The Medicinal Herb Grower: A Guide for Cultivating Plants That Heal: 1 Paperback – September 1, 2009

The Medicinal Herb Grower, by Richo Cech, is so pithy, delightful, insightful, poetic and thought-provoking I do not believe a person can read it and be the same afterward. Richo Cech invites the reader into his own personal experiences with his humble candor and witty, almost playful voice, while building upon numerous themes and topics in a smooth manner; the illuminating and inspiring effect of it all is quite reminiscent of Nature itself. His humorous anecdotes are masterfully crafted to illustrate keen observations from both the garden and the wilderness, and to demonstrate the efficacy of the methods which Richo has learned and developed with great care and devotion. (Based on my experience with Horizon Herbs, I am convinced the fruits of his labors have been abundant and sweet for many people.)I can't imagine an avid gardener being disappointed with this book, nor a nature-lover. The knowledge relayed in this book is clear and simple enough to get the beginner started to success with hope and confidence based on good solid advice, yet so detailed and insightful that even the well-seasoned gardener or horticulturist is sure to learn something to enhance their own skills and knowledge.On a more personal note, which may or may not be useful to you, this book had the strangely wonderful effect of bringing countless memories of my own learning experiences, observations, quandaries, and happy musings to the forefront of my mind. I seemed to relearn things I had forgotten or discarded for various reasons. And I sometimes felt like the author was putting many of my own thoughts and feelings regarding soil, sun and all things green, into words much more eloquent and organized than most of my attempts have been. I also felt a renewed confidence in my efforts to garden with Mother Earth, and I sensed a strong kinship in our love for growing things, for harmony between living beings, and in our hope for the greater good. I have a very strong feeling that a great many other gardeners, horticulturists, nature lovers, landscapers, botanists, and those of us who are compelled by the concepts of agroforestry or permaculture, will have similarly invigorating and validating experiences if they will sit down and savor this book.That being said, Richo's experience and knowledge are far beyond my own in years, applications, and successes, which gave humbling perspective, and motivating vision. I am grateful for people like him and his family. If you love plants, whether you are confident or not with growing and harvesting them, I encourage you to give this book a chance to open your eyes and lift your heart. May your thumbs turn green in the living soil. Peace.

"The Medicinal Herb Grower: A Guide for Cultivating Plants That Heal" is a comprehensive guide to growing and using medicinal herbs. Written by Richo Cech, a well-known expert in the field of herbal medicine and growing plants, the book provides detailed information on a wide range of medicinal plants, including their traditional uses, growing conditions, and preparation methods. The author covers both common and rare herbs, and provides instructions for growing them in a variety of settings, including indoor and outdoor environments.The book also includes information on harvesting, drying, and storing herbs, as well as information on making herbal preparations such as teas, tinctures, and salves. In addition, the author provides guidelines for creating an herbal apothecary and using herbs for self-care and first aid.One of the unique features of this book is its emphasis on the importance of sustainability and the use of organic and natural methods in growing medicinal herbs. The author also provides information on the ethical and responsible use of medicinal plants, including the importance of conservation and the need to respect and protect wild populations.Overall, "The Medicinal Herb Grower" is an excellent resource for anyone interested in growing and using medicinal herbs, whether for personal use or for commercial purposes. The author's extensive knowledge and experience make this book a valuable resource for both beginners and experienced herb growers.

I bought the book because I plan to sell occasionally herb plants at markets.While I really enjoyed the more natural approach of propagating plants, I would have wished for more practical information. The strange thing is that the book in many cases is geared for a bigger operation than the home garden, as for example he mentions a rototiller to till beds. No home gardener would need to till his herbs mechanically. But a commercial herb grower on the other hand would need more in depth information.The information presented is often very basic. There is little infomation on setting up a nursery space, what to do to keep the dreadful slugs out of the trays or how to protect very tiny seeds from drying out.What I especially miss are propagation techniques for different plants. Especially how to harvest the seeds, which plants do cross, how to prevent cross pollination etc., as seed saving books don't include herbs.There is a small section on building a greenhouse and a shade house, but it is so short that it is useless unless you are good at building, but then you don't need these instructions.The illustrations are really nice and cute, but I would have wished for photos for examle how different plants look in the seedling stage to distinguish them from weeds or how his setup looks like, in short, more informative illustrations.There is a usefull chapter on potting mixes.Strangely, I don't regret having bought that book. The author runs an awesome seed company and he must really have a lot of knowledge. I would suggsest that he goes back to his desk and writes something bigger, better with all that knowledge he must have and with a plant by plant description.