0From backyards to terraces, this deliciously funny little book is also a serious guide on how to start and nurture an heirloom tomato patch. Radio host and master gardener Mike McGrath has a growing legion of fans who love his trademark wit. In You Bet Your Garden Guide to Growing Great Tomatoes, McGrath doesn't disappoint, delivering both sound advice and plenty of laughs to help gardeners beat the heat and have a great tomato harvest. In this book McGrath explains why readers should grow their own tomatoes in the first place: You just can't beat the taste. Tomatoes are the most popular home garden vegetable crop, and heirloom tomatoes are older, open-pollinated varieties that have stood the test of time. More and more gardeners are finding heirloom vegetables to be superior in flavor, color and disease resistance to the more common hybrid commercial varieties. Based on McGrath's personal adventures in tomato-growing, You Bet Your Garden Guide to Growing Great Tomatoes guides would-be gardeners through choosing seeds, germinating, planting, staking, caging, nurturing, watering and harvesting homegrown tomatoes. Readers also get tips on how to control pests and deal with disease. Along the way, he weaves in fascinating tomato lore and tips. This is a book for everyone who loves to laugh, loves to eat, and loves to grow beautiful tomatoes.