So does anybody here do heirloom plant gardening / vegetables, tomatoes, cucumbers, corn, etc? If so what are the names of your favorite species of heirloom crops?
So does anybody here do heirloom plant gardening / vegetables, tomatoes, cucumbers, corn, etc? If so what are the names of your favorite species of heirloom crops?
It's in the future for me Schuetz. Haven't bought the seed yet. Just store bought seeds so far.
Trying to get on the no fly list, one post at a time.
I plan to start next growing season, that's why I'm posting now about it. Seems like maybe nobody is into this aspect of prepping. Hybrid seeds are one generation wonders. I want to get into crops I can replant year after year.
I go to the local feed-n-seed and buy bags of corn and beans... couldn't tell you what they are, but the seeds have some kind of bright pink paint on them. I first thought that the coating was to identify them... but was later told its a type of fertilizer that helps with germination.
It's a fungicide to prevent seed rot in wet soil.Originally Posted by Mark Ducati
Amish Paste tomatoes from Heirloom Seeds were the best tomatoes I ever grew. I really have a thing about growing hybrid seeds, I won't if I can absolutely help it.
Roman Catholic, Life Member of American Legion, VFW, Wisconsin Libertarian party, Wi-FORCE, WGO, NRA, JPFO, GOA, SAF and CCRKBA
"THE STATE THAT SEPARATES ITS SCHOLARS FROM IT WARRIORS WILL HAVE ITS THINKING DONE BY COWARDS AND ITS FIGHTING DONE BY FOOLS"
THUCYDIDES.
I understand you wanting to use the Heirlooms and I agree. BUT, I tried it two years ago and they were very tough to manage. There was ALWAYS a problem. One day it was fungus of one kind or another, the next day it was bugs of some kind. This year I went with a mix of hybrids and Heirlooms and was much happier. There is a reason hybrids are used so extensivly, they resist a lot of shit that will kill heirlooms - and it can happen freaken fast too. The added expense I had with all the fungicides and bug killers made my maters cost about $2.00 each, possibly more.
If you try it, be prepared to spend a lot of time with the plants. An automatic watering system can be rigged fairly cheeply for the do it yourselfer but you will actually have to look the plants over every day (should be twice a day) because if something takes hold it can kill heirlooms very quickly.
Good luck with it.
The fall planting season is just about on us. Go ahead and jump in with some fall crops. Greens of most any type are good. I'm planning on greens, snow peas, letuce and spinach.
Last edited by L1A1Rocker; 08-15-2011 at 10:35 PM.
US Constitution: Article 1 Section 8 Paragraph 4
The Congress shall have Power To establish an uniform Rule of Naturalization
Two things come to mind when reading this thread.
1) second generation hybrid seeds will revert to their two or three hybridized varieties, so don't throw them away or not plant thinking they won't produce anything - they will, just a process of figuring out what - but this is better than not having anything at all.
2) growing heirloom varieties is much easier to manage in a controlled environment such as a green house
The second thing is important IMHO. If you want a serious and reliable source of food, it's best to construct a greenhouse - not only does it allow you to better manage things like pests and mold, it also allows you to grow nearly year round in most all places in the US, providing a constant source of food vs seasonal.
Fresh is always better than preserved but you can still have an ongoing preservation program going for the surplus in order to be ready for a failure.
~Nemo me impune lacessit~
I have seeds put in storage, but no real garden this year... I still have land to clear. I may plant a food plot for the deer if we get some rail, but right now it is just too dry! I'm loosing 100' pine trees to the drought.
some suggestions:
1. get carnivorous insects
2. spray with soap
3. plant marigolds and garlic throughout the garden
4. Seven dust is your friend!
5. use slug & snail traps
6. dust with diatrimetric earth
7. use soaker hoses to water, it keeps fungus down
http://www.gardeningzone.com/
Last edited by El Laton Caliente; 08-16-2011 at 11:25 AM.
I seem to be blessed with good bugs, though I am having some stink bugs right now and white flies. Need to spray down with some soap water to run off the white flies. I have lots of Lady Bugs and wasps and bumble bees that seem to come around. I credit the the BBs with help in polinating the plants.
I don't water the foliage even on our hybrids, never had a fungus problem in 3 seasons. Don't seem to have a slug problem either. Good advise to be sure. I was however looking for endorsements of any particular species of Herilooms that seem hardier than others. Guess I'll just roll the dice and make my own picks.
BTW, I'm looking primarily at Burpee's web site for Heirloom plants and seeds. Anybody got any other sources that might be good to visit?
I do all heirloom planting. The trick for success is picking the proper heirloom type for your growing area. I've spent the last 3 years finding a Tomato type that does well in the Phx valley. I found it this year and am sticking to it. I've pulled almost 70lbs off this year, and my plants are still going strong with no Sunshade. In previous years end of June was about it for my maters. By July they were burned to a crisp by the sun. These heirlooms I have now don't even flinch from the sun/heat.
I've also found types that I know are excellent in other states, but suck ass here. Jersey Giant's would be one type. Out of 8 plants I got a whopping 2 scraggly ass maters.
It's all about knowing what does well in your climate. Once you find a type that does well, only grow that type so you don't end up with Hybrids and you're good to go for life.
Burpee has burned me enough times on seeds that I never bother to look at them. I order mine from Baker creek nursery.
I think it's www.rareseeds.com
They've been great.
For green beans, if you have room for 15-30ft vines and like 10-20in long green beans, try the Thai longs that they have. They listed one of them as a bush type on accident one year so I tried them and they turned out to be monster vines that produced like crazy.
Also, Try the "Dragons tongue". They're great beans either as green or full grown and cooked up. Mmmm.
Can you elaborate on the burned by Burpee statement? How are they burning you?
Seeds that didn't germinate (Lots of them), seeds that grew vastly different than what was listed. Everyone can make a mistake in labeling/description, as even Baker Creek did it with the Thai long beans. But to have several lots of different seed types not Germinate at all is crap and unacceptable. I refuse to buy from them anymore because I just can't take the chance with a lost season. Even with a guarantee and replacements it is still time lost. They cost me an entire season one summer with non Germing seeds, it won't happen again.
What was the one that did so good in the sun?
US Constitution: Article 1 Section 8 Paragraph 4
The Congress shall have Power To establish an uniform Rule of Naturalization
These ones.
http://rareseeds.com/homestead-tomato.html
The first 3 harvests were larger sized tomato's. Nothing huge or "Brag Worthy" in size, but good quantity and decent handful size fruit. As the Temps got hotter down here the Tomato's got a little smaller but a lot more abundant. These things have taken several 110*+ days with no problems. Dry Heat or Really Humid they have done well and kept growing and producing. Mine have tasted great and are excellent in Salsa and Pizza/pasta sauces.
I haven't had cracking issues with these like I have with other types I've tried. Some of them split a little, but I don't lose fruit from it.
In Fairness to Burpee though, these seeds I am talking about were not purchased directly from them, but from one of the big box home stores. either Lowes or Depot, can't remember which. It very well could have been shipping/storage conditions that caused the failures, but it was still to many with their name on it for me to want to bother trying again when I know I get great results with no problems from others.
This is the kind of info I was looking for. I'm in Georgia and this year it has been 90+ degrees virtually all of July and so far in August. My plants really started declining in July. They still have tomatoes on them but they are quite small compared to the late May to June harvests.
This X 2.
you might want to try this company http://sustainableseedco.com/deluxe-safety-seed.html
they can customize the seeds according to your region and it also comes with the book "Seed to seed".
i do plan on getting one from them next year.
Thanks for the link. This thread is finally coming to life.
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