Too Much Knowledge?

[Uncle Joshua]

I was telling a fellow plot holder that I was thinking about buying Andi Clevely's new book today but he said that I already had enough knowledge so shouldn't go spending more money on books, I don't think thats true, I do have lots of books and read them all the time but I don't think a single word from one of them has affected the way I do things because I think I do things on instinct. (if it feels right 99% of the time it is right)

Anyhoo can you ever have enough knowledge?

[Uncle Joshua]

[Crystalmoon]

Hi there, right now I have virtually zero knowledge & cant wait to have absorbed some from this site & the many books I have just borrowed from my local library.
Us newbies need you more experienced peeps to keep on learning so you can keep on teaching us  ;D  :D
He! He!

[redimp]

thebookpeople bought Carol Klein's book into our school today.  I opened a page and the first thing I read made me think - "Nah, that's not how I or anybody else I know does it" - she said Swede was a root and did not transplant well whereas we all know it is a stem and does, but it was still a good read and as the price I am still thinking of buying it.

[OllieC]

I got that for a fiver in smiths, red. Each section has a bit written by her, followed by a useful bit written by someone in the RHS. There are many contradiction between what she says & what the real non celeb bit says... I don't hate it!

[debster]

no i dont think there is ever a thing as too much knowledge, besides even if you dont learn that much from a book you get the pleasure of reading it  :)

[sarah]

i really think you will learn more from this forum and from talking to experienced veg growers than you will from most of these glossy books. the only ones i really learned from were dr hesseyon when i was starting out and the joy larcom grow your own veg a little later.  dont waste  you rmoney on these books they cost a fortune. go to your local library and look in your local charity shops there are books galore in both these places.

[davyw1]

I think most of the people who write books on gardening are trying to convince you that their way is best, what they don,t tell you is that they are sponsored growers so they  don,t pay for anything and get the best of every thing to do trials for various companies, if it goes wrong it cost nothing they have lost nothing.
I wonder how some of them would manage if they were presenters or writers when not many people had cars, there was no piped water  and everything had to be carried by barrow or hand to the allotment and they had to do it themselves as well as pay for it.
The only gardening book i had i got from the library, i took it down the garden one day and the old mentor lit the shed fire with it.

[tonybloke]

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addictive things, books! ;)

[STEVEB]

i STICK TO THE VEGETABLE AND HERB EXPERT ITS MY BIBLE!!

[posie]

Yep Hessayon and also our very own TeeGee - I've learned loads just from the odd post I've seen from TeeGee.   ;D  Well everyone really on here has some knowledge to impart - it's a fab site  ;D

[Deb P]

I have quite a few allotment related books , just because I enjoy reading about different ways of doing things and love looking at pics of other peoples allotments! I don't think there is a thing as too much knowledge, unless it totally confuses you or makes you an arrogant know-it-all...it's not what you know but how you choose to impart it...!

Most of the information in such books is pretty repetitive, but I enjoy looking through them as there is always something that I had forgotten or that is now useful. For specific problems, there is no beating A4A I agree!

Also, I don't worry about posting 'stupid' questions on here that others may feel are obvious, although some seemingly innocuous question sometimes sparks off heated debate, it is great at getting information from people who have faced the same problems.

[legless]

i don't understand? its possible to have too many books? weird.

[GrannieAnnie]

One thing the glossy pictured books give to me is inspiration for the flower gardening.  Seeing pictures of plant combinations, treatment of paths etc. is easier seen than read. I don't buy the books though, just use the library because I don't have to dust them! 
This forum is wonderful for info and getting questions answered which a book won't necessarily do. And when folks post pictures- more inspiration.

[ACE]

The best way is to wite your own book over the next five years then you will know what you are doing is right or wrong .  No need to get it published as there is nothing worse than taking expert advice as most of you keep telling us, when you get 'criritised' by the old boy on the next plot.

[lolabelle]

since I'm a newbie to growing veg I have bought a few books on growing  veg/allotments, They make great bedtime reading and a change from cookery books,its interesting to see what others do and use their ideas , tweek them to suit your plot, or use all the knowledge and ideas they have to use in what way suits use or maybe a mixture of all ideas  ???
but then the old boy will  always tut at your new fangled ways, I tell them to come back at harvest time and discuss my failures and sucesses , potatoes through black semi permiable plastic being the reason fo tuts and huffs  ::)

[Uncle Joshua]

I'm not going to bother with the book now, if I don't know it I'm sure a quick read or post or two here will give me the answer.

The £24.95 I save will go towards buying a shed and I'll still have the three dozen books I have now.

[bridgehouse]

Go to the local charity shop, or to boot sales, and you will pick up some good gardening books for pence .I have a collection of books from these sources.
     Bridbehouse

[growmore]

There's them that READS and them that WEEDS.  ;D
Look in a guy's  barrow at what he is taking home, not at the books in his bookcase .. Then ask him  how he does it .
He won't be the one saying "You should do it this way or that ", He will be the quiet guy with the hoe in his hand. If he knows you are interested he will tell /show you . You will learn more from him than all the books.. ;)

[Robert_Brenchley]

You can't have too many books, but you need to be choosy. Just get the ones which are either a good enough read that you'll come back to them, or contain solid information. Too many of them are just picture books giving the same regurgitated stuff all over again.