Sources for Heirloom Seeds

Heirloom seeds do not contain GMOs and can be successfully grown with organic fertilizers and compost. Here are a few places to choose from:

Starting Seeds and Transferring Seedlings

I've started thirty tomato varieties, twenty something pepper varieties, two tomatillo varieties, and several cole crops. Some of the tomatoes, peppers, and cole crops have grown a second set of true leaves and are ready for transplanting.




Sometimes people get confused by the term "true leaves". When seeds germinate, the two green leaves that unfurl directly from the seed are called cotyledons. The next set of leaves to grow will be more distinctive to that species of plant, and are the first set of "true leaves." This year, I have decided to transplant my seedlings from the tiny cell trays to 4" peat pots once they have developed a second set of true leaves. The second set often indicates a healthily developing root system, and though many people prefer to wait until the plant is root bound, I prefer to not have to harm the roots during transplant.







The brandywine tomato seedling is already becoming rootbound. The orange bell pepper seedling was just starting to grow the second set of true leaves, and already has a good root system.



At this point, Quadrapus is all sorts of curious about what I'm doing. And, she's not crouching in the photo. She's really that high...or low. She's a munchkin breed, which have genetically short legs.




I'm not sure she approves of the peat pots. I fill the 4" peat pot with more sterile seedling mix, but I add a spoonful of compost from the pile in the backyard. I poke a hole in the middle of the dirt for the waiting seedling.




Q is all like, "Mmmmmm, dirt..."

I use a spoon to pop the seedling from the tray, letting the dirt stay with the seedling's roots. At this point, I have thinned out any competing seedlings to ensure the healthy growth of a single plant. (I pinch the less robust seedlings with my nails below the cotyledons.) Some people like to tease out seedlings from each other and pot all the plants. I prefer not to damage any root systems that can be especially sensitive at this time of growth, and I get enough plants. But, it's up to you.




Quadrapus thinks I should plant this pepper next.

With tomato plants (and with tomatillos), you can place them into the soil all the way up to the bottom leaves. Roots will form all along the stem below the surface.
With other plants, place in the soil above the crown of the roots.




Once all the seedlings have been planted, I water using a weak organic fertilizer solution. I place them back beneath the grow lights, and in another week, they'll wow me with size and luster.

The leftover seed cells I will use for more planting. I often don't even sterilize them (I know, blasphemous!). I fill them with a sterile seed mix, plant my seeds according to package directions, and place them beneath the grow light.




I keep the soil moist at all times, and I find that beneath the warm glow of T5 HO bulbs, I don't have a problem with damping off fungus killing the little guys.

Here are some more photos of Quadrapus "helping". Apologies for the blurriness.












Happy Planting!

Lovin' the Home Life

I love small, daily projects around the house. Every morning, I must tend to these darling little seedlings.

Tomatoes, peppers, cabbage, broccoli, thyme, cumin, rosemary, artichokes, onions, kohlrabi, cauliflower, celeriac, strawberries, and ground cherries are germinating and sprouting beneath the glow of T5 high output flourescents.

I check on them again in the afternoon. The tomato and pepper seed trays are sitting on heat mats. The rest are simply warmed by the glow of the lights. The set-up is in the basement, so this is the only light they get. The lights are on a timer that turns on at 6 am and turns off at 10 pm.

I feed and check the water for Quadrapus every morning.

She joins me in the evening if I get the chance to sit down and work on my crochet projects or other artsy doings.

I also get to take care of this little guy! Aleister is a leopard gecko and a new addition to our menagerie. He's very lively, and very cute!

I have to feed and water the chickens, too. And I get this in return: 9 eggs in one day!

Then, there is watering all the houseplants! The jasmine has started blooming. The scent of this pretty vine hangs in the air of our living room.

There are multiple plants all over the house: herbs, a lime tree, an avocado tree, an african violet, a spider plant, stevia, bamboo, and pothos in the kitchen; a peace lily, two orchids, the jasmine, a palm, amaryllis, holiday cactus, and a terrarium of tiny plants in the living room, and; an assortment of succulents, wandering jew, pothos, and spider plants in the studio.

Oh! What's that?

LoL. These big angora monsters love to jump up and climb all over the sofa. Wicket is the brown, and Blackula is the grey.

Bunnies! At some point, their fiber will get processed and we'll be able to use it for knitting and crocheting projects!

 

Of course, there's no forgetting the apple of my eye, who needs to be fed twice a day and snuggled at night.



Yeah, I'd say the home life is pretty sweet!

Pepper Favorites

I grow a variety of peppers each year, mostly to test varieties out. Also, because I end up with a crazy supply of pepper seeds.

I've decided I am really looking, this year, for a sweet variety that is prolific and delicious. I have many varieties started, so I will really pay attention and decide what ones are worth starting next year.

But, I do have some favorites, especially of the spicy variety.

Spicy

The compound that make the spicy peppers spicy is called capsaicin. It is an irritant that most likely developed as a deterrent against herbivores, and perhaps fungi. And we humans loooove some of the spicy for our cuisines.

Joe Long Cayenne - They weren't kidding when they called these guys long. This is a very prolific plant with good sized, hot fruit. I love watching these peppers turn red; they look amazing. I picked them and place them on top of my fridge to dry, and then stored them in a jar. I've put them into chilis and added them to a couple jars of pickles I canned. They lend plenty of spice!

Mustard Habanero - To be honest, I haven't tried other habanero types. I will sometime, but for right now, this plant does the job. It grows a ton of mustard colored, wrinkled habaneros that are super hot. Last year, my friend Liz Lemon* made an habanero jelly that was AMAZING. I am definitely going to make it this year to give out as presents - and to have on top of my cheese and crackers. Baked sweet 'n' spicy brie, anyone?

Fish Pepper - This is a gorgeous pepper plant with variegated leaves and striated fruit that can grow in different colors. The peppers are not as spicy as habanero or cayenne, but they do have a bit of a kick. I plan on planting a few of these out in the front yard among the flowers for added interest. I just love looking at them!

Sweet

Of course, who doesn't love sweet peppers? Lover and I eat quite a few of them in our meals.

Miniature Yellow Bell - I love miniature sweet peppers. I find the plants to be more prolific than the the large bell peppers, and they are easy to eat as stuffed appetizers, plus to throw in to omelets or main dishes. They also look super cute.

I don't have any other sweet peppers to recommend, as I haven't had super exciting results with many other varieties I have grown. I am going to make a valiant effort this year to grow the seven sweet varieties I have under the best conditions and find out if any of those are worth growing again. Anyone out there have any recommendations??

*This is not the real Liz Lemon, nor is that my friend's real name. But who doesn't want to be friends with Liz Lemon?

Tomato Favorites

I thought, being this is the month many New Englanders are starting seeds for this year's garden, I might list some favorite tomatoes.

I tend toward heirlooms (with one exception) because of their exceptional flavor and myriad of colors and forms. Hybrids are okay, but I buy only organic seed or seeds from environmentally responsible companies. I don't like to think of the chemical fertilizers and pesticides raining down on parent plants to provide billions of seed packets to the populace. These pollutants get into the ground, and drain toward the ocean. Once they hit the ocean, they contribute to ocean acidification (lowering the pH of the entire ocean is not a good thing) and general pollution and poisoning of the food chain (which ends up back on our plates - google "bioaccumulation" just for funsies).

But I digress. I could talk environmental science all day.

Today's "Favorites" post is all about tomatoes. Not chemical run-off.

Cherry

A cherry tomato is just that - a tomato that is not much bigger than a cherry. Some are smaller. They tend to grow in dense clusters. I've read they originated in South America, and have been cultivated since the 1800's. Neat!

My favorite varieties are:

 Sungold Hybrid - I was first given a packet of these by an ex-lover. When I popped that first fully grown sungold tomato into my mouth, I found myself sinking into a juicy, tangy euphoria. Summer Lovin', is what these little tomatoes whispered to me. What I thought would be just a summer fling ended up almost being a unrequited love story. The one that got away and all that. I spent years trying to find these tomatoes in heirloom vegetable magazines and in the organics shelves at the garden stores. When I discovered that they were a hybrid variety, my heart sank a little. But no relationship is ever perfect. I had sworn off hybrids because I like saving seed from year to year. I would have to make an exception for this perfect salad topper. Though, honestly, many of these do not make it inside my house. I usually end up eating them as they ripen on the vine.

Mexico Midget -These are teeny-tiny bundles of taste explosion. Good things really do come in small packages. I received this as a transplant one year from Seed Savers. This, and the Cherokee Purple I received, were my favorite in the bunch. I had no idea so much tomato flavor could be packed into such a tiny tomato. Last year, I did not get to plant any. AND I MISSED THEM. This year, that has been remedied. Because they are so prolific, plenty of them made it inside the house to be used in salads.


Paste

Paste tomatoes are fleshy without being juicy, and are nearly seedless. This makes them a great base for sauces and canning.

Amish Paste - I love this tomato. It's a large, meaty, Roma-type that is oxheart shaped and sweet to taste. This tomato is excellent for cooking, sauces, and for canning. Yet, I will often slice them up for salads and sandwiches, as they are good enough to eat plain. I plan on growing three plants this year (I usually only have one.)

San Marzano - This is an Italian paste tomato that is heralded as the best paste tomato in the world. It has a thick flesh with few seeds, and a strong, sweet flavor. I will grow two of these plants this year. I love making tomato paste, pasta sauce, pizza sauce, and canned whole tomatoes. Roasted is delicous, too!


Beefsteak

Beefsteak tomatoes are usually big and juicy, and are wonderful to eat straight from the garden. This type of tomato is popular sliced for veggie and meat burgers, or for the top of salads. Some people really like to use them for salsas, too.

Cherokee Purple - This is my favorite of all. It's large, very juicy, sweet-tasting, and dusky in flavor. I also love it's dark color, which permeates all through the flesh. The plants are prolific, unlike many other beefsteak heirlooms. Can't wait to slice these up with a little salt and pepper. Some days I would just bite into one like it was an apple. Yum yum.

Brandywine - Second favorite beefsteak type. Wonderfully sweet with just enough acidity to offset the sweetness. The plant isn't very prolific, but the tomatoes are awesome enough to grow at least one plant anyway.

Black Krim - Third favorite. Nom nom nom  nom. All this talk of all these delicious tomatoes is really gearing me up for summer. As of right now, these are all simple sprouts under grow lights in the basement! Anyway, Black Krim has a fantastic, intense flavor with a slightly salty taste. If you're looking for a beefsteak variety that's not too sweet, this is the tomato to turn to.

This year, I am growing Yellow Stuffer, Pink Zapotec, and Green Zebra, as part of the search to discover a favorite stuffing tomato. Tell me, what are you growing, and do you have a favorite? Why?

Seeds in Brick-and-Mortar

No one should ever come to me if they need help restraining themselves on seed purchases. I want to become a more conscientious gardener, but there are so many varieties to try! Also, I can't resist the seed aisles. I look. And then I buy. But only the organic, non-GMO kinds.

Red Brandywine - In 2012, I grew the pink brandywine tomato. It was delicious, and hardy. It produced tomatoes even as others suffered from blight. The red brandywine is supposed to be less sweet, and still full of flavor. I look forward to trying it.

Delicata Squash - I have never grown this type of squash before. As we all know, I love to experiment. I also love winter squash for their myriad of shapes, patterns, and colors. Delicata is known as a winter squash, but it belongs to the family of summer squashes. It doesn't store well, but it does grow easily and can bring on the season of winter squash cooking early on, and you can save your butternut squashes for winter eating (I've even heard some people say this prefer this to butternut!).

Bushmaster Garden Bean - I try to grow as many veggies as I can that Lover will eat. He's not so good at eating his vegetables. Beans and peas are something he loves, so I plant several varieties of each every year. These are delicious sauteed, stir-fried, lightly steamed, or fresh.

All this garden dreaming has got me feeling warm and toasty on the inside. How about you?

Seed Order! Part 5!

This was the last of my online seed orders (in the latest rash of orders). I am trying a new supplier, Totally Tomatoes. I am, like, totally excited. :-p

 Mexico Midget - I love this teeny-tiny cherry tomato. It packs a lot of flavor! Last year, I tried Sweet Pea Currant tomatoes as my tiny tomato crop, and I vastly prefer this little guy. One plant is all I need, as they are very prolific. Popping one of these in your mouth is like having a tangy, fruity tomato explosion on your tongue. I cannot recommend this variety enough!

Yellow Stuffer Tomato - I was excited about trying a stuffing tomato, then I realized I had received seeds for two types already at the Gayla Trail workshop! As you can see, the cavity of this stuffer is fairly hollow, so you don't have to spend a lot of time scooping out innards. From Gayla, I got zapotec pink and green zebra. With these yellows, it'll look awesome! And, I can test them all out, and move forward with a favorite stuffing tomato for the years to come.

Sungold Hybrid - This is one of the few hybrid vegetables I will grow. I don't grow a lot of hybrids because I can't collect seeds for the following year. But these babies are a delicious type of cherry tomato. Imagine if summer had a flavor - I feel like these sun-kissed beauties would be it. Between these and the Mexico Midgets, I feel like my cherry tomato needs are met. (Yet, I do order new varieties each year just to try things - can't help myself!)

That was it for my order from Totally Tomatoes. What are your favorite kind of tomatoes?

Seed Order! Part 4

I ordered from an entirely new company for me - Kitazawa Seed Co. I am a big fan of Asian cuisine, so getting to order from this company was a pleasure.

 Kosaitai - This is a flowering brassica. You can eat the leaves, the purple stems, and the yellow flowers. It is best planted as a late summer to fall crop. It is very similar to bok choy in taste.

Siam Queen Thai Basil - This is a gorgeous basil with an intense licorice flavor and aroma. I am growing it mostly out of curiosity, to be honest.

Langkuri - This is another type of basil with a sweeter, milder flavor than Siam Queen. It flowers later in the season, bringing on a longer harvest.

Hojiso Perilla - A red and green shiso. Shiso is used for coloring, pickling, garnishing, and seasoning in Japanese cuisine. It's also useful for wraps and even sushi.

Okame Spinach - This spinach is slow to bolt, as it tolerates hot and dry conditions. Perfect for summer! Can't wait to eat this stuff!

Upland Cress - This cress has a mild, peppery taste. Lover and I love peppery leaves. This is a spring and fall crop.

Large Leaf Sorrel - I love the lemony taste of sorrel. I ran out of sorrel seeds, and ordered more. This year, I want to try sorrel soup. I think it's great to add to salads and stir-fires.

That's it for Kitazawa Seed Co!