Catalogs, 2022

[Jack Holloway]

The one remaining order (Great Lakes) was submitted 2 months ago, and has not yet charged my card.

They charged my card, so I hope that means the order is going to be sent soon. I ordered on 2/16/2022, the CC bill arrived yesterday showing the charge. Finger cross the order will be sent soon.

Best of luck getting your order Mr. @Zeedman

 

[meadow]

Not a fan of the new Baker Creek packaging.

3 5/8" x 5 1/2"

All that space for 25 tomato seeds.

But I now have celery seed! No idea why I've never thought to grow it before.

eta: oops.. nothing to see here! Turns out it is the same packaging... now move along!

 

[Jack Holloway]

@Zeedman Got an email from Great Lakes Staple Seeds today saying my order is being processed and should be on its way soon. Have you heard anything about your order?

 

[Zeedman]

@Zeedman Got an email from Great Lakes Staple Seeds today saying my order is being processed and should be on its way soon. Have you heard anything about your order?

Yes, I received a similar email about March 1st, and my seeds arrived last week.

 

[Zeedman]

Wow that was fast.

I check up on Seeds of India occasionally to see of they have anything new; this year they had three new bush hyacinth beans (all supposedly day-neutral) and two bush yardlong beans. None of those will be planted this year, but given the ephemeral nature of the seed industry (and my unbridled curiosity) I thought it best to order them now. I ordered from Seeds of India on 03/09, the seeds arrived today 03/14. SOI shipped the same day I ordered, and emailed a link for package tracking.

I opened all of the packets to examine the seeds, re-package them in plastic for frozen storage, and to take a photo of the hyacinth bean seeds. @Pulsegleaner , we've discussed hyacinth beans before, so I thought you might find this interesting:


I notice that SOI uses the same generic photo on the seed packets for all of these, but they have (apparently) variety-specific photos of each on their website. They did the same for the two 'foot long' beans.

 

[Pulsegleaner]

Yes, that is interesting. And I note that my hypothesis bears out, apart from the tannish one (which could be similar to the one you already have), the other two are white seeded.

 

[heirloomgal]

Wow that was fast.

I check up on Seeds of India occasionally to see of they have anything new; this year they had three new bush hyacinth beans (all supposedly day-neutral) and two bush yardlong beans. None of those will be planted this year, but given the ephemeral nature of the seed industry (and my unbridled curiosity) I thought it best to order them now. I ordered from Seeds of India on 03/09, the seeds arrived today 03/14. SOI shipped the same day I ordered, and emailed a link for package tracking.

I opened all of the packets to examine the seeds, re-package them in plastic for frozen storage, and to take a photo of the hyacinth bean seeds. @Pulsegleaner , we've discussed hyacinth beans before, so I thought you might find this interesting:
View attachment 47522

I notice that SOI uses the same generic photo on the seed packets for all of these, but they have (apparently) variety-specific photos of each on their website. They did the same for the two 'foot long' beans.

I googled this site after seeing this, I've never even heard of this company. (But why would I, I live in Canada!) Pretty cool stuff. I saw saw very nice looking eggplants with names I don't recognise, though I get a bit of a kick out of the one called 'Bharta', which as far as I know, just means eggplant in Hindi?

When you tried mucuna @Zeedman , was this your seed source? I was thinking about that veggie and I wonder if it was grown through the summer, cut back, the tuber kept in a pot indoors through winter and then replanted year 2, if it might actually produce some beans?

 

[Zeedman]

@Pulsegleaner your hypothesis does bear out. The white-seeded Khyati (bottom left) is recommended for use as shelled beans; the others - those with darker seeds - are recommended for use as immature pods.

@heirloomgal mentioned that she saw hyacinth bean leaves mentioned as edible. This is a quote from some of the Seeds of India hyacinth bean descriptions (including Bharat in my photo above):

The complete plant is edible . The young leaves can be eaten in salad, the older leaves can be cooked. The flowers are edible raw.

I'm left wondering whether there are unspoken cultural practices which render that statement true, or whether conventional wisdom in our culture is incorrect regarding hyacinth bean toxicity.

 

[Zeedman]

When you tried mucuna @Zeedman , was this your seed source? I was thinking about that veggie and I wonder if it was grown through the summer, cut back, the tuber kept in a pot indoors through winter and then replanted year 2, if it might actually produce some beans?

As I recall, my seed source was the non-profit ECHO, in Florida. Their focus was on food development in the tropics, with short days... which makes me question whether all the seeds they sold were short-day sensitive (as were the rice beans I ordered from them).

Is your Mucuna (velvet bean) from a Canadian source? If so, it might perform better. But all the info I've found thus far says that velvet bean does not like cool soil, causes itching on contact, has enormous vines, toxic seeds, and can be allelopathic. Even if you could get it to grow there, maybe not the best choice around children.

 

[heirloomgal]

As I recall, my seed source was the non-profit ECHO, in Florida. Their focus was on food development in the tropics, with short days... which makes me question whether all the seeds they sold were short-day sensitive (as were the rice beans I ordered from them).

Is your Mucuna (velvet bean) from a Canadian source? If so, it might perform better. But all the info I've found thus far says that velvet bean does not like cool soil, causes itching on contact, has enormous vines, toxic seeds, and can be allelopathic. Even if you could get it to grow there, maybe not the best choice around children.

I think, though I'm not certain, that this mucuna is the non-stinging selection. It is a Canadian seed company offering it, but where they got it from I don't know. I thought the seeds were edible, to some degree, and considered a treatment for snakebites? But I think you're right though, that growing it north of Florida is a stretch.