# Seed Catalogue Time ...



## timfromohio (Jan 12, 2010)

I know that in addition to being addicted to wood burning, alot of folks on this forum are into gardening.  As such, not only is it an exciting time of the year as we get to sit by the stove to be warmed by the fruits of our labors but we can peruse the numerous gardening and seed catalogues that begin to show up.  Ahhh ....  sit back, sip some ale, gaze and the wonders of secondary combustion, and fantasize about another season of digging in the dirt!

I wanted to throw out a recommendation for Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds.  I'm not at all associated with them - just ordered from them several times and have been very pleased with the products, and associated yields.  They have a great catalogue full of heirloom varieities.  I suggest anyone interested check them out and get a catalogue.  

Any other recommendations on seed suppliers that you guys like?  How about a good sweet potato slip source?


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## Adios Pantalones (Jan 12, 2010)

I'll check them out.  I've used High Mowing and a couple of the bigguns.


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## BucksCoBernie (Jan 12, 2010)

I ordered from Heirloomseeds.com and they were great. 

Im in the process of planning this year's plants. Im not growing corn this year, wasnt happy with the results last year. I'd like to do some type of grain to use for flour but Im not sure how much i'd have to grow in order to process 15-30lbs of flour. I havent really found a good online resource for finding that conversion info.

I plan on adding sweet potatoes this year also.


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## timfromohio (Jan 12, 2010)

BucksCoBernie - for grain growing I highly recommend a book by Gene Logsdon about small-scale grain growing.  I received it as a Christmas gift and it is fantastic.  

http://www.amazon.com/Small-Scale-G...=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1263324072&sr=1-1


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## BucksCoBernie (Jan 12, 2010)

see i knew someone from this site would come through...never fails haha.


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## dvellone (Jan 13, 2010)

I like fedco out of Maine. Lots of cold zone varieties.


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## laynes69 (Jan 14, 2010)

I've been browsing myself. Last year I used main street seed and supply. I ordered a ton of seeds and the shipping was only around 3.00.  I've got my onions started, and I'm thinking about my cold weather stuff to start next month. 
http://www.mainstreetseedandsupply.com/


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## timfromohio (Jan 14, 2010)

Howdy laynes69 - I'm a bit north of you in Bath Township (west Arkon).

What variety of onions did you start?  I usually purchase sets, but would consider starting some from seed as well.


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## Tom Pencil (Jan 14, 2010)

I bought from Rupp Seeds for many years.  More varieties of pumpkins, squash and gourds than most companies that I have dealt with.


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## laynes69 (Jan 15, 2010)

I started walla-walla onions. Last year I started around 600 of them. Planted about 300 and gave away the rest.  The plants I gave dad looked like a grass blade. Maybe 5" tall and about 1/8 in diameter. His grew to softball size. I used half the seed last year and saved the other half for this year. They say they don't last longer than a year, but I wrapped the seeds in foil and vacuum sealed them. That link I posted you get 1700 seeds for 1.95. Even with 3.00 shipping thats still cheap, considering 60 plants are about 3.00. Small ice cream buckets work good for starting onions.


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## timfromohio (Jan 15, 2010)

laynes69 - thanks for the onion advice - I'm going to get started on them this weekend.

Another catalogue arrived yesterday from Seed Savers Exchange.  Tons of heirloom varieties.  They are a bit pricey if you buy the smallest packages of seeds, but if you can get together with other folks and buy the larger quantities they seem quite economical.  I can tolerate the high cost for a few items b/c they run a farm dedicated to preserving heirloom varieties.  I believe in what they are doing and don't mind putting some money into their operation.

Bantam - I'll check out Rupp sees online.  Haven't heard of them.  Thanks for the suggestion.


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## Swamp Yankee (Jan 15, 2010)

Catalogs we use:

Johnny Select Seeds (huge varieties, good for cold weather/Northeast)
Seeds of Change (Heirlooms, rare)
Seed savers (Heirlooms)
Fedco (Tons of everything)

Nursery (for blueberry, strawberries etc)
Millers.


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## PAJerry (Jan 16, 2010)

I use Johnny's for some things that no one else has - their Butterbeans variety of vegetable soybean is the very best.  Most of the rest comes from Stokes Seeds from Buffalo NY. Their service is excellent and have a wide variety. Miller's is my best nursery. My blueberry plants from them have been thriving for 30 years now and everything else I ever got has grown very well.  Speaking of onions, I grow a hard storage variety called Fortress from Stokes and they store for us until June in our storage cellar. An unbelievably great onion!


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## timfromohio (Jan 16, 2010)

OK PAJerry and Laynes69 an onion question for you - in the past I have only grown them from sets.  You guys that grow from seed - do you start the seed, then set out, and then at the end of the first season have the equivalent of a set that you then dig up and plant the second season?  I was reading up on this topic last night in a couple of gardening books and am getting conflicting information.  One book indicates that if you grow from seed, you'll basically get a set at the end of the first season while the other doesn't mention this?

Thanks for throwing in nursery recommendations.  We have ordered from Nourse and either Miller or Stark Brothers in the past and need to order some more stuff this year.  Anybody have nut trees?


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## laynes69 (Jan 16, 2010)

Nope you plant the onions that year in the spring. Last year I planted my onions in march. They were no bigger than 1/2 the diameter of a pencil. As they grow, trim them when they get about 3 to 4" tall, it promotes root growth. Once transplanted don't trim.  Walla-walla onions are like vidalias. So they don't store long, hence the reason you can't find them as sets, only plants or transplants. Transplants won't bolt, the transplants I grew produced beautiful onions. Its the only way to go. Last year I grew about 16 flats of vegetables for the garden.


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## PAJerry (Jan 17, 2010)

Laynes69 is right.  I plant the seed in March. Too early can cause them to get too big and transplant poorly (done that). Seed should be just barely covered and a little bottom heat helps speed germination. Grow them in a sunny window or under fluorescent lights so they don't get too tall and fall over. If they do, you can cut the tops back to 2 inches or so and they will be fine. I set mine out in the garden toward the end of April here - a few weeks before the last frost date, since that doesn't hurt them- but they can be set out later. The quality of seed-grown onions is WAY better than sets and with the right variety, they store a long time.


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## timfromohio (Jan 17, 2010)

Thanks guys.  Will give it a try.


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## Gooserider (Jan 18, 2010)

I sometimes look through the seed catalogs, and say that they have some interesting looking stuff, but have pretty much decided against doing seeds because I just don't find them realistic for the scale that I do...

I like to grow a bunch of different things, in small numbers - so it just doesn't work for me to get packets with a bunch of seeds in them, plus I don't really have a good place to get them started before the ground thaws...

Seems to work better for me to go to the local nursery and buy flats - last year I had 15 different kinds of peppers, one 6 plant flat of each sort...  The bells didn't do much of anything, but the hots gave me enough that I made close to a gallon of hot sauce...

Also did some other zuch and summer type squash, with mixed results.  Onions were productive, but instead of the 3-5" I was supposed to get, they ended up being about 1" or less - some of the folks I've talked with said it was cause I planted them to deep...

Hopefully this year will be a better one weather wise, last year we had so much rain the slugs really did a number on me.

Gooserider


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## timfromohio (Jan 18, 2010)

Gooserider - we grow a great variety from seed - they key to success is to NOT FORGET TO LABEL  It will inevitably be the case that things get mixed up and then we have to wait for the plant to produce before we figure out which variety it was ....


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## Gooserider (Jan 18, 2010)

timfromohio said:
			
		

> Gooserider - we grow a great variety from seed - they key to success is to NOT FORGET TO LABEL  It will inevitably be the case that things get mixed up and then we have to wait for the plant to produce before we figure out which variety it was ....



The thing is though, that even a little packet of seeds would make more plants than I put in my entire garden...  Seems wasteful to toss 90% of every packet...

Gooserider


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## laynes69 (Jan 18, 2010)

Save your seeds. Put them in a cool dry place, most will store for years.


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## timfromohio (Jan 18, 2010)

I save the extra seeds and they seem to be fine for several years.  Plus, I usually plant several seeds for each plant I hope to get as well as plant extra that I give to friends.  I agree with you though, often times you get so many seeds!


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## GunSeth (Mar 2, 2010)

I'm trying to grow a bunch of things from seed this year in the basement.  My got coleus seedlings and I just planted some eggplant.  Soon I'll add several types of tomato, some lavender and a few more annuals to my grow room.  Can't wait to (hopefully) watch 'em all grow!


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## BucksCoBernie (Mar 2, 2010)

I just sowed some spinach seed in a container today. Its in the cold frame. All this snow has caused a delay in tilling the cover crop into the beds so the peas wont be going in for another 3-4 weeks....really they should be going in about now. I wonder how'd they do as transplants if I started them in a container instead of directly into the raised beds. Has anyone transplanted sugar snap peas?


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