Ben Raskin – författare

‘At last, a comprehensive manual for horticulturists aspiring to integrate trees into their farms – agroforestry at its finest.’ Iain Tolhurst, MBE‘Dibben and Raskin offer an insightful, inspiring but also exceptionally practical guide to integrating trees into annual cropping systems.’ Jesse Frost, author of The Living Soil HandbookAn invaluable handbook for farmers, growers and gardeners, Silvohorticulture is the first book to offer a detailed, practical guide on how to integrate trees with vegetable growing.Expert growers Ben Raskin and Andy Dibben bring together their decades-long experiences in commercial crop production alongside designing and managing agroforestry systems in their groundbreaking new book Silvohorticulture – the definitive book on the interaction between trees and crops.They explore the incredible benefits of trees for edible crops and the potential for additional crops from trees, plus crucial new information on how to fit trees into complex crop rotations and manipulate access to light. Ben and Andy also reveal for the first time the latest research on how tree roots behave and, importantly, how that impacts your crops.Agroforestry can bring immense benefits to farmers and growers – not just optimising yield, but also improving soil, managing pests and water, increasing biodiversity and reducing costs. System design must be customised to each grower’s requirements, and Silvohorticulture offers step-by-step detail that will allow you to manage your trees and crops successfully.‘Every now and then a book comes along that adds a whole new dimension to a subject that you thought you understood.’ John Cherry, cofounder of the Groundswell Regenerative Agriculture Festival

There has never been a better time to plant a tree!  From their invaluable role in fighting climate change and cleaning the air of our cities, to the huge mental health benefits being around their leafy presence can bring, trees are at the very centre of both our urban and rural ecosystems.Written by Ben Raskin, head of horticulture at the Soil Association, and supported by Friends of the Earth UK, this earthy call-to-action teaches the practical how-tos alongside the most interesting insights to appreciate about the significance of magnificent trees.As movements to rewild the world around us gain pace, tree planting is being recognised as an empowering, practical and surprisingly simple action that each and every one of us can do in our backyard, park, local community, school, town or city. Sections in this book include:Trees and the World – This sectioncelebrates just how vital trees are, from how they help regulate the climate and absorb dangerous methane and nitrous oxide, to how they enrich soil, support wildlife and keep our city air clean, as well as the threats they face from climate change. Growing Your Own Tree – Tips on growing saplings from seed, cuttings or grafting, plus guidance on care and maintenance, from weeding and mulching to when to prune and pollard. Forty Best Trees – A guide to the top40 of our favourite trees, appreciated for their fruit and nuts, their ornamental value and the role they play in supporting wildlife, including a neat introduction to how to recognise trees by their leaf shape, flowers, seeds and fruit. Trees and Happiness – Research has revealed that trees are effective at reducing stress levels and improving our mental well-being, and this section digs into exactly how this happens. Whether you’re a keen gardener, an avid environmental activist or simply want to learn more about these beautiful and powerful organisms, this must-read book illustrated by popular screen-printerRosanna Morris sends the powerful message that we can plant a tree & retree the world!

Start and nurture your own thriving community garden with this seasoned guide to cultivating your local outdoor space.Community gardening is a growing movement that is taking root in towns and cities all over the world. Groups of likeminded people are transforming neglected plots of land into green, flourishing spaces for everyone to enjoy.In Let’s Plant & Grow Together, farming and gardening pioneer Ben Raskin shares his keen expertise in his introduction to collective self-sufficiency, encouraging a community audience to grow food and garden together. With a thoughtful foreword by Hélèna Dove, Head of Kitchen at Kew Gardens, this guide is uniquely placed to teach you how to make urban spaces bloom.A look into the background of community gardening and its benefits is followed by a practical guide: planning advice is laid out, alongside essential etiquette tips for running a successful site. Learn about these and other practical considerations, including:   Soil fertility Fundraising Business plans Guerrilla gardening Access rights Marketing Leases Add a community-minded directory of the top vegetables, flowers, fruit, and herbs to plant, with key tips on growing in containers to maximise your space, and you can get ready to dig for a community garden that will blossom and thrive for everyone.With clear instructions for all ages and backgrounds, your collective will learn to grow and harvest:   Kale Pears Beetroot Asparagus Gooseberries Oregano Currants Melons Figs This book contains everything you need to start gardening in a group. Whether that’s with family, neighbours, or allotment co-owners, you’ll find practical steps to promote harmony, grow more successfully, and make space for everybody. Written by an expert in the field, this insightful and comprehensive guide leaves no stone unturned when it comes to building and maintaining your dream co-gardening space.If you like this book, you may also like Plant a Tree and Retree the World, by the same author.

Ben Raskin’s wide-ranging work in varied locations makes The Woodchip Handbook a really useful overview of the possibilities afforded by woodchip. Charles Dowding, author of Charles Dowding’s No Dig GardeningThe first and only complete guide to sourcing and using woodchip – an abundant, inexpensive and ecologically sustainable material – for savvy growers and landscapers at any scale, from farm to garden to greenhouse.The Woodchip Handbook is the essential guide to the many uses of woodchip both in regenerative agriculture and horticulture. Author Ben Raskin, Head of Horticulture and Agroforestry at the Soil Association, draws on his extensive practical experience using woodchip, provides the latest research from around the world and presents inspiring case studies from innovative farmers. The book explores and unlocks the tremendous potential of woodchip to enhance soil health and plant growth:As a natural mulch for weed suppression, temperature buffering and water conservationAs a growing medium for propagating plantsAs a decomposing source of warmth for hotbeds in the greenhouse or hoop houseAs a carbon-rich compost ingredient that supports beneficial fungi and microorganismsAs a powerful soil health booster when applied as small-sized ramial chipped woodAs an ideal substrate for growing many kinds of edible or medicinal mushroomsAs a sustainable, versatile and durable material for foot paths and ornamental landscapingSome of these techniques, like mulching – or the renewable harvest potential from coppicing and pollarding trees – have been around forever. Yet there is always new science to be discovered, such as the role that salicylic acid from willow woodchip can play in preventing tree diseases or promoting livestock health when used as a bedding material.Whether you are a commercial grower or farmer, a permaculture practitioner or a serious home gardener producing your own fruit and vegetables, The Woodchip Handbook will show you how to get the most out of this readily available and renewable material.I did not know the world needed a whole book on woodchip, but from the first chapter I could not put this book down. Alys Fowler, author of The Edible Garden and The Thrifty Gardener