Garden Knowledge Hub & Reference Manuals

Welcome to the open-access gardening reference library powering Crop Plot & Sentry. Every rule, planting tip, and spray safety check in our software is grounded in agricultural extension research—translated into clear, practical manuals and step-by-step checklists for home gardeners and market growers.

🌱 Explore our 8 comprehensive reference manuals below:

Published Reference Manuals

8 Complete Manuals

Soil Health • Volume I ~2,800 Words

Vegetable Crop Rotation: Soil & Pest Manual

Posted: September 20, 2026 • Revised: October 3, 2026

Learn botanical families (Nightshades, Cabbage, Beans, Squash, Onions, Herbs, Grains, Berries), heavy vs. light feeders, and the simple 4-year bed rotation schedule that naturally starves out garden pests and soil diseases.

#PlantFamilies #SoilBuilders #4YearRotation

Read Crop Rotation Manual →

Pest Control • Volume II ~4,200 Words

Organic Pest Control (IPM) & Safe Spraying Manual

Posted: September 20, 2026 • Revised: October 14, 2026

The 4-step organic pest plan: good habits first, row covers, beneficial bug life stages (hoverfly maggots & ladybug nymphs), and targeted organic sprays. Includes Spinosad resistance rotation protocols, concentrate shelf-life guidelines, soil mycorrhizal SAR immunity, 85°F heat cutoffs, and sunset bee safety.

#ResistanceRotation #BeneficialLifeCycles #SoilSARImmunity #ConcentrateShelfLife

Read Pest Control & Spray Manual →

Plant Partners • Volume III ~3,500 Words

Companion Planting: Good & Bad Garden Neighbors

Posted: September 20, 2026 • Revised: October 14, 2026

Separating plant biochemistry from garden folklore. Explains the exact chemical classes behind root clashes (allium organosulfurs, fennel flavonoids, juglone), Common Mycorrhizal Networks (CMNs) for underground warning signals, living mulch temperature control, French marigold nematode suppression (α-terthienyl), and the Three Sisters guild.

#MycorrhizalNetworks #RootBiochemistry #ThreeSisters #LivingMulch

Read Companion Planting Manual →

Watering • Volume IV ~2,300 Words

Garden Watering, Root Depths & Mulching Manual

Posted: September 20, 2026 • Revised: October 3, 2026

Learn why deep soaking beats daily sprinkling, the 3 root depth zones (shallow salad greens vs 3-foot deep tomato roots), the 2-inch finger soil test, why afternoon wilting is normal on hot days, and how 3 inches of straw saves water.

#DeepWatering #FingerTest #StrawMulch

Read Watering & Mulch Manual →

Heat Units • Volume V ~2,600 Words

Growing Degree Days (GDD) & Garden Weather Timing

Posted: September 20, 2026 • Revised: October 3, 2026

The "Heat Bucket" concept: how temperature counts predict exactly when flea beetles, squash vine borers, and hornworms hatch in your garden. Also covers 4-inch soil temperature minimums and avoiding fall fertilizer mistakes.

#HeatBucket #PestHatchTiming #SoilTempCheck

Read Heat Units & Timing Manual →

Plant Health • Volume VI ~2,500 Words

Plant Nutrition, Yellow Leaves & Soil Troubleshooting

Posted: October 3, 2026 • Revised: October 12, 2026

Diagnose yellow leaves in seconds (bottom leaves = nitrogen food shortage; top leaves = watering issues). Fix Blossom End Rot on tomatoes, keep roots from drowning in waterlogged soil, and learn why you should never prune wet tomato leaves.

#YellowLeafFix #BlossomEndRot #DryPruning

Read Plant Nutrition Manual →

Seed Starting • Volume VII ~2,400 Words

Seed Starting, Sowing Depths & Planting Manual

Posted: October 3, 2026 • Revised: October 12, 2026

Why strict taproots (carrots) and fast growers (corn, beans) thrive with direct sowing, soil temperature vs calendar dates, the 2–3x seed depth rule, preventing damping-off, and the 7-day hardening off schedule.

#SoilTemperature #DirectSow #DampingOff #HardeningOff

Read Seed Starting Manual →

Master Glossary • Volume VIII ~3,400 Words • 50+ Terms

Garden Science & Agronomy Glossary

Posted: September 20, 2026 • Revised: October 3, 2026

Over 50+ gardening, weather, bug, plant food, and spray terms with definitions and practical tips. Includes Growing Degree Days (GDD), Pre-Harvest Wait Times (PHI), Allelopathy, Chlorosis, Phytotoxicity, and more.

GDD (Heat Units) PHI (Wait to Eat) Chlorosis (Yellow Leaves) Phytotoxicity (Spray Burn) Allelopathy (Root Rivalry)

Browse Full Glossary → Updated Weekly