Container Gardening for Health is your complete guide to growing the twelve fruits and vegetables with the most pesticide residues according to USDA testing. From Apples and Celery to Strawberries and Spinach, pick a few of your favorites from the list. Make a big difference in your family's pesticide exposure with a small organic garden.
"After talking with other parents, I realized we all wanted an inexpensive way to feed our children more foods with less pesticide residue. None of us had time and few of us had the space to grow large gardens. I began researching the problem and soon realized a family's intake of pesticides could be substantially reduced by selecting their favorite foods from the EWG's Dirty Dozen list and growing these in containers or small space gardens." - Barbara Barker, from the first chapter
The Environmental Working Group(EWG) analyzed USDA pesticide residue data and compiled this list of the "top twelve most contaminated fruits and vegetables": Peaches, Apples, Sweet Bell Peppers, Celery, Nectarines, Strawberries, Cherries, Lettuce, Grapes (imported), Pears, Spinach, and Potatoes.
About The Author A certified master gardener, Barbara Barker traces her love for gardening back to fifth grade when she started a business rejuvenating her mother's ailing plants and selling them back to her for a small profit Barker expanded her knowledge of plants by working in garden centers in high school and college. After obtaining a BA in English from the University of Florida, she started an internet company selling gourmet varieties of vegetable and herb plants.
Contents List of Figures - 8 Introduction - 9 1. Chemical Residue on Your Food - 11 2. Peaches and Nectarines - 15 3. The Forbidden Apple - 23 4. Sweet Bell Peppers - 31 5. Celery - 35 6. Strawberries, Mother Nature's Candy - 39 7. Cherries - 47 8. Lettuce - 51 9. Grapes - 55 10. Pears - 61 11. Spinach - 65 12. Potatoes - 71 13. Primary Pesticides Found On the Dirty Dozen - 77 14. Pests and Diseases - 83 Raised Growing Beds - 99 Selected Resources/Bibliography - 100 Glossary - 103 Index - 107
