Tuesday, April 30, 2013

Black Walnut

Vegetables affected by Black Walnut Toxicity

  • Cabbage, Brassica oleracea capitata
  • Peppers, Capsicum species (some)
  • Tomatoes, Lycopersicon esculentum
  • Flowering Tobacco, Nicotiana alata
  • Petunia species and cultivars
  • Eggplant, Solanum melongena
  • Potato, Solanum tuberosum
  • double-flowered cole vegetables 
  • Trees affected Apple, Lilac, azalea, mountain laurel, rhododendron, red pine
  •  blackberry, blueberry
The toxic zone from a mature tree occurs on average in a 50 to 60 foot radius from the trunk, but can be up to 80 feet. The area affected extends outward each year as a tree enlarges. Young trees two to eight feet high can have a root diameter twice the height of the top of the tree, with susceptible plants dead within the root zone and dying at the margins.

 Walnut leaves can be composted because the toxin breaks down when exposed to air, water and bacteria. The toxic effect can be degraded in two to four weeks. In soil, breakdown may take up to two months.

So by this list I will have to plant these near the back of my yard. Where I started planting the tomatoes. 

Sunday, April 28, 2013

Planting update.

We have had so much rain here in Missouri, The only thing I have been able to plant so far, is yellow onion sets. And Thursday 11 (Beefmaster) tomato plants. The rain has stopped for now, So I will try to get something done today. I have been researching.mushroom compost. I plan to try some in my garden this year.  The next 2 day are good for leaf vegetables. So I am going to try to plant spinach, lettuce, cabbage, Monday the 30th, and 31, are tomato and fruit days. So I hope to get the rest of the tomato's and peppers planted. then.

Tomato plants  
Flame (Hillbilly)80-85 days. {indeterminate}
A huge, bi color heirloom, brilliant yellow color with red marbling. Very large with a rich, sweet flavor. Beautiful when sliced. An heirloom believed to be from West Virginia.

Gold Medal 75-90 days. {Indeterminate}
The 1 lb fruit are among the smoothest bi colored tomatoes and are one of the most beautiful . Lovely yellow fruit are blushing with rosy red that radiates from the blossom end. The firm flesh is of superior quality, being sweet and mild. The low acid content makes them great for fresh eating. From the late, legendary seed collector, Ben Quisenberry.

 BEEFMASTER HYBRID 80 Days {Indeterminate}

Extremely large-fruited beefsteak-type with hybrid vigor. High in vitamins A and C. Beefmaster was bred for resistance to verticillium and fusarium wilt and nematodes

Note: I had to try a hybrid this year. Because of crop failure the past 2 on the heirlooms. 

Friday, April 26, 2013

Seeds purchased 2013


 This is a list of my seed purchase today, for my future reference, 

Yes! I am going to garden again. 

Golden Bantam
Golden Bantam Yellow Sweet Corn
78 days —Heirloom corn hates the cold Open Pollinated Corn Seeds

The old standard yellow sweet corn that has been the home gardener's favorite since the beginning of the 20th century. A farmer named William Chambers of Greenfield, Massachusetts had grown this variety for years. After his death, a friend of Chambers found some of the sweet corn seeds and sold them to W. Atlee Burpee.The plants grow to about six feet and produce seven inch ears. Paid $2.10 for 1/4 pound
 Plant seed should be planted 8-12 inches apart in  short, parallel rows or blocks.about 2-3 feet apart.

 Harvesting: Corn is ready about 3 weeks after the silks appear; harvest when the silks are brown, but not dried,

Top Crop Bush snap beans
Top Crop Bush snap beans,
Average: 50 days. Heirloom variety dating back to 1950. Medium green, widely adapted, AAS winner, heavy yielding, and an early producer! Fine quality, straight and string-less. They will rot in cool, damp soil. To get an earlier start, you can put down black plastic to warm the soil. When bush beans begin producing they often come in all at once. Staggered planting, every 2 weeks, will keep your bush beans going longer. Beans like a moderately rich soil with a slightly acidic pH of about 6.0 to 6.2 paid $1.80 for 1/4 pound

 Seed saving. Allow the pods to ripen on the plant until they are dry and start to turn brown. Remove the pods from the plant and spread them out on a tray indoors, to dry. Leave them for at least two weeks before shelling the pods or wait until you are ready to sow the seeds the following spring


Carrot Baby Little Finger 
Carrot Baby Little Finger
Organic HEIRLOOM  (Daucus carota sativus) 57 days ” was developed in France for pickling and canning whole"  
 Do not allow carrots to get larger than normal size (3" long); flavor is best after bright orange color develops. Peak harvest period lasts for 3 weeks. you can grow both a spring and fall crop. Carrots will germinate in soils as cool as 45 degrees,

Carrots are a cool-weather crop, best sown 1/4- to 1/2-inch deep. Poke holes in the soil about 1 to 2 inches apart with your finger and place one or two carrot seeds into each hole.Carrot seeds can be planted as early as one month before the average date of the last frost
Special Germination Instructions: Soak seeds in water for 12 hours before sowing. (Press them dry between paper towels afterwards to reduce clumping.) Plant 4 seeds per inch. When inch tall, thin to 1 plant per every 3 inches. A favorite gardening tip is to alternate carrot seeds and radish seeds. The radishes will mature first. As they are pulled, the carrots then have more growing room and water going towards their roots from the spaces in between.
  Higher in vitamins A and B than regular carrots, also rich in calcium and phosphorus.

Early Prolific Straightneck Squash50 days. AAS Winner from 1938; uniform lemon-yellow,
Early Prolific Straight neck Squash
club-shaped fruit; firm flesh is of excellent quality, tasty.  paid $2.10 for 3.5 grams








Organic Bloomsdale spinach
Organic Bloomsdale spinach

HEIRLOOM A long loved old-time favorite and one of the more outstanding open-pollinated varieties available. Leaves are  Thick, succulent, dark-green, (crumpled) leaves are very sweet in salads. , long and narrow with a glossy, dark green color. Developed by Dan Landreth in the late 1880s. Has excellent heirloom flavor and tender leaves. (Spinacia oleracea) Days to maturity: 42 days  paid $2.30 for 10.6 grams

 



Golden Summer Crookneck  yellow squash  50 days. A very meaty summer squash. Good yields and early.  Fruit is warted, bright yellow with a  small crookneck with small seed cavity. Best flavor at 4-6" size.       Untreated seed.  paid $1.20 3.5 grams

Black zucchini
58 days. Most popular home garden variety. Bush type plant is a good yielder of dark green black fruit which are cylindrical, long and straight. Best flavor at 6-8" size. Flesh is greenish white. Untreated seed. paid $1.20 for 3.5 grams

Golden Acre Cabbage  65 days.  an early cabbage that produces green heads that are 2-4 pounds. This slow-bolting variety tastes sweet and is disease resistant. The heads are tightly packed and plants are compact, making them a good choice for small garden spaces. Very nutritious.Germination: 6 to 10 days at 50 to 60 F. • Plant seeds 1/4 inch  to 1/2 inch deep with 12 to 18 inches between plants and 24 to 36 inches between rows You can direct-sow cabbage seeds as soon as the soil is workable in the spring. Direct seed in summer for fall crop, or start transplants in late May and transplant in late June or early July. 
Seed Saving: This is a two-year project, and also the chance that your prize cabbage variety will swap pollen with both other cabbages and cabbage family relatives. Keep plant intended for seed at least 300 feet from them. Use a loose mulch to help plant overwinter, or in colder zones, unearth the plant, roots and all, and keep them indoors on a cool, humid spot for setting out in the spring. In the second year, you can help the flower stalk to come forth by slashing an X in the top of each cabbage's head. Wait until the seed heads turn brown before collecting the seeds.

Once they start to dry, keep a close eye on them, as they tend to shatter and drop their seed. Its best to cut entire plants once most of the pods begin to look dry, and then leave them to mature further on a sheet indoors. Once they are thoroughly dry, the seeds will come out of the pods very easily; the simplest way is to trample the plants on top of a large sheet, and then sieve out the debris.
To help reduce disease, do not plant cabbage or other cole crops in the same location more than once every three or four years. 



GREEN SPROUTING broccoli 70 days. Open pollinated. Popular home garden variety. Good yields of large central head with medium sized laterals early. Blue-green in color, 5-6" across and  richly flavor. Untreated seed. paid $1.80 for 14.2 grams
PERFECTION SAVOY



PERFECTION SAVOY (1932 ) cabbage : 95 days (Spring/Summer), 114-120 (Fall/Winter). (Biennial) 
 Origins:Italy Introduces to England over 150 years ago. 
Flattened, round 6-8 lb heads. Considered larger, hardier and more tasty than ordinary cabbage  Best grown late summer.Has a drum head. Dark green crumbled leaves white inner leaves.  sweeter than most cabbages.  Best flavor after a frost. Contains Calcium, Iron and Vitamins A, B, and C.
SPACING: Space rows 2 to 3 feet apart depending on space available. Space plants 18 to 24 inches apart in the rows.

GERMINATION: 7 to 10 days at 70°F indoors. Keep soil moderately moist during germination.


Nutrition : This food is very low in Saturated Fat and Cholesterol. It is also a good source of Protein, Thiamin, Calcium, Phosphorus and Copper, and a very good source of Dietary Fiber, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, Vitamin B6, Folate, Magnesium, Potassium and Manganese.: A large portion of the calories in this food come from sugars.

Note The term Chinese cabbage refers to the more than 35 varieties of cabbage from the Brassicaceae, the Cruciferae botanical family.



Chinese Michihili , pronounce mi-CHE-he-lee (Chinese Mandarin Cabbage.) Heritage
Chinese Michihili
hardy biennial grown as an annual
China 14th C)  75 day germination. 'Michihili' is a softer, loose leaf form of Chinese Cabbage. It has dense, narrow leaves with a deeper green outer colour with lighter green to almost white interior leaves with wide, flat white ribs. It produces a cylindrical, leafy head of 40cm (16in) long and 15cm (6in) across, a little more akin to a large romaine lettuce than to our familiar cabbages. paid .90c for 2.5 grams

. Plant the seeds 12 inches apart directly in the garden This plant does not transplant well. Michihili can be harvested at any time from 55 to 100 days full sun in cool regions and in partial shade in warm regions. Plant in well-worked, well-drained but moisture retentive soil rich in organic matter. Add aged compost to planting beds before planting and side dress crops with compost again at mid season. It is a cool-weather vegetable that will bolt and go to seed quickly in warm weather and long days. It has shallow roots, so will need watering.
Note:  Do not let plants sit in direct sun for more than eight hours each day. Loose Leaves may need to be tied together.

  Nutritionally,high in vitamin C, small amounts of calcium and fiber It has a compound known as indoles – which have been associated with preventing some types of cancer – mostly those associated with the digestive system.

 It is typically pickled in Japan and Korea and dried in China to be included in soups during the cold season. Use in n Chinese stir-fry, pickled in Korean Kimchee or used in Japanese soups or sukiyaki.
  Great raw, in a salad or on a sandwich,
Companion plants:

Good Companions: Cabbage, Cauliflower, Brussels Sprouts.
Bad Companions: Tomatoes, Peppers, Okra and Potatoes.
 Napa cabbages can be stored for weeks and even months in the vegetable compartment if refrigerated in an upright position, they can be blanched and frozen for 3 to 4 months.
 
Snowball Y cauliflower

This work saving variety will wrap and
Snowball Y cauliflower
blanch itself as long as it's grown in cool conditions!
Sow seeds indoors 4 to 6 weeks before average last spring frost. Keep soil warm (about 75 F), until germination. Then keep plants around 60 F. Provide direct sun so plants don't get leggy. When plants are 4 to 6 weeks old, transplant into garden 15 to 24 inches apart in rows 24 to 36 inches apart. Wait until soil temperature is 50 F or above and danger of frost is past before transplanting. paid $2.90 for 1/4 oz






Vates blue curled kale 55 days Heirloom.
A highly popular kale, it is high in vitamins and minerals. Lovely kale yields one foot short stemmed
Vates blue curled kale
plants with finely curled blue green leaves that are tender and sweet to taste. It is never bitter. This variety may be boiled, steamed, and stir-fried. It is also good eaten raw in salads and sandwiches. It freezes well. Vigorous 15 inch plants with 30 inch spread. Slow bolting. It stands well and maintains it's color. Heavy yields and very uniform. Excellent choice! Sow seeds 1/4-1/2 of an inch, covering with fine soil, in full sun. Keep moderately moist during germination. Can start indoors and transplant. Can be planted in July for fall crop.
Germination: 5-8 days Spacing: Space plants 12-16 inches apart. Space rows 2 feet apart. Days to maturity: 55 days Moisture: Maintain even moist soil Soil: compost rich soil. It is a heavy feeder Light: Full sun paid .90c for 10.5 grams.

Lettuce

 #1  Ruby Red lettuce is the darkest red variety of lettuce with a compact head. It is ready for harvest in 45 days.  
 #2 Black Seeded Simpson Leaf Heirloom (1885)  45 days..  An old reliable lettuce that is heat resistant, slow to bolt and very dependable. Leaves are large, but lightly crispy ,ruffled and curled, tender leaves. early to produce.
#3 Buttercrunch 65 days. , combines good garden performance with tender-crisp flavor. The leaves are very dark green and thicker than most.High-performing and satisfying that it won an AAS award,
#4. Red Salad Bowl Lettuce Seed (33 days). Introduced in the early 1950s. The cooler the weather the more intense the burgundy color becomes. Grown as a baby lettuce as well as full size.
Slow to bolt.  
#5. Paris White Cos Lettuce Seed. Heirloom.  Romaine type lettuce that has the highest nutrition level of any lettuce. French heirloom that Thomas Jefferson brought back from his travels in the late 1700's and grew for 60 years at Monticello. Also known as the Caesar Salad lettuce, the wide, long crisp leaves form heads 10" long. Slow growing but worth the wait. This is one lettuce worth starting indoors so you get a jump on the season. 80-85 days. 50 seeds. paid $1.30 for 7.1 grams
6. Salad bowl red organic seed  (Oakleaf  Lactuca sativa)
A preferred baby salad mix variety, with tender, deep red, ruffled and lobed leaves and mild, non-bitter flavor. At full size, it forms a large, loose head. It is widely adapted for spring, summer and fall, with most intense color and best performance in cooler weather popular for its baby leaves in 28 days