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Allotment Books for Growers

Books especially for the allotment gardener growing fruit and vegetables. Allotments generally offer more scope than a small garden and growing methods change a little to accomodate this.

When you start growing you really need help and when it's pouring with rain outside you can curl up with a good book and get that help. This selection should get you off to a good start and hopefully improve your skills.

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A few reviews with my honest opinion and star rating. I do get a small commission if you buy something through the site, which helps to pay my hosting charges.

Vegetable Growing Month by Month By: John Harrison OK, I'll come clean and declare my interest! I wrote this and I'm a bit biased. Well extemely proud of it to be truthful and it is a bestseller. It's aimed firstly at the new vegetable grower but there are tips and tricks that I think will help even more experienced gardeners. It's not a coffee table book, no full colour photographs or exotic ideas, just basic advice I'd give to another grower on the allotment. For a full chapter list and to buy a signed copy direct, click this Vegetable Growing Month by Month or for a discount follow the Amazon link to the right. Go on - it's not expensive and you won't be sorry! At 256 pages it's just over 2p a page!
The Essential Allotment Guide By: John Harrison This is my second book and it's aimed squarely at the allotment grower. Like my first book, Vegetable Growing Month by Month, it's straightforward and simple advice. No colour pictures, if you need to be enthused with staged shots of wonderful carrots, this is not the book for you. You'll find full details of the book here - The Essential Allotment Guide
Successful Allotments: Green Essentials - Organic Guides By: Pauline Pears Historically an important social tradition, allotments are now increasingly popular with a younger audience and with families who want to try growing their own organic produce. Here we show you how to go about finding an allotment, what to grow, how to maintain interest and get the most benefit from being an allotment holder. No previous gardening experience is assumed and everything is presented in a simple, step-by-step style. Successful Allotments is endorsed by the HDRA and the Soil Association, so you know you can trust all the organic advice. I met Pauline Pears many years ago when she was at Bocking - I don't suppose she will remember being famous and all! Nice one, Pauline - if you read this.
The Allotment Book By: Andi Clevely A wonderfully illustrated celebration of the blood, sweat and joy to be had 'growing your own' in an allotment - with the in-depth, practical gardening know-how Collins is renowned for. No longer considered the preserve of old men in sheds, allotment gardening is currently enjoying a renaissance of interest. People of all ages and from all walks of life are digging their own plots in search of the ultimate in fresh, organic produce - and you cannot get more locally-sourced than your own allotment! It also features the key to growing success choosing a gardening method - organic, biodynamic, rotation beds, companion planting, greenhouse, multi-level, potager, cottage garden, and so on. The hard stuff - constructing sheds, compost bins, cold frames, fruit cages, ponds, seating and play areas selecting crops - what and how to grow, from parsnips and peas to chilli peppers and lemon grass cultivation techniques - digging, sowing, feeding, weeding and harvesting, plus troubleshooting pests and diseases the allotment calendar - extensive, month-by-month look at what's in season, jobs for now and looking ahead. Possibly tries a little too hard in places.
The A-Z of Allotment Vegetables By: Caroline Foley "The A-Z of Allotment Vegetables" is full of essential information on all the best known vegetable varieties, as well as numerous exotic and lesser-known ones. The main part of the book is the vegetable directory, which tells you everything you need to know about the different vegetable varieties, including information on sowing and planting, cultivation, problems, varieties, and cooking. Many of the vegetable varieties are illustrated in a special colour section, which accompanies the vegetable directory. A delightful chapter on growing for showing explains the history and traditions of exhibiting at flower shows and is followed by useful chapters on gardening techniques and pest and disease control. Packed full of information and with useful tips throughout, this book is useful reading for the allotment gardener.
Practical Allotment Gardening: A Guide to Growing Fruit, Vegetables and Herbs on Your Plot By: Caroline Foley, Clive Nichols (Photographer) Sadly, like a lot (most) gardening books nowadays this book has more pretyy photographs than solid factual help. Still, some people prefer the inspirational style to the practical. Hence 3 stars.
Allotment Gardening By: Susan Berger This book is advertised as "An Organic Guide for Beginners" my own feeling was that it is reasonable value for money but I felt there were a few areas where the author was either glossing over or had treated a topic too lightly. The recipes seem a bit superfluous as well. Everything was just a bit lightweight and all in all, it left me wanting more detail.