2023/2024 arrivals and departures

[Tormato]

package received.

looked briefly inside. looks like lots of different bean seeds, and greens. won't be
too late to plant those. cukes, and squash same thing. will give it a better look later.
ten hour day at work, need to rest a bit.

thanks gary


keith

I thought you retired?

[rxkeith]

i said i was THINKING about retiring.
i am getting closer. i can see it. just have to decide when to pull the plug.
either by years end or when the pharmacy license expires in august of next
year.


keith

[JayneR13]

Gary, thank you! I thank you, the local seed library thanks you, and the food pantry garden I've been volunteering in thanks you. I didn't see a card listing what you want for next year's swap so if there's anything, please let me know. For now, it's beans, beans, beans! And the greens will go well in the pantry garden. I've been told that kale is very popular and you thoughtfully included some. And I have just the space for it! As for the chocolate, I'll try again to plant it! And hope it doesn't melt this time

Jayne

MMMM swap 2024.jpg

[Tormato]

Gary, thank you! I thank you, the local seed library thanks you, and the food pantry garden I've been volunteering in thanks you. I didn't see a card listing what you want for next year's swap so if there's anything, please let me know. For now, it's beans, beans, beans! And the greens will go well in the pantry garden. I've been told that kale is very popular and you thoughtfully included some. And I have just the space for it! As for the chocolate, I'll try again to plant it! And hope it doesn't melt this time

Jayne

MMMM swap 2024.jpg

I didn't include a card, because it is so late in the season. I don't know what you can, or will, plant this year.

It would be best to only donate fresh seed, to the seed library, that will have a high germination rate, for now.

With a bumper crop, here, hopefully the real donation to the seed library can be made in the next swap. I haven't touched base completely with my own library, just an inquiry about donations. I also recommended that they set a seed packet size standard, and stick with it. I measured the card cabinet that they are using, and it looks like a #4 paper coin envelope would be the best.

[HL2601]

Christmas came in June.
Outstanding, as always, Gary. Loved all the interesting greens and cukes too! Your Viridis is still among my tops.
THANK YOU!
Heide

[JayneR13]

I didn't include a card, because it is so late in the season. I don't know what you can, or will, plant this year.

It would be best to only donate fresh seed, to the seed library, that will have a high germination rate, for now.

With a bumper crop, here, hopefully the real donation to the seed library can be made in the next swap. I haven't touched base completely with my own library, just an inquiry about donations. I also recommended that they set a seed packet size standard, and stick with it. I measured the card cabinet that they are using, and it looks like a #4 paper coin envelope would be the best.

I still have last year's card. I planted both Firebird Sweet and Glovel, two things you asked for last year that did well in my garden. In fact, the food pantry garden has a few FBS as well. The red Gothic was prone to blossom end rot regardless of where I planted it, container or ground, so I didn't plant that this year. I'm planning beans in the garlic bed after I pull the garlic so I'll see what I can do.

The local seed library is accepting anything at this point, and they have seed packing events so their packages all have their name and a consistent number of seeds. They've asked for a few things as well so I planted the Sugar Ann gray pea and the Scarlett runner bean. I'm pretty sure that the Master Gardeners there grow anything older and/or arcane so the donated seed is fresh and they're sure the variety does well here. Their collection exists in a library-style card catalog rack. Think of when we had to look through cards to find the book we wanted. They use the small 2" paper coin envelopes. Last year I sent in a box of stuff in paper envelopes. They don't like the plastic so I might as well keep those for my own use.

So many seeds, only so much space! But I'm sure we all love it so!

[Tormato]

I didn't include a card, because it is so late in the season. I don't know what you can, or will, plant this year.

It would be best to only donate fresh seed, to the seed library, that will have a high germination rate, for now.

With a bumper crop, here, hopefully the real donation to the seed library can be made in the next swap. I haven't touched base completely with my own library, just an inquiry about donations. I also recommended that they set a seed packet size standard, and stick with it. I measured the card cabinet that they are using, and it looks like a #4 paper coin envelope would be the best.

I still have last year's card. I planted both Firebird Sweet and Glovel, two things you asked for last year that did well in my garden. In fact, the food pantry garden has a few FBS as well. The red Gothic was prone to blossom end rot regardless of where I planted it, container or ground, so I didn't plant that this year. I'm planning beans in the garlic bed after I pull the garlic so I'll see what I can do.

The local seed library is accepting anything at this point, and they have seed packing events so their packages all have their name and a consistent number of seeds. They've asked for a few things as well so I planted the Sugar Ann gray pea and the Scarlett runner bean. I'm pretty sure that the Master Gardeners there grow anything older and/or arcane so the donated seed is fresh and they're sure the variety does well here. Their collection exists in a library-style card catalog rack. Think of when we had to look through cards to find the book we wanted. They use the small 2" paper coin envelopes. Last year I sent in a box of stuff in paper envelopes. They don't like the plastic so I might as well keep those for my own use.

So many seeds, only so much space! But I'm sure we all love it so!

Keep touching base with me on the seed library, if you can. I'd like to hear about what goes smoothly, and what does not. Your having Master Gardeners with lots of input will really help.

To me, there is one problem with paper envelopes. If seeds are not thoroughly dry, mold can start forming, and you don't see it until the envelope is opened. And donations can come from people that don't know better. When I eventually talk with my own library, I might recommend plastic zip locks inside of the paper envelopes.

Gothic is a paste, correct? Many paste varieties suffer from blossom end rot. Is there any cure? Some say it's an uptake deficiency of calcium. Some say it's inconsistent watering. I wouldn't know because I hardly grow paste types. What I would try is adding washed (don't want to attract digging critters) and ground egg shells to the soil, along with a good layer of mulch around the plant.

Hopefully, this Hestia bush runner bean that I have, does something. Most gardeners aren't into building tall climbing structures required for pole beans. One bean has strangely produced two vines, but the second vine might be too weak to do anything. If it doesn't start thriving, I'll cut it off.

And, one thing that I recommend that your seed library bans from having, are Castor beans.

[JayneR13]

I'm not really in tight with the people running the seed library, sorry. I just send them my overage. Funny you should mention about seeds molding in paper envelopes. They feel the same way about plastic, which is why they prefer to use paper. To each his/her own, I guess. But if I hear anything, I'll let you know.

I've heard both things about BER. I prefer to use Stop Rot because it's faster acting then egg shells, which take forever to decompose. Gothic is a paste, and I grew it both in a container on my deck and in ground at my former Community Gardens plot. Other tomatoes that I grew similarly didn't have the problem, namely the Firebird Sweet, Glovel, Japanese black trifele, and black strawberry. Stop Rot fixed the problem for awhile but it always came back. I'm told they had the problem last year at the food pantry garden, and inconsistent watering would be a strong possibility. The guy they have set up a lawn sprinkler in the middle of the plot. This year, I buried 200' of soaker hose. Things will get a better watering so we'll see if they have the same problem. I also did a lab test there and Ca levels were pretty good. So there's room for both theories.

I've run pole beans up a string hung over my rain gutter and it works quite well, as long as I'm careful about the weight on the gutter. I can grow them in a container and yield an OK harvest. In-ground is always best, of course. And yes, pole beans don't really do bean teepees. They need towers. I for one don't have room on my small urban lot for towers.

Castor beans, check. What's wrong with them?

[Tormato]

I'm not really in tight with the people running the seed library, sorry. I just send them my overage. Funny you should mention about seeds molding in paper envelopes. They feel the same way about plastic, which is why they prefer to use paper. To each his/her own, I guess. But if I hear anything, I'll let you know.

I've heard both things about BER. I prefer to use Stop Rot because it's faster acting then egg shells, which take forever to decompose. Gothic is a paste, and I grew it both in a container on my deck and in ground at my former Community Gardens plot. Other tomatoes that I grew similarly didn't have the problem, namely the Firebird Sweet, Glovel, Japanese black trifele, and black strawberry. Stop Rot fixed the problem for awhile but it always came back. I'm told they had the problem last year at the food pantry garden, and inconsistent watering would be a strong possibility. The guy they have set up a lawn sprinkler in the middle of the plot. This year, I buried 200' of soaker hose. Things will get a better watering so we'll see if they have the same problem. I also did a lab test there and Ca levels were pretty good. So there's room for both theories.

I've run pole beans up a string hung over my rain gutter and it works quite well, as long as I'm careful about the weight on the gutter. I can grow them in a container and yield an OK harvest. In-ground is always best, of course. And yes, pole beans don't really do bean teepees. They need towers. I for one don't have room on my small urban lot for towers.

Castor beans, check. What's wrong with them?

Mold can be had in both, but it is easily seen, and corrected with clear zip baggies. The baggie will get cloudy around the seeds, first. Sometimes a paper envelope won't be opened for a few years.

Wondering if powdered egg shells (what I make) is quicker to decompose?

No matter how much CA is in the soil, it's of no use if the plant doesn't absorb it. That's where all of the hypothesis comes in, scientists appear to not know what's really going on with BER, from everything that I've read.

if someone requests Castor beans in the swap (and I do have them), they must tell me, first, what's wrong with them, before I will send them. And, I always include a brightly colored warning label with them, in the pack. Since you did not request them, what's wrong with them is that they are deadly poisonous.

[JayneR13]

I did not know that about castor beans! No good to grow something like that in my garden. If I want poison, I have neighbors for that.

I would think that powdered shells would break down more quickly but I don't know. What's been your experience?

[GoDawgs]

Poisonous... think ricin.

[karstopography]

Or miracle cure.

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/ca ... g-dentures

[Tormato]

I did not know that about castor beans! No good to grow something like that in my garden. If I want poison, I have neighbors for that.

I would think that powdered shells would break down more quickly but I don't know. What's been your experience?

My experience is unknown. I mix the egg shell powder into the soil and it disappears. I don't get blossom end rot, because I stay away from paste tomatoes. I figure it does no harm, and I'm recycling what would otherwise wind up bagged and in a landfill. I don't eat that many eggs, or do a whole lot of baking with them, so what I add to the soil likely isn't a lot, maybe it averages to a couple of egg shells per square yard, each year.

[JayneR13]

For sure it can't hurt! I don't eat many eggs either but I do toss the shells into my compost bin. I don't have a huge bin so I don't get a huge amount of usable compost each year, but I can fill a couple of standard 20" pots. It's also a cold process, especially in my zone. But that's potting soil I didn't have to buy, and it's healthier nutrient-wise than most potting media! Every bit helps.

[bjbebs]

Many thanks Gary for the beans, flowers, cole crops, etc. Beans are being buried now and broccoli and cabbage into cells for fall planting.
I'll start taking tomato cuttings to plant out early July. Will drop a few of these Dwarf tomato seeds to produce late Sept to Oct. Now sitting in growing zone 6b. Not too long ago it was 5a. Tomatoes wil make fruit if set out by July 10. Many holes to fill between now and then. It's never too late to try.

Just read the last many entries and see why seeds came out a bit late. No complaints here. Another herculean effort on your part and to all who sent in seed.