Germinate The Essential Guide to Seed Starting and Saving

<b>A friendly and thorough guide to everything gardeners need to know to successfully germinate seeds and raise healthy seedlings.</b><br><b> </b><br><i>Germinate</i> is a comprehensive guide for novice seed starters, experienced gardeners, and even professional growers. From container selection to light considerations to soil mixes, <i>Germinate</i> covers the nuts and bolts of seed starting and saving—all alongside an expansive encyclopedia of nearly five hundred edible and ornamental plant varieties, from arugula to yucca and amaranth to zinnia. Horticulturist Joseph Tychonievich leaves no gardener behind. Beginning with the fundamentals of seed formation and dormancy, then delving into specific seed-starting techniques, Joseph offers clear, step-by-step instructions for germinating and harvesting the seeds of vegetables, herbs, annuals, biennials, perennials, shrubs, trees, and more. Whether you want to save seeds from heirloom vegetables in order to live a self-sufficient life, sow a bed full of cut flowers to fill vases in your home, collect seeds from native plants for a pollinator garden, grow a shade tree for the front yard, or cultivate succulents for your windowsill, <i>Germinate</i> will show you how to do it!<br><b> </b><br>“Explores one of gardening’s oldest pleasures—setting new life in motion—and helps readers sow with care, confidence, and curiosity.”<br><b>—Carol Connare, editor of <i>The Old Farmer’s Almanac</i></b><br><br>“A love letter to the wonder of seeds. . . . An enthusiastic, down-to-earth guide on seed starting and saving that will help you level up your gardening skills.” <br><b>—Niki Jabbour, author of <i>The Year-Round Vegetable Gardener</i> and <i>Growing Under Cover</i></b><i><br><br></i>“With practical, easy-to-follow guidance covering a wide range of edible and ornamental plants, Joseph takes the mystery out of germination, seed starting, and seed saving while sharing the science behind how it all works. . . . An incredibly comprehensive reference that belongs on every gardener’s bookshelf.” <br><b>—Brie Arthur, horticulturist; author of <i>The Foodscape Revolution</i></b> <br><i> </i><br>“A fascinating master class on the world of seeds.” <br><b>—Madeline Hooper, host, PBS’s <i>GardenFit</i>; coauthor of <i>Get GardenFit</i></b>