Planting Notes 2008

Garden Notes 2008

Tuesday April 22, 2008

Well this section may be a bit disorganized for a while. I'm basically just trying to get the names and basic info of all the plants down and will organize later.

/Richters Trip April, 21st 2008

=Tomatoes Sorted By Season 2008=

All tomato seed planted in ProMix April 10,2008

 * planted for Mom 

 # planted for Me 

Early (55-68 days)

Siberian
Early – short vines – 2-3” egg shaped red fruit – determinate – = good for market gardeners. Cottage Gardener

* 2

# 4

Red Alert
Early – small patio size red fruits – prolific – determinate, but plants from my saved seeds grew very large and bore fruit up until frost. Saved seed

* 2

# 2

Bloody Butcher
Early – rare- 4 oz red fruit in clusters – very juicy – indeterminate Cottage Gardener

* 2

# 4

1 for Shirley

1 for Janice

Garden Peach
early –

fuzzy with pink blush –

good keeper –

vigorous vines.

Terra Edibles

* 2

# 2

Ropreco
early Italian Heirloom red paste. Bushy compact vine needs no staking Stellar Seeds

* 2

# 5

1 for Shirley

Yellow Stripe Roman –
Early –

yellow/orange striped

Terra Edibles

* 2

# 5

Sweetie –
early red cherry. Indeterminate Two Wings Farm

* 2

# 2

1 for Shirley

Elfin
Early red grape Indeterminate – short bushy plant Two Wings Farm

*2

#2

1 for Shirley

1 for Janice

Black Cherry
early – rare, true cherry – black skin, deep red inside''' Terra Edibles

*2

#2

Sun Sugar
early

yellow/orange

super sweet –

prolific the whole season –

bought plants from Organic farm (Lucknow) 2007 –

saved seed

*2

#2

1 for Shirley

Mid-Season (69-79 days)

Box Car Willy
mid-season –

10-16 oz. red Fruit –

disease and crack resistant –

very juicy –

indeterminate

Cottage Gardener

*2

#2

Bonny Best
mid-season

Medium red fruit –-

Determinate medium sized plant

Cottage Gardener

*2

#4

1 for Shirley

1 for Janice

Mortgage Lifter
– mid-late season

very large red fruit –

productive –

disease resistant –

Cottage Gardener

*2

#3

Aunt Ruby’s German Green
Mid/late Season.

Indeterminate

Two Wings Farm

*2

#2

Pruden’s Purple
mid-season –

large dark pink fruit –

medium vines –

good for Northern areas and uncertain sunshine

Cottage Gardener

*2

#2

Moneymaker
Medium sized fruit

Very productive –

Cottage Gardener

*2

#4

Silvery Fir
Russian –

called carrot leaved –

small 2 ft plant –

2-4” red fruit –

large crop –

determinate –

good for edible landscaping

Cottage Gardener

*3

#10

1 for Shirley

1 for Janice

Oxheart
Large pink fruit –

Grew this from seed last year – got heart shaped and round tomatoes on the same vine

Did not save seeds, but planted 2 seeds from previous year to see what happens

*2

 --- 

Martino’s Roma
Mid Season –

prolific –

red –

indeterminate

saved seed

Third year I’ve grown this one

*2

#5

Purple Russian
mid-season –

from Ukraine –

productive –

egg shaped

Terra Edibles

*2

#5

Black Plum
mid-season –

mahogany past tomato

Terra edibles

*2

#5

 -- 

Matt’s Wild Cherry
mid-season –

prolific small red fruit –

from Mexico

Terra Edibles

*2

#2

Chiapas Wild
red, currant type –

slow to germinate last year, but a number of self seeded plants grew well.

Large sprawling plant.

Saved seed

*2

#2

Riesentraube
mid-season - 

rare,

German –

1 oz pear shaped red fruit –

hundreds per plant

Terra Edibles

*2

#2

Isis Candy
mid-season –

¾” fruit –

gold with red swirls –

sweet –

productive

Cottage Gardener

*2

#2

1 for Shirley

1 for Janice

Brown Cherry
mid season –

from Russia –

brown/copper green –

1 ½- 2” fruit –

prolific –

produces into fall.

Cottage Gardener

*2

#2

Yellow Cherry
Seeds of Survival –

Greta’s Organic Seeds.

Gift seed.

*2

#2

1 for Shirley

Yellow Pear
mid-late season –

small, very sweet yellow pear shaped fruits –

very prolific and seeded themselves.

Saved seed

Third year to grow these

*2

#2

Late (80+ days)

Hill Billy
late season –

from West Virginia –

12-24 oz reddish orange fruit

Terra Edibles

*2

#2

Caro Rich
late season –

bright orange – high beta carotene –

large bushy plant

Terra Edibles

*2

#2

 --- 

Opalka
late season –

9-11 oz red fruit –

from Poland –

long vines –

indeterminate

Terra Edibles

*2

#5

Amish Paste
late season –

from Wisconsin –

12 oz meaty red fruit –

indeterminate

Christine grew this one last year

Terra Edibles

*2

#5

Orange Banana
Late season –

indeterminate –

good disease resistance

Cottage Gardener

*2

#5

 - 

Red Pear
late season –

very old –

rambling 6 ft. vines –

small fruit (cherry size)

Cottage Gardener

*2

#2

= Herbs = From Richter’s

Basil, Medinette seeds
- planted indoors April 10 & 13

Basil, Cinnamon seeds
- planted indoors April 10 & 13

Borage seeds
- planted indoors April 10 & 13

Coriander, spice seeds
- planted indoors April 10 & 13

Dill, Mammoth seeds

 * planted indoors April 13

Dill, Fernleaf seeds
- planted indoors April 10 & 13

Heartsease (Johnny Jump-ups) seed
- planted indoors April 13

Marigold, Mexican seeds
- planted indoors April 13

Nigella seeds
- planted indoors april 13

Parsley, curled seeds
- did not plant this year

Seabuckthorn seeds
- planted and refrigerated April 10

Scullcap, Oriental Blue seeds
- planted indoors April 13

Soapwort seeds
- planted and refrigerated April 10

Apothecary Rose – 2 plants
= Vegetables =

* Provider – (snap)

 * Very early green bush bean.
 * Developed in 1976, it reliably produces heavy crops of round, fleshy pods in 50 days.
 * The plants are compact and adapt well to a variety of adverse growing conditions.
 * In addition, they can germinate in cool soil.
 * Cottage Gardener

Dragon’s tongue - Bush bean.

 * This heavy yielding variety of yellow wax bean
 * Extremely juicy and tender, it makes for wonderful fresh eating.
 * Slightly flat, light yellow pods with purple stripes
 * 20-25cm long.
 * Extremely vigorous plant loaded with beans.
 * Certified Organic.
 * Terra Edibles

Purple Teepee – bush bean

 * plant beginning of June
 * unique variety
 * compact plant with pods setting above foliage
 * Long purple pod
 * Excellent taste
 * Dominion seed house

Slenderette – green bush bean

 * high yield
 * mid-season
 * white seeds
 * C/O
 * Dominions Seed House

Rattlesnake Snap – Pole

 * 60–90 days.
 * Dark green pods streaked with purple, 7–8" long
 * 10' vines.
 * Very fine flavour with good resistance to drought.
 * Cottage Gardener

Cherokee Trial of tears (dry/snap)- (Pole ; 65 – 85 days)

 * 1800’s.
 * So-named because it was carried by the Cherokee on their forced march.
 * Pods turn dark purple with shiny black seeds.
 * Delicious, prolific long producers.
 * Cottage Gardener

Lazy housewife – (snap or dry) (Pole; 80 days) 1810

 * Brought to America by German immigrants, these beans were so-named because they were the first beans to not require destringing!
 * Can be used as a shell bean as well, and has a superb flavour.
 * Plants bear continuously until frost.
 * One of the oldest documented beans.
 * Cottage Gardener

Purple podded Pole (dry/snap/shelled) Aka Blue Coco (Pole; 59 days)

 * Pre-1775 A very old bean from France.
 * Deep purple pods with meaty tan-coloured seeds.
 * is able to thrive in almost any conditions – is heat-and-drought-tolerant.
 * Cottage Gardener

Painted Lady Runner Bean – Pole – 68 days

 * 1827
 * bi-colour (red & white) blossoms
 * attractive to hummingbirds and hummingbird moths
 * Young beans are tender and delicious as snap beans
 * Cottage Gardener

Dry bean mix –

 * A colourful selection of beans good to grow out, dry and save for use in soups, stews and bean pots.
 * Terra Edibles

Witkiem (Broad/Fava) – 75 days

 * an heirloom broad, a.k.a. fava, bean.
 * classic English variety suitable for both spring and fall sowing.
 * Inedible pods contain up to 6 large beans for fresh eating.
 * Can be used fresh, frozen, dried or processed..
 * Terra Edibles

Little Marvel 1900. (58 – 64 days)

 * A dwarf shelling pea, with 18” vines,
 * good taste
 * English variety
 * Drought and wilt-resistant
 * I think this is the one that my parents grew for years. Did well at the farm as I remember.
 * Cottage Gardener

Blue Podded Pea (Aka Blue Pod Capucijners) (80-85 days) 1500’s.

 * This ancient pea was developed by the Capuchin monks in Holland
 * makes an excellent pod pea when young, and/or fresh shelled pea and/or dry pea.
 * ornamental, its attractive violet, red & pink flowers give way to visually-arresting dark blue/purple pods borne on silver-grey vines that grow to 5’. It’s worth growing just for its beauty alone.
 * Note: soak dry peas overnight before cooking.
 * Cottage Gardener

Snack Pea Mix –

 * The variation in sweetness, texture and maturation of these edible-pod peas will provide snacking material over an extended picking time.


 * Great in salads, stir-fries or eaten right in the garden.


 * all staking peas that will climb 5-8 ft.


 * all good soup peas


 * Salt Spring Seeds

Winged Pea/Asparagus Pea (Lotus tetragonolobus)(60-75 days) 1569.

 * Neither a pea nor asparagus
 * It is native to the Mediterranean region and the Near East, has been cultivated for over 400 years and is now considered a gourmet vegetable in Europe. Its common names refer to its appearance (pea-like flowers and tendrils) and its taste (somewhat like asparagus).
 * The plant grows only about 8” high but spreads up to 18” in diameter, making it an excellent candidate for container growing.
 * vivid blood-red/black flowers and unusual winged pods.
 * The pods are best eaten when they’re less than 1” long, and are wonderful in stir-fries.
 * This plant is literally so beautiful that it belongs in the flowerbed, up front where it can be appreciated.
 * Germination rates are naturally low, so sow more seed than you want to grow. However, once the plants get established they take off – they will flourish in poor soil and are cold-hardy.– up until mid-November!
 * Rare;
 * Organic
 * Cottage Gardener

Cottage Gardener’s specialty beet mix

 * Unlike the modern beets that we’re used to, heirloom beets come in a diversity of colours and shapes.
 * Included here are four of the most popular and visually interesting varieties: Golden (yellow root), Chioggia (red & white concentric rings inside, Bull’s Blood (grown for its exquisite dark burgundy foliage) and Cylindra (long, narrow roots).
 * Cottage Gardener

Bull’s Blood –

 * Beautiful dark red-purple tops with a sweet flavour. Leaves can be cut many times for salads
 * Matures 35 days to baby leaf tops, 55 days for beet root.
 * West Coast Seeds

Bassano

 * large flat beet
 * from Seedy Saturday
 * adapted from Ontario to BC

Specialty Carrot Mix

 * mix of purple, white, yellow and red carrots
 * prior to 17th century, carrots came in a variety of colours
 * Cottage Gardener

Oxheart Carrot (90 days) 1884.

 * Short (5-6”)roots are thick (3-4”) & grow to 1 lb quickly.
 * Excellent taste, stores well.
 * Good for heavy soils or containers.
 * Stays sweet and tender
 * Cottage Gardener

Little Finger (55-60 days)

 * If you want true baby carrots
 * Developed in France, this carrot grows to 3” long and ½” wide with roots that are very tender and sweet.
 * It grows well in heavy soils
 * Cottage Gardener

Minicor (55 days)

 * excellent for baby carrots
 * rich orange colour
 * West Coast seeds

Painted Mountain Corn (80-90 days)

 * Not an heirloom
 * most widely adapted and genetically diverse corn available. Dave Christenson developed this variety over 20 years from a number of old native varieties.
 * A very early producer, it is extremely hardy and tolerates poor soils.
 * Narrow, 7” cobs come in an array of colours – oranges, golds, reds and purples – with each ear having its own unique colour combinations.
 * Perfect for fall decorating, flour and also for eating fresh!
 * Cottage Gardener

Stowell’s Evergreen Sweet Corn (80-100 days)

 * heavy feeder – needs rich soil
 * soak seed overnight before planting
 * introduced in 1848
 * 8-9” ears, 14 – 20 rows of kernels
 * 1 – 2 ears/stalk
 * Terra Edibles

Hugh’s Sweet Corn

 * This is a grow-out of the Sugar Dots hybrid bi-colour corn. Our organic grower friend "Hugh" planted seed saved from Sugar Dots for several years, and was pleased with the result.
 * 8" cobs with 12-14 rows of the sweetest open pollinated corn we have tasted.
 * Most cobs are bi-coloured but some will be all yellow as it is still evolving.
 * Two Wings Farm

Broom Corn (Sorghum vulgare) (105 days)

 * Not actually corn, but a type of sorghum (a grain), this is the crop used to make “corn brooms” centuries ago.
 * mix of a number of heirloom varieties that grow in shades of gold, bronze, brown, black, burgundy and cream. The colour deepens as the seed-heads mature. Grow your own corn broom or use the stalks for dried arrangements
 * Cottage Gardener
 * Possibly use as a wind break

Lemon Cucumber 1894. (58 – 70 days)

 * Unusual appearance – looks like a large lemon!
 * Mild skin and crunchy texture – good for fresh eating or pickling.
 * Cottage Gardener

Mexican Sour Gerkin Cucumber (60 – 70 days)

 * Not a member of the regular cucumber family, it is a recently rediscovered heirloom.
 * Hundreds and hundreds of tiny (1-2”) fruits that look like mini-watermelons are produced on vines that need to be trellised.
 * "fairy watermelons".
 * Their flavour is a combination of fresh cucumber taste with a sour edge, as if they'd been pickled;
 * easy to grow, and are bound to be a conversation piece.
 * Cottage Gardener

Suyo Long (60-70 days)

 * originally from China,
 * reputation for hardiness & productivity in harsh conditions..
 * Sweet-flavoured, “burpless”, with few seeds,
 * the fruits grow 10 – 18” long,
 * need to be trellised.
 * Cottage Gardener

White Wonder 1890. (58 days)

 * white cucumber,
 * 5 – 7” long,
 * delicious sliced or pickled.
 * Heat tolerant.
 * Cottage Gardener

Buttercrunch Lettuce

 * Butterhead.
 * Can be used as a mini.
 * Very sweet yellow interior with dark outer leaves.
 * Bibb lettuce dates back to 1963.
 * Slow to bolt.
 * Salt Spring Seeds

Heirloom cutting mix

 * This is a mixture of 6 heirloom lettuces which are suited to cut and come again harvest.
 * Can also be grown to full heads.
 * Contains Brunia, Forellenschluss, Jebousik, Les Oreilles du Diables, Tomahawk and Waldmanns.
 * Two Wings Farm

Arugula – Rocket – Surrey

 * = A rich and peppery tasting rocket, without being too spicy, that will enhance your salads. =


 * = When growing, it has the appearance of rocket that grows wild. =


 * = Slow to bolt. =


 * = Maturity: baby-21 days, full size-40 days. =


 * from the mustard family
 * strong aroma with subtle peanut flavour
 * Dominion Seed House

Black Beauty (75 – 90 days)

 * Introduced from Europe in 1910
 * Deep purple, 3 lb. Fruits have wonderful flavour and store well.
 * Cottage Gardener
 * Planted indoors April 11

Rosa Bianca (75 days)

 * A beautiful Italian heirloom, this variety produces rounded, lavender/white fruit that is very meaty with a nice mild flavour and no bitterness.
 * Pick when 6-8”.
 * Cottage Gardener
 * Planted indoors April 11

Sweet Peppers Rainbow mix

 * Dominion seed House
 * Planted indoors April 11

Purple Beauty

 * Mid-sized lobed pepper starts purple and deepens to almost black when ripe.


 * 70 days.


 * Terra Edibles


 * Planted indoors April 11

Hot Pepper – Jalapano

 * early variety


 * Dominion Seed House


 * Planted indoors April 11

Five Colour Silverbeet''' (55 – 60 days).1850’s.

 * A very old variety, nearly lost, that grown for ornament as much as for flavour.
 * The stalks come in a rainbow of colours – red, yellow, orange, pink and cream – and are beautiful in the garden.
 * Plant in flower beds
 * Cottage Gardener

Rutabaga – Laurentian Thomson

 * A round purplish root with a great taste for all your slow- cooked recipes.
 * Long storage life if kept in a cool place.
 * Untreated seed.
 * Dominion seeds

Summer Turnip – Purple Top White Globe

 * Round roots are 7.5 to 10 cm in diameter.
 * Attractive white and violet colour.
 * Flesh is white, mild and crunchy.
 * Dominion Seed House

Giant Purple

 * Huge, high-yielding variety, with a nut flavour that does not become woody.
 * McFayden Seed Company

Bedford Champion –

 * heavy yields of large, round, 12-15cm diameter, yellow-copper skinned onions.
 * Excellent storage onion that retains firmness well.
 * Heirloom from England
 * Plant early, matures late.
 * Good for market and home.
 * From Stellar Seeds
 * Planted indoors April 10

Rossa Di Milano

 * Large, heavy-yielding, 10-15cm diameter, red-skinned, flat-topped onion tapers slightly to a curved bottom.
 * Great for fresh eating and cooking with sweet, pungent white flesh.
 * Very long-keeping storage onion.
 * Tops make good braiding.
 * From Stellar Seeds
 * Planted indoors April 10

Kincho Scallions (50 days) (open pollinated seeds)

 * A standard green onion for summer and fall production, Kinko are Japanese-type scallions with dark-green leaves ad tall, straight, single-stalk stems that do not bulb.


 * Increase the white stem length by planting in trenches and hilling up.


 * Scallions are a year-round crop.


 * For an extra early crop, start as transplants, sow 5-10 seeds per container, and set the whole clump into the garden 10cm (4") apart to produce instant bunches!


 * From April on, seed .5-1cm (1/4-1/2") apart in short rows.


 * Add more rows as needed, planting into August for fall and winter


 * West Coast Seeds

Green Onions – He-Shi-Ko

 * 40 cm tall scallions
 * Stellar Seeds
 * Planted indoors April 10

Ethiopian

 * large lentils are so pretty you can include the plants in the flower bed!
 * lacey foliage with little blue flowers on small 12 inch plants.
 * Lentils are tan/green in colour with delicious flavour, when dry.
 * Great in stew and soup.
 * Two Wings Farm

Bloomsdale

 * from Seedy Saturday
 * Heavy yield of large dark green savoyed leaves.
 * Slow to bolt. Plant in spring or fall. 1925 Heirloom.
 * One of the oldest, and still one of the best! Very nutritious.

Radish Mixture

 * several different kinds
 * Dominion Seed House

French Breakfast

 * An early radish with an elongated shape and a white tip.
 * Dominion seed house