A Seed Saver's Garden

[heirloomgal]

A bit of an encouraging sign on the new tomato plant. I noticed that, besides being rather larger than I would expect at this point, it's also a bit more purple. This may be a good sign that it has the same super dark genes as the parent fruit (which wasn't necessarily guaranteed, if the fruit was a one off abnormal) since I imagine a tomato with a lot of anthocyanins in the fruit might also have them in the plant as well. Makes me almost wonder if the flowers are going to have a brownish tinge (if the plants can get anthocyanins, and the fruits can, I suppose it is theoretically possible for them to show up in the flowers.)

I've noticed this too. Once it actually worried me; I planted a Napa Chardonnay tomato and even when small it began having the telltale purple tints of antho types - which it isn't, it's a white cherry. But I read later it had antho genes in its lineage - aha!

 

[heirloomgal]

One of the rare instances where the seed packet was an exact representation of the flower it would grow. That doesn't happen often, right! Can't wait for the full blooming. 'Birds Eye Gilia'.

Colours are turning!

Corn stage - about 4 feet at this point, and they are dwarfs so not much more height to gain I don't think. One weird thing happened. I saw a bit of leaf damage and crud inside one of the corn stalks, a single one. I've never had corn bugs so I didn't think it was a big deal. But it didn't go away, so I sprayed the inside of the whorl with neem and this odd caterpillar thing immediately started wiggling his way out. He seemed bizarrely smart and determined for an insect. He fell out and I squished him - but ugh, that was gross.

Hollyhocks just started.

I think I must be a seedaholic, because I just love looking at these. Such a fascinating seed type.

'Tiger Jalapeno'. Sorta different. I got pretty ripped on the expensive 'Thunder Mountain' peppers from the new pepper merchant on the scene (100% crossed) but I am happy with these. The 'Lemon Starrburst' are just starting to turn yellow too.

'Polish Spirit' clematis is pouting. I evicted it's long time neighbour the elderberry tree and the bloom numbers plummeted with the change. But some is better than none!

Here is something I've not yet grown, 'Reza Macedonian'. The striations I think are it's trademark feature. The vendor said even fresh it's woody!

Asparagus pea bloom ❤ Taking a second look, I do wonder why the hairiness?

@Pulsegleaner if you have any tips please share! These are the 'Red Picotee' morning glories. Usually they get stunted for me at this point for some reason and refuse to budge. They are still truckin' on for now, though slowly, very slowly. Fed them once so far.

 

[Zeedman]

'Tiger Jalapeno'. Sorta different. I got pretty ripped on the expensive 'Thunder Mountain' peppers from the new pepper merchant on the scene (100% crossed) but I am happy with these. The 'Lemon Starrburst' are just starting to turn yellow too.

Which vendor? I ordered seed too, although it won't be grown until next year at the earliest.

 

[heirloomgal]

Which vendor? I ordered seed too, although it won't be grown until next year at the earliest.

A pepper seed company called The Pepper Merchant, new this year. I have I think 6 potted plants - all duds looking nothing like they should. Funny, when I started them they were really different as seedlings than any of the others. They hyper grew, and it struck me as odd. Too vigorous. I've only seen that once before, in a hybrid cucumber called Salt & Pepper. I think the writing was on the wall then, I just failed to read it. I'm surprised though a vendor selling only peppers is selling crossed seed? The only reason I even placed an order was to get TM!

 

[Zeedman]

A pepper seed company called The Pepper Merchant, new this year. I have I think 6 potted plants - all duds looking nothing like they should. Funny, when I started them they were really different as seedlings than any of the others. They hyper grew, and it struck me as odd. Too vigorous. I've only seen that once before, in a hybrid cucumber called Salt & Pepper. I think the writing was on the wall then, I just failed to read it. I'm surprised though a vendor selling only peppers is selling crossed seed? The only reason I even placed an order was to get TM!

It may be that this new merchant grows peppers for seed without isolation. Although it may appear to run contrary to normal selection (for the strongest plants) above-normal growth rate in peppers & tomatoes is one of the factors I select against. In my experience, crosses are more likely to exhibit such growth.

 

[Pulsegleaner]

Asparagus pea bloom ❤ Taking a second look, I do wonder why the hairiness?
View attachment 50172

@Pulsegleaner if you have any tips please share! These are the 'Red Picotee' morning glories. Usually they get stunted for me at this point for some reason and refuse to budge. They are still truckin' on for now, though slowly, very slowly. Fed them once so far.
View attachment 50173

If you're asking about the asparagus peas, I can't help you, I haven't tried to grow those in DECADES (as I don't like the taste of asparagus, why would I?"

If you are asking about the Picotee Morning Glories, I can't help you much there either. I DID grow those about four or five years ago, using seed I had picked out of my beans (it's common enough to be a field weed in Asia), but I didn't actually DO much with regards to assisting them in any way; they seemed to do fine all on their own.

 

[Pulsegleaner]

Main problem I think is the rare or usual varieties of seeds tend to be less popular, and thus old. I've had the same luck with carosellos - failure to germinate. The seed packets just sit around too long. That said, I would still like to try a carosello someday!

Yeah, that can be a problem with some of the seed companies. I have already mentioned how out of date a lot of the Richter's Seed Zoo stuff is. And a lot of the eBay and Etsy sellers are sort of fly by night; appearing and disappearing at a moment's notice, so hard to count on for repeat buying.

I seem to remember an Italian seed company that specialized in carosellos. If I find them again, I'll pass on the link.

 

[digitS']

Thought that I might be of help.

Both NE Seed and Seeds from Italy list carosellos. Both say "out of stock."

If you try this one in 2023, please tell us on TEG about growing and flavour.

Steve

 

[Pulsegleaner]

Richter's actually DOES have one in stock again, but, as I said, who knows how old the seed is, so caveat emptor.

https://www.richters.com/Web_store/web_store.cgi?product=X9419

Also a few on Etsy
https://www.etsy.com/listing/115218...llo&ref=sr_gallery-1-1&organic_search_click=1

https://www.etsy.com/listing/116563...llo&ref=sr_gallery-1-3&organic_search_click=1

https://www.etsy.com/listing/102926...llo&ref=sr_gallery-1-4&organic_search_click=1

https://www.etsy.com/listing/126898...f=sr_gallery-1-6&frs=1&organic_search_click=1

and a few on eBay

https://www.ebay.com/itm/185273360036?hash=item2b23271ea4:g:OLUAAOSwXzBh9Apg

https://www.ebay.com/itm/185256475621?hash=item2b22257be5:g:pK0AAOSwrjph4YFT

https://www.ebay.com/itm/185208144341?hash=item2b1f4401d5:g:UaAAAOSw~9xhs2m7

https://www.ebay.com/itm/194433446059?hash=item2d4522f0ab:g:0U0AAOSwm8VU0iDM

 

[heirloomgal]

It may be that this new merchant grows peppers for seed without isolation. Although it may appear to run contrary to normal selection (for the strongest plants) above-normal growth rate in peppers & tomatoes is one of the factors I select against. In my experience, crosses are more likely to exhibit such growth.

I checked out the company's instagram and the good news is they are very open about how they grow and do things. The bad news is, yup, I can see why they might have been crossed! They grow 1000's out in an open field, all together, no row covers. They posted that they had over 1000 trays of seedlings, and they were all flowering even then, likely mixed together. What I find odd is that all the other peppers I got from them grew 100% to type. I grow my peppers in the greenhouse but I don't always keep the door closed when it's really hot, and I'll occasionally grow some outside, no bags. And still, my purity rate is about 98%. In a batch of 50 pepper plants, like this year, I got one cross. So, that all the Thunder Mountain's were crossed seems unusual. And they sent 10 or so seeds in a bag.