susanrstoltz's Blog

Heirloom vs. Hybrid
Feb 27, 2010 | 6:28 AM PST
Tags: heirloom , hybrid , seeds , taste , tomatos
Heirloom vs. Hybrid.

There is a great trend with Heirloom vegetables that we totally embrace here at Vintage Hill.  Kind of like chickens, the old home grown kind are the best in flavor.  Not unlike chickens that have been bred to become a boneless breast in a frozen package, many modern vegetables have been bred for a trait or group of traits- usually disease resistance or keeping qualities.  Depending on who had the idea, and what they were trying to accomplish, taste may or may not have been the priority in breeding.  The surge in popularity of heirloom tomatoes for instance is mostly about taste and of course variety. 

It’s important to remember the reason the hybrids became popular was disease resistance.  In my own trial garden of heirloom and hybrid tomatoes last year it was pretty obvious that those with the best flavor were not necessarily the best producers and since it was a wet summer here in MO, those tomatoes with disease resistance bred in were the best producers, not necessarily the heirlooms.  My favorite tomato of last season though was without a doubt, Pineapple.  It's an heirloom, yellow with a tinge of red in the center and sweet with a firm flesh.  It produced well all summer and the taste was the best!  Black Krim was a close second.  Funny story about that. One of my customers shared with me how they took a plate of Black Krim to a carry-in supper.  No one would touch it. Black Krim is a dark red; almost purple in color, but on a plate by itself looks like they may have been left over for a week or so!  Lesson of the story, mix them with a yellow tomato on a plate!

f you want to collect your own seeds, which is how heirlooms have been preserved for years, remember that a hybrid sometimes does not come "true" from seed, it often reverts to either of its parents or some distant relative. If you have a relatively remote location, your heirlooms can remain true, however pollen from adjacent plants can give you a little surprise in next years crop.

To Seed or Not to Seed - Plants are the Answer
Feb 15, 2010 | 8:02 AM PST
Tags: seeds , plants , catalogs , growing season , gardening books
This post has been edited by an administrator

To Seed or Not To Seed – Plants are the Answer

 I’ve spent the better part of a week pouring over seed catalogs and websites! What fun. I now understand the obsession many gardeners have with these annual publications. I want to grow everything in them, with the exception of Brussels Sprouts, Rhubarb and Kale. I have no need for those anywhere near me at any time. 

I live in the west where the mountain/desert area has a relatively short growing season. I’ve grown myself a seed now and again, but never on a grand scale and frankly I’m not certain, with a cat and two Jack Russell’s, that an abundance of dirt inside the house is a good idea. Besides the fact I don’t have lots of room for grow lights. I may try one or two seeding kits in a windowsill and see what happens, but my

research and good sense tells me that with a growing season that is relatively short I’d better buy some already established plants.

 I did discover that it’s best to select as many plants from a local nursery rather than order varieties that may not be suitable to your particular growing zone. Local nurseries stock those plants that are tried and true for your area. If you do decide to order from a nursery be certain you speak to an expert before you order plants that won’t thrive and will disappoint.

There was very little information via the web that pertained to articles about plants vs. seeds. I was surprised, although I Googled in the best way I knew how, that most of the information was about growing marijuana seeds. I found that rather amusing.  We will need to have our garden Jeff Oberhaus weigh in with his opinion plants vs. seed in a region with limited time to grow.

Speaking of Jeff, who is buried under snow with truckloads of plants being delivered to his nursery, Vintage Hill Farm, here is what he had to say this week:

“So here are three books that I think all plant people would appreciate.  None of these is really about growing veggies but could be easily adapted to include edibles. They are about stuff that feeds the soul through the eyes.”

 Hot Plants for Cool Climates  by Dennis Shrader
Time Tested Plants by Pamela Harper
The Complete Container Garden by David Joyce Readers Digest publisher
ok a fourth

Manual of Woody Landscape Plants by Michael Dirr

 Next week we discuss heirloom vs. hybrid plants!

 

Raised Beds
Feb 9, 2010 | 10:50 AM PST
Tags: raised beds , gardens , roots , soil

Research has me convinced that raised beds are the smart way for me to plan The Author’s Garden. Of the many articles I’ve read the pros outweigh the cons significantly.

Raised beds have many advantages. First they greatly reduce soil compaction. Plant roots need air and with a raised bed you do all your gardening from the path between beds eliminating tromping down the soil as you weed, etc. 

Plants can be spaced more closely together in a raised be because you don’t need places to step. This increases the productivity per square foot. It also reduces weeding. The risk you run is to crowd your plants.  Raised beds tend to grow much larger plants so overcome the urge to really pack them in.

Drainage is easier in a bed built above the ground. The contrary to this is if you live in a very dry climate you may have to water more frequently. 

Soil conditions can be controlled with great efficiency in a raised bed and can vary from bed to bed. If the soil in your area of the country is less than desirable it’s an easy problem to overcome when you control the sort of dirt that goes into the bed. This holds true with mulch, compost or fertilizer. You can use these products without much waste as they are only being applied where directly needed.

Raised beds are closer to you so there is less bending and gardening can be done on a garden seat or wagon seat. This has great advantage to the elderly or those with limited mobility.

The growing season can be significantly lengthened with beds that are above ground level because they warm up sooner than the ground beneath them. You can also cover them effectively to prevent frost or damage from hail and high winds.

It’s also easier to keep pests and weeds out of a raised bed, so if you live in an area with lots of rabbits or voles or gophers you may want to consider this option very carefully.

I’ve seen lots of raised beds. Some are constructed of pressure treated lumber, rocks, landscape blocks, logs, watering troughs, even kiddie plastic swimming pools. So I guess I’d better decide which medium will achieve the look I’d like for my garden.

Finally, studies have shown that raised beds produce up to 1.5 to 2 times more vegetables and flowers per square foot over ordinary beds. You can have a smaller and more manageable garden that produces more for your table.  Since my space is relatively small I find this appealing.

The disadvantages are few. As mentioned above you may have to water with more frequency in a dry climate. And raised beds take more money initially to establish as they must be built as opposed to plowing up a piece of your yard and sticking seeds in the ground.

So, after all is said and done, not much has yet been done. But the decision has been made that raised beds are the way to proceed. Now to plan the layout and design of the landscape. Looks like I’d better start observing how many hours of sun different areas of the property receive.