Square Foot Gardening High-Value Veggies: Homegrown Produce Ranked by Value (Volume 6) (All New Square Foot Gardening, 6)

I like the premise of this book, but in the end, I'm not sure an actual book was necessary to get the point across. We are in the process of planting square foot gardens this spring and love Mel's original book. We've even watched episodes of his PBS show on YouTube. I was a little disappointed in the cost comparisons because I didn't think they really took into account organic, which most people's home gardens will end up being. I think it's incredibly valuable to consider what the cost is of buying a vegetable or fruit versus cost of growing it, but I didn't really feel like the entire cost was considered. There's the initial cost of seeds or plants that is considered, but there's also the cost of water and the opportunity cost of the space you're planting that I didn't feel was well explored in the calculations. By opportunity cost, I mean that if you plant a watermelon in a spot, it takes the entire season for it to grow so you can harvest, but if you plant radishes in the spring, you could turn around and harvest them 30-45 days later and plant summer squash in the same spot for an autumn harvest. There's a cost to losing the spot to a watermelon all summer when you could be putting radishes and zucchini on your dinner table most of that same season from the same plot of land. Maybe I'm overthinking the complexity of the formula, but I do believe Mel has hit the nail on the head as far as ROI of gardening. If you can pick up organic kale from a local store or farmer's market for $1/bunch all summer long, growing your own doesn't have the same value as putting in a heritage tomato plant that produces $1.99/pound tomatoes for a couple months. Gardening is a smart choice, and gardening smart is a super smart choice.

I've always grown fruits and vegetables that thrive in our climate zone, loved by our family, expensive to purchase, and much tastier when home grown. This book didn't teach me much I hadn't figured out on my own, doesn't account for regional climate differences, and didn't expand on what I'd read as chapters in other gardening books or in organic gardening magazines.The organization is worth supporting and a beginning gardener would benefit from this book.

I enjoyed reading through this book, and liked the suggestion to plant “high return” veggies/herbs. As a longtime gardener, I believe I do this instinctively, but I also make choices based on“like” and on a sense of curiosity. As an urban, small-yard, clay soil gardener, I’ve found that Aerogardens, Earthboxes, and a deep raised bed for root vegetables produce the greatest harvests. This book provides good advice on which veggies to grow, and which to buy from markets, but taste is important. I love kohlrabi and found a particularly delicious variety not found in the markets. Growing your own veggies can be challenging, but the taste is worth every minute spent planting and tending.

Awesome info for every gardener and those that have committed to Square Foot Gardening. Mel dedicated his life to revolutionizing self sustaining techniques of gardening for every age. Great read.

Mel does it again! I'm a master gardener and certified square foot gardening instructor. I teach organic vegetable gardening classes for our local extension. There are many thinks that people can value when gardening, but a big one with organic vegetables is $$$$$! Return on Investment is a big driver for many people; if you only have so much room to grow organic food, it makes sense to grow the organic products that will cost you the most at the store; that is what will save you the most money. If you fill your garden with organic crops that you can buy at the store for pennies, and have no room left for the crops that will cost you dollars, then you're losing money. Mel gives you tools to conduct an analysis, but he's also done the work for you; the book contains lists of the least and most cost effective crops to grow, and includes many, many other lists of crops to grow if you value something other than money; nutrition, a fun childs garden, etc. Great book, great ideas!

This book is of some use in picking vegetables which can be grown in an urban, small indoor "garden" plot. Using pots and lights similar to what wacky tobacco entrepeaners have used for decades. But on a lesser scale.

This book is different.Surprising to see which veges are really worth growing at home versus buying.

Mel left us far too soon. This last book illustrates his wonderful engineering mind's ability to organize and present relevant facts about the relative value of homegrown vegetables. His kindness and generosity is evident in all his endeavors.

In all honesty it didn’t really teach me as much as I had hoped. High value crops are herbs. I should have realised that to be honest.