Wednesday, December 30, 2009

2010 Garden - Seeds for the Coming Year

2010 Seeds
Yes, the last of my seeds have arrived from Johnny's and Baker Creek. (I have a big smile on my face at the moment.) I love looking at the seed packs and daydreaming about all of the homegrown veggies to come. I will most likely add a few winter veggies as the fall growing season approaches, but for spring and summer, this is basically it. I would love for this list to be longer, but frankly, I think I'm at my limit:

Artichoke (Imperial Star) – S
*Arugula (Sylvetta) – F
Basil (Dolce Vita Blend) – S
Basil (Thai) – S
Bean – climbing (Asparagus bean) – S
Bean – climbing (Dragon’s Tongue) – S
*Bean – bush (Burpee’s Stringless) – S
Bean – bush (Contender) – S
Beet (Gourmet Blend) – S
Broccoli (Piracicaba) – S
Cabbage (Napa) – S
Carrot (Cosmic Purple) – S
Carrot (Scarlet Nantes) – S
Cauliflower – (Chef’s Choice Blend) – S
Celery (Tall Utah 52/70 Improved) – S
Chamomile (German) – S
Cilantro – S, F
Corn (Argent) – S
Cucumber (Tien Chin Long) - S
Cucumber (Spacemaster) - S
Fava Bean (Windsor) - S
Gourd (Edible Calabash) – S
Ground Cherry ( Strawberry Husk ) - S
*Kale (Chinese Flowering) - F
Kale (Tuscan) - S
Leek (American Flag) - S
Lettuce – Head (Marvel of the Four Seasons) - S
*Lettuce – All Lettuce Mix – S, F
*Lettuce – Gourmet Blend - S
*Lettuce (Tango) - F
*Mache (Vit) - F
Melon (Charentais) - S
Melon (Sweet Delight - Honey Dew) - S
*Minutina (Erba Stella) – F
Mustard (Mizuna) – S, F
Mystery seeds (from Kelly) – S
Nasturtium (Jewel Blend) – S
Onion (Red Amposta) – S
Pak Choi (Bonsai) – S, F
*Pak Choi (white stem) – F
Pea (Green Arrow Shelling) – S
Pea (snow pea) – S, F
Pepper (Early Jalapeno) – S
Pepper (Ancho/Poblano) – S
Pepper (Italian Pepperoncini) – S
Pepper (Thai Chili) – S
*Radish (Red Altaglobe) – S, F
*Radish (Easter Egg) – S, F
Rape (Yu Tsai Sum) – F
Scallion (conventional) – S, F
Scallion (Italian Red of Florence) – S
Soybean – green (Envy) – S
*Spinach (Space F1) – S, F
Summer Squash (Black Beauty Zucchini) – S
*Tatsoi - S, F
Tomatillo (Purple) – S
Tomato (Amish Paste) – S
Tomato (Cherokee Purple) – S
Tomato (Cour di Bue – oxheart) – S
Tomato (Green Zebra) – S
Tomato (red and yellow Brandywine) – S
Tomato (Red Siberian) – S
Tomato (Sun Gold F1) - S
*Turnip (Hakurei) – S, F
Wild Strawberry (Yellow Wonder) – S
Wild Strawberry (Red Wonder) – S

* - seeds left over from 2009
S - spring and summer planting
F - fall and winter planting

I also plan on purchasing some asparagus and rhubarb crowns, seed potatoes, plenty of herb transplants, and a few fruit trees (kumquat, mandarinquat, persimmon and a couple of fig varieties). If anyone has tips or comments on growing any of these varieties, please share!

21 comments:

  1. Holy. Cow. We're going to have to start calling you Farmer Thomas.

    I have no tips for you :-) My mom likes to grow leeks in the back of her flower borders, so that their allium-typical flowers are part of the show. Je? Je has to wait for space for leeks. Ain't no space in the 66 square feet.

    Plant on. Plant on.

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  2. WOW! What a list! It looks fabulous...and huge! I can't wait to hear all about it...and see the harvests...wonderful. I love figs...and have not grown any intentionally. I lived in a tiny apartment years ago and it had a fig tree in the front. My grandmother had to tell me what it was. And ever since then...I love figs. So delicious...especially fresh and warm right off the tree on a late summer day. Mmmm...you won't regret it.

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  3. This is a long list!
    I done have any advice to give you, as I don’t know most of these varieties.
    I cant wait for spring to start sowing!

    I have a fig tree planted outside and it can survive winter temperatures. It has to be on south side of the house, protected from north winds.

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  4. WOW! You've got amazing variety there. How large is your garden again?

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  5. You must feel like a king, running his hands through the gold coins in the treasure chest!!

    I haven't even started my ordering yet! Got to look through what is left over, and really decide on how much time I will have during school to water and weed!

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  6. That might be bigger than my list. I still haven't put it all together. I just don't have time in the holidays.

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  7. Wow! Now that's gardening! I'm still waiting on seeds, but, I am also in planning stage. Now you have to include chickens in your 2010 scheme! Trust me, you'll never regret doing this and it's quite the adventure!

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  8. Nice list Thomas, we will be growing many of the same varieties which will be fun to compare (tomatoes especially- I have Sungold, Green Zebra & Amish Paste).

    Nourse Farms in MA is reportedly very good for asparagus and fruits (berries). Some of my asparagus is from Johnny's and my rhubarb was ordered from them as well. The Johnny's asparagus was fantastic, very healthy root system!! (Stay away from 'The Asparagus Gardener'.)

    I have trying to get my hands on a certain dwarf fig for years, they can be hard to find. Larger varieties can be found locally in my parts.....a nursery had recommended a farm in CT to me last year for figs, if I can find the name I will pass it along. There is a guy in MA who does lots of figs, homegrown type deal. He may be worth trying to find as well, thinking he is in the Boston area.

    Thomas, you go with your bad self!! ;)

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  9. Love it! I can't wait to see your posts in August and September when you are canning and drowning in tomatoes! It will be a fun and rewarding adventure for sure, I am hoping your partner helps you out in the garden? LOL... if not, you will need to hire some help! You will love, love the Brandywines, I have never done the green zebra but will be doing them this year as well. I have a fig tree in a container on my deck, is doing well wintering over out there with night temps in the 20's & 30's, but I am sure yours will need protection as I am in a coastal zone 7b/8 and you are further north. Congrats on the asparagus plans, I am jealous of Kelly's new plot, but we are hoping to move to our own little homestead in a few years, so that will have to wait. Happy New Year's to you & family and can't wait to share in your spring garden stories!

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  10. Thomas, you are making me tear up! I have to wait until I get home to buy seeds, as daughter has a gift certificate waiting for me just for that occasion! I had my choice of one from Johnny's or one from a local garden store, and I picked local. This store has great early half price sales on their seeds that I love to take advantage of. So, for now I'll just dream.

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  11. looks great! i have selected a list which includes quite a few of those. last summer had troubles with heat and humidity so changing this year to asian long beans. ordered a book on cordon pruning for fruit trees to see if this will allow a large selection of fruit in a smaller space.

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  12. That's an impressive list. I haven't put in an order yet, but I'll probably look back at this to get a few ideas. Happy new year and have a good season!

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  13. That is a big list! My garden has gotten smaller and smaller over the years as the trees have gotten taller and my free time has been taken over by other pursuits. I used to grow some plants from seed, but not anymore...just a few tomato and herb plants purchased from the Farmer's Market. I planted a 20' row of asparagus, splitting an order with a co-worker, when all male asparagus crowns first became easy to get, around 1990. Due to the gardener's inattention to weeding (hey, it seemed cool to let the catnip self seed amongst the asparagus...it was the only thing to keep the cats from rolling on the 'nip plants!), most of the asparagus got outcompeted, except for one clump that's still producing! Have a great gardening year!

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  14. What a great mix of plants. I see a couple that interest me. I will e-mail my seed list to you today.

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  15. Lots of familiar varieties but many more in your list that I have not grown yet. Will be fun to see your garden year unfold. Love the variety of produce you are planning for - lots of good eats in your future!

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  16. Oh my! I'm not so brave! I worked through my order today, and I've not chosen nearly so many varieties - and I'm still intimidated!

    Figs: there is a variety that was found in Detroit? Chicago? that is now available... it freezes to the ground annually but comes back and crops each year as a bush. I'm looking for it too. If I source it I'll let you know. Persimmons - the pointy, tannic, N. American kind - are hardy in zone 5, but I'm at a loss about the others! I grew kumquats in SF, but that was zone 9. (and it was finicky, slow growing.)

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  17. OK, this goaded me into doing the research I needed anyway. A lot of chatter out there about the Chi Hardy Fig, some say also known as Bensonhurst Purple. Available at Logees under those names http://www.logees.com/prodinfo.asp?number=R1256-4

    they say only zone 6, with heavy mulch. I've got a southwest house corner (white house) and I want to put one in that corner (zone 5B) and try my luck.

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  18. A tip on persimmon tree growing.

    Don't put much nitrogen rich fertilizer near a persimmon tree. Too much nitrogen (and it doesn't take much) will cause all the fruit to fall off. There is some natural fruit fall.

    Unlike most other trees, the the blossoms and fruit form on that year's new branches. Thus you can trim the tree without too much concern for leaving "fruiting wood." This is helpful if your growing persimmon in a limited space. Left alone, persimmon trees can get big - 20 feet.

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  19. An impressive line-up of plants. I hope I have such a large garden to accommodate all of these.

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  20. Do you use fertilisers?! or any thing organic.. I have difficulty growing some of these due to pests.

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  21. AMAZING? are you growing all of these in your garden!? Impressive.

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