ch. 1. Introduction -- ch. 2. Soil fertility principles -- ch. 3. Plant nutrition principles -- ch. 4. The plant root -- ch. 5. How to be a diagnostician -- ch. 6. Soil taxonomy, horizontal characteristics, and clay minerals -- ch. 7. Physical properties of soils -- ch. 8. Physiochemical properties of soil -- ch. 9. Soil pH : its determination and interpretation -- ch. 10. Soil organic matter -- ch. 11. Major essential plant elements -- ch. 12. Micronutrients considered essential to plants -- ch. 13. Elements considered beneficial to plants -- ch. 14. Elements considered toxic to plants -- ch. 15. Trace elements found in plants -- ch. 16. Soil testing -- ch. 17. Plant analysis and tissue testing -- ch. 18. Lime and liming materials -- ch. 19. Inorganic chemical fertilizers and their properties -- ch. 20. Organic fertilizers and their properties -- ch. 21. Fertilizer placement -- ch. 22. Soil water, irrigation, and water quality -- ch. 23. Hydroponics -- ch. 24. Soilless rooting growing media -- ch. 25. Organic farming/gardening -- ch. 26. Weather and climatic conditions -- ch. 27. Best management practices (BMPs).