Top 35 Best Books on Vegetable Gardening

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We are sharing the 35 best books on vegetable gardening with you! They are all organized in specific groups to help pick the best one!

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It’s helpful to have the best books on vegetable gardening to help guide you on your gardening journey.

 The best book will provide practical information for first-time gardeners and expert advice to gardeners who have plenty of years of experience.

Gardening is universal, you do not need a so-called “ green thumb” to have a thriving garden. These days gardening is not only done by one person, some cities have a community garden where lots of people take part.

Best books on vegetable gardening Table of Contents

The gardening world is so much bigger now and a lot of books on gardening are being bought even more these days.

Before we talk about best books on vegetable gardening we want you to pick fantastic books that will be an ideal guide for you, here are some key things to look for when choosing a gardening book.

Broccoli

Best books on vegetable gardening Key Considerations

  • Picking a vegetable gardening book that has a well-known author who has some authority in the garden community. 
  • If you have specific needs in the garden get a book on only that subject to get the ideal guide on it.
  • Pick a garden book for your hardiness zone, no state is alike so focus on books that can be relatable when it comes to your state’s hardiness.
  • Try to get the latest edition of any gardening book to keep up with the newest information.
  • Get a book that is on your level because it is important to always learn something new and grow with the books you have.
  • Ask yourself would you benefit your book to be electronic or a hand copy. Consider if you are always on the go and need a quick resource, if so an Ebook or pdf book will be beneficial. 
  • The more visuals the better, as gardeners’ photos of beautiful flowers or fresh vegetables in a garden book, will keep us motivated and wanting to learn more! 
swiss chard

What Is the Price Range of Vegetable Gardening Books?

You can get vegetable gardening books for as little as 1-2 dollars at thrift stores and up to 50 dollars at an online or in-store bookshop.

I have certainly found great gardening books at a thrift store so the price does not equal quality all the time. 

35 Best Books on Vegetable Gardening

This book is geared toward beginner gardeners only so if you have gardened before you may be beyond this book.

This book is only about the basics and it will help you get started on growing vegetables, flowers, or herbs. It a very good for beginners and a good place to start learning how to get started on your vegetable garden.

The New Gardener’s Handbook: Everything You Need to Know to Grow a Beautiful and Bountiful Garden 

This is a very comprehensive book and an amazing resource for new vegetable gardeners. It starts with the signs of overall plant growth, and it takes you on the journey of building a vegetable garden for yourself at home. I believe even experienced gardeners will take a lot of information from this book as well.

Vegetable Gardening for Beginners: A Simple Guide to Growing Vegetables at Home

This book is perfect for beginning gardeners as it shows many illustrations and word usage. You should know when you’re just starting to grow food. It gives practical gardening advice, and basic gardening concepts for new gardeners, and it’s a lovely book. That is easy to read and understand.

The Vegetable Gardening Book

Joe from Joe Gardner has been teaching people to garden for years and he’s excited that he finally has a great book to help a new wave of gardeners grow vegetables successfully. The book covers so many vegetables, and herbs and . has plenty of pictures and all types of gardening knowledge that any new gardener would soak up. 

Books for experienced Gardeners

The Complete Gardener: A Practical, Imaginative Guide to Every Aspect of Gardening

This book is geared toward all types of gardeners, but it’s not a beginner’s gardening book to have. This information is for novice and expert garners alike and this there will teach you tons of stuff about plants as he’s well-known and knowledgeable for his past gardening books.

The Garden Primer: The Completely Revised Gardener’s Bible – 100% Organic

This is a very comprehensive guide with 500 illustrations and 370 plant profiles and will teach expert gardeners even more information about gardening. The author Barbara is an excellent writer and her research is outstanding. This book is very interesting and packed with 150 pages and seven chapters on vegetables.

Will Bonsall’s Essential Guide to Radical, Self-Reliant Gardening

This is an excellent book and full of useful information when it comes to gardening on large scales, and for gardeners, who have been doing it for a while.

It’s a great resource to have for all types of gardeners as Bonsall explains the reasons for things and goals in depth in many areas of gardening, including composting, cover, cropping, seed saving, etc.

Books for a Cold Climate Gardening

The Winter Harvest Handbook

I think every gardener needs a book by Elliot Coleman, one of the most well-known gardeners out there. This book is for gardeners in colder climates as Elliot is growing in Maine and he teaches how to extend your harvest.

This book is for you if you want to grow your vegetables in a cold climate or have a short gardening season.

The Year-Round Vegetable Gardener

This author shows you’ve proven techniques and how to go year-round, especially if you have a short gardening season on long cold winter days.

This book is a great resource for any type of garner no matter where you are, but especially for those who want to grow year-round And feel like they can’t because of their winter months

Books for vertical gardening

Vertical Gardening

This is a very useful book for those who want the basics of vertical gardening. This book has plenty of new ideas good insights and knowledge about vertical gardening, and it contains useful information that will help you grow more food in smaller spaces.

Vertical Gardening: The Beginner’s Guide

You will find this book helpful as it explains what vertical guarding is, and how to grow different types of vegetables and fruits without having tons of space to grow them in.

I would recommend this book for any home gardener, who wants alternative styles of growing plants at home and to get some inspiration, and how to grow vertically.

Books for Garden Pest/Disease Control

The Organic Gardener’s Handbook of Natural Pest and Disease Control: A Complete Guide to Maintaining a Healthy Garden 

I keep this book handy for myself, especially growing in Florida. We deal with tons of pest pressure. This book is one of the best out on the market and talks about pest control and disease control.

If you are an organic gardener and not interested in chemicals, this book is for you.

JADAM Organic PEST and DISEASE CONTROL

This book has extremely detailed pictures and information, and made descriptions and how to deal with pests and diseases in your vegetable garden.

I recommend this for all gardeners, even farmers and homesteaders to have this book on hand while you’re growing all types of vegetables. This book will give a comprehensive reference to refer to when you’re doing with pests or diseases, and how to treat each one.

The Vegetable Garden Pest Handbook

This book is a great resource when it comes to pests and diseases in the garden. You can look up specific vegetables and find a breakdown of what Pece can damage it.

There is also a beneficial Bug section that has plenty of information and learning more about your neighbors in the garden. The author identifies cumin garden pests and gives you proven organic ways to deal with them. 

Books about gardening Seeds

Seed to Seed

The seed to seed book teaches you how to save seeds from 160 different vegetables. The author goes in depth about seeds, sowing, growing, seed saving, and how to store your vegetable seeds. This book has tons of good information and it’s great for all types of gardeners, new, and experienced.

The Complete Guide to Saving Seeds

I love this book because it’s such a great resource on how to save seeds in the best way to germinate them. This perfect book is a valuable resource for every single Gardner out there so this book is a must-have.

The Seed Saving Bible 

This book has tons of information as It will show you step-by-step instructions, on how to save seeds, harvest seeds, and germinate them. you will easily build your seed collection and become a great pepper as a vegetable gardener if you buy this book.

Companion planting books

Plant Partners

This gardening book goes in-depth into the signs of companion planting and how to do it successfully. The author is all about science-based information when using companion planting in the garden.

You will enjoy all the photos and background information to find this a great resource throughout the growing seasons.

Carrots Love Tomatoes

This is a very well-known book. That is a great easy reference to use to help you be successful and companion planting. This is a great book to keep handy while you’re in the garden as it discusses how to plant certain vegetables together to bring biodiversity and less pest pressure in the garden.

Vegetables Love Flowers

The author of this book Lisa Mason Ziegler is a well-known flower farmer who will show you how to find your vegetables next to flowers to help your garden thrive.

This is a practical guide on how to create biodiversity, provides you with vegetable-growing tips, and shows you how you can beautifully grow food and flowers together.

Great Garden Companions

I love this companion planting book because it shows many pictures in Layouts and how to incorporate different vegetables with each other and companion plants successfully.

This book is highly regarded and has plenty of amazing reviews on Amazon as it is exactly what you were looking for when searching for a vegetable companion guide.

Organic methods Gardening Books

The No-Till Organic Vegetable Farm

The author, Daniel may have been growing no-till for over 10 years and shows this great organic way to grow vegetables. he explains how to build no-till garden beds, and the use of organic fertilizers. this is very useful for all types of gardeners who want to stick with organic practices when growing all types of crops.

The New Organic Grower, 3rd Edition

This is the most updated version of Elliot Coleman’s organic gardener’s guide. This book is exceptional as it provides tons of information on how to grow organically and successfully.

There’s no other person to teach you how to grow organically than Elliot Coleman, as he is a master at his craft. This is an awesome book to have and you will learn all about the organic method of growing vegetables.

Gia’s book will help you learn what a Permaculture garden is and provide you with plenty of organic gardening advice. The book is well-written, is impressive, and gives a holistic view of how we can use the natural world to our advantage when growing vegetables in a home garden.

Books for Specific gardening subjects

Epic Tomatoes

If you love green tomatoes or want to start growing tomatoes then this book is a must-have as it is a Bible of all things tomatoes. The pages of this book are pretty and vibrant and are also very easy to read.

This specific garden book is very informative and you will learn about all the different types of tomatoes you can grow in your garden.

All New Square Foot Gardening

Thusboik is all about square teaching new square-foot gardening growing techniques. It will give you a step-by-step guide to learning how to plan and build a new square-foot garden and help you grow a lot of vegetables in small spaces.

Lasagna Gardening

They are different ways to grow fresh produce, this book talks about a specific method of gardening called lasagna gardening. It gives you plenty of plant suggestions and a lot of advice on how to grow vegetables with lasagna gardening methods in your home garden.

The book is well written, well, is easy to understand, and has a lot of pictures as well as ideas to help you be a successful lasagna gardener.

Charles Dowding’s No Dig Gardening

Charles Dowding has been teaching no-dig gardening for years in his book. No-dig gardening will show you how to grow vegetables quickly and easily. The method of no gardening is an amazing organic method.

In this book, he provides tons of helpful information to help you grow vegetables in your own home.

Container gardening book

The Vegetable Gardener’s Container Bible 

This vegetable gardener’s bible is great for anyone who wants to start gardening and containers as it provides nice pictures great information tips, and is written in a way that is not overwhelming.

The author gives you plenty of tips on how to grow successfully in a container no matter where you live. I highly recommend this book for new growers, backyard, gardeners, or even gardeners, who grow in flats or balconies.

Grow Bag Gardening

Grow bag gardening is a type of container gardening, but it does differ a little to be successful. The author is the well-known Kevin Espiritu of epic gardening, and he has a lot of knowledge on how to grow and grow bags.

I love growing food in grow bags here in central Florida so I recommend this book because it has plenty of information, suggestions, and inspiration to grow more vegetables in grow bags, no matter where you live.

Container Gardening For Beginners

This is a great book for anyone who is a beginner in gardening and specifically growing in containers as it tells you the basics. This book is nicely laid out with detailed illustrations, and organized well for gardeners who are new to container gardening.

This book is super easy to understand and has lots of fundamental information for you to get started on green vegetables in containers.

Container Vegetable Gardening: Growing Crops in Pots in Every Space

This container gardening book is a wealth of knowledge from the author, who has been in 12 books already about gardening. This book has tons of information for novice gardeners or expert gardeners who grow in containers.

It has plenty of advice and good ideas that are easy to understand and explained well for you to be successful with growing vegetables in containers.

Books for Raised bed Gardening

Raised-Bed Gardening for Beginners

This is an extremely well-known raised gardening book that is highly recommended by many gardeners who grow in raised beds. This book is very helpful and great for beginners since it gives tons of general knowledge on raised bed gardening.

The First-Time Gardener: Raised Bed Gardening

If you don’t know who CaliKim is, I recommend you check out her YouTube channel. She has a wealth of knowledge of all things gardening in her book about raised bed gardening is an amazing resource.

You will learn how to create a kitchen garden to raise bed gardening as this book provides plenty of helpful photos and information presented in a way that is easy to understand.

Raised Bed Gardening for Beginners

This is a fantastic book and user manual on how to grow vegetables and raised beds. This book includes a step-by-step guide to help you build your own raised beds and it’s also full of hints and tips when it comes to what grows well in raised beds. 

best books on vegetable gardening FAQ 

a girl gardening

What 3 vegetables grow well together?

three vegetables that grow well together are basil, tomatoes, and garlic. Basil and garlic help to repel insects from tomato plants. when left in a flower, basil also attracts bees which improves pollination for your homegrown tomatoes.

How do I lay out my vegetable garden?

The layout of a vegetable garden depends on the amount of space you have, the location, and the type of garden you’re doing. Are you growing and raised beds, grow bags, or in the ground so much goes into a vegetable garden layout.

cabbage

What are 5 things you should do to prepare a good veggie garden?

  1. Prepare your location by making sure it gets 6 to 8 hours of sunlight a day.
  2. Start to prepare your soil and add organic materials like compost and mulch.
  3. Make sure you have a good water source that is easily accessible
  4. Before you start a veggie garden, know your hardiness zone. 
  5. Make a list of what you eat to plan while you’re gonna grow before you start a veggie garden.
the homestead nurse holding up bok choy

How can I teach myself to garden?

You can teach yourself how to garden in so many ways a friend or family member can help you, you can see videos on YouTube, you can buy one of these garden books that we shared, or you can go to your local extension office and ask whatever questions you need about gardening in your area

a basket filled with garden vegetables and flowers

What does a beginner gardener need to know?

A beginning gardener needs to know that growing vegetable is possible no matter where you are. They do need to know to not give up and enjoy the process of starting a garden as it is the most rewarding thing you ever do

lettuce

What is the easiest thing to grow in a garden?

The easiest thing to grow in a garden is any type of brassica and herbs. Any type of culinary herbs, lettuce, kale, and other greens are some examples. These types of vegetables take very little time to grow and are low maintenance. 

Is learning to garden hard?

Learning to garden is not hard because you can learn how to grow one thing at a time. The garden community is so welcoming and there are tons of information that are shared daily through social media, other online platforms, and books.

a wicker harvest filled with garden harvest

Is it easy to become a gardener?

It is easy to become a gardener. All it takes is to start trying now you don’t have to grow a bunch of vegetables oh that once to be considered a gardener. Start by growing some herbs on your kitchen counter, or start with a container to grow lettuce in. 

We hope the best books on vegetable gardening we listed help you decide on which one is best for you. Let us know in the comments below which book did you get.

Here are more great gardening posts!

Soil Blocking: The Ultimate Guide for Beginners

33 Best Herbs for Butterflies to Benefit your Garden

How to Start a Vegetable Garden from Scratch

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