If gaining a deeper understanding of organic vegetable gardening is on your to-do list for 2025, the American Horticultural Society has published the book for you. AHS has partnered with Cool Springs Press to produce the organization’s first new book in more than 20 years, and it’s called Essential Guide to Organic Vegetable Gardening. At nearly 300 pages and written by such an esteemed gardening organization, you should consider it your first and final source on organic veggie growing.

The book’s subtitle explains it best: “Techniques and know-how for planning, planting, and tending a home vegetable garden organically.” The book consists of four sections and 11 chapters, thoroughly covering the organic vegetable growing topic. Let’s go through each section.

Organic Gardening from Planning to Production

Section 1 is all about inspiration. Chapters quickly cover the history of organic vegetable gardening (it was all organic back in the day!) a gives the reader some beautiful examples of garden types, from raised beds and in-ground gardens to planting in straw bales and in square-foot arrangements.

Section 2 is about getting started. There’s lots to consider as you start your organic gardening journey! Such as? Well, planning your garden based on your climate, availability of water, available space and surroundings, and the critters you may have to co-garden with. Then there’s deciding what to grow in your space and determining a planting style that works for both the space and the your chosen veggies.

Section 3 is the nuts and bolts of techniques and maintenance. Learn to prep your soil, how to plant properly, what maintenance has to be done to the plants and the garden overall, and finally how to protect your crops from pests and diseases—organically!

Section 4 shares two very important aspects of organic vegetable gardening. First, it explains how to harvest and store your crops. And secondly, and the most important in my opinion, it shares profiles of edible plants from artichokes to winter squash (zucchini is in the summer squash category). They don’t forget the herbs, either! You’ll find everything from basil to thyme and so many tasty flavor additions in between.

What Makes This Book Special

Does all that seem basic to you? If so, let’s look further into some of the details that make this book special.

Indigenous gardening. In the historical gardening section, the authors cover the crop growing techniques that different indigenous groups used, many of which had the aim of increasing use of space and water conservation. This isn’t just inspirational—these are techniques you can use in your own organic vegetable gardening process.

Microclimates. The chapter on environmental conditions goes deeper than the big picture. It takes the time to explain how temperature, humidity and building structures within your own space can impact your gardening practice.

Useful charts and lists! I suspect I’ll be referencing the Seasonal Garden To-Dos often, as well as the Timing Quick-Reference Chart for when to sow seeds indoors and plant outside.

The book publishes in early January 2025, and if you read this before that date, you can pre-order HERE. Otherwise, find Essential Guide to Organic Vegetable Gardening at your favorite bookseller. I’m sure you’ll be putting it to good use immediately!