Continuing ...

[ninnymary]

Bean seed has held up well for me, @Collector . Still, 8 years ... I don't know if I have gone that long . Five year old tomato seed has wrecked some of my springtime fun. Sure, I think every seed ultimately came up but they were so far behind that I think I just gave up on the seedlings.

It might have been the age of the seed for my Verde da Taglio chard. I get a little exotic with choices and end up with bare spots. I put some fertilizer on this week for the 2 types of chard that I've got going but that only helps a little with filling in available ground.

Rather than have Mary run all over for that Italian chard, I just might have a good excuse and order from this company: Restoration Seed. They say it's "naturalized" in the Bay Area! Maybe @ninnymary didn't need to do that running! And, then there is the Lucullus chard. Pretty ... and "best eating chard you can grow" ..? Maybe, I will become a chard aficionado, after all!

Steve

Was the seed I sent to you old? I didn't think so, I bought it that year and sent it right away. I actually don't do that much running around. The seed store is in Petaluma where I buy my chicken feed so no problem at all to get you some.

Mary

 

[digitS']

Thank you, Mary.

The one from Kitazawa that I'm not happy with, sprouted like crazy and really should have been thinned. The Baker Creek seed didn't perform well, unlike last year. The plants that showed up are wonderful but there are few of them.

The picture Restoration has of them isn't a selling point ... but then there is that "Lucullus" with its glowing description.

Steve, chard rehab graduate

 

[ninnymary]

Thank you, Mary.

The one from Kitazawa that I'm not happy with, sprouted like crazy and really should have been thinned. The Baker Creek seed didn't perform well, unlike last year. The plants that showed up are wonderful but there are few of them.

The picture Restoration has of them isn't a selling point ... but then there is that "Lucullus" with its glowing description.

Steve, chard rehab graduate

Did you save any seed from the Baker Creek one that did well for you? It's weird that it didn't do well this year.

Mary

 

[digitS']

Did you save any seed from the Baker Creek one that did well for you? It's weird that it didn't do well this year.

Mary

No. I used both packages, each year.

The pkg might have given germination information but I wasn't thinking about that. For one thing, the Kitazawa seed came up gangbusters. Right now, I'm happy not to have moved any into the Verde de Taglio space. There is still a chance that the Italian might fill in but, of course, we would have to leave it alone and allow it to grow more freely .

It isn't that the Umaina is terrible. It might be what one would expect ... but I'm a chard infant . How would I remember 50+ years with regards to the slight bitterness. I can blame the heavier stems but I'm just remembering that it was difficult for me to chew . I think that I had adult teeth by the time I could be found sitting at the table with my chard in front of me after others had finished dinner. It might be that my interest in greens continues because - I'm trying to please Mom ... Really, I recognized that the greens at the Chinese restaurant were important while I was still a kid. Why, I even tried Seaweed during those formative years. Yes, I did!

Steve
who enjoyed White Leaf Amaranth with lunch, today

 

[ninnymary]

Steve, I wasn't clear. I meant to say did you save any seeds from the plants. I can't remember if you save seeds or not.

Mary

 

[digitS']

did you save any seeds from the plants.

Brassicas, tomatoes, sometimes peppers, orach - save seed. Chard - no.

Chard is a biennial. I have kept kale here in the yard and saved seed the following year. The chard is "growing on other people's property." By my own standards, it would require special arrangements to leave plants. The plants might be strong enough to move.

Does anyone know how much winter cold chard can tolerate? We seldom have winters without some subzero temperatures ...

Steve

 

[ninnymary]

Steve, I'll get you some more seeds from Baker Creek next spring.

Mary

 

[digitS']

Stick of Butter zucchini
This variety is very early! These are from plant starts that didn't go into the garden until after July first!

I'm not gonna comment on the taste because I don't really like summer squash but aren't they cute ?

Goddess cantaloupe (less netting) & Diplomat galia melons

Wow! Well, I really, really like melons. These are delicious! Looks like it will be an okay melon year. Yay!

I have never grown honeydew but galia is similar. Maybe it helps @Sweetcorn to know that my decision on picking is based on getting right down on the ground and sniffing. Yeah. If they smell like something that I want to eat, I bring them home ... like today ... for my 9am lunch.

Steve

 

[ninnymary]

Wow! You grew those melons? You need to find a melon that will do well in my climate.

Mary

 

[digitS']

You need to find a melon that will do well in my climate.

I looked at what was recommended by the University of California Santa Clara County Extension, Mary. They list 3 melons: Diplomat galia, okay, Ambrosia, an absolute 100% failure for me, and Earliqueen. I can find NO sources for the seed and suspect that Earliqueen is no longer on the market.

Looked at the University of Oregon extension information. They have recommendations for Corvallis -- under the heading of growing melons in a "maritime climate." Here's what Wikipedia says about the climate: "Like the rest of the Willamette Valley, Corvallis falls within the dry-summer subtropical climate zone, also referred to as cool-summer Mediterranean." That is what I thought! It's not that close to the ocean ... but, anyway ...

How about what British Columbia based West Coast Seeds suggests? Halona Cantaloupe link. The same guy in New Hampshire who "put together" Diplomat and Goddess, created Halona.

Steve