Baking a Ground Cherry Pie

Ground Cherry Pie

For those of you who decided to try growing ground cherries here is a recipe for a pie that is really good. Even if you don’t like the ground cherries off the vine, give the pie a try. It is really good. The pie has a different taste from eating the ground cherries. in salads or just out of the garden. This is a sweet pie. If you don’t like really sweet things, cut down on the sugar.

Ingredients

      * 2 1/2 cups ground cherries
    * 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
    * 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
    * 2 tablespoons water
    * 1 (9 inch) pie shell
   
    * 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
    * 3 tablespoons white sugar
    * 2 tablespoons butter

Directions

1.   Preheat oven to 425° F (220°C).
2.   Remove covering from cherries. Wash cherries and place 
       in an unbaked pie shell.
3.   Mix brown sugar and 1 tbsp of flour and sprinkle over
       cherries.
4.   Sprinkle water over top of cherries.
5.   Mix together 3 tbsps of flour and 3 tbsps of sugar. Cut
       in butter until crumbly.
6.   Top cherry mixture with crumbs.
7.   Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes and then reduce
       the temperature to 375° F (190° C) and continue to bake
       for 25 more minutes.

Summer Gardening Tips

PLANT EXTINCTION

We don’t realize the importance of seed saving. Just like animals, plants can become extinct. It is important to not only be active in nature but to plant heirloom vegetables as well. It is also helpful to use many native plants on your property.

Basic Gardening Tips

• Avoid getting leaves wet during irrigation.

• If you have to water plants with a sprinkler, do it early in the day so that the leaves have time to dry. This will help with fungus problems.

• Always water plants well when transplanting.

• Most plants need 1 inch of water a week. Here are two ways to make sure this happens:

1. Bury one gallon plastic containers between plants as you are planting. Make sure to poke holes in the bottom of the plastic jug to allow the water to seep out. Leave just an inch or two of the jug showing. This method saves water, provides deep watering and helps form a good root system.  
2. If you are using sprinklers for watering, monitor the amount of water the plants are receiving by placing an empty tuna can in the middle of the garden while the sprinkler is active. When the can is full, an inch of water has been delivered.

• Use soaker hoses. Soaker hoses are most efficient if used in lengths of 200 feet or less. By burying the hose, water will go right to the roots.

• Mulching will deter weeds, warm the soil, and retain moisture. It also prevents water splash up which can cause disease such as early blight, powdery mildew, and other diseases.

• Rotating crops every two to three years helps prevent disease.

• When setting out tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, squashes and other tender plants it is advised to surround the stem with a cardboard collar to avoid worm damage. This may not be necessary if you are growing in raised beds.  

• Plant additional seeds to take into consideration insect damage and to produce the healthiest plants.

• Soil temperature should be at least 60 degrees for planting cold-sensitive crops and for mulching. This is usually when night time temperatures are consistently 55 degrees.

Growing Organically

To grow organic means to keep a watchful eye on plants, be creative about finding methods that work, and to spend time picking insects off of the plants. It is also useful to learn which insects are beneficial. Some insects cause no harm while others are detrimental and must be eradicated before they destroy your crops. One insect which is harmful is squash vine borers.

Squash Vine Borers

From about the middle of June to the end of July is the time that squash vine borers are active. To protect your plants there are many things that can be done. The basic idea is to surround plants with something over which a soft bodied worm will not like to crawl. Try these suggestions to see which one works best for you.

• One method is to wrap aluminum foil around the plant stem. Be sure that some of the foil is below ground level. If you have a plant that trails, you will have to wrap each part of the plant that touches the ground.

• Dust ashes or hot pepper powder (any type) around the plant stem. Repeat after each rain fall.

• Dust Diatomaceous Earth around the stem. Repeat after each rain.
  (Link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diatomaceous_earth)

• Egg shells. Save them all year. Keep them in the garage, etc. and cover them to prevent odor leakage. When the time comes for use, crush the shells in a blender till they are a powder. Dust it around the plants.

• Some people have had luck using sandpaper.

Tips on Gardening

TIPS AND IDEAS FOR GARDENING

We are setting up a site for those of you interested in trying different methods of gardening, growing organically, insect and disease control and anything else that can come up in the garden. Any ideas you would like to share are welcome.

General rules of thumb for all plants

 

·         Test your soil.

·         Always avoid getting leaves wet during irrigation.

·         Plants need about 1 inch of water a week; about 1 gallon per week.

·         Always water plants well when transplanting, warm water is best.

·         Mulching is required to deter weeds, warm soil, and hold moisture. It also prevents water splash up which can cause disease such as early blight, powdery mildew, and many other diseases.

·         Rotating crops every two to three years helps prevent disease.

·         Soil temperature should be at least 60 degrees, to plant cold sensitive crops & to mulch.

·         Most vegetables need 1 inch of water a week.

When setting out tomatoes, peppers, and eggplant, it is advisable to surround the stem with a cardboard or paper collar to avoid cut worm damage.

BASIL:  Pinch off buds to promote bushiness and leaf production. Do not over fertilize.

BEANS:  Beans are sensitive to an excess of potash in soil.

BEANS, POLE:  Plant in the north side so they do not shade other plants.

CUCUMBERS:  Always use lukewarm water on plants. Avoid water on leaves.

 

EGGPLANT:  When planting, water plant hole thoroughly and mulch to increase soil temperature.

LETTUCE:  Avoid excess N & P to prevent tip burn.

PEPPERS:  After the first week of transplant, side dress with high-nitrogen fertilizer.  See Horticulture Magazine 2011 Feb/Mar issue about Peppers (available @ the Foster Libraries)

SQUASH: (Winter Squash and Pumpkins) Reduce irrigation when fruits are near maturity.

TOMATOES:   Prune plants so that there are no leaves about 12" above the ground. This discourages insects from climbing up the plants and allows air to circulate through the vines. (Circulating air discourages mildews, leaf blights, and fungal problems that can develop quickly on tomatoes during humid weather.) pH 6.0-6.8 (slightly acidic)

FALL: Till soil 6”- 8” deep working in organic matter and lime if necessary.

SPRING: Till soil 6”-8” deep.

To Plant:

Dig a hole that is 6 inches to a foot deeper than the plant ball. Place some organic fertilizer (see instructions on box for amount) or 1 cup of bone meal and 2-3 shovelfuls of compost (depending on the size hole) in the hole. Mix with dirt & cover with 2-3” of soil. Fill hole with water and make sure plants are watered before you plant them. When water has seeped into the ground it is time to plant.

Wrap the plant in some newspapers or you can make a collar of newspaper or cardboard to put around the tomato stem. This will prevent cutworms from killing the plant.

Plant about 75 percent of the plant in the ground. This will give a good root system to the plant.

They are heavy feeders. Fertilize through the season. You can side dress the plants with bone and blood meal. You can also feed with fish emulsion every 2 weeks. See label on bottle for specific directions. Stay away from a lot of nitrogen. This will produce a lot of leaves, but not a lot of fruit.

TOMATOES (General directions for Planting Tomatoes):

·         Plant several varieties rather than all of one type. This ensures a steady harvest.

·         Place tomato plants in a site receiving full sun (7 hours or more daily).

·         Tomatoes need a growing medium rich in organic matter.

·         Bury tomato plants deeper than they come in the pot. Tomatoes are able to develop roots all along their stems. Bury about 75% of the plant. A new transplant needs to focus on root production. You can either dig a deeper hole or simply dig a shallow tunnel and lay the plant sideways. It will straighten up and grow toward the sun. Be careful not to drive your pole or cage into the stem.

·         If a plant is larger than a foot, bury the plant 3-5 inches in a deep hole so that the thicker stem is not broken.

·         Give each plant about 1 gallon of warm water (about 80 degrees within ten minutes of transplanting to avoid transplant shock.

·         Space tomato plants 18 to 24 inches apart; plant 36 inches apart if plants are allowed to bush out hugely on the ground. Planting closer together in cages allows the plants to shade each other's fruit, helping prevent burn and allowing a sweeter flavor. Consider using a tomato cage or a stake to support the tomato.

·         Don't forget to leave yourself enough space to get in between the plants to water, weed, and harvest. Those cute, little seedlings may not remain that way for long.

·         Once the tomato plants are about 2- 3' tall, remove the leaves from the bottom 6 -12 inches of stem. These are usually the first leaves to develop fungus problems. They get the least amount of sun and soil-borne pathogens can be unintentionally splashed up onto them.

·         Pinch and remove suckers that develop in the crotch joint of two branches. They won’t bear fruit and will take energy away from the rest of the plant. But go easy on pruning the rest of the plant. It’s the leaves that are photosynthesizing and creating the sugars that give flavor to your tomatoes.

·         Water deeply and regularly. Irregular watering (missing a week and trying to make up for it) leads to blossom end rot and cracking.

·         The tomato plant should be watered weekly. Water each plant with a 1 gallon of water each time. It's okay in hot or dry weather to water even more frequently with larger volumes.

·         Wait a week or two after transplanting and then place a mulch of straw, dried grass, or pine needles to control weeds and keep the soil moist during dry weather. The mulch should be about an inch thick and surround at least a circle 12 inches in diameter around the stem. Pine needles are especially good for helping raise the acidity of the soil.

WATERMELON:   Provide ample water during growing period. Reduce watering during fruit maturation to enhance sweetness.

Why Grow Heirloom?

Five Reasons to Grow Heirloom Plants

1. Exceptional taste is the No. 1 reason many gardeners cite for choosing heirloom varieties.

Crinkly-crisp, cone-head cabbages from Sicily, nutty Native American squash, your grandma’s voluptuous deep red canning tomatoes — they all immediately invoke flavorful images for those who knew them in childhood and others who have discovered them.

“A lot of the breeding programs for modern hybrids have sacrificed taste and nutrition,” says George DeVault, executive director of Seed Savers Exchange, the leading nonprofit organization dedicated to saving and sharing heirloom and other rare seeds. “The standard Florida tomato is a good example. Instead of old-time juicy tangy tomatoes, it tastes like cardboard. It was bred to be picked green and gas-ripened because that’s what was needed for commercial growing and shipping.”

Many heirloom vegetables have been saved for decades and even centuries because they are the best performers in home and market gardens. Ship-ability wasn’t a concern so flavor could take a front seat, and it did. There’s no need to plant veggies bred to be tough when you can plant heirloom vegetables that are tender, sweet, juicy and just plain delicious.

2. Heirloom vegetables are likely to be more nutritious than newer varieties.

In addition to ship-ability, breeders and commercial growers have been steadily pushing for higher and higher yields. “But for home gardeners, a little difference in yield isn’t a big deal,” DeVault says. And even though hybrids may often out yield heirlooms, it turns out we’re now paying a hidden cost for this emphasis on higher yields. Recent research has revealed that in many cases, newer vegetables and grains are significantly less nutritious than heirlooms.

3. Many gardeners prefer heirloom vegetables because they are open-pollinated, which means you can save your own seed to replant from year to year.

Seeds saved from heirloom vegetables will produce plants that are true to type, unlike hybrid seeds. If you try to save seed from hybrids, you usually won’t get good results.  Also, with heirloom vegetables you can choose what works best in your garden. If you save seeds from heirloom vegetables over several years, you can gradually select seeds from the plants that perform best in your local soil and climate. This will give you a seed strain that is more resistant to local pests and diseases. Plants are much more adaptable than most of us realize.

“Take a nice, old variety that has a lot of redeeming qualities, and select what performs well in your garden,” DeVault says. “Save those seeds, and you can create your own locally adapted variety.”

Locally-adapted heirlooms also fly in the face of one of the major criticisms vintage veggies endure. Are they really less resistant to pests and diseases? Again, there is a discrepancy between what works commercially and what works on a home or small scale. One hundred and fifty acres of French heirloom melons growing in Texas might be devastated by an infestation or illness, but when you’re talking about small, diverse gardens and heirloom seeds that have been selected to grow well in that region, heirlooms may actually be a better choice. “Varieties that are localized tend to survive attacks by pests and disease quite well,” Kaiser says. When you select and save seeds from the most successful heirloom vegetables from your garden, the more reliable those vegetables will become year after year. Not only do you get a better, locally adapted strain of a variety when you save you own seed; you also save money because you don’t have to purchase new seeds every year, as is the case with hybrids.

4. The fourth advantage of heirloom vegetables is that they are “less uniform” than hybrids, which means they often don’t ripen all at once.

Commercial growers love the uniformity of hybrids because they can pick the crop in one fell swoop. But for home gardeners, a gradual supply of fresh produce is usually preferable to the glut of the all-at-once harvest that many hybrids provide.

5. They are less expensive than hybrids.

On top of that, if you save your own seeds, the price drops to zero for the heirlooms.

In many cases, these heirloom vegetables have been grown for many centuries all around the world. What a great feeling — to be connected through tiny, magical seeds to so many other gardeners from so long ago!

Composting

Composting is good for the planet,and is a practical way to dispose of household food scraps and yard waste. Here are some web sites that can help get you started on composting in your backyard.  

University of Maine:

http://www.umaine.edu/publications/1159e/
http://www.umaine.edu/publications/1143e/

How to Compost Org:

http://www.howtocompost.org/

Composting 101:

http://www.composting101.com/

EarthEasy:

http://eartheasy.com/grow_compost.html

US Dept of Agriculture: National Resources Conservation Service:

http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/FEATURE/backyard/compost.html

What's Growing IN the Library: Books & VHS/DVD

GARDENING RESOURCE MATERIALS

Resources available from your local Foster Libraries and the Ocean State Library System (OSL) include print materials (books & magazines) as well as audio and video resources (VHS & DVD) to assist and educate you in your gardening efforts.  There are numerous items available for every interest and for every generation.  If you do not see an item which interests you, please visit your local Foster Library and an associate will be happy to assist you in finding the item which serves your specific need.

Subject Categories:

                  Ø  Heirloom Gardening

Ø  Year-Round Gardening w/ Barbara Damrosch & Eliot Coleman

Ø  Rodale Institute & Press (Organic gardening since 1947)

Ø  Container Gardens, High Yields, and Raised Beds

Ø  Food Storage & Preservation

Ø  Amy Stewart (Humor)

Ø  Starting Seeds/Plant Propagation

Ø  Books/Magazines of Interest

Ø  Children’s Gardening Books

HEIRLOOM GARDENING

The Complete Guide to Growing Tomatoes: Everything you need to Know Explained Simply by Cherie H. Everhart

The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Heirloom Vegetables by Chris McLaughlin

The Edible Heirloom Garden by Rosalind Creasy

Fifty Easy Old-Fashioned Flowers by Anne Zeman

Gardening with Heirloom Seeds: Tried-and-True Flowers, Fruit & Vegetables for a New Generation by Lynn Coulter

Growing Unusual Vegetables: Weird & Wonderful Edibles & How to Grow Them by Simon Hickmott

Heirloom Country Gardens: Timeless Treasures for Today’s Gardeners by Sarah Wolfgang Heffner

The Heirloom Gardener by Carolyn Jabs

Heirloom Gardens: Simple Secrets for Old-Fashioned Flowers & Vegetables by Mimi Luebberman

Heirloom Herbs: Using Old-Fashioned Herbs in Gardens, Recipes,& Decoration by Mary Forsell

Heirloom Skills & Country Pastimes: Traditional Projects for Kitchen, Home, Garden & Family by Deborah Krasner

The Heirloom Vegetable Garden: Gardening in the 19th Century by Roger A. Kline & Robert F. Becker

Heirloom Vegetable Gardening by William Woys Weaver

Heirloom Vegetables: A Home Gardener’s Guide to Finding & Growing Vegetables from the Past by Sue Stickland

Restoring American Gardens: An Encyclopedia of Heirloom Ornamental Plants, 1649-1940 by Denise Wiles Adams

Taylor’s Guide to Heirloom Vegetables by Ben Watson

YEAR-ROUND GARDENING

W/BARBARA DAMROSCH & ELIOT COLEMAN

Books and videos by the renowned Maine gardeners & teachers, Barbara Damrosch and her husband, Eliot Coleman, can assist you in growing vegetables year-round.

Books

Four-Season Harvest: Organic Vegetables From your Home Garden all year around by Eliot Coleman

The Garden Primer by Barbara Damrosch 1988

The Garden Primer by Barbara Damrosch 2008

Keeping Food Fresh: Old-World Techniques & Recipes/The Gardeners and Farmers of Terre Vivante edited by Claude Aubert (foreword by E. Coleman)

The New Organic Grower: A Master's Manual of Tools and Techniques for the Home and Market Gardener by Eliot Coleman  

 The Winter Harvest Handbook: Year-Round Vegetable Production Using Deep-Organic Techniques and Unheated Greenhouses by Eliot Coleman  

Video (VHS format)

Gardening Naturally: Getting Started with Barbara Damrosch and Eliot Coleman

Gardening Naturally: Preparing for Spring with Barbara Damrosch and Eliot Coleman

RODALE INSTITUTE & PRESS

Rodale Institute has been researching Organic Gardening since 1947.  These books are published by Rodale Press.

The Best of Organic Gardening: over 50 years of organic advice and reader-proven techniques from America's best-loved gardening magazine Edited by Mike McGrath

Foolproof planting : how to successfully start and propagate more than 250 vegetables, flowers, trees, and shrubs   by Anne Moyer Halpin and the editors of Rodale Press.

Heirloom country gardens: timeless treasures for today's gardeners by Sarah Wolfgang Heffner

The New seed-starters handbook   by Nancy Bubel  

The Organic gardener's complete guide to vegetables and fruits  From the editors of Rodale Press

Plants-a-plenty: how to multiply outdoor and indoor plants through cuttings, crown and root divisions, grafting, layering, and seeds by Catharine Osgood  

Rodale's illustrated encyclopedia of gardening and landscaping techniques Edited by Barbara W. Ellis   

Rodale's illustrated encyclopedia of perennials by Ellen Phillips & C. Colston Burrell

Rodale's low-maintenance gardening techniques: shortcuts and time-saving hints for your greatest garden ever by Barbara W. Ellis, Joan Benjamin, and Deborah L. Martin

Rodale's ultimate encyclopedia of organic gardening: the indispensible green resource for every gardener  Edited by Fern Marshall Bradley, Barbara W. Ellis, and Ellen Phillips

CONTAINER GARDENS, HIGH YIELDS, AND RAISED BEDS

 Books

Creating a container garden by Deena Beverley & Barty Phillips

The complete container garden by David Joyce

The container garden month-by-month by Jackie Bennett  

The potted garden: new plants and new approaches for container gardens Edited by Scott D. Appell

The container kitchen garden by Antony Atha

Container gardening: 100 design ideas & step-by-step techniques Editors: Carol Kasper & Jen Matlack

All new square-foot gardening: grow more in less space! by Mel Bartholomew

Garden anywhere: how to grow gorgeous container gardens, herb gardens, kitchen gardens and more, without spending a fortune by Alys Fowler

How to grow tomatoes: a practical gardening guide for great results, with step-by-step techniques and 175 photographs by Richard Bird

Small-plot, high-yield gardening: grow like a pro, save money, and eat well from your front (or back or side) yard 100% organic produce garden by Sal Gilbertie and Larry Sheehan

McGee & Stuckey's the bountiful container: a container garden of vegetables, herbs, fruits, and edible flowers by Rose Marie Nichols McGee and Maggie Stuckey

How to grow more vegetables: fruits, nuts, berries, grains, and other crops by John Jeavons

Raised Beds Video (VHS)

Successful Raised Vegetable Gardens with Brian Minter

An introduction to square foot gardening with Mel Bartholomew and Suzy Valentine

FOOD STORAGE & PRESERVATION

The big book of preserving the harvest by Carol W. Costenbader

Keeping the harvest: preserving your fruits, vegetables & herbs by Nancy Chioffi & Gretchen Mead

Putting food by Janet Greene, Ruth Hertzberg, Beatrice Vaughan

AMY STEWART

These books by Amy Stewart are very interesting and informative. The subjects discussed are written in a very basic and clear way. They are good for adults and teens. The author’s honesty and humor make these books fun to read.

The earth moved: on the remarkable achievements of earthworms

Flower Confidential

From the Ground up: The Story of a First Garden

STARTING SEEDS/PLANT PROPAGATION

The New Seed-Starters Handbook by Nancy Bubel - Rodale Press

Plant propagation: house and garden plants by Peter Klock

Gardening from seed: the keys to success with flowers and vegetables by Martha Stewart

The plant propagator's bible by Miranda Smith

BOOKS/MAGAZINES OF INTEREST

Books

Step-by-step gardening techniques illustrated - drawings by Elayne Sears; projects by Oliver E. Allen

New encyclopedia of gardening techniques - American Horticultural Society

Getting the most from your garden, using advanced intensive gardening techniques by the editors of Organic Gardening Magazine

Grow organic Editor, Louise Abbott

The vegetable grower’s handbook by Frank Tozer

The vegetable gardener's container bible by Edward C. Smith

The family kitchen garden by Karen Liebreich, Jutta Wagner & Annette Wendland

The complete compost gardening guide: banner batches, grow heaps, comforter compost, and other amazing techniques for saving time and money, and producing the most flavorful, nutritious vegetables ever by Barbara Pleasant & Deborah L. Martin.

Magazines

Organic Gardening Magazine (1994, 1997, 2000-2011)

Fine Gardening Magazine (1999, 2002-2011)

Horticulture Magazine Feb/March 2011 Issue - Article on Growing and Harvesting Peppers

CHILDREN’S GARDENING BOOKS

Blue Potatoes, Orange Tomatoes: How to Grow a Rainbow Garden by Rosalind Creasy

Foods Jesus Ate and How to Grow Them by Allan A. Swenson

Gardening with children by Beth Richardson

Grow it, Cook it by Deborah Lock, Margaret Parrish, and Jill Bloomfield

Growing up Green: Children & Parents Gardening Together by Alice Skelsey & Gloria Huckaby

Hollyhocks and Honeybees: Garden Projects for Young Children by Sara Starbuck, Marla Olthof, and Karen Midden

Let's grow! 72 Gardening Adventures with Children by Linda Tilgner

Ready, Set, Grow! A Guide to Gardening with Children by Suzanne Frutig Bales

Roots, Shoots, Buckets & Boots: Gardening Together with Children by Sharon Lovejoy

Sunflower Houses: Inspiration from the Garden: A Book for Children and their Grown-ups by Sharon Lovejoy

Native Plants

Rhode Island Wild Plant Society

The Rhode Island Wild Plant Society (RIWPS) is interested in restoring native plants to this region which are being pushed out by invasive plants.  They can help you to find the plants that grow best in Rhode Island soil.

      
They offer many programs on a variety of subjects related to plants native to the region. Their website  is:  WWW.RIWPS.ORG.   There is a membership fee to join the association although you can attend workshops for a small fee if you are not a member.  See their website for more information about their fees.

For those of you interested in native plants but don't know where to buy them, the RIWSP has a plant sale on Saturday, June 5, 2010. See their website for more information.

http://riwps.org/

What's for Sale: Descriptions and Pictures of Plants Being Offered

This will be the Second year the Library will have their Plant Sale. As we did last year, we are offering those varieties that are not the usual types of plants available. We look for varieties that would grow well in our area and climate, are heirloom or rare, and those that are just unique and fun for adults and kids to grow.

   

For those who have never had a garden, but would like to start one, we will have plants for small spaces, for containers, and those which are easier to grow.

   

The varieties we will offer are old and rare. Some are on the point of extinction. Chances are that our ancestors have planted some of these varieties in days gone by.        

   

For those of you who gave your suggestions in the garden suggestion box, we thank you for your help. We have tried to use them.

   

The following list gives a description of the plants that will be offered for sale. Some crucial words in the description will be underlined or in bold letters to help make choosing easier. At the end of each type of plant will be pictures of what the plants look like. (there may be a some varieties where pictures were not available). 

   

Included in the description is the number of days to maturity. This is a relative number and can be changed by Mother Nature. 

   

We have started seeds at different times so that there will be a variety of sizes for you to chose from. If you would really like a certain variety or size, get there early so you are not disappointed.

There will be some surprises of last minute plants for sale. Come and see what shows up!

There will be geraniums! For the cemetary or to brighten your home.

    The Library Sale Will be on Saturday May 28  9 am - 1 pm

and Monday May 30  8:00 am -12 pm 

You can read about the different plants and see which ones are best for your garden needs.

Thank you for showing your support to the library attending the plant sale. We have taken every step possible to grow organically.  We will have some surprises on the day of the sale.

There will be a number of plants that will be in a raffle.  Your name will be entered in the drawing with a $10.00 purchase and a free gift will be given with each purchase.

Come join us!

All plants require Full Sun unless other wise indicated.

General planting directions for all plants: 

You will need well-drained, rich soil. Adding compost, well-rotted manure and/or organic fertilizer will help. It is good to test the soil. Most vegetable plants need about 1 inch of water a week. An easy way to do this is to dig in an empty gallon milk container, that has some holes made in the bottom, on the sides of the plants as you are planting. Fill the gallon jug once a week, take into consideration rainfall. Once the ground is warm, mulch to retain moisture and deter weeds.

Tomatoes, Peppers and Eggplants are susceptible to cut worms. Place a cardboard or paper collar around each stem to deter them. 

Container gardening:  Plants will need more watering if grown in pots.  They will also need to be fertilized more often. Read directions on label of your fertilizer bottle.

(There will be more tips and hints coming later. We are working on a new blog)

Cucumber

General directions for growing cucumbers:  Cucumbers need heat every step of their growing process. Choose a sunny location, though they can have a bit of afternoon shade. They can be grown vertically by tying to fencing or anything solid. They are heavy feeders. Plant 3-4 plants per hill. Spacing of hills is 4-6 feet. Set vining varieties 2 to 3 feet apart.  Fertilize monthly.  Moderately easy to grow.   pH of 6.0 to 7.0.

Armenian Yard Long - This unique cucumber has long, slender, light green fruits, distinctly ribbed and often curved into a banana shape. Flesh can be easily digested by those who have trouble with other cucumbers. Vines grow up to 3 ft. long.  Harvest at any size, up to 6”-8” ;pick before fruit turns yellow. Pick regularly for continuous crop.    65 days to mature. 

Boothby’s Blond - This heirloom has been grown by the Boothby family of Livermore, Maine for generations. This strain of white cucumber is in the Salad family; alhough it is smaller than the Salad variety.  It is one of the very best for cooler climates.  Flesh is sweet.  Harvest: It is best picked when fruit is about 3" long. The fruit has black spines and turned bright orange yellow when ripe.   Pick regularly for continuous crop.  60 days to mature. 

Early Russian - Introduced in 1854, it produces loads of short, medium green fruit over a very long season. The flavor is mild and sweet. Vines are quite hardy.  Good for northern areas where we live. Great in salads and for pickles.  Harvest at any size, up to 6”-8” pick before fruit turns yellow. Pick regularly for continuous crop. 55 days to mature.

Marketmore - This dark green cucumber is ready to pick at 8-9 inches long. Vines are 4-6 feet long. Good yields and excellent flavor.   Harvest when fruit are 6” - 8” long, pick before fruit turns yellow. Pick regularly for continuous crop.  70 days to mature. 

Dragon Egg - Cream colored fruit about the size and shape of a large egg. Mild, sweet tasting (bitter-free). They set massive yields. Fun to grow and very unique looking. Great for kids to grow. Originated in Croatia.  Harvest when fruit is cream color and the size of a large egg.   

*This variety was offered last year.*

Japanese Long -  Long and slim, green, crisp and mild.  Easy to digest with few seeds.  Very productive.  Harvest when fruit is 10”-12” long, pick before fruit turns yellow. Pick regularly for continuous crop. 68 days to mature.  *This variety was offered last year.*

Lemon Cuke - This heirloom was introduced in 1894. It is the shape, size and color of a lemon. Flavor is sweet and mild.  Harvest when fruit is the size shape and color of a lemon.   60 days to mature. 

Eggplant

General directions for growing eggplant:  Choose a sunny location.   Eggplant also needs a lot of calcium, so add lime before planting or bone meal while you plant.

Set plants 18 to 24 inches apart; compact and dwarf kinds can be a little closer together. Stake tall varieties to keep the fruits off the ground.

Harvest - start picking eggplants as soon as they're big enough to use, and keep picking them till the fruits lose their gloss. If they're brown and hard, you've waited too long.   Moderately easy to grow.   pH of 5.8 to 6.8.

Louisiana Long Green - This eggplant is an American heirloom probably developed during the mid-nineteenth century in Louisiana. The plant is distinctive because it can tolerate mild frost.  Harvest when the fruit is banana-shaped and about 8” long. It is light green with yellowish green stripes at the blossom end. The flesh is sweet and mild.

Brazilian Oval Orange - Very tall erect plants with small oval fruits that are shiny green and ripen through orange to bright red at full maturity. Delicious in antipastos, grilled or fried. Very ornamental.  Harvest when fruit is bright red.   *This variety was offered last year.*

Japanese White Egg - Full rich flavor, lovely white fruit. Plants give heavy yields all season. Good in stir frying. Harvest when fruit is 2”-3” long and white.  65 days to maturity.

Kazakhstan - Seed collected at a state run market in Alma Ata, Kazakhstan, by A.T. Whittemore, and donated to the USDA Germplasm Repository in 1991. The plant is rather compact reaching 24”-30”. Produce early and in abundance. Probably never offered before in the North America. Harvest when fruit is dark purple black, tear shaped and 6” long.   Container (A Photo of this plant could not be located)

Little Fingers -  Small purple black fruit are produced in clusters on sturdy, compact plants.  May be allowed to grow long with no sacrifice of their mild, sweet taste and tender texture.  Harvest when finger-size and deep purple.    65 days to maturity.   Container

SALAD INGREDIENTS (Lettuce  & Spinach)

General directions for growing beetberry:  Plant beetberry 8-12 inches apart.  Easy to grow.

BEETBERRY:  Also know as “Strawberry Spinach” These unique, edible, mildly sweet 1/2” red berries are nestled among thick, dark green leaves. Sprawling stems are 12”-16”. Berries are used in salads.  Leaves are used in salads and for braising. Plant is a Hardy Annual.  Loves cool weather, but will tolerate heat.  Harvest leaves and berries as needed. Needs sun and constant moisture for succulent leaves.   40-60 days to maturity.

General directions to grow lettuce: Choose a site that gets full sun in cool-weather areas, partial sun in warmer climates or for summer plantings.    Moderately easy to grow.    pH is 6.0 to 7.0 

LETTUCE:   Lettuce (assorted) - This lettuce will be sold in flats of  4, or 6 assorted plants of different varieties of lettuce which could be any of the following:  Royal Oak Leaf, Salad Bowl, Red Salad Bowl, Ashley, Black Seeded Simpson, or Green Oak Leaf.  Harvest as needed. Take side leaves and plant will keep producing.

Green Ice - This lettuce is a superb hot weather type. Glossy, dark green leaves. Slow to bolt.  Extra crisp flavor.  Harvest as needed take side leaves and plant will keep producing.

Ashley -

Black Seeded Simpson -

Green Oak Leaf -

Red Salad Bowl -

Royal Oak Leaf -

Salad Bowl -

SPINACH

General directions for growing New Zealand Spinach:  Plant needs an open sunny space; it can have afternoon shade. It does well in many kind of soils, even poor soil. It is also drought resistant. Plants should be about 18" apart. Plants grow 1’ tall and several feet wide. Leaves are 2”- 4”.  Pinch the ends off the plant tops to make bushier.   Easy to grow.   Harvest as needed.

New Zealand - also known as Warrigal Cabbage is not the same species as common spinach. New Zealand spinach is a cooking green that taste like spinach. It can tolerate hot, dry weather, and is less likely to bolt. Many pests don't bother it and it needs very little care. Listed by Fearing Burr in 1863 in his book,  Field and Garden Vegetables of America.  Not frost hardy  60 days to maturity   Harvest leaves through the season. Taking  leaves will keep plant producing.

Peppers

General Directions for growing peppers:  Peppers need full sun and well-drained soil with a pH of 6.7 to 7.0  They need warm soil, as well as warm air, to thrive.

Work a moderate amount of compost or manure into the soil.  Then dust the planting surface with a fine layer of Epsom salts and work it into the soil.  It will provide magnesium which peppers need for good development.

When the soil temperature has reached 60 degrees Fahrenheit, set normal-size varieties 14 to 16 inches apart and smaller ones an inch or two closer.

   
Provide support for varieties that grow over a foot tall.

Keep the soil evenly moist; especially when the fruits are developing. Peppers need about an inch of water a week.

   
After the ground has warmed thoroughly, mulch with organic matter to conserve moisture and deter weeds.

   
Spread compost or a balanced organic fertilizer around the plants when they flower and again three weeks later.

   
Harvest peppers early and often - the more you pick, the more the plants will produce.  Easy to grow.

Hot Peppers

(Use caution when handling hot peppers)

Ancho (Hot Poblano) - May be the sweetest of the Mexican chili peppers - mild heat and fruity flavor. Ancho means wide referring to its broad, flat pod. About 4” long and 2” wide. The flavor of the pepper’s thick flesh is enhanced with slow cooking. Space plants 18-24 inches. Spacing between rows 24-30 inches. Harvest when peppers are dark rust red.  Use caution when handling hot peppers.
Loads of mildly pungent, 4" heart-shaped fruits that ripen from dark green to deep red.

Called Ancho when dried, Poblano when fresh. Loads of mildly pungent, 4" heart-shaped fruits that ripen from dark green to deep red. 2½ ft tall.

Chinese 5 Color - Screaming hot little peppers turn a rainbow of vibrant colors, from purple, cream, yellow, orange to red as they ripen. Harvest when any of the vibrant colors.The plants are great for containers.  Use caution when handling hot peppers.

Lemon Pimento - Heirloom pepper from Ecuador.  Very Hot.  Wrinkled 3-4" fruit.  Best used in sauces or for drying.  Use caution when handling hot peppers.  Plant 18-24 inches apart.

Long Purple Cayenne - Very long spicy pods are lovely bright purple in color, making them quite unique and colorful. The tall plants are just covered with dark fruit. Great for hot sauce, chili and soups.   Harvest when fruit is bright purple.  Use caution when handling hot peppers.  Nice enough for a flower bed.

Sweet Peppers

Albino Bullnose - Blocky 3”-4” peppers are a very beautiful cream color. They have a nice mild, sweet flavor and ripen to a beautiful reddish orange. It produces loads of fruit from early summer until frost. They are very compact, dwarf plants. Harvest when fruit is 3-4 inches and color is reddish orange.  Container

Purple Beauty- Purple peppers are always a favorite, as they are so colorful. This variety produces loads of beautiful bells, on compact bush plants. Crisp texture and mild sweet flavor makes this very popular.  Harvest when peppers are purple.   75 days to maturity.    Container  

Golden Marconi -  A late Italian pepper with beautiful, big, yellow 7” tapering fruit. Very sweet and mild, great fresh or for stir frying.  Harvest when peppers are yellow and about 7”.    80 days to maturity. 

Squash & Pumpkins

General directions for growing squash : Choose a site that has moderately fertile, well-drained soil with a pH of 5.8 to 6.8. Soil temperature should reached at least 60 degrees F before planting. Plant in hills spaced 3 to 4 feet apart, two plants per hill. Set the plants into the ground at the same depth they were growing in their pots.  Mulch established plants with organic matter to deter weeds and conserve moisture. Give plants an inch of water each week, and feed every two weeks.  Bush types can be grown in containers.

Harvest Zucchini, and Yellow Squash as soon as they're large enough to be used - usually about 6 inches, depending on the variety.

Harvest scalloped varieties when they're about 4 inches in diameter and before they turn cream-colored.   Easy to grow.

Summer Squash

Cocozelle - This Italian heirloom Zucchini, is long and dark green with light green stripes. It is a compact bush type. Can be grown in the garden or a  Container.

Early Prolific Yellow Crookneck - Introduced around 1700, this variety is still very popular today. 8”-10” fruit are smooth-skinned, pale yellow, which turn orange and warted when overripe, but are still very edible. Flesh is cream colored, sweet and mild. Semi-open bush plant.  Height is 24-36 inches.

pH 6.0-7.0    41-50 days to maturity.  Container

Zucchini Black - Introduced in 1931, fruits are so deep green that they appear to be black. Fruits are long, straight and best picked at 6” - 8” but will remain tender and flavorful when large. Plants are more vigorous than other zucchinis and ever-bearing. Bush plant.   Container

Lemon Squash - This squash has the shape, size and color of a lemon.  It has high yields and has the best resistance to insects of all the summer squashes. It is very tasty and great fried.  A very popular squash.

Odessa - The vining plants produces delicious,white zucchini-type fruit that is very tasty fried. It originated in the fertile valleys near Odessa in the Ukraine. It is very rare.

Yellow Scallop (Golden Custard) - Beautiful, bright yellow fruit with a rich mellow flavor. Likely pre-dates Colombian times; a rare native American squash. Bush plant with good yields.   Container

Winter Squash

        

Growing Winter Squash: Winter squash, contrary to the name, is a warm-season vegetable.  The difference is in the skin of the squash. Summer squash has thin skin and may be eaten raw or cooked. Winter squashes have thick, hard skins.  The most common winter squash is the pumpkin. Other types would be the acorn or buttercup, and hubbard squashes. Growing winter squash is easy. Squash is very sensitive to frost.

Soil temperatures need to be 70 - 90 degrees. Winter squashes usually take more space than summer squashes. Set 1-3 plants per hill and space the hills 4 to 5 feet apart. Make the hills by mounding topsoil, compost and well-rotted manure.  Harvest squash when the stem to the plant starts to shrivel.

Harvest your Acorn Squash in the fall before the first frost. Acorn squash is ripe and ready for picking when the skin become hard enough to resist being punctured by your fingernail. Cut the fruit from the vine, leaving a stem about an inch long attached to the squash. Wipe the squash clean with a damp cloth and store in cool dark place to prevent spoilage.  Easy to grow.

 

Galeux D ‘ Eyslines - A very beautiful heirloom squash. 15-20 lb fruit has gorgeous, salmon/peach color skin covered with large warts. The deep orange flesh is flavorful, smooth and sweet. It is good for baking. This French heirloom is also popular for making soup. This squash is very tasty. 95-100 days to mature.

Gill’s Golden Pippin (Acorn) -  This is an heirloom from the Gill Brothers Seed Company in Oregon. It is probably the best tasting of all the acorns. It is bright yellow and has a small acorn shape. The fruit is sweet and very flavorful. Uniquely colored. 95 days to mature.

Greek Sweet Red (Hubbard) - This is one delicious squash. The long-necked, reddish-tan fruits are filled with sweet, deep orange flesh that’s richly flavored. Attractive, long vines are highly prolific. It tends to be very resistant to squash beetles. This variety is super rare.

Pumpkins

Small Sugar - Also know as “New England Pie”, this pumpkin was introduced before 1860 and is still regarded as the standard for pumpkin pies and canning. Fruits are round, small, 5-8 lbs.

SWEET POTATO

General directions for planting Sweet Potatoes:  Plant Spacing: 12-18 in.  Row Spacing:  3 ft
pH Level - 4.5-7.0  Plant the slips in the garden when the soil is at least 70 degrees and there is no danger of frost. Lay the slips on their sides with most of the slip buried a half inch under the soil. Average soils will require plenty of compost or well-rotted manure, as well as bone meal (for potassium) and wood ashes (for potash). Avoid nitrogen fertilizers unless your soil really needs them, because too much of this element will produce plants with enormous tops and spindly little potatoes.

Once the plants are in the ground, just give 'em a deep watering once a week (especially if your area's rainfall is unpredictable) and keep the weeds down. Then, you can simply let these hearty vegetables take care of themselves!  Harvest sweet potatoes before the first frost. Sweet potatoes are ready to be harvested after four months in the ground, no later than five months.  Dry the sweet potatoes on the ground two or three hours after harvesting. Then allow them another 10 to 14 days of curing in a warm room with moderate humidity.  They should be placed in a cool room for storage till you are ready to use.  Leaves are edible and can be harvested through the summer.  Easy to grow.

Vardaman Mississippi is the “Sweet Potato Capital of the World.”

Vardaman Sweet Potatoes - originates from that area of the country.  This Sweet Potato grows on a compact bush-type plant and is ideal for growing in limited space. It does not send out runners, yet has a prolific yield.  The foliage of the Vardaman sweet potato plant will add a touch of unusual purple color to your garden-scape while providing you with a mildly-flavored, nutritious and versatile addition to your annual harvest (the leaves are edible).  It boasts a golden-colored skin and deep orange flesh. Vardaman matures in about 110 days and grows equally well in northern and southern gardens.

TOMATOES

General directions for Planting Tomatoes:  Plant several varieties rather than all of one type. This ensures a steady harvest. Place tomato plants in a site receiving full sun (7 hours or more daily). They also need a growing medium rich in organic matter. Bury tomato plants deeper than they come in the pot. Tomatoes are able to develop roots all along their stems. Bury about 75% of the plant. A new transplant needs to focus on root production. You can either dig a deeper hole or simply dig a shallow tunnel and lay the plant sideways. It will straighten up and grow toward the sun. Be careful not to drive your pole or cage into the stem.

   
If plant is larger than a foot, bury plant  3-5 inches in a deep hole so that the thicker stem is not broken.     Give each plant about 1 gallon of warm water (about 80 degrees within ten minutes of transplanting to avoid transplant shock.

   
Space tomato plants 18 to 24 inches apart. Plant 36 inches if plants are allowed to bush out hugely on the ground. Planting closer together in cages allows the plants to shade each other's fruit, helping prevent burn and allowing a sweeter flavor. Consider using a tomato cage or a stake to support the tomato.

   
Don't forget to leave yourself enough space to get in between the plants to water, weed, and harvest. Those cute, little seedlings may not remain that way for long. 

   
Once the tomato plants are about 2’- 3' tall, remove the leaves from the bottom 6 -12 inches of stem. These are usually the first leaves to develop fungus problems. They get the least amount of sun and soil born pathogens can be unintentionally splashed up onto them. 

   
Pinch and remove suckers that develop in the crotch joint of two branches. They won’t bear fruit and will take energy away from the rest of the plant. But go easy on pruning the rest of the plant. It’s the leaves that are photosynthesizing and creating the sugars that give flavor to your tomatoes.

   
Water deeply and regularly. Irregular watering (missing a week and trying to make up for it) leads to blossom end rot and cracking. The tomato plant should be watered weekly. Water each plant with 1 gallon of water each time. It's okay in hot or dry weather to water even more frequently with larger volumes.  

   
Wait a week or two after transplanting,and then place a mulch of straw, dried grass, or pine needles to control weeds and keep the soil moist during dry weather. The mulch should be about an inch thick and surround at least a circle 12 inches in diameter around the stem. Pine needles are especially good for helping raise the acidity of the soil.      

  
Tomato plants usually have small, green fruit to start. Wait until the fruit is of good size with a bright, deep coloring. This means that the fruit is ripe and ready to pick. The texture of the fruit can also determine if it is ready to pick. Ripeness is usually determined by a slight softness. Be careful not to squeeze too hard and bruise the fruit. Be careful not to allow them to become overly ripe, which results in a very soft tomato.  Fairly easy to grow.

Maturity Information: When you see the reference to day of maturity, it is a reference to the number of days when you will pick your tomatoes from the time you plant it in the ground. The number is a relative estimate. A number of things can change the growing of any plant. Weather, the date the seeds were started, and Mother Nature.

There are two types of tomatoes, Determinate and Indeterminate.

Determinate:   Determinates have vines that grow to a determined point and stop, making them more compact and bushy. They are sometimes listed as bush tomatoes. Once they are done producing, they are done for the season.   Tomatoes tend to mature all at once. They can be grown in containers. They tend to be early varieties, but not always.

Indeterminate:  Plants that continue to grow in length through the season and produce until frost. They are more viney than Determinates. Their vines continue to grow and need support. They need lots of space for they can grow up to 20 feet. They take up less space if they are staked.  Indeterminates are a good bet for later fruit.

                                                                                                                                                                                     

ID indicates - Indeterminate &  D indicates - Determinate

Abraham Lincoln - Abraham Lincoln was introduced in 1923 by the W. H. Buckbee seed company of Rockford, Ill., which named the tomato in honor of the state’s favorite son. It was released without much fanfare, but over the years it has proved itself to be one of the great tomato classics that happily survived the big shift to hybrids during the 1940s. After the demise of the Buckbee firm, the tomato was continued by R. H. Shumway of Randolph, WI.  Abraham Lincoln  tops the list of “big red”  beefsteak tomatoes for flavor and its appearance of dark red color and bronzy-green leaves, its production, and its pest and disease resistance.

   
Rather than oblate (a flattened sphere) in shape like common beefsteak tomatoes, Abraham Lincoln is round, solid and firm, which is why it’s such a good slicer. And unlike some heirlooms, Abe Lincoln can tolerate rainy weather without splitting.  Abraham Lincoln produces an abundance of fruit, so it requires a lot of support. If you want large fruit, pick the smaller ones in each cluster. Those little green tomatoes are wonderful for pickling and for use in chutneys and jams, so don’t waste them. You can tell when the ripe fruit is ready to pick by the dark red color and the soft feel of the fruit. The more you pick, the more Abe Lincoln produces.

The appearance of mature fruit depends a lot on the weather. Cool evenings and excessive rain will hold them back, and severe drought conditions can cause the flowers to drop so there may not be any fruit at all. Just take maturing times as averages, keeping in mind that tomatoes are heavy feeders, so good, rich soil will correct many deficiencies.  ID   Late -  season    87-90 days to mature.

Amish Paste - This popular heirloom tomato was discovered in Wisconsin and thought to be of Amish decent. The vigorous plants are rarely affected by disease and remain productive until frost. They have a  meaty interior and few seeds. Very productive they produces up to 12 oz, deep-red oxheart-shaped, meaty fruit. (Probably one of the largest paste tomatoes). Lots of sweet, tomatoey flavors from this coreless meaty fruit. A great slicing and sauce tomato.   ID   Late - Season

Amish Salad - An unusual Amish heirloom that is 2” round and pink, grape-shaped and very prolific. Flesh is very sweet and intensely flavored.        ID   Mid - season

Black Cherry -  Beautiful black cherries look like large dusty purple-brown grapes. They have that rich flavor that makes black tomatoes famous. Large vines yield very well. They are very unique and delicious.    ID Mid season  75 days to maturity.

Black Krim - Uniquely colored Russian heirloom tomato from the Crimean & Black Sea area. It is juicy, superbly rich with sweet flavor and an unusual brownish-purple thin skin.

Black Prince - An heirloom from Irkutsk, Siberia. The 5 oz tomatoes are round and very uniform. The color is a wonderful deep blackish-chocolate brown. The flavor is as deep, sweet and rich as the color. A unique salad tomato, the plants produce a large and early crop.   ID   Early - Season 70 days to maturity.

Bloody Butcher -  A sensational and very popular variety. It is an early producing tomato variety. A good choice for a tomato as you wait for later varieties to harvest. The leaves resemble potato leaf, and the plants yield copious amounts of 2-4 oz fruits that are a deep-red color, inside and out. Five to nine fruits per cluster with a rich heirloom tomato flavor. Plant produces well until frost. A good tomato variety for cooler growing regions since fruits ripen quickly. A good canning tomato.  ID   Early - Season    55-68 days to mature.  *Limited Supply*

Brandywine - 1885 Heirloom variety with beautiful 14oz pinkish-red fruit.  ID

Dr. Wyche’s Yellow - This heirloom was introduced to Seed Savers Exchange by the late Dr. John Wyche, who at one time owned the Cole Brothers Circus and used the manure of elephants to fertilize his heritage gardens. Undoubtedly one of the best tasting yellow tomatoes to be found.  This glowing tangerine-orange beefsteak always stands out in the kitchen or on the vine. It's rich flavor and larger size sets this variety apart from other yellow heirlooms. A very good tomato with smooth texture and tropical, sweet taste. Heavy yields.   ID   Mid - Season     80 days to maturity

Kellogg’s Breakfast - The origin of this variety is West Virginia. A large deep orange beefsteak that is very prolific. This tomato has a rich intense flavor.       ID  Mid - Season   85 days to maturity.

Marglobe -  This old heirloom variety has a natural disease resistance it is an ancestor of many hybrid varieties. Its name was derived from its ancestors the 'Globe' and 'Marvel' tomatoes.  It produces a heavy yield of fruit with a typical size of 8-10 ounces but can produce larger fruit as well. This tomato is one of the most vigorous and disease resistant of the standard tomato varieties. It is resistant to Fusarium Wilt and is said to resist tomato blight well even in wet weather. The Marglobe has also been noted for resistance to blossom end rot.  These tomatoes are globe-shaped, smooth and bright red right to the stem.  The Marglobe plant is a determinate bushy vine that is very productive. Staking of determinate vines is optional but is still recommended in order to keep fruit off the ground. And because the vine is determinate, it means that Marglobe will produce all of its crop of tomatoes at one time, which makes it excellent as a canner.  D   73 days to maturity   Mid-Season  Container  *Limited supply*

Mortgage Lifter -  Big Beefsteak 2.5-4 Lb fruits.  Pink/Red tomatoes are meaty & flavorful with few seeds.  ID  Productive and disease-resistant plants bear until frost.  80 days

Mr. Stripey - Also know as Tigerella, was originally and English greenhouse variety. The 4 oz bi color fruit is striped red and yellow orange, with yellow flesh. Highly productive. Mild flavor.   Low Acid   ID   80 days to maturity.

Red Siberian - A popular, cold tolerant variety. The red fruit average 4-5 oz and will set fruit when temperature is below 70 degrees. Fruit matures early. The flavor is mild and sweet. Good in colder climates.  ID      Early - Season      * This variety was offered last year.

San Marzano -  The story goes that the first seed of the San Marzano tomato came to Campania in 1770 as a gift from the Kingdom of Peru to the Kingdom of Naples and that it was planted in the area that corresponds to the present commune of San Marzano. They come from a small town of the same name near Naples, Italy and were first grown in volcanic soil in the shadow of Mount Vesuvius. Compared to the Roma Tomatoes with which most people are familiar, San Marzano tomatoes are thinner and pointier in shape. The flesh is much thicker with fewer seeds, and the taste is much stronger, more sweet and less acidic. Many people describe the taste as bittersweet, like high-quality chocolate. Plum tomatoes named after the region of San Marzano near Naples, Italy have traditionally been the tomatoes of choice for the best flavored tomato sauce.

This wonderful paste tomato has a red/pink color. Compact and prolific over the long season. The 3- to 4-inch tomatoes grow in small clusters that are ready to pick when they turn a deep, bright red.

San Marzano vines tend to start bearing fruit a bit later in the year than some of their rivals, but once they begin, they are prolific producers offering a bountiful harvest until the first hard frost.  They are good for canning, paste and sauce. Also make a good sun-dried tomato. ID  85 days to maturity Mid to Late - Season

Silvery Fir Tree -  This variety originates in Russia. Plants are about 24” good for a container. The foliage is very different from most tomatoes. It is feathery and carrot-like, silvery-gray in color. The plants are very compact, but produce heavy crops of 3-31/2 inch red fruit.  D   Early - Season   58 days to maturity.    Good for container    

Sungold Select 11 - This is on of the tastiest orange cherry tomatoes out there. This little cherry is a favorite of many. They are sweet and tangy. This is not a completely stable fruit. A few plants can still produce red fruit. ID/D unknown

Yellow Pear -  Very sweet the fruit is 1 1/2 inches,  yellow, and pear shaped. Plants can grow to 6 feet. They have a mild flavor and are great for fresh eating out of the garden, in salads or for making tomato preserves. Very highly productive plants are easy to grow. 78 days to mature. ID  Early - Season       *This variety was offered last year.  

Tomatillo

General Directions for Growing Ground Cherries:  Plant the seedlings in well-dug soil that has been amended with compost or animal manures. Ground cherries need at least 8 hours of sunlight per day, so plant in a sunny location.  Water the ground cherries thoroughly before they dry out. If the soil has been amended with compost or manure, no other fertilizer will be needed during the growing season. The plants will reach approximately 2 feet high and will spread out, keeping the soil naturally moist.

Harvest when the fruit has fallen to the ground and the ground cherry papery husk pulls back from the cherry and it has turned yellow-orange color. Fairly easy to grow.

Tomatillo Ground Cherry - Known as early as 1837. A Relative of the tomatillo, ground cherries have a citrus flavor and are used in preserves, pies and fruit salads. The yellowish-orange fruit grow in a husk. Very prolific.  Harvest ground cherries when they fall from the plants. They should be eaten when they are fully ripe and have turned from green to yellow. Give the plants well-drained soil without fertilizer. Culture is similar to tomatoes. Container  Plant: 18-24 inches apart in full sun. The plant grows 18”- 24” tall.

Aunt Molly’s Ground Cherry -  Also known as Goldenberry or Husk Tomato. Recorded fruits are 1/2 to 3/4" in diameter and are encased in a papery husk that turns brown when the fruits are ripe.    

Easy to grow, prolific and super sweet. Can be s. They are sweet and flavorful. eaten fresh, added to salads and stir fries,used for preserves, pies over ice cream, or in fresh fruit salads or dried like raisin Children love them. Productive plants have a sprawling habit. Foliage has a velvety fuzzy texture. Starts fruiting by the end of July and continues until frost and a little beyond, extremely productive.  Stores 3-4 weeks in the husk. The blooms are pale yellow.

Harvest ground cherries when they fall from the plants. They should be eaten when they are fully ripe and have turned from green to yellow. Give the plants well-drained soil without fertilizer. Culture is similar to tomatoes. Can be grown in pots.  Fairly easy to grow - 70 days to maturity  Plant: 18-24 inches apart in full sun.   The plant grows 18”- 24” tall.

Watermelon

General directions for planting watermelon:  Choose a site that gets full sun, is protected from chilly winds - especially in spring and fall - and gets good air circulation. A gentle, south-facing slope is idea.

Dig plenty of organic matter into the soil to provide the conditions watermelons need: a light, sandy, fertile loam that is well-drained yet retains moisture. A near-neutral pH 7.0 is best, but watermelons will tolerate soil as acid as 5.5.

Plant watermelons after both air and soil temperatures have reached 65 degrees F (usually two to three weeks after the last frost).  plant, dig a hole two feet in diameter and a foot deep, and add at least a shovelful of compost or well-cured manure and a trowel or two of bone meal. Set hardened-off transplants into the ground at the depth they were in the pot.   Water thoroughly.

   
Allow plenty of space between plants. Depending on the variety, they should be anywhere from 3 feet (for small bush types) to 12 feet apart (for giant ramblers). Apply a thick organic mulch to hold in moisture, deter weeds and keep the melons clean as they grow.  Give young plants an inch of water a week. As soon as flowers appear begin fertilizing every three weeks.

   

*Note when the plants are in full bloom: watermelons should be ready to pick about 35 days later.  Easy to grow.

Sugar Baby (Ice Box) - This plant is ideal where space is limited. Compact plants produce many small round 10 lb. fruit Approximately 7 in. in diameter. The rind is greenish black. Flesh is red and very sweet.

Cream of Saskatchewan - A beautiful little melon with sweet, tasty, cream-color flesh. An excellent variety for the North. Fruit around 8-10 lbs. each with a striped, green rind. A favorite of those who grow it. An old heirloom.  80 days

Katanya -  Dark green fruit have beautiful rosy red-color flesh that is extra flavorful, crisp and sweet. This is an icebox type melon with small to medium-size fruit that are produced in abundance on healthy vines. This is a variety from Katanya, Russia. Fairly early, and one of the best smaller melons.  60-70 days

Scarlett Runner Beans

Buyers will receive a free Scarlett Runner Bean with purchase!!

Beautiful to LOOK AT and to EAT & to USE

Scarlet Runner Beans have flaming red flowers that last throughout the summer. The blossoms grow in clusters and are less that an inch across, a real favorite of hummingbirds. The edible beans grow up to a foot long and are especially good when picked young.

General Directions for Planting:  Prepare the area where you want to grow your scarlet runner bean seeds. Clear it of weeds and rocks. Scarlet runner beans prefer rich soil so you may need to add compost to your area.

   
Beans grow up to 10 feet tall so they need a trellis or other form of support to grow on.

Sow seeds outdoors after all danger of frost has passed.  Beans cannot tolerate frost so if an unexpected frost is forecast you will need to cover your beans.

Plant your seeds 1" deep and 6” apart cover with loose soil. Germination takes 7-14 days. Keep moist during germination. Plants need full sun and plenty of water.  Easy to grow.

Scarlet Runner Pole Bean - This bean comes under the classification of eating,  decorative flower,  and ornamental jewelry.

Eating -  they must be picked young. They are said to have the best flavor of all the beans.

Flowers grow in clusters of beautiful scarlet  and are very decorative. Blooms from July until frost.

          

If you let them go to seed you can use them to make jewelry as the Native Americans did. They also cooked the beans & they dried the and ground them into flour.

Plants grow to a height of 10 feet. They can also be useful for covering arbors, trellises, porches and tree stump.

Herbs:

Basil: General Directions for growing:  Space plants about 10" apart. You’ll want to prevent your basil from blooming for as long as possible, by harvesting or pinching off the top sets of leaves as soon as the plant reaches about 6" in height. This will make them bushy. Harvest as long as there are leaves left on the plant to keep it going.  Easy to grow. Container

Basil, Genovese - Annual  12-18 inch plant. Grown for its strongly flavored, fragrant leaves which make great pesto.

Garlic Chives:  General Directions for Growing:  Plant outdoors spacing 12 inches apart, or into a medium to large pot. Water two or three times a week until established. Garlic chives are very forgiving when it comes to watering, but be diligent to prevent them from completely drying out. 

Harvest the leaves once they reach a height of 6 inches. Cut the leaves with a sharp implement to prevent tearing of the leaf. Cut them at about 2 inches from the ground. They produce edible white flowers. Flowers can be cut or left for the bees.    Easy to grow.  Container.

Garlic Chive - Perennial  12 inch plant. The stems are flat not hollow like regular chives. Both stems and flowers may be eaten. Both have a mild garlic flavor. Use like regular chives.

Chive: General directions to Grow:   They are perhaps the easiest herbs to grow and, when kept under control, can provide a wispy, yet hardy and attractive edging for flower beds.

Plant seedlings from pot spacing 8-12 inches apart. Once grown, they reach approximately 8" to 12" across.

Provide sun and water. Chives prefer full sun, but will adjust to partial shade and require minimal watering. Fertilizer isn't necessary.

   
Hundreds of salad, soup and potato dishes call for chives, as the mild, oniony flavor provides an embellishment with just the right final touch of flavor. Save yourself the trips to the grocery store, as well as a few bucks, by growing your own chives at home. They are perhaps the easiest herbs to grow and, when kept under control, can provide a wispy, yet hardy and attractive edging for flower beds.

   
Harvest by cutting them as you need them. It is recommended that you cut them at about 2 inches from the ground. Flowers can be cut or left for the bees. Onion chives have purple flowers.

Parsley:

Parsley General Directions to Grow:   Parsley grows best in a well-drained, alkaline soil in full sun or partial shade. pH 5.6-7.5  Parsley is a good plant for your kitchen windowsill. Just be sure to have good drainage in your pot and make sure it gets good sunlight. Set plants 12-18 inches apart. Parsley is considered a biennial but is treated as an annual in cold climates. Water your parsley deeply at least once a week and don't allow the soil to dry out between watering. Light mulch helps retain moisture and keeps weeds under control. Growing parsley also makes an attractive edging plant. Its curly, fern-like foliage is high in vitamins, and the plant is rarely affected by disease, though pests, such as aphids, can occasionally present a problem.

This herb can be grown out in the garden, but can also be grown in a container with 1-2 plants per pot. Fertilize the plants in the garden once during the growing season. 

Harvest by clipping the stalks close to the base, starting with the larger ones. This encourages new growth all during the growing season. If you just pinch the leaves off, your parsley will be less productive. Dry or freeze the leaves and use them within a year for optimum color and freshness.  Easy to grow.

Parsley - Moss Curled -  Dense dwarf growth of curled clumping leaves of rich green color. Grows well in sun or shade. Usually grows for 2 years

Sage General Growing Directions:  Sage grows to a height of 24-36 inches and will be about 24 inches wide.  Sage can be grown outdoors or in a container. It will grow well in rich clay loam that is well draining and is rich in nitrogen. It prefers soil with a pH of 6.0 to 6.5. When the plants are small, keep the soil moist, but afterwards, water only when the soil is dry. Sage plants should have full sun. Plant to about 2 feet apart.

Harvest leaves through the season. Dry for winter use.

Sage - Hardy perennial  18-24 inch plant. Grown for using fresh or dried leaves which can be used in cooking meats and vegetables. Fresh or dried leaves make an excellent tea and a finely flavored wine.

Flowers

Alyssum General planting Directions:  Choose a site in full sun to light shade. Sweet alyssum likes average to poor, well-drained soil and moderate water. Plant seedlings in early spring, about two weeks before your region's last average frost date. They can also be planted Late May and June. Position 6 to 8 inches apart.

This small, delicate plant has many uses: It's wonderful for edging a flower bed, filling a container, beautifying a rock garden or cascading from a hanging basket.

Alyssum - Annual  4 in. plant. Needs full sun. Blooms throughout the summer. Lovely for borders or rockgardens. They sometimes re-seed themselves. There will be two varieties: Carpet of Snow & Royal (purple) Carpet.

Carpet of Snow -

Royal (purple) Carpet -

 

Balsam Camellia General Directions to Plant: The plants will cover 12 inches to 18 inches of space. The flowers grow nicely in well enriched sandy soil. They may be transplanted when in full bloom. Easy to grow.

Balsam Camellia - Annual 12-18 in. plant. This old fashioned favorite has double camellia-like flower of different colors. A native of Asia, by 1768 It was being grown in Chelsea. Plants must be well-watered. Can take full shade,partial shade, or sun. This plant is in the Impatiens family. *Supplies will be limited*

Moon Flower General Directions to Plant:  Plant 12-inches apart. If you can, plant them in a place where their fragrance can be enjoyed. Also take into account that this is a climbing vine and will need something to climb on. It can be as simple as nailing one end of twine or floral wire to the outside of the house and securing the other end with a weight.   Easy to grow.

Moon Flower -  Annual Night Bloomer  This relative of the morning glory perfumes the garden as its large 5-6 inch white flowers unfold. The large leaves are heart shaped. Growing moon flowers requires very little effort.   Moon flowers requires full or partial sun. The plant will begin to bloom in late afternoon and into the early evening hours, and continue to remain open until sunrise. The vines are voracious climbers, and should be planted in a spot where they may spread as needed, such as near a trellis a patio support beam a porch or tree stump.  Moon flowers will thrive in nearly any soil condition, from very poor to very rich, although they exhibit a preference for rich soil. They require very little care once started. Insect and pest damage is not usually a big problem, although ants may be attracted to the trumpet-shaped flowers.     

Dead blooms should be removed in a process called deadheading, in which the spent bloom is removed from the plant. Deadheading ensures that the moon flower vine remains healthy and productive during its growing season.

SUNFLOWERS

Sunflowers General Directions to Plant:  Plant 1 1/2 foot apart or one foot for the dwarf varieties. (In containers you can squeeze them closer) 

Sunflowers will start out slowly. If you notice birds or other animals bothering the little seedlings you can tent a piece of chicken wire, a milk jug with the top and bottom cut off or something similar to protect them. They will pick up speed in their growing process, and the children can be responsible for watching them, watering them, and placing cut up leaves or another type of mulch carefully around the bottoms of each plant.

Many people harvest all of the sunflowers and don't allow the birds to feed. I think for children, a nice alternative is to cover some of the heads with cheesecloth, mesh bags or old pantyhose, so you can roast the seeds later, but leave the other flowers for the birds. The children can record which birds come to the plants and how many, as an extra project.

   

Harvest when the seed heads start to turn brown, they can be cut with 2 inches of the stem and hung to dry in a ventilated place such as a garage or attic. When they are dry, simply rub them together to loosen, soak over night in salted water and then drain. Spread them on baking sheets and roast for three hours at 200 degrees until dry. These can be stored in a container for eating. Be sure to save some seeds out before this process, place in envelopes and label for planting next year. Store them in a dry cool place until spring.

   

Growing sunflowers can be a unique, family project. So much can be learned about nature and the growing process, as well as teaching children patience. The end result will be something they will always remember and treasure.

   

Growing sunflowers is not as difficult as it might seem, with a few considerations taken into account. Importantly, you need to plan where you plant your sunflowers because they will need full use of the sun during the entire day to grow successfully. Plant where they will not shade other plants. Easy to grow

Sunflower Varieties:

Mexican Torch: Brilliant red-orange 2”-4” flowers. This is and excellent butterfly plant, blooms over a very long season. The plants produce masses of blooms. The 5’ plants are very beautiful. Allow 12-18 inches between plants. Require only ordinary soil and moisture, tolerates heat and some drought once established. Needs full sun.

Sunspot: This sunflower has a 10” bloom atop a  2’ stem.

Tarahumara White Seeded: Grown by the Tarahumara tribe for their mostly white seeds; the plants produce beautiful 8”-10” golden yellow flowers on tall plants. This is a rare heirloom. It may have originally been brought to Canada by Russian Mennonite farmers. Allow 12-18 inches between plants. Require only ordinary soil and moisture, tolerates heat and some drought once plants are established. Needs full sun.

Teddy Bear Dwarf:  These 4-6 inch flowers resemble big gold chrysanthemums.  Plants grow 18-24 inches tall.

Vanilla Ice:  "Vanilla Ice" is an almost white flower with 4-inch blooms surounding a chocolate-colored center.  Sow seeds in average soil with full sun after frost.  Sow approximately 8-inches apart and colver with 1-inch of fine soil.  Keep evenly moist and thin to stand 12-18 inches apart when seedlings are 1-inch high. 

Velvet Queen: Elegant early bloomer. 6’ plant with multiple deep red blooms. Can be cut or left for the birds.

Zinnias

Zinnias General Growing Directions:  Choose a site in full sun, although zinnias usually appreciate a little afternoon shade in especially hot regions. Zinnias like rich, well-drained soil.  Plant seedlings 12 -24 inches, depending on the variety's mature height. Keep soil somewhat moist. Mulching is a good idea. Zinnias can survive in soil that's on the dry side but will wilt in very dry conditions.  Trim faded flowers, or cut flowers often for bouquets, to promote more and longer blooming.  Easy to grow.

Lilliput: Annual - Needs full sun. Small pompom flowers are good for cutting and border displays. 24” tall.   Plant 18-24” apart

Cut & Come Again: Annual - Needs full sun. A very popular cutting zinnia. Double flowers are 2 1/2 inches. Flowers freely produce on long stems from mid summer to frost. 24” tall. Plant 18-24” apart.