Mike Pollock

Lots of well laid-out text and photos. Very applicable to Victoria, which is where I live. So far I've only browsed it for advice relating to this season and the fruits, veges and herbs I'm growing now. The information is very clear and practical. Especially for pest control, which some other books around don't cover as well.

Interestingly, this was one of the few Australian books that mentions Oca or New Zealand yams, which I'm growing for the 2nd year. This made this book the winner over another choice.

There's some good advice on what and what to use for fertilizer that I've already followed. (Complete for the yams and one that's slightly higher in nitrogen and potassium for the potatoes and tomatoes in my fairly horrible soil).
So far it's given them all a boost this summer, without causing less flavour in the tomatoes.

There wasn't as much useful advice on how to grow chillies from seed, but I'll work with what I have. I would have welcomed more advice on the tomato pruning, but my neighbour the tomato genius seems to know more than any book anyway so I'm still ahead.

The A-Z of plant problems at the back looks like a useful reference, as does the yield tables.

Overall, a useful book for all parts of the gardening cycle, for this part of Australia.

(First published and copyright 2004. Mine is the 2006 edition).… (more)