Roots Demystified

Change Your Gardening Habits to Help Roots Thrive

Robert Kourik

Opens the door to the world beneath your garden’s feet—where healthy plants begin.

Roots Demystified explains simple solutions for growing healthy roots and, thereby, healthier plants. The book explores the subterranean part of every gardener’s world, revealing how roots really grow while correcting common errors such as where most gardeners apply water, mulch, and fertilizer or compost. This is the first and only book in print for gardeners with such an extensive number of illustrations of garden and orchard roots. The roots covered underlie lawns, prairies, shrubs, vegetables, fruit trees, and native and ornamental trees. Practical tips for how a gardener can use this information to create more abundant vegetables, better lawns, and sturdier trees and shrubs are offered with each of the 70 illustrations. Roots Demystified also describes several ways to garden without turning the soil—no-till and surface cultivation—a plus for aging baby-boomers.

"A gold mine of fascinating facts about the secret life of plants under ground.... While the focus of Roots Demystified is most squarely on trees and shrubs, the book is one of the best I have read on how to get plants of any kind to grow, and grow well."
—Jack Ruttle, Garden Design magazine

About the Author

Robert Kourik has written ten books on a variety of topics including drip irrigation, environmentally sound homes, edible landscaping, and lavender. His articles have appeared in numerous national publications, including seven in The New York Times. He has received two national awards for the best article of the year from the Garden Writers Association. Kourik has authored or coauthored nine books pertaining to a sustainable home and garden including Designing and Maintaining Your Edible Landscape Naturally. He lives in Northern California.