Seed Shopping Guide

If you're like me, once the holiday rush is over, I find myself dreaming about my spring garden and perusing seed catalogs.

I always over plan....which basically means I buy way too many seeds. And now that I am in a different climate and experiencing a new soil, and much more land to grow on, I am having a very difficult time keeping my plans simple. What worked before in the deep south and the "portal to Hades zone", won't necessarily work the same way in our new zone 6b area. Starting all over again does have its benefits though. I get to try new things!

My favorite seed company is Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds. I have always had success with whatever I have ordered from them. The only time my plants failed was due to ignorance or neglect on my part. I trust their selection and integrity. You can request a free copy of their catalog on the website.

My husband is the tree man. In fact, we joke that he spends more time and attention on his trees than he does his family! We have ordered from various companies in the past, but last year he found a company called Trees of Antiquity. They offer heirloom varieties of fruit trees and berries. My husband even called in and chatted with them and the employees are very helpful and knowledgeable.

In truth, if you want to get a jump on ordering seeds, now is the best time! I have waited in the past to order closer to spring time and many of the seeds I wanted were out of stock for the season. Start working on your wish list and buy your seeds before the end of the month is my advice!

Also, when shopping for seeds, you can get overwhelmed by varieties. A trick I learned is to look at what the reviewers have to say for each individual seed you are interested in. Check to see if it was a success or failure for them. And also notice where they are from. If they rave about a particular type and they are in your zone or area, it would be a good idea to follow their selection choice for yourself!

So all of this planning comes down to where in the world I'm going to plant it all. Here's a picture of a future raised bed. Quite a mess, right?!!! We were trying to work with a couple of raised beds the previous owner had in place, but it has been more trouble trying to redesign it than I ever expected. More on that later....

Caring for Citrus Trees and Other Potted Plants

Here in the deep south, we have the luxury of growing citrus trees.  Occasionally, we do have a cold snap and have to worry with bringing the trees in, or covering them to keep them safe from frost and freeze, but most winters come and go without any extra cause for concern.  

As a precaution, I have raised my citrus trees in large pots.

If you grow any of your fruit trees or vegetables in pots, you may already know that the soil you plant them in will lose its nutrients quickly.  Maybe a few months, maybe a year, but with watering and and drainage holes, your important assets to feeding your plant is going to wash out of the bottom of your container.

That's why it is very important to keep up a feeding schedule for these plants.

I feed my citrus three times a year with a mixture called Citrus Tone.  I buy mine from my local nursery, but I think you can find it at Home Depot and Amazon as well.  It contains organic ingredients and makes it easy to add the proper mix of fertilizer to your trees.

I feed them once in late January when I first see blooms, and then I feed them again once I start seeing fruit (usually late spring), and then I feed them again in the late fall when the fruit is ripe or I've already harvested.  About a tablespoon sprinkled around the base of the plant seems to do the trick.

You will also know if it's time to feed them by yellowing of the leaves.  If you have a few leaves that are yellowish, you might need to give your tree an added boost of nutrients. 

Also, it's a good idea to cover the base of your tree with hay, straw, or some kind of mulch as potted plants dry out easily.

As your citrus tree matures and bears fruit, you will need to purchase or build a trellis to help bear the weight of the fruit.  My husband built this one out of a couple of 5ft stakes.  Shove the trellis into the soil as close to the edge of the inside of the pot as possible, so as not to hurt the root of the tree. You will then need to tie (with garden tape or twine) your heavy bearing  branches to the arms of the trellis.  Otherwise, the fruit will cause the branches of your young tree to break.

Right now is a great time to feed those citrus trees!

Film Reviews on Gardening & Farming

If you have a passion for gardening, you have to see Back to Eden.  Our family first watch this film last summer, and have seen it twice more since then.  It's a bit long, but well worth the watch.  Back to Eden is a man's journey to raising crops by mimicking the natural cycle of plant life the way God created.  He found himself working entirely too hard in his vegetable garden and decided that surely there was an easier, more natural way to grow healthy plants.  The Lord showed him how plant life in its natural state is preserved, fed, kept moist, and disease free.  It really is a must see, and you can watch it free here.

Fresh is fantastic.  My children enjoyed this movie and learned so much.  Fresh shows a realistic parallel between factory raised meat animals, and free range farm raised animals.  The treatment of these animals from the time they are born until the time they are butchered and processed is vastly different.  There are many good reasons why we grow our own vegetables and find a reputable farm to buy our meat and milk from.  This movie will prove that fact to you.  Fresh is available for instant viewing on Netflix

Honestly, Farmageddon will make you angry.  It did me, anyway.  This movie documents the events of various farmers who experienced a "government intervention".  The powers that be, literally came in, for no true reason, and destroyed these families' livelihoods.  In one story, the family home was invaded by officials with their weapons drawn, another had their livestock taken away and destroyed for a disease that didn't exist, and another family had all of their milk confiscated and dumped out.  They are all true stories and all heartbreaking.  How the rulers of our "free" country are allowed to destroy the small farmer, without cause, is tragic.  Farmageddon is also available for instant viewing on Netflix.

Homemade Hot Caps

Here in the Gulf Coast region, we can  grow many things year round.  One of the few blessings to living in zone 9.  

However, every once in awhile, we get a cold snap.  This year, winter has been a bit unusual.  Wet, dreary, and cold.  The week I planted some of my cool weather crops, the weather was mild and sunny, and the weather forecast called for more of the same.  I should have known better.  

A few days in the 30's and 40's, and a couple of freezing nights later...

I don't have the space for a greenhouse, and filling my indoors up with multitudes of starter pots full of seedlings isn't really ideal for our living situation.  So, my compromise for keeping my seedlings safe from frost and cold weather is hot caps.

Hot caps keep the wind and frost off of your plant, keep it insulated, still allowing the plant access to the sun and fresh air.  Plus, it's a great way to reuse those water jugs!

Simply cut off the bottom of a plastic water jug, and place it over your plant.  Remember to leave the cap off the top so your plant will have ventilation.  Some of my hot caps I use to protect young seedlings, others I use to start my seeds in, like a mini-greenhouse.

Hoping to see more cabbages and greens in my garden soon!  

Reputable Seed Companies

Where to find open-pollinated, non-GMO, non-hybrid, heirloom quality, organic seeds?  Whew, that's a mouthful.

If you're thinking about spring planting, or if you start your seeds indoors, now is a good time to purchase your seeds.  Many seed companies will begin to run out of their stock in January and February, don't wait until the spring to order, you need to get a jump on your planning now.

My two favorite companies are Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds and Sustainable Seed Company.  Of all of the seeds I've purchased over the years, I have always had good germination/growth from the seeds of these two companies.  They have a very broad collection of heirloom seeds!

I purchased seed potatoes from Wood Prairie Farm this year.  I won't plant until next month, but I'm anxious to see how they do down here.  I emailed the company asking which potatoes would grow best in this area of the south, and received a prompt, helpful reply.

Also, here is a list of safe seed companies that I ran across from another blog.

One more goal for this year is to build a greenhouse in order to start my seeds.  It won't be of much use this spring, but perhaps the fall, and for sure next spring.

Building a (cheap) Garden Trellis

Last year, my husband went in search of a trellis.  If you've never priced them, trellises (and small ones at that) are very expensive.  At least, for our budget they are.  So, my hubby went in search of the most economical way to get a good sized trellis out of a little cash.

He decided on a 6' A-frame style.

Supplies needed:

a roll of plastic 40" x 25' garden fence

8 - 6' long 1x4s (cedar fence pickets)

nails

a staple gun

3 hinges

We started off by stapling the garden fencing to two separate pickets.  Each 1x4 has the garden fencing run the length of the 6 feet.  These two pieces will be the right and left sides of the trellis.  Since the fencing isn't wide enough, the plastic fence pieces will overlap each other in the middle on the finished trellis.

I suggest stapling the fencing down to your picket before you cut off the final length.  Sometimes it can shift and move and you may come up short if you pre-cut it.

After you have both pieces stapled down, you lay a single picket from one finished piece to another across the top and bottom of the trellis creating your frame.  Even up your corners and edges, and then secure the cross boards with three nails at all four corners.  You should have a square frame.

You'll have to flip the frame over and secure, with a staple gun, the loose plastic fencing to the top and bottom boards that you just nailed together to complete your frame.  Trim off any excess plastic hanging over the edges.

You'll need to make two of these frames.  When you have both frames completed, you can tie them together at the top. OR it's best to place three hinges, one on each end and one in the middle, across the top, joining the two frames together, so you can open and close it to your desired width.

Perfect for beans, peas, cucumbers, or any other climbing plants!

 Approximate cost for a 6' x 6' A-frame trellis:  $20

This is my second attempt at a tutorial, let me know if you have any questions!

Putting The Chickens To Work

So far, we haven't had any luck with eggs.  The chickens have been here for more than two weeks and still no production.

As I said earlier this week, they're beginning to look tasty...

But since I'm a generous soul and willing to give them one more chance, I decided they needed to be put to work providing some use to the homestead.

My daughter and I created a make-shift chicken coop/run out of my bean and cucumber trellises.

I have an area I would like garden in the spring, but I can't seem to get all of the weeds out and I have had such a miserable time with bugs.  So, we placed a couple of hens in the run and let them do all the work of weeding and bug control.  They added a little of their own special fertilizer and were kind enough to till up the soil to mix it all in.  

The only difficult part is catching two or three chickens to move to this area and then catching them again to put them back in their pen for the night.  Easier said than done...

A few more days in this spot for the hens and then I will move the run to another section I would like worked on.  I'm hoping I will have a nice patch of fertile soil for spring planting!  

And yes, that is a cat rear-end up top there.  Nice.

Dried Beans Straight from the Vine

If you're like me, your space is very limited.  

When it comes to the season's end, and I am busy canning, drying, and freezing, my kitchen looks like a disheveled farmer's market.  I dry many of my herbs in unused spaces, but seeds need more room to spread out, and need ample time to thoroughly dry before storing.

Thanks to my excellent father-in-law, who taught me to allow my beans dry on the vine, my counter tops are a bit more clear.

That's a lie, I just find something else to fill them up with.  

This is what my black beans look like when they are in the early ripening stage.

These are fully ripe and even a bit past their picking prime.  If you wanted to have black beans to eat right from the pod, you would want to pick them just before they turn this dark purple

These are my black beans totally dry.  They look like a dead, brown, dried up pod.

Perfect.

At this point, I harvest the pods and easily pop them open straight down the center.

Beautiful, dried black beans, ready to store.  I do lay them out overnight, just to make sure there is no moisture on them from handling, and then seal them in an air-tight container or mason jar.

"He that gathereth in summer is a wise son: but he that sleepeth in harvest is a son that causeth shame."  Proverbs 10:5

Fall Gardening

I have come to a decision.

I love fall gardening.

I suppose a fall garden is mostly successful here in the deep south, but by far, it's easier to maintain than my summer garden.

I have not had the pest problem like I did earlier this season.  I did lose a couple of squash plants to a borer, discovered some squishable caterpillars, something gnawed my itty bitty spinach plants down to the roots, and the cats continue to believe that any garden bed is their personal litter box.   I planted three tomato plants in the same area as I did this summer, but apparently the fall sun doesn't produce much light in that spot.  Not like it does in the summertime.  The plants aren't doing as well as I'd like.

Perhaps the most amazing discovery is all of the pollinators that have been visiting the garden.  For the last three or so years, the bee population has been scarce around here.  I have had to hand pollinate many of my plants, and that can always be tricky.  Since everything is blooming right now, the garden is covered in pollinating insects!  I'm not sure where they came from or why they suddenly showed up, but bring 'em on.

The mystery squash.  I'm thinking it's acorn squash as opposed to butternut?  So, that means the squash growing in the row next to it is the butternut.  I guess it doesn't matter, they're both good!

Black pole beans.  The trellis is covered in bean pods!

I want to dry them for storage, so these beans will stay on the vine until dried out.  

The cutest pumpkin I've ever seen.

It's called a baby boo pumpkin.  I planted these purely for my enjoyment.

That's pretty much all I have to say about that...

  

Green beans are doing great!  As you know, I have struggled with these all summer.  I think we picked five bean pods for the whole season.  I have no idea what is different, I planted these in the same spot that I did this summer, they are getting the same sunlight, and it's not like we've had a ton of rain.  The only thing I can figure is that I have prayed and prayed for this garden.

My girls picking green beans.  I am so grateful my children get excited over these simple blessings and pleasures.  To see your hard work and perseverance produce a bounty is a true measure of happiness.

Peas.  Not much to say, except they continue to grow.  I'm so nervous something bad is going to happen to them.  I planted a row of kale next to these rows of peas, but the cats were no help with their endless digging on this spot.  Surely there is some way to cultivate a symbiotic relationship between my squirrel killers and my garden beds.

 

Another Fall Garden Update

I suppose the cool, fall weather we received this weekend, invigorated the garden.  I know it invigorated me! 

The beginning of our fall garden has already brought some hope and discouragement.

But mostly hope.

We put in a new bed, full of good compost, mulch, straw, and garden soil, planted a row of cabbage, a row of brussel sprouts, and another row of cabbage.  This lone cabbage plant is the only seed that sprouted.  So.....this weekend I planted again.  I may be a glutton for punishment.

I have two very nice rows of squash.  They are coming up beautifully, but I can't tell you if this is butternut squash or acorn squash as two adorable little 19 month old garden nymphs playfully extracted several garden markers from my beds.  They're lucky they're cute...

Green beans and black beans are off to a great start, however, I have found several worms or caterpillars of some sort chewing on the leaves.  I never see them during the day, but find them every morning curled up inside a leaf, trying to cocoon, I suppose.  They're easy to squish that way, but the damage has always already been done.  I just hope they don't affect the beans!

A little row of garden peas.  I have never grown peas before, except this spring.  Dumb idea.  We live in Houston, so peas in a spring garden are a no go.  Darn this heat and humidity.  We shall see if the fall temps encourage a nice growth and harvest!

I planted more cucumbers and so far, so good.  I haven't seen any beetles or creepy crawlies this time.  Also, the leaves appear healthy and no disease.  We have eaten through a few jars of pickles already, and I need to replenish my supply for the winter months.  Plus, I want to try my hand at curing the pickles in my crock this time!

A pumpkin plant, this one isn't for eating, but for show.  My intent was to grow my own fall decorations this year, instead of buying them.

The satsumas are beginning to turn from green to orange!  I am so ready for the citrus harvest this year!

A couple of weeks ago I planted lettuce in this raised bed.  It did great in the winter/spring, so I am shooting for another great growing season.  However, I didn't factor in the cats.  They saw it as their own personal litter box.  Dumb cats.  Nothing sprouted.  After I cleaned it all out and replanted, I placed this bit of fencing over the top in order to discourage unwanted digging.  It's only been a couple of days, but the cats have left it alone.

What's going on in your fall garden?

Fall Garden 2012

(freshly planted fall garden)

My summer garden was not as successful as I would have liked.  We had an abundance of cucumbers, and I believe I would have harvested quite a load from my tomatoes if it hadn't been for all of the bugs and squirrels running rampant through my plants.

Oh yes, and I have a surplus supply of dried lemongrass.  If you remember, I had a difficult time locating lemongrass plants, then my husband and mother found some, I now have six plants and we will be drinking lemongrass tea all winter long.  Be careful what you wish for.

(Cantaloupe)

This will be my first try at fall gardening.  Usually I just try to maintain a long harvest, thanks to our gulf side residence, but since our summer garden didn't produce all we needed, I'm giving things another go.

(Fruit Trees)

Our fruit trees have been waiting for a new potted home all summer.  The local nursery had a sale on all citrus trees a couple of months ago, and we really stocked up!  I'm thinking 14 is enough.....?  My lemons produce a nice addition to our harvest, so why not have more citrus than a human can consume?  Sounds like I'll be juicing and storing soon...

(main garden area)

The lettuce I planted in January did very well, so I've planted some more.  We also planted spinach, brussel sprouts, cabbage, squash, peas, and tomatoes in this area.  My cats have now adapted to their new life outside, so they had better earn their keep and rid my garden of the nuisance squirrels.

(Herbs and Green Beans)

Trying again for beans.  Black beans on the trellis and bush beans on the ground.  So far, they are coming up nicely.  If only I can keep them free and clear of BUGS.  I have already been through a caterpillar massacre with enough green goo to fill a bucket.  Gross. 

(More green beans)

(pecans)

We are in our second year of pecan production.  The trees are still young, so not many nuts are available, but it's a joy to see them finally beginning to bear!

(watermelons)

Fingers crossed we'll have a beautiful fall garden.  My only concern is that the plants will get adequate sunlight.  Our temps stay pretty warm even through November, but in the fall, my yard gets an ample amount of shade.  I'll keep you posted!