agricultural sciences

"The Ortho Problem Solver" is a wonderful reference book on pests, fungus', etc and controlling them with inorganic methods. Of course, Ortho is not known for organic pest control, but I still feel that maybe they should include this information considering that many that wish to control certain pests also live in wildlife areas--such as areas where there are birds, or are environmentalists or oriented towards this area when it comes to certain issues such as vegetables and fruit.

Environmentally correct methods do often work. Some will do nothing about pests no matter what because they fear any interruption in the wildlife.

I purchased the book because of the information it has in a variety of other areas--soil PH, lists of pests/fungus/other and photos of the damage they do, and overall general information. It is a very interesting and comprehensive reference book. It has a good layout with several sections.

Having just completed training in the Master Gardener program in our state, I found that I still needed a better visual reference to correctly identify garden problems. Recently, while shopping for a pesticide, I was able to pinpoint my exact problem because the store had prominently displayed a copy of "The Ortho Problem Solver" by Michael D. Smith! Its brilliant photographs and easy to understand narratives were surpassed only by its explicit and wonderfully cross-referenced index feature. I was unable to tear myself away - and kept calling my husband over to help me remember photos for later diagnosis at home.

As a serious photographer, I was able to appreciate the clarity and specificity of the photographs - and as a gardener, I was determined to own my own copy of this book immediately! (I will only be disappointed with this purchase if a newer version of the book is published before I receive my copy!)

This book is the best source I have found to help diagnose plant problems. The fifth edition has better color pictures than previous editions, and it is wider to allow more space for the pictures and writing. Of course, since it is an Ortho book, the product recommendations are for Ortho products. However, this gives the reader a clear indication of the type of compound they should consider for control. Well worth the money for the avid gardener.