Catalogs are Rolling in!

[vfem]

So I've got a pile of catalogs that have been rolling in since Thanksgiving. I haven't opened a single one.

I've been so wrapped up with the holiday and the family and the house I couldn't give a thought to spring just yet.... but the lights are packed away, the weather is all dreary and I can start budgeting for my garden by the end of this month. That means its time to open these bad boys up.

My own husband is curious as to what we need, and he wants to try something new himself. So what catalogs have to received and anything new and special at one of them you are planning on trying this year for the first time?

Feel free to share where you found the seed listed....

Also if you want to share links to places to request catalogs some of us may have not gotten yet, please too! My pile can always be bigger

 

[ninnymary]

Vfem, it's good to hear from you. I've missed you! I also, just got my Baker Creek catalog. It's getting me thinking about trying to start things from seeds. But I'm afraid of the investment in light, soil, heat pad, etc. and then not stick to it. I'm also afraid of the hardening process. I've tried it in the past and everything died. But I know you don't have this problem.

Mary

 

[TheSeedObsesser]

Also if you want to share links to places to request catalogs some of us may have not gotten yet, please too! My pile can always be bigger

Ok, but you asked for it!

Don't know how many of these you know about. They are websites that I have scraped off of my favorites list; some I have looked through, some I haven't. All have online catalogs but you can probably get a printed catalog from most of these places.

http://www.adaptiveseeds.com/ - Adaptive Seeds

http://www.rareseeds.com/ - Baker Creek

http://www.victoryseeds.com/ - Victory Seeds

http://www.uprisingorganics.com/ - Uprising Organics

http://www.southernexposure.com/ - Southern Exposure Seed Exchange

http://www.seedsavers.org/ - Seed Saver’s Exchange

http://shop.nativeseeds.org/pages/seeds - Native Seed

http://www.mypatriotsupply.com/ - My Patriot Supply

http://www.azuredandelion.com/ - Azure Dandelion

http://www.newhopeseed.com/vegetable.html - New Hope Seed

http://www.landrethseeds.com/ D. Landreth Seed

http://www.stclareseeds.com/ - St. Clare Seeds

http://www.highmowingseeds.com/ - High Mowing

http://www.heirlooms.org/ - Sustainable Mountain Ag. Center

http://wrightsheirlooms.com/Home.html - Wrights Heirlooms

http://www.fedcoseeds.com/ - Fedco

http://www.seedsofchange.com/ - Seeds Of Change

http://www.reneesgarden.com/ - Renee’s

http://irisheyesgardenseeds.com/ - Irish Eye’s Garden Seed

http://www.hopeseed.com/home - Hope Seed

http://www.kitchengardenseeds.com/ - Kitchen Garden Seeds

http://www.bountifulgardens.org/ - Bountiful Gardens

Victory Seeds, Adaptive Seeds, and Uprising Organics are good ones. A lot to look through, take your time!

 

[TheSeedObsesser]

I've also got my Baker Creek Catalog, it came a few days ago. Very nice stuff in there, have to be careful though because this is how I go broke.

Mary, you have problems with hardening off your veggies? I'd think that being in San Fran you wouldn't have to woryy about hardening them off. :/

 

[Smart Red]

The hardening off process need not be a scary, iffy situation. I think the most common mistake is not sunburn, but a general weakness of the stem; especially if the plants are a bit leggy. This weakness can be addressed BEFORE going outside by using a fan to mimic the action of the wind. This blowing back and forth tends to strengthen the plant stem and makes for a more successful planting experience.

Also, while watering from the bottom is a good idea to keep seeds from washing away, it is important to water like the rain once the plants are up and growing. Probably after the first true leaves or so. Even better would be to use rain water or melted snow, but the action of rain on the leaves goes further to strengthen the growing plant.

This way, by the time you are ready to put the plants out to harden them off the only issue you need deal with is time in the sun. I like to start my plants in dappled shade or even bright shade for a few days. Of course, being retired, it is easier for me to gradually increase the length of sun. I have found (over the years) that plants can take too much sun if they are otherwise ready for the great outside.

Good luck!

 

[ninnymary]

Oh no, now I need a fan along with the lights, etc.? Yes Smart Red, you are right. Since I didn't use a light the plant stems were thin and leggy even though I rotate them several times a day towards the sun.

Seedo, for some reason I have hardening off problems. I take them out and place them on the deck in bright light/shade for 2 hrs at a time. After a few days, I give them more time outdoors. Yet, they still die!

I mentioned my interest to my son, whose bathroom I would use and the blank look on his face was priceless! It's funny how he and my husband suggested the laundry room. Of course they mentioned that if I took out those shelfs with all my books that I have down there that I would have plenty of space! The problem is there is no heat down there and it's cold....

Mary

 

[thistlebloom]

Cold? How cold? If you are going to germinate them on heat pads, once they're up, cool is actually better. If I can start plants in my house where the night temps can get down to 55 ( that's when it's super cold outside ) then so can you sistuh!

 

[digitS']

V, I may order something from Irish Eyes Garden Seeds - instead of kidding myself that I'm going to make the 200± mile drive to Ellensburg to buy seeds . Other than the potatoes that they specialize in, there are early-ripening tomatoes . They have quite a few and only make a "gesture" towards an 80 day variety with Brandywine. Their pepper selection shows that same orientation.

Native Seed Search has my "winter squash to try" this year! They also have a nice looking orange tomato and I'm working my way thru the rest of this new-to-me seed source.

Mary, cold is not a terrible thing. I'm trying to look at this from what I imagine is your perspective of "cold."

The greenhouses where I worked had thousands of rosebushes. The number of any other plant species could fairly well be counted on 1 person's digitS'. So, things were set up for roses.

Commercial outfits are interested in "pushing" things but there is also the interest in energy savings and . . . oh yeah, quality. Anyway, the greenhouse thermometers were set at 60°f overnight and 64° during the daylight hours. Of course, spring sunlight might push temperatures higher. Nevertheless, I gained an idea that warmth should match light - the less light, the less warmth.

Now, those temperatures were a bit low for starting my tomato & pepper seeds each year but I could set the flats on a walkway with steam pipes under them for a few days. Once up, I'd need to move the plants where they would have that balance of warmth/sunlight.

Mary, it won't hurt your plants if the room temperature is 64°. Growth will not be rapid but going the other route with room temperature at 75° and inadequate light will result in weak, spindly seedlings. Inadequate light is, I'm sure, more common than optimum light indoors, under just about any circumstance. If there is an abundance of light, but low temperatures - fine. Either way, it may just be a matter of transplanting out 10 week old plants rather than 6 & 8 week old plants.

Steve

 

[vfem]

SeedObserver, that is QUITE the list! Some I've already saved, but I see some new ones I need to go browse.

Mary, I missed you too! And as for the hardening off, I've messed up quite a few times. Sometimes, I generally forgot I put them outside at all and the next morning.... dead. I'm a terrible plant mommy sometimes. But its ok, I usually manage to save about 1/2 my plants if I'm lucky. I get leggy plants sometimes too, but I do use the heat mat and I love it. I've had less and less germination problems with it over the years.

I still buy a bunch of starts locally though, usually my favorite tomatoes are easy to find right down the road at good prices but beans, peas, spicey peppers... I'm constantly craving something new to add to the bunch each year. Last year I got into sorghum. That went well and I had some really happy chickens and wild birds. I never got to make the syrup though, I just couldn't get my hands on the equipment.

 

[897tgigvib]

Mary, in your area of moist air, I am guessing some of the problem you have with starting seedlings may well be damping off.

Damping off is a kind of mildew disease. It lives in the seed start and potting soil mixes, even so called sterile mixes.

Before using such mixes, pour boiling water on the potting soil mix, let it run through, then let it cool off.

This is where any little 10 dollar fan comes in handy. Moving air creates conditions unsuitable for damping off.