yeah, I second that!

no, he hasn't, but he has done something even better, he has posted it all for free! Right here. Just search on his handle and find all threads he has authored and you are good to go.

I respect you would like it all organized into a book format as would many others, but until he gets a round tuit, it is all right here.

Ya...I second that!!!;-)

Hi, sorry to hear there isn't a book as I would so rather be outside on a beautiful Mich fall day reading! Do you give talks near the Ann Arbor or Brighton area? And, sorry if this was already addressed but is there a ratio or a limit as to how many plants/cubic ft container? It seems that most of the containers you find at the garden centers have many plants crammed in them. I was just wondering if there is a rule of thumb here. Thanks for the help. Isamae

... still talking to friends about a book - getting a little more interested in the prospect/project, but it really seems a rather daunting undertaking.

I just had a group of about 50 Master Gardeners visit the gardens last Tues (from Gladwin) and their programs committee also expressed an interest in a presentation, the subject of which is yet to be determined. Ann Arbor is a little over a 200 mile round trip for me, and though I wouldn't charge for the presentation, per se, my typical arrangement is that my mileage expenses get covered. In addition to The San Toshi (our local) Bonsai Society, I also belong to the Ann Arbor Bonsai Society, so I make the trip down that way fairly frequently; though I'm a little more selective about which meetings I attend lately because of fuel expenses. ;o) If you're interested, you can contact me off forum.

There really isn't a rule of thumb, that I can think of, that dictates how many plants you can cram in a container. It also depends on whether you're talking about veggies or pretty stuff. For the pretty stuff, I really jamb them in there! I rip the bottom half of the roots off & run my fingers up into the remaining roots to remove a good portion of the soil, then I jamb them into the container and use the old roots & soil for filler around the roots. Because the yield of veggies needs to be considered, you probably wouldn't want to be so cavalier about crowding them into the containers.

I guess experience ends up playing a big part in the call. I still have about 30+ display containers scattered over the gardens & deck, and all of them are still lush and blooming (or in the case of the foliage plants, performing) well. The several hibiscus have slowed because of the cool nights, but the foliage is lush. All of these containers were jammed to the max - most with twice the number of plants the average person would put in them. For the display containers, as long as you can keep up with the watering as the container matures, and provide adequate nutrition, you can really squeeze a lot of mass out of a few gallons of soil. With veggies and specimen plants, you'll want to be a little more judicious.

Al

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Al, a book would be pretty awesome...What a great idea!! In the meantime, we appreciate all the free knowledge, help and insights that you so generously give us.

Keep us posted on that book...

I like free on gardenweb myself (I am a frugal part-Scot after all). Pity that the search feature doesn't go back very far anymore.

If you DO decide to undertake the daunting task of writing a book, Al, I would be most interested in your thoughts on soils, water retention and perched water tables, how to grow healthy roots (which leads to healthy plants), and generally about how plants and soil and water and fertilizer all interact. You know, how plants work... and all in laymen's terms, so those of us who detest reading scientific jargon can understand. In other words, just as you have been writing here in the Forums!

Your articles and responses are the first that have ever really penetrated my brain... I get what you're trying to say. It's all helped me become a much more successful gardener, and I'd love to see that in book form.

As filler, I think photos of your plants, gardens and experiments would be great, along with an FAQ section with answers, so the typical gardener can look up a plant and find out how to care for it. Or perhaps a section on debunking the most common of gardening wives tales, like using a layer of rocks for drainage, which I now know serves no purpose.

And no book that you write would be complete without your recipes for container medium mixes!

I really think that if you put a bit of thought into it, you'd see that you have a lot to offer the gardening world in book form... or even in a series of short books. I would absolutely save my pennies to buy your writings!