe the yates guide was part of the course books required

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Sources are possibly out of date/revised, so look around for the appropriate version of things.

Name that flower - Ian Clarke and Helen Lee. Look around some places are charging excessive amounts.

Growing Australian Native Plants from Seed - Murray Ralph

Seed Collection of Australian Native Plants - Murray Ralph

I'm confident I found the latest editions of all the books purchased so far except Yates gardening guide. I scored the 1952 Yates garden guide 25th edition for $10 just for shits n giggles.

Will have a gander at the book shops for a more current Yates garden guide and also both Murray Ralph's books as the native plants are a hobby and the last publication date was 2011 I think, so they might be about and cheap.

We start learning about flowers in a few weeks so will grab "Name that flower" as soon as I find more money.

Thank you all for ya input really helpful :)

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We shall rename you the keen man.

I don't think I read that much literature in cert 2 and 3 put together and a teacher did give emphatic props to handreck and black but I only read it because the first chapter sucked me in and that was during cert 3

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We shall rename you the keen man.

I don't think I read that much literature in cert 2 and 3 put together and a teacher did give emphatic props to handreck and black but I only read it because the first chapter sucked me in and that was during cert 3

Aye maybe to keen as I want way more info than I can retain. A lot of the literature will be over my head to start with, but its nice to have the wood ready for the fire.

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This is an awesome book for beginners and pros alike:-

"What plant pest or disease is that?"

By Judy McMaugh.

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Teaming with microbes...I have been sucked in. WTF have I been doing to my poor soil...im a bad bad man!

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You'll have a bucket full of liquid compost brewing away before you know it if you read that book.

Some of the fungal based mixes can be adapted to spread the magic too. :wink:

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