There are billions of books and websites that you can use to help you in your horticultural journey (wherever it is that you might be headed). Over the years, here are some that I have used countless times or have thoroughly enjoyed reading and using.
Diseases and Pests of Vegetable Crops in Canada
This book from the Canadian Phytopathological Society (and Entomological Society of Canada) has been my go-to disease, disorder and pest resource for close to 25 years. If you want to learn about hundreds of different pathogens for dozens of different vegetable crops, this is where to start. You can learn all about different diseases, broken out by crop groups, from the minutest detail about spore wall thickness, all the way through to impact, symptoms, disease cycles and general management practices.
If you don’t know where to start, you can always use the tried-and-true method of flipping through the colour plate section, looking for clues.
While this is an old reference book, it still stands the test of time and is worth using. Some of the chapters have been updated, and the entire manual is available online, laid out by chapter, or you can download the entire PDF for free.
Authors: R.J Howard, J.A. Garland and W.L. Seaman
Free Chapters or Full PDF: https://phytopath.ca/publications/diseases-of-vegetable-crops-in-canada/
Commercial Vegetable Production on the Prairies
I’m pretty fond of this particular manual, mostly because I gave 5 years of my career to shepherding it from concept to completion. I am a big fan of resources that give you a lot of everything, so that you can think to yourself “I wonder what the seeding rate of parsnips is in pounds per acre” and you can look it up, as well as common pests of onions, all at the same time. This book, which I have affectionately nicknamed “Veginald” gives something for everyone of any scale. Home gardener? There is information in here for you. Commercial grower? Yup, this will be useful. And it is excellently affordable.
Authors: Alberta Agriculture and Forestry (plus people from other prairie provinces)
Print Copy ($20): http://www.agric.gov.ab.ca/app08/ppslogin?pID=100104
Free PDF copy (low-resolution): FREE PDF COPY
Field Guide to Forest Insects and Diseases of the Prairie Provinces (2nd Edition)
This little gem is a great helper when it comes to getting started on diagnosing coniferous and deciduous insects and diseases for trees and shrubs on the Canadian Prairies. It is easy to navigate, full of good pictures and descriptions, and is a starter place for identifying problems. While it does not provide management information, knowing what you might be dealing with means you are closer to answers. You can always look up more specific information on pests once you have figured out who you are dealing with.
Authors: Y. Hiratsuka, D.W. Langor, P.E. Crane
Canadian Forest Service Publications: https://cfs.nrcan.gc.ca/publications?id=25059
Potato Field Guide: Insects, Diseases and Defects (Publication 823)
Potatoes can get a lot of problems, and sadly, it can be hard to tell one thing from another. This book is absolute gold for diagnosing problems in potatoes, whatever the cause. There are limited explanations of the pathogens, pests or causes of anything, but as is the case with other references, you can always look that up elsewhere. This book is full of symptom pictures, with lots of comparisons and contrasts, which are invaluable in narrowing down issues.
Author: Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs
Free PDF: http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/crops/pub823/p823order.htm
Some other references that are deep and useful (no matter your scale)
The Gardener (for Canadian Climates) Magazine
It is challenging to grow stuff on the prairies and many “prairie” garden magazines don’t come quite close enough to being applicable on the Canadian Prairies. This one is not like that. You find practical, well-researched and interesting articles in every edition. It is a treasure trove of great ideas, interesting content and makes a great gift for the gardener in your life. For me, I keep the past editions (and have ordered fill-in copies) as references, just in case.
While the magazine has undergone a name change in recent years (it was formerly called The Gardener for the Prairies), it is still worth having on your shelves and coffee table.
https://www.gardenermagazine.ca/
Growing Fruit in Northern Gardens
Canadian Prairie gardeners struggle to find relevant resources to guide them in their journey of finding and successfully growing fruit in an extreme northern climate. This book does a great job of giving solid recommendations, practical direction and good information on a wide range of fruit crops. You’ll want this one in your library, if you want to try fruit in your own yard. And the information can be used at larger scales as well.
Authors: Sara Williams and Dr. Bob Bors
ISBN Number: 9781550509137