Description

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The Montana Gardener's Companion explains how to identify and address common shortcomings of Montana soils, including alkaline soils (the most common soil in Montana), acidic soils (found in some soils in the mountains and near Great Falls), and salty soils (found especially in eastern Montana and in areas west and northwest of Great Falls east of the Divide and in the far northeastern portions of Sheridan County). This book explains the different climates of eastern and western Montana, the effect of elevation on growing seasons, and how Montana gardeners can lengthen their growing seasons through careful plant selection, choosing the correct exposure, planting properly on slopes and using season-extending products.

About the Author

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Cheryl Moore-Gough holds a B.S. in Horticulture and an M.S. in Plant Sciences from Montana State University, where she retired as the Montana State Extension Horticulturist in 2008. While serving in that capacity, she instructed and coordinated the Montana Master Gardener program and co-authored its manual. She was the plant disease diagnostician in MSU's Schutter Diagnostic Lab and is currently Adjunct Assistant Professor in horticulture at MSU, where she teaches Vegetable Production. Additionally, she has taught various undergraduate classes at MSU and has published numerous works alone and with her late husband, the well-known Robert "Dr. Bob" Gough. Together, they wrote in 2007 The Montana Gardener's Companion, first edition; in 2010 Guide to Rocky Mountain Vegetable Gardening, and in 2011 The Complete Guide to Saving Seeds. Cheryl's articles have been published in numerous magazines including Fine Gardening, Zone 4 Magazine, Montana Magazine, American Nurseryman, and Big Sky Small Acres. She has co-authored over 25 Montana Extension yard and garden informational MontGuides and Bulletins. Cheryl is an articulate and entertaining speaker, much in demand throughout the western United States. Cheryl is also the technical horticulture editor for Zone 4 Magazine, and she produces and hosts the Northern News Network's daily radio program, "Northern Gardening Tips," carried by stations throughout Montana, Wyoming and the Dakotas. Cheryl currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Montana nonprofit "Gallatin Valley Farm to School." She has been gardening and saving seeds in the Gallatin Valley for over 40 years. In addition to her horticultural pursuits, Cheryl holds a fourth degree black belt in the Japanese martial art of Aikido and is an instructor at the Bozeman, Montana dojo.