Tuesday, February 02, 2010
My Seed-Buying Fetish...
It starts with a catalog that comes in the mail,
Just about the time that you're sick of those pale,
thick-skinned, store-bought, sorry, hard as rock,
excuses for tomatoes, with the flavor of a sock.
--Stephanie Davis, "Talkin'Harvest Time Blues"
Just about the time that you're sick of those pale,
thick-skinned, store-bought, sorry, hard as rock,
excuses for tomatoes, with the flavor of a sock.
--Stephanie Davis, "Talkin'Harvest Time Blues"
I'll be good from now on, Lord, I promise I will.
I just got a great tip via email, from a reader: The Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Company, of Mansfield, MO.
Since they are in my Zone, and have been growing their stock for years, I couldn't resist buying some seeds. But, I felt guilty when I realized how much I spent.
Granny Cantrell German Red Tomato-- I liked the story of the seeds. I'm a sucker.Any way, I am going to bring two big, fallow, production beds back online in the coming weeks (as soon as this snow melts), and expect to really grow more Tomato varieties this year. I am going to try something different, that I expect to work. Here's the plan:
Pantano Romanesco Tomato-- These look like beautiful tomatoes.
Borage-- I've been looking for Borage seeds of three years. Always sold-out every year. I bought a LOT, as I really want to establish a nice patch in the yard. Great nutritional value, good for chickens, and the compost!
Cilantro, Slo-Bolt-- I love you, Cilantro, but you leave me dry oh, so soon every year!
Greek Mullein-- A good medicinal plant to have in abundance. I am going to establish a nice stand of Mullein this year, too. These seeds, like Borage, are always in high-demand.
Lemongrass-- I gotta try.
Stevia-- Dry the leaves, dip a couple in your tea. Sweetens without sugar. Great for diabetics.
Oriental Scarlet Poppy-- Pretty and perennial!
Cumin-- I gotta try growing this, too! I cook with it too much to not try growing it.
In the past, I've only grown tomatoes/vining plants on the north side of my beds, in order to grow other crops in front of the vines. This let me grow 16 plants in a 16'L bed. It was enough to supply fresh tomatoes every day, and enough to can, freeze, roast, and dry. I did go to a local farm to get a bushel of tomatoes for canning. I am glad I did, too! So, this year, I want to make up that difference for canning. That bushel was $35.00. My bushel will cost me ~~$5.00 in seed and postage, and a couple of bucks for water. Next year, just the water, when I decide which plants' seeds to save for re-planting.
If I plant tomatoes on both sides of a bed-- taller, viney, indeterminate varieties on the west side, and shorter, bushier, determinate varieties on the east side-- I can grow 32 plants in a box, with both sides getting full sun.
Under, and in-between the plants, I'll grow long-term root crops like carrots, leeks, beets and onions. Just as the tomatoes are exhausted, it will be time for the roots to be harvested, or boosted by that extra light. It will also be time to plant-in the winter crops, where the tomatoes were.
Thanks, Dick! You pointed me to a place that really helped me to solidify my gardening plans for this Spring, and fed my impulse compulsion fetish. Heh... the worst thing that happens if I really get my fix on, is that my larder fills up fast, and more hungry people in my area get good veggies to eat.
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