Garden Tips

[sabertooth]

Im getting my garden together and plan to have the best growing season ever. My primary crops would be fresh greens, culinary and medicinal herbs, tomatoes, roots like ginger, and turmeric....and would be willing to experiment with others?

My main question is regarding how to find the best strains of the best variety of heirloom seeds....Ive looked around the web and there are just too many to chose from...and it seems to be hit or miss when it comes to the quality...some of the heirlooms Ive bought in the past were wonderful, while others didn't seem so good...

Is there a go to site that is known for being the best?

[eveheart]

The good news with heirloom crops is that you can save the seeds from the great ones, so it's worth it to try seeds that "sound" interesting. Keep a garden diary! Each page of my diary is a diagram of each bed or row and what I plant and harvest each month. An underappreciated benefit is the beauty of leafy plants that are flowering and going to seed.

So much depends on your soil and climate that there is no way to really know what will be best until you try it. I'd start with seed-sharing with my neighbors and buy a few seeds that look interesting. Don't forget to investigate favorites from other cultures - lots of folks from the "old country" bring seeds for their favorites.

Online, I've bought from https://www.reneesgarden.com/ for decades, partly because their seeds are good, and partly because they are a bunch of women. I used to swap on http://www.gardenweb.com/, but I don't think it's worth the effort to offer, search, pack,  and mail.

My main focus has always been to extend the season. In southern California, I was able to garden year round. For the winter crops, I'd buy seeds that grew well in Alaska. In the SF area, I take 2 - 3 months off for winter.

[dariorpl]

All great tips eve

I've been thinking of doing this also in the future, once I get some suitable land.

I've been thinking that it would be a good idea to compile a list of all the foods you could grow given a particular climate, soil, space and available amount of water, for each season of the year, so that you always have fresh foods and herbs from the garden, and follow the natural cycle of the seasons to decide which to consume at which times and in which quantities.

Another thing you may consider is visiting organic farmers' markets and trying out their products, then when you find something you like that might be suitable for your garden, ask to purchase seeds from them. Or oftentimes you can get the seeds from the product itself, if it's a fruit for example.

Although many fruits are not grown directly from seed, but that's something else to ponder about, and maybe we shouldn't be consuming those types of fruits in vast amounts, since they would be very rare if not nonexistant in the wild and are so different from their wild counterparts?

[ys]

I only planted fruit trees.  There are too many rabbits, they destroy all green.  Chipmunks dig out seeds as well.  Just too much trouble with all these animals so I stick with trees.

[sabertooth]

Our local coop has a seed swap date in march, so I will try there, and now that Im more established at the homestead I will be saving and cataloging my favorites in the future.

Ive also had issues with vermin eating up my greens...but I have a green house and just built a massive bed that Im going to net off...as well as set traps. With a good size garden and a big order of Jojoba beef coming in April. Im hoping this year to become around 95 percent food independent. There would be a few luxury items I would still purchase from the store like the occasonal fish or coconut... but for the most part I will be living off the food grid

[RogueFarmer]

Fedco is the best, out of Maine they offer as far as I know the most economical and superior heirloom products, few hybrids and NOTHING from Monsanto. Seedsavers has the most variety, it's insane it's like 100 bucks to join the club or something and the catalog is probably bigger than the bible.

[Eric]

High Mowing Organic Seeds is also a great source. They have a lot of different varieties. I might be biased though; I know the owner and a few of the employees.

[dariorpl]

Are you breeding your own sheep/goats now also, sabertooth?