PlanterTomato Vegetable Gardening

Buying An Economy Greenhouse

If you've are thinking about putting a greenhouse into your garden this year, this series of postings may be particularly interesting to you.  In this and in my next posting, I will describe buying, building and using an economy grade greenhouse.

If you are a first time buyer, shopping for a greenhouse is an eye opening experience.  When I stared searching, I had no preconceived ideas about the cost, and I quickly discovered that they are very expensive.  Even "economy" is expensive.

"Cha-Ching" Get Out Your Credit Card

An 8' x 10' Victorian-style glass greenhouse is $6,000.  These greenhouses are top-of-the-line in terms of construction, durability and looks.  But they are so far outside of what I had budgeted for this project, that I will only mention them as a way of providing you a sense of scale with regard to prices.

A good grade greenhouse of about the same size will be made of polycarbonate (clear plastic) panels, rather than glass, and the frame is often aluminum, rather than steel.  These can be purchased for $1,500-$2,000.  Much less expensive, but hardly cheap.

At the economy grade level, greenhouses are made with single ply polycarbonate and have light aluminum frames.  These can be purchased for under $1,000 from a variety of online sellers and from Costco.

After looking at thee various options, I gave serious consideration to building my own greenhouse.  But as I investigated further, I discovered a stumbling block.

Building A Greenhouse

If you are going to build your own, you will need to find a source for polycarbonate sheets.  Polygal is an excellent brand and they have a product line designed specifically for agricultural use.

Polygal sheets transmit a high degree of light, are UV protected so they resist cracking and discoloring in the sun, and they come in a range of thicknesses (6mm-16mm) which provide more or less insulation depending on the needs of your climate.

It's my personal philosophy that if you are going to go through the trouble of building your own, the best approach is to use highest grade materials you can because you are going to make a major investment in the project in the form of your own labor.  Great materials pay back this investment over time.

And here lies the problem... Polygal is not distributed at home centers like Lowes or Home Depot.  I could not find a local supplier, and my only other option was to buy it online and have it shipped to me.  The online supplier requires that orders be crated for shipment and the cost of the cost of this alone was several hundred dollars.  Ouch!

Buying A Kit

Given the high cost of shipping, I opted to buy a kit greenhouse.  I reasoned that this was the best option for me after weighing the following considerations:

The Positives

• All materials in one box.
• Less labor than "Do It Yourself."
  
• A low price relative to other options.
• Professional appearance - looks like a more expensive greenhouse.
  

The Negatives

• Lower quality materials in general.
• Single-ply polycarbonate found in economy kits provides minimal insulation.
  
• No option to customize design features.

I purchased my kit from Costco; the "Kensington" greenhouse kit set me back $600 after my $150 rebate.  The kit provides single ply polycarbonate panels (not better grade Polygal), aluminum frames, and all the hardware you need to build the greenhouse.  No special tools are required.

The Kensington Kit is not a regularly featured item at Costco; you order it from Costco's web site, and it is delivered to your door via UPS Ground Service. 

In my next posting, I will describe what it's like to build this kit.  I will also make specific recommendations to gardeners based on my experience using the greenhouse over the fall and winter months.

See you next post.

Easy Peasy-- Sugar Snap Peas for Early Season Harvests

If you have kids and want them to eat their vegetables, there's nothing better than sugar snap peas.  They are easy to grow, kid-pleasingly sweet, and probably the first thing you can harvest, other than radishes.

I planted my sugar snap peas the day after New Year and they are now over two feet tall. (I'm in Northern California - Zone 9)

While I like English, or shelling peas, I prefer to grow sugar snaps in my garden and leave the shelling peas to the vendors at our local farmers market. 

It's really just a matter of practicality for me.  Since I grow most of my vegetables in  containers in a greenhouse, space is always at a premium.  With sugar snap peas, you eat both the peas and the pods.  In consequence, you get a higher yield per square foot with sugar snap peas than with shelling peas. (Both produce about 2 lbs of pods per 10 foot row when planted according to instructions - but you eat all of the sugar snaps)

Many of my readers in cooler climates will be planting in the next few weeks.  Give some thought to adding sugar snap peas.  I think you'll like them.

Winston Churchill's Apricots

A few weeks ago, I planted a semi-dwarf Blenheim apricot tree in my garden.  Today, as I was beetling about outside, I noticed that the first few buds have opened and the delicate white and pink flowers are open.  This struck me as the right occasion to introduce you to the marvelous Blenheim.

This variety of apricot originates in England at Blenheim Palace, the birthplace of Winston Churchill. It was brought to the U.S. in the 1880's, and along with almost other varieties, grown almost exclusively in the State of California.

Since apricots in general, and the Blenheim in particular, are very delicate, they can't be easily transported.  Therefore, they were never widely available as a fresh fruit outside of the Golden State and most consumers have only tried them as dried fruit, if they could find them at all.

As I've mentioned before, most commercial growers are more concerned about getting products to the store looking good, then tasting good.  As a result, the Blenheim has fallen out of favor with growers and now accounts for only 2% of U.S. production according to the Apricot Producers of California trade association.

This is truly unfortunate because the Blenheim is a dilly of a fruit.  I've purchased them from our local farmers market for several years and a kind neighbor who owns a tree gives me a small supply as well.  Blenheim apricots ripen in early July and have a sweet, honey-like flavor that everyone in my house loves.

Anything that's good enough for Winston Churchill is good enough for me, but if you need more convincing evidence consider this.... Slow Food, an organization that recognizes and promotes excellence in food and cooking, lists the Blenheim in their "Arc of Taste," a hall of fame for great foods.

If you live outside of California, and you want to enjoy Blenheims, you're going to have to grow them for yourself.  Good news -- they grow in hardiness zones from 5 to 9, which means that most gardeners in the U.S. can join the party (The exceptions being folks that live in Maine, Montana, Wyoming, North and South Dakota, Minnesota, the northern part of Wisconsin and southern Florida)

The variety is available as a semi-dwarf tree. I have mine planted in a container and will root prune and transplant the tree as it grows.

I'll keep you posted.

How to Make Sauerkraut & Other Pickled Vegetables

In my last post, I described how I discovered fresh sauerkraut and why I decided to make my own.

Before I march off and explain how to make sauerkraut, I want to mention that the same lacto-fermentation process can be used to preserve tomatoes, beets, green beans, cucumbers, cabbage, peppers, onions and carrots.  If you buy a special crock (recommended) you'll be able to use it for a variety of vegetables that you harvest from your garden, not just cabbage.

For a background on the process and for a a variety of recipes, you should consider buying Making Sauerkraut and Other Pickled Vegetables at Home by Klaus Kaufmann.  The book costs under $10 at Amazon.com and the author has a reassuringly German name (A sauerkraut book from someone named Hernandez or Dubois just wouldn't seem authentic)

While you can make your sauerkraut in other containers a Harsch Fermentation Pot is built for the process and is very convenient.  It's a stoneware crock that has a deep groove running around the rim. (See pictures below)

You fill the groove with water after placing the lid on the crock.  The water acts as a barrier to prevent bacteria and other airborne nasties from getting into your veggies during fermentation.  If you've made beer or wine before, you may be familiar with a device called a fermentation lock.  The groove on the Harsch works just like the fermentation lock.

The Harsh pot comes in sizes ranging from 5.0 liters (1.25 gallons) to 50 liters (12 gallons).  I purchased the 7.5 liter size which easily accommodates 2 cabbages.  Unless you run a catering company that serves ravenous Huns, the 7.5 liter size is going to be plenty big.

To make sauerkraut:

• Create a salt solution by boiling water and adding 4 teaspoons of non-iodized salt for every quart of water.  Let this come to room temperature.
• Remove any dirty or wilted leaves from the cabbage.
• Weigh the cabbage.
• Cut cabbage into shreds and place in large mixing bowl.
• Add non-iodized salt at a rate of 1 teaspoon per pound of cabbage.  Mix.
• Place cabbage in Harsh pot.
• Press down on cabbage with a tamper or your fist to crush the cabbage slightly so that it begins to juice.
• Place weighting stones on the cabbage (These come with your Harsch pot and help keep the cabbage compressed during fermentation.
• Add room temperature salt solution.
• Cover Harsh pot and add water to the pot's groove.
• Leave the fermenting pot in your house at room temperature (68-72 degrees) for 2-3 days.
• Transfer Harsch Pot to a cool place (60-65 degrees) for another 4-6 weeks. ( Keep groove filled with water during this time)

I put my first batch up a few days ago, in a month or so, I'll let you know if my first attempt was a success.

Wagner Never Ate Sauerkraut From A Can

My wife returned home from trip to our local farmers market and she had a treat for me in the shopping bag.

"What is it?," I said.

"Fresh sauerkraut," she exclaimed. "It's made by lacto-fermenting cabbage and it's supposed to be very healthy for you.  The man selling it at the market told me that it aids digestion.  People lined up at his stall and paid $1 a shot just to drink the juice."

In all candor, my first reaction to this "treat" was not entirely positive.

First, I tend to be suspicious of faddish health foods, and lacto-fermentation certainly sounded like the kind of thing that should be placed in the "Way too California" file along with Birkenstock sandals, mung bean sprouts and wheat grass juice.

Second, my digestion is fine, thank you very much.

And finally, $1 a shot for sauerkraut juice seems outrageous when you consider that Absolut Vodka can be purchased from any liquor store for less.

Don't get me wrong, I don't dislike sauerkraut.  It's just that we don't cook German style foods very often.  So the only time sauerkraut finds its way into my mouth is when there's also a hot dog in the general vicinity.

My "treat" sat in the refrigerator for several days until guilt and fear of spoilage finally caused me to dip a fork into it.

Oh my goodness....  The clouds parted and sunlight filled the room. Wagner himself appeared in the flesh, sang an aria from Tannhauser and then lectured me on what a sham my whole sauerkraut-eating-life had been.  

In retrospect, I shouldn't have been surprised by how amazingly good fresh sauerkraut tastes.  In fact, it bears no resemblance to the sickly white shreds that are pasteurized into submission, bottled and then sold at the grocery store as sauerkraut. Blah!

A quick search of the Internet revealed that sauerkraut is made using just three simple ingredients: water, salt and cabbage. 

Well I have plenty of fresh cabbage in my garden -- more than I can use , so I began thinking about making sauerkraut as a way to both preserve my cabbage and extend its use.  And fresh sauerkraut is yummy enough to be a side dish for a variety of foods, not just a hot dog topping.

My internet search also revealed that the same lacto-fermentation process used to make sauerkraut, can be used to preserve carrots, beets, cucumbers, onions and other vegetables.  In fact, lacto-fermentation predates pickling as a way to preserve foods. 

Now that got me thinking.  Before I knew it, I was on my way to making my own sauerkraut. 

In my next post, I will describe how my wife and I made our first batch and how you can as well. 

Review of Burpee's Ultimate Seed Starting System

Your probably starting to think about buying things for your garden, so I thought I would let you know my experiences with the Burpee Ultimate Seed Starting system.  It's a system that is supposed to make it easy for you to start your seedlings indoors.

The system consists of the following components:

• A plastic tray that acts as a reservoir for water.
• A stand that sits inside the tray and holds the seed pots above the waterline.
• An absorbent mat that wicks water from the reservoir to the top of the stand.
• Plastic seed pots that accommodate 72 seedlings
• Peat moss pellets that will be the growing medium for your seeds.
• A clear plastic cover that will act like a greenhouse.

How the System Works

You place the stand in the reservoir and cover it with the absorbent mat.  One edge of the mat hangs over the edge of the stand and sits in the bottom of the reservoir.  The seed trays are placed on the mat, and a peat moss pellets is put in each pot.

When you pour water into the reservoir, it is wicked upward by the fibers in the mat and the mat ends up completely soaked.  The water wicks into the seed pots through holes in the bottom, causing the peat pellets to expand and they fill the entire pot with peat mixture.

You then plant your seeds in the peat moss and place the plastic cover over the top.  The mat continues to wick water to the seedlings and the only thing you need to do is to make sure the reservoir is filled with water. 

Technically, you can reuse the pots each year by just buying new peat pellets, but this turns out to be impractical for reasons I will explain below.

System Performance

The Burpee Ultimate Seed Growing syste did a great job germinating my seeds and it was easy to maintain.  If the story ended here, it would get 10 stars.

Unfortunately, you need to transplant your seedlings and here is where the trouble begins.

Getting the seedlings out of the little plastic pots is murderously difficult.  You need to push upward on the bottom of the pot.  This tends to damage the plastic, making reuse of the pots for a second season improbable. (see photo)

Additionally, the peat moss literally crumbles in your hands as you remove the seedlings, leaving the roots completely exposed in some cases.  These unfortunate seedlings are lost.

Conclusions

I'm going to give the Burpee system 7 of 10 stars; the system does a great job germinating your seedlings and it is convenient.  But you pay a price for this in lost seedlings and you will need to purchase a new system each year.

If you can live with that, you should give the system a try.

I hope Burpee can find a way to address the fragility of the pots and make it easier to remove the seedlings.  If they do, it's a grand slam home run product.

Martha's Mess Up?

Yesterday, my wife came into the house with the mail.  She was carrying the March 2010 issue of the magazine, Martha Stewart Living.

"There's an article in here about the best tasting tomatoes.  Have a look," she said as she pushed the magazine into my hands.

The article described a tomato tasting party hosed by Martha Stewart and attended by five other knowledgeable individuals including Barbara Damrosh, vegetable grower and co-owner of the Four Seasons Farm in Maine, and Michael Anthony, Executive Chef at the Gramercy Tavern in New York City.

The group tasted 30 tomato varieties and rated 13 as the best.

The magazine article included some beautiful photos of the tomatoes but was short on details of the voting.  For example, the full list of the 30 tomatoes sampled was not included, nor were the actual scores each tomato received.

The top 13 tomatoes were shown in a photo and included: Speckled Roman, Alberto Shatters, Big Rainbow, Reisetomate, Green Doctors, Black Cherry, Sapho, Green Zebra, Yellow Peach, Jaune Flamme, German's Italian American, Sara's Galapagos, and Casady's Folly.

What surprised me about the list, was the notable absence of the Brandywine, perhaps the most famous heirloom and the variety widely believed to be the best tasting tomato -- full stop.

I can think of only two explanations....

1. Either the Brandywine is not what's it's cracked up to be, and didn't make the top 13.
2. The Brandywine was not one of the 30 included in the tasting; a very odd omission that would be like rating the best auto companies in the world and not including BMW in the competition.

OK tomato lovers, what do you think?  Is the Brandywine overrated? 

What's your favorite tomato?

Feel free to post your comments on this blog.

In the mean time, I'll e-mail the Martha Stewart Living and see if I can find out more.

It Was Meant To Bee

It's unsettling to know that you're going to be stung.

But if you decide to keep bees, you have to be prepared to meet this inevitability with a stiff upper lip.

It's not that bees are particularly hostile, but when there are 40,000 of them in a hive, you have to expect to find at least one bee a season that's going to be hacked off about something.

As most sources on beekeeping point out, bees are really gentle and don't want to sting you.  It's just that accidents happen and you need to be prepared for them. 

So with that in mind, I placed an order a few days ago for two colonies.  They will be delivered in April, so there's no going back now.

If you are thinking about taking the plunge as well, here are some things to consider in favor of becoming a beekeeper:

1) For us gardeners, bees do the heavy lifting when it comes to pollinating apples, apricots, plums, raspberries and other fruits, berries and nuts.  Melons, squash, peppers, eggplants and cucumbers also need a pollinator to bear fruit.

And if you want to collect seeds for next year's garden, you'll need a pollinator as well for veggies like carrots, beets, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage and many others.

2) Having your own bees also means a plentiful supply of wild-flower honey.  I have a seven-year-old daughter and she puts honey on everything -- including hot dogs.  We go through a ton of honey each week, so having our own supply is like having money in the bank.

3) Finally, bees need a shoulder to lean on right now.  Honeybee populations in the U.S. have declined about 30% each year since 2006.  Scientist haven't determined the exact cause for the collapse, but hobbyist beekeepers may help keep honeybee populations going while the problem is diagnosed, and hopefully, a solution is found.

So if you're considering beekeeping, you may want to check back periodically.  I'll let you know any tips and tricks I learn along the way.

And, I'll also let you know when I meet a bee that didn't get her morning coffee and decided to take it out on me.

Winner Announced: Seed Catalogs, Weapons of Mass Distraction (Part V)

So here we are at the last and final posting in this series that evaluates five of the top seed catalog companies. In the prior posts, I evaluated in detail how each company performs on three criteria:

Evaluation Criteria:

• Varieties -The number of varieties offered and the presence of unusual varieties you can't get elsewhere
• Product Information - plant descriptions, planting and care instructions, presence of photos that help customers choose varieties from within the catalog, ease of shopping.
• Entertainment Value - engaging descriptions, beautiful photos that go beyond mere illustration, and catalog print quality.

 

Scoring Procedure:

Before presenting the final scores, I want to mention that I will provide you with both raw scores and weighted scores for these criteria. I hear you asking "What do you mean weighted score? What's with that?" 

I do not believe that each of the above criteria are of equal value to gardeners and have adjusted my final ratings of the catalogs to reflect this fact.   Specifically, I believe that the reason we go to catalogs is to buy products, so having a large selection of unique varieties is very important.  Therefore, I have assigned a weight of 60% of a total 100% to the Varieties criteria. 

The remaining weights are divided up with 25% assigned to Product Information, and 15% to Entertainment Value.

I would be the first to admit that this reflects my bias, so I'm attaching a spreadsheet that you can download if you want to play with the weightings to match your personal preferences. 

If you decide to play with the numbers, just remember that the weights need to add to 100%.

 

The 2010 Best Seed Catalog Winner

And whose the winner?  The Oscar goes to......Johnny's Selected Seeds.  Johnny's delivers consistently solid performance against all the criteria I use to evaluate a seed catalog company -- variety, product information and entertainment value.  Kudo's to Johnny's!

Detailed scoring follows this photo.

 

Below are the raw scores for each of the catalogs on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the highest score.

BC=Baker Creek, TS=Territorial Seed, B=Burpee, SOC=Seeds of Change, J=Johnny's

 

Below are the raw scores weighted as stated above.  The maximum total score is 10, with 10 being the highest score.

Conclusions

So Johnny's came out on top, narrowly edging out Baker Creek. 

Actually, the scores all fall into a fairly narrow range, indicating that each of the companies produces a good catalog, but they get there in different ways.

So what catalog is right for you?  Look below and see which statement best describes your gardening interests.

 

As I mentioned, I'm attaching a spreadsheet below that you can download if you would like to play with the ratings.

Download Seed Catalog Review PlanterTomato.com

If you have comments or suggestions about these reviews, please leave a comment below by clicking on the word "Comments" below this post.

Seed Catlogs (Part IV): Weapons of Mass Distraction

In the prior two posts, I covered the breadth of varieties offered and the product information offered by each of the seed catalog companies.  In this post, I'll address the entertainment value of the catalogs.  This is the most subjective of the three criteria I'm using to evaluate the catalogs, so I'll keep it brief.

I define entertainment value as the quality, presence and size of photos, the cleverness or allure of the written descriptions, and finally the print quality of the catalog.  Here's how I'm calling them on a scale of 1-10, with 10 being the best rating:

Baker Creek - 10

• Stunning photos and spreads. Giant photos. (The attached watermelon photo is typical of the catalog)
• Excellent print quality
• Larger sized catalog format (10" x 10")
• Chatty, engaging (though less informative) copy

Johnny's - 8

• Small, illustrative photos
• Excellent growing information, germination charts and comparison tables make for more than just good factual information.  Very engaging. 
• Good print quality

Burpee - 7

• Medium sized, illustrative photos
• Excellent print quality
• Factual descriptions

Territorial Seed - 7

• Small, illustrative photos
• Fair print quality
• Factual copy, but longer and more engaging

Seeds of Change - 7

• Small, illustrative photos
• Good print quality
• Factual product descriptions

In my next posting and last posting on the 2010 seed catalogs , I'm going to pull it all together (varieties, product information and entertainment value) and declare a 2010 Best Seed Catalog winner.

Drum roll please.....

Seed Catlogs (Part III): Weapons of Mass Distraction

Before we get into the meat of today's posting, I want to let readers know that there is a technical problem glitch that is preventing this blog from being properly displayed by feed aggregators such as Bloglines, Google Reader, iBlog etc.

I hope to have this problem fixed in about a week.  In the meantime, you can access the blog directly at http://www.PlanterTomato.com or by bookmaking the site in your web browser.

Catalog Review:

In part II of "Seed Catalogs: Weapons of Mass Distraction," I looked at the depth of varieties offered by the catalog companies and came to the conclusion that Baker Creek was the clear winner on that criteria. 

I also mentioned that listing that many varieties might have a downside.  And so it does...

In this segment of the review, I'll focus on how well the catalog companies provide product information.  To do the evaluation, I looked at:

• The information content of individual product descriptions.
• General planting and care information.
• Product photos that help you select varieties.
• Overall organization of the page.

Product Descriptions

To make an apples to apples comparison (or should I say, a tomato to tomato comparison) I evaluated the product description printed by each catalog company for the Cherokee Purple tomato.  I choose this tomato because it is one of the few that all 5 catalog companies sell.

The catalog descriptions are reprinted below, but I recommend that you first skip down to my evaluation (Best Product Description) and read this before reviewing the copy provided by each catalog company.

Seeds of Change

Cherokee Purple.  Heirloom.  8-10 oz. (80-90 days) Tennessee heirloom of Cherokee Indian origin.  Vigorous indeterminate plants produce large reddish green tomatoes with a purple cast.  Less productive than some, but worth growing for superior flavor.  Grows well in the South.  50 seeds $3.99

Territorial Seed

Cherokee Purple Organic (OP) 85 days.  Similar to red-fruited Cherokee, but much darker.  Vigorous indeterminate plants produce slightly flattened 13-14 ounce tomatoes with a purple cast.  Shoulders remain green when ripe.  Good, rich flavor, fairly stingy on yield. Also available as a plant.  See plant order form. Sampler $3.15

**At the front of the tomato section, there is information that a sampler is 1/8 grams.

Johnny's Select

Cherokee Purple: 72 days. [Symbol for Organic] New last year! Unusual variety with full flavor.  Medium-large, flattened globe fruits weigh 8-12 oz. Color is dusky pink with dark shoulders.  Multilocular interior ranges from purple to brown to green. Relatively short vines. Indeterminate. Mini $2.95*

*The first tomato listed in the catalog shows a "mini" as having 20 seeds.  This is not repeated on other tomato entries.

Burpee

Cherokee Purple Heirloom.  85 days. a colorful slicer with a smoky-sweet flavor, purplish skin, brick red flesh.  Flattened globes, 5" x 3 1/2" Wt. 13 oz.  Indeterminate.  Packet (50 seeds) $3.95

Baker Creek

Cherokee Purple. 80 days. An old Cherokee Indian heirloom, pre-1890 variety; beautiful deep, dusky purple-pink color, superb sweet flavor, and very large sized fruit.  Try this one for real old-time flavor.  My favorite dark tomato and one of our best selling varieties.  Pkt $2.25*

*At the front of the tomato section, a packet is specified as 25 seeds.

Best Product Description

In my opinion, Seeds of Change has the best product description.  The specify the size of the fruit and the fact that it's indeterminate. They describe the flavor as being special but also note that the variety has a low yield. (honesty, how refreshing!) 

They also mention that it might be of interest to growers in one particular region of the country.  They tell you exactly how many seeds you get for the price and they throw in a little bit of historical information about the origins of the variety.  The bottom line is a very clear description of the benefits and drawbacks of the variety as well and a clear description of the price.

Second place is shared by Johnny's Select and Territorial Seed.

Territorial Seed's description is very good, and they too are forthcoming about the low yield of the Cherokee Purple. They also let you know the variety is open pollinated if you didn't know that already. 

My one criticism is that Territorial Seed's pricing information is not particularly transparent. How many seeds do you get for your hard-earned $3.15?  The "Sampler" size is 1/8 gram but this is not printed with the actual product description. You need to hunt around to find that information at the front of the catalog's tomato section.  And exactly how many seeds is 1/8 grams?  I have no idea. Do you?

Johnny's provides excellent product information but doesn't mention anything about the low-yield.  I think that this is important information and should be provided. 

To their credit, Johnny's uses a system of icons to quickly communicate various attributes like "Organic," "Heat Tolerant," "Cold Tolerant," etc.  This is a great idea and I wish the other seed companies would do the same (The key to these icons is printed at the bottom of each catalog page.  See below photo) 

Johnny's also prints tables in the catalog that compares varieties and supplement the product description.  It would have been nice if they addressed yields in the table.  If so, they would have won in this category.

Burpee provides solid product information, but just no mention of the low yield.   

Finally, Baker Creek provides the least specific information.  It's mostly "sell copy."

Illustrative Photos

I think its important that a photo accompany the description.  We eat with our mouths, but we also eat with our eyes;  tomatoes come in red, purple, yellow, orange, green, pink, white, stripped and black.  They are round, pear-shaped, and oblong.  A good photo helps one make a purchase decision.

Burpee, Territorial Seed, and Seeds of Change all provide photos for every variety listed in the catalog.  Thanks guys!

Johnny's and Baker Creek provide photos for many, but not all, of their product offerings.  I would guess the percentage to be about 60-70% for both catalogs.

Planting & Care Information

Let's get right to the chase.  Best in class goes to Johnny's. 

At the beginning of each vegetable section, Johnny's provides extensive "Growing Information" covering planting instructions, germination times, harvest and storage information and pests.  This information is nice to have ready-at-hand and means the Johnny's catalog is more likely to be kept a resource when others are tossed into the trash bin (see below illustration with "Growing Information Side Bar)

Organization

On this criteria, all the catalogs are about the same, even though they present information differently.  I personally prefer the way Territorial Seed presents photos directly adjacent to the product description.

In other catalogs, you need to hunt around the page to find the photo of the item you are reading about.  If you shop by looking at the photos first, then you need to hunt around for the description.  Having all the photos together has it's advantages, but in the end, I think this is really an issue of preference and not a clear "better or worse". 

Conclusions

Below is a table that shows how I've scored the catalogs on a 1-10 scale, with 10 the highest rating.

 
 

For product information, the blue ribbon goes to Seeds of Change.  But Territorial Seed is just a whisker behind on this criteria.

Baker Creek, which scored so well in the last post that evaluated varieties, was at the bottom of the list on product information -- the double edged sword of having so many things to sell.

Next posting, I will evaluate the Entertainment Value of the various catalogs.  And in a final posting, I will declare an overall winner.

Stay tuned.

Links to catalog companies:

Baker Creek    Burpee    Johnny's Selected Seeds    Seeds of Change    Territorial Seed Co.

Seed Catalogs (Part II): Weapons of Mass Distraction

 

In part one of “Seed Catalogs: Weapons of Mass Distraction,” I waxed poetically on the pleasures of the January seed catalog mailings.  In this second part, I get down to some of the heavy lifting of comparing the top seed catalogs.

My plan is to rate the catalogs using three primary criteria:

• Variety – the number of vegetable varieties offered in the catalog & presence of unusual varieties one can’t get elsewhere. (Veggies only -- Fruit and flowers will not be considered in these reviews)
• Product Information – plant description, planting and care information, presence of photos that help customers select varieties from within the catalog.  I will also address how easy it is to locate and compare varieties within the catalog.
• Entertainment value – interesting catalog copy, beautiful photos that go beyond illustration, catalog print quality etc.

 In this posting, I will focus on varieties.   I will cover the other criteria in subsequent postings and then declare an overall winner in my final posting on the subject.

For those interested in methodology, I have added a section to the bottom of this posting.

Just the Facts Ma’am – Types of Vegetables Offered

Below is a table that shows the number of varieties offered in each of the 5 major seed catalogs that I’m reviewing.  A few things leap out of the data:

• The major catalogs offer a very broad range of products and almost every catalog has at least one variety to sell in each vegetable type. 
• In terms of sheer numbers, Baker Creek tops the list with close to 900 varieties.  Surprisingly, the company doesn’t list a single variety of chard.  (They do sell several varieties online, but nothing listed in the print catalog.) I find this a surprising omission given that the company lists over 90 varieties of melon in the catalog.
• While none of these companies are specialty providers, there are differences in emphasis.  If you want to buy lettuces and green’s, you’ll find the widest selection at Johnny’s, Territorial Seed lists 30 varieties of Garlic, and Baker Creek will sell you 17 varieties of cow pea, 47 different types of eggplant, and over 200 varieties of tomatoes.

BC-Baker Creek, TS-Territorial seed, B-Burpee, SOC-Seeds of Change, J-Johnny's Selected

	Varieties by Veg. Type
	BC	TS	B	SOC	J
Artichoke	3	3	1	1	2
Aparagus	2	5	2	4	3
Bean (Bush/Pole)	50	37	34	24	22
Beets	14	9	7	8	10
Broccoli	5	9	4	5	10
Broccoli Raab	0	2	1	1	2
Brussels Sprouts	2	3	1	2	2
Cabage	12	8	3	5	12
Chinese Cabbage/Bok Choi	7	7	3	3	8
Carrots	17	13	13	8	18
Cardoon	2	1	0	0	1
Cauliflower	5	6	3	3	9
Cowpea	17	1	1	0	2
Celery	4	3	1	3	3
Collards	2	2	1	1	3
Corn Salad/Mache	2	1	1	0	2
Corn	13	25	17	13	26
Cucumber	34	26	21	11	21
Eggplant	47	6	6	6	18
Fennel	1	1	0	4	5
Garlic	0	30	4	12	4
Horseradish	0	1	1	0	1
Kale	4	9	2	5	7
Kohlrabi	2	3	2	1	5
Lettuces & Greens	74	71	19	75	101
Melons	90	22	25	25	38
Okra	15	2	3	5	1
Onions, Leeks etc.	17	43	8	25	40
Parsnips	3	3	1	1	3
Peas/Snap Peas	12	12	12	7	12
Peppers (Hot & Sweet)	61	35	42	26	45
Potatoe/Sweet Potato	0	13	15	15	12
Radish	27	8	12	10	15
Spinch	7	9	9	5	8
Peanut	0	0	1	0	0
Rhubarb	2	3	2	1	1
Rutabaga	4	1	1	2	2
Salsify/Sorzonera	2	0	0	0	2
Swiss Chard	0	5	4	6	7
Summer Squash	25	20	21	8	24
Turnip	9	2	1	3	3
Winter Squash/Pumpkin	74	35	22	18	57
Tomatoes	206	77	53	39	62
Grand Total	873	572	380	391	629

 Uniqueness of Varieties Offered

The good news here for gardeners, is that the seed catalog companies offer us a really wide range of varieties to choose from.  And the level of duplication between the catalog companies is less than I would have expected.

Tomatoes are most popular vegetable with backyard gardeners.  Not surprisingly, there are 437 entries for tomatoes in the catalogs evaluated in this review.  Of those 437, only 89 represent duplicate product offerings --  just 20%.

A list of the tomato varieties offered by each catalog companies is shown below with duplicates highlighted in yellow.

Please note: The conclusions and methodology sections follow this very long table.

 

Variety	Catalog
Al-Kuffa	Baker Creek
Amana Orange	Baker Creek
Amana Orange	Seeds of Change
Amerikanskiy Sladkiy	Baker Creek
Amish Paste	Baker Creek
Amish Paste	Seeds of Change
Anna Russian	Baker Creek
Annas Noire	Territorial Seed
Annelise	Seeds of Change
Apero	Johnny's Select
Applegate	Territorial Seed
Arbason	Johnny's Select
Arkansas Traveler	Baker Creek
Arkansas Traveler	Seeds of Change
Aunt Ruby's German Cherry	Baker Creek
Aunt Ruby's German Green	Baker Creek
Azoychka	Baker Creek
Bambino	Territorial Seed
Barnes Mountain Pink	Baker Creek
Barnes Mountiain Yellow	Baker Creek
Beaufort	Johnny's Select
Beauty King	Baker Creek
Beaverlodge Plum	Territorial Seed
Beaverlodge Slicer	Territorial Seed
Beduin	Baker Creek
Beefstake	Baker Creek
Beefstake/Chancha	Seeds of Change
Belize Pink Heart	Baker Creek
Bellstar	Johnny's Select
Better Boy	Burpee
Beuty Queen	Baker Creek
BHN-189	Johnny's Select
BHN-444	Johnny's Select
BHN-624	Johnny's Select
BHN-826	Johnny's Select
Big Beef	Burpee
Big Beef	Johnny's Select
Big Beef	Territorial Seed
Big Boy	Burpee
Big Mama Hybrid	Burpee
Big Month	Baker Creek
Big Pink	Burpee
Big Rainbow	Baker Creek
Big Rainbow	Burpee
Big White Pink Stripes	Baker Creek
Big Yellow Zebra	Baker Creek
Bitonto	Territorial Seed
Black	Territorial Seed
Black Cherry	Baker Creek
Black Cherry	Johnny's Select
Black from Tula	Baker Creek
Black Giant	Baker Creek
Black Krim	Baker Creek
Black Krim Heirloom	Burpee
Black Oxheart	Baker Creek
Black Pearl Hybrid	Burpee
Black Plum	Seeds of Change
Black Prince	Baker Creek
Black Prince	Johnny's Select
Black Prince	Territorial Seed
Blosser Pink Beefstake	Baker Creek
Br. Wyche's Yellow	Baker Creek
Brandy Boy Hybrid	Burpee
Brandywine	Baker Creek
Brandywine	Johnny's Select
Brandywine	Seeds of Change
Brandywine	Territorial Seed
Brandywine Heirloom	Burpee
Brave General	Baker Creek
Bread & Salt	Baker Creek
Break O'Day	Baker Creek
Buckbee's New Fifty Day	Baker Creek
Burbank	Seeds of Change
Burbank	Territorial Seed
Burpee Long Keeper	Baker Creek
Burpee's Burger Hybrid	Burpee
Burpee's Long Keeper	Burpee
Burpee's SuperSteak Hybrid	Burpee
Bush Big Boy	Burpee
Bush Early Girl	Burpee
BushSteak Hybrid	Burpee
Cabernet	Territorial Seed
Carbon	Baker Creek
Caspian Pink	Baker Creek
Celebrity	Johnny's Select
Celebrity	Territorial Seed
Chadwick	Seeds of Change
Chadwick	Baker Creek
Cherokee Green	Johnny's Select
Cherokee Purple	Baker Creek
Cherokee Purple	Johnny's Select
Cherokee Purple	Seeds of Change
Cherokee Purple	Territorial Seed
Cherokee Purple Hybrid	Burpee
Cherries Jubilee	Burpee
Cherry Roma	Burpee
Chianti Rose	Territorial Seed
Chile Verde	Baker Creek
Chiquita	Johnny's Select
Chocolate Cherry	Territorial Seed
Cobra	Johnny's Select
Cobra	Territorial Seed
Copia	Baker Creek
Corazon	Seeds of Change
Cordova	Territorial Seed
Cosmonaut Colkov	Baker Creek
Costaluto Genovese	Seeds of Change
Costoluto Genovese	Territorial Seed
Country Taste	Territorial Seed
Cour Di Bue	Baker Creek
Cream Sausage	Baker Creek
Crnkovic Yugoslavian	Baker Creek
Csikos Botermo	Baker Creek
Cuore Di Bue	Territorial Seed
Dafel	Johnny's Select
Delicious	Baker Creek
Delicious	Territorial Seed
Depp's Pink Firefly	Baker Creek
Double Rich	Seeds of Change
Dr Walter	Baker Creek
Dr. Carolyn	Baker Creek
Duggin White	Baker Creek
Dutchman (The)	Baker Creek
Early Cherry	Territorial Seed
Early Girl	Burpee
Early Girl	Territorial Seed
Egg Tomato	Baker Creek
Egg Yolk	Baker Creek
Emerald Evergreen	Baker Creek
Enalada Hybrid	Burpee
English Princess	Territorial Seed
Estiva	Johnny's Select
Fantastic	Territorial Seed
Favorita	Johnny's Select
Ferris Wheel	Baker Creek
Fireworks	Baker Creek
Floradade	Baker Creek
Folden King of Siberia	Baker Creek
Fourth of July	Burpee
Fox	Seeds of Change
Fox Cherry	Baker Creek
Fraziers Gem	Territorial Seed
Fresh Salsa	Burpee
Furry Yellow Hog	Baker Creek
Gajo Ce Melon	Baker Creek
Garden Pearch	Seeds of Change
German Johnson	Baker Creek
German Lunch Box	Baker Creek
German Queen	Seeds of Change
Geronimo	Johnny's Select
Gill's All Purpose	Territorial Seed
Ginat Pink Belgium Heirloom	Burpee
Glacier	Territorial Seed
Goden Mama Hybrid	Burpee
Gold Medal	Baker Creek
Gold Medal	Territorial Seed
Gold Nugget	Johnny's Select
Gold Nugget	Territorial Seed
Golden Honey Bunch	Territorial Seed
Golden Jubilee	Baker Creek
Golden Moanarch	Baker Creek
Golden Rave	Johnny's Select
Golden San Marzano	Territorial Seed
Golden Sunray	Baker Creek
Golden Sweet	Johnny's Select
Goldman's Italian-American	Baker Creek
Grace Lahman's Pink	Baker Creek
Grandfather Ashlock	Baker Creek
Granny Cantrell German Red	Baker Creek
Great White	Baker Creek
Great White	Johnny's Select
Green Grape	Baker Creek
Green Mondovan	Baker Creek
Green Sausage	Baker Creek
Green Zebra	Baker Creek
Green Zebra	Johnny's Select
Green Zebra	Seeds of Change
Green Zebra	Territorial Seed
Gypsy	Baker Creek
Hazelfield Farm	Baker Creek
Heatwave II	Burpee
Heinz	Territorial Seed
Henderson's Crimson Cushion	Baker Creek
Henderson's Pink Pondermosa	Baker Creek
Henderson's Windall	Baker Creek
Hillbilly	Baker Creek
Homestead	Baker Creek
HoneyBunch	Burpee
Huge Lemon Oxheart	Baker Creek
Illini Gold	Baker Creek
Illini Star	Baker Creek
Illinois Beauty	Baker Creek
Ingegnoli Gigante Liscio	Baker Creek
Isis Candy	Territorial Seed
Isis Candy Cherry	Baker Creek
Ivory Egg	Baker Creek
Japances Plum	Baker Creek
Japanese Black Triefele	Baker Creek
Japanese Black Trifele	Johnny's Select
Japanese Trifele Black	Territorial Seed
Jersey Giant	Baker Creek
Joen Thienemann's Australian Heart	Baker Creek
Jolly Elf	Territorial Seed
JTO-99197	Johnny's Select
Jujube Cherry	Baker Creek
Juliet	Johnny's Select
Kellogg's Breakfast	Territorial Seed
Kentucky Beefstake	Baker Creek
Koralik	Baker Creek
Koralik	Territorial Seed
Legend	Seeds of Change
Legend	Territorial Seed
Lime Green Salad	Baker Creek
Little Mama Hybrid	Burpee
Lollipop	Baker Creek
Magilla Rosa	Seeds of Change
Malakhitovaya Shkatulka	Baker Creek
Manitoba	Territorial Seed
Marglobe Supreme	Baker Creek
Mariana	Johnny's Select
Marmande	Baker Creek
Martian Giant	Seeds of Change
Marvel Striped	Seeds of Change
Mary Robinson's German BiColor	Baker Creek
Maxifort	Johnny's Select
Millionaire	Baker Creek
Mini Orange	Baker Creek
Missouri Pink Love Apple	Baker Creek
Momotaro	Territorial Seed
Moneymaker	Baker Creek
Moneymaker	Seeds of Change
Monika	Seeds of Change
Monomakh's Hat	Baker Creek
Moonglow	Baker Creek
Morado	Baker Creek
Morning Sun	Baker Creek
Mortgage Lifter	Baker Creek
Mortgage Lifter	Territorial Seed
Mortgage Lifter Heirloom	Burpee
Moskvich	Johnny's Select
Mountain Princess	Baker Creek
Mule Team	Baker Creek
Napa Grape Hybrid	Burpee
Nature's Riddle	Baker Creek
Nepal	Johnny's Select
New Girl	Johnny's Select
Nineveh Tomato	Baker Creek
Northern Delight	Territorial Seed
Northern Exposure	Burpee
Nova	Territorial Seed
Nyagous	Baker Creek
Old German	Territorial Seed
Old Italian	Baker Creek
Old Virginia	Baker Creek
Olivade	Johnny's Select
Omar's Lebanese	Baker Creek
Orange Banana	Baker Creek
Orange Blossom	Johnny's Select
Orange Fleshed Purple Smudge	Baker Creek
Orange Oxheart	Territorial Seed
Orange Paruche	Territorial Seed
Orange Wellington	Burpee
Oregon Cherry	Territorial Seed
Oregon Spring	Johnny's Select
Oregon Spring	Territorial Seed
Oregon Spring Bush	Seeds of Change
Ozark Pink	Baker Creek
Pantano Romanesco	Baker Creek
Paragon	Johnny's Select
Patio Princess Hybrid	Burpee
Paul Robeson	Baker Creek
Paul Robeson	Seeds of Change
Peacevine	Seeds of Change
Pearly Pink	Baker Creek
Pearson	Baker Creek
Peron Sprayless	Seeds of Change
Persimmon	Seeds of Change
Persimmon	Territorial Seed
Pierce's Pride	Baker Creek
Pike County Yellow	Baker Creek
Pineapple	Baker Creek
Pineapple	Territorial Seed
Pink Accordian	Baker Creek
Pink Beauty	Johnny's Select
Pink Bertoua	Baker Creek
Pink German Tree Tomato	Baker Creek
Pink Greapfruit	Baker Creek
Pink Honey	Baker Creek
Pink Oxheart	Baker Creek
Placero	Baker Creek
Plum Lemon	Baker Creek
Plum Tigris	Baker Creek
Polbig	Johnny's Select
Poma Amoris Minora Lutea	Baker Creek
Poterhouse Hybrid	Burpee
President Garfield	Baker Creek
Principe Borchese	Territorial Seed
Principe Borghese	Baker Creek
Pritchard	Baker Creek
Prize of Trials	Seeds of Change
Prudens Purple	Baker Creek
Pruden's Purple	Johnny's Select
Purple Calabash	Baker Creek
Purple Russian	Baker Creek
Quali T	Territorial Seed
Red Calabash	Seeds of Change
Red Currant	Territorial Seed
Red Fig	Baker Creek
Red Grape	Johnny's Select
Red Lightning Hybrid	Burpee
Red October Hybrid	Burpee
Red Pear	Seeds of Change
Red Pear Piriform	Johnny's Select
Red Zebra	Baker Creek
Rei Dos Temporoes	Baker Creek
Reinhard's Goldkirsche	Baker Creek
Reisetomate	Baker Creek
Rev. Morrow's Long Keeper	Baker Creek
Risentruabe	Baker Creek
Roma	Baker Creek
Roma Rio Grande	Baker Creek
Roma VF	Burpee
Roman Candle	Baker Creek
Rose	Baker Creek
Rose	Johnny's Select
Rose De Berne	Baker Creek
Rouge D'Irak Tomato	Baker Creek
Royal Chico	Baker Creek
Royal Hillbilly	Baker Creek
Rutgers	Baker Creek
Rutgers (Jersey) Heirloom	Burpee
Rutgers CS Space	Territorial Seed
San Marzano	Johnny's Select
San Marznao Gigante 3	Territorial Seed
Sapho	Johnny's Select
Sara Black	Baker Creek
Seattle Best of All	Baker Creek
Seeet Hearts	Territorial Seed
Silvery Fir Tree	Territorial Seed
Sioux	Baker Creek
Smarty	Johnny's Select
Snowberry	Baker Creek
Solid Gold	Johnny's Select
Southern Night	Baker Creek
Spear's Tennessee Green	Baker Creek
St. Pierre	Baker Creek
Steak Sandwich	Burpee
Striped Cavern	Baker Creek
Striped German	Johnny's Select
Striped Roman	Baker Creek
Striped Roman	Territorial Seed
Stupice	Baker Creek
Stupice	Seeds of Change
Stupice	Territorial Seed
Sub-Arctic Plenty	Baker Creek
Sugar Snack Hybrid	Burpee
Sun Cherry	Johnny's Select
Sun Gold	Johnny's Select
Sun Gold	Territorial Seed
Sun Gold Hybrid	Burpee
Sungold Select II	Baker Creek
Super Choice	Baker Creek
Super Marzano	Territorial Seed
Super Sweet 100 Hybrid	Burpee
Super Tasty	Burpee
Sweet Baby Girl Hybrid	Burpee
Sweet Jojo	Johnny's Select
Sweet Million	Territorial Seed
Sweet Olive	Johnny's Select
Sweet Pea	Territorial Seed
Sweet Seedless	Burpee
Sweet Tangarine	Burpee
Sweet Treats	Territorial Seed
Sweethart of the Patio	Burpee
Sweetie Pie	Territorial Seed
Tangerine Mama Hybrid	Burpee
Tansparent	Baker Creek
Tappy's Heritage	Baker Creek
Tasmaniam Blushing Yellow	Baker Creek
Tatar of Mnogolstan	Baker Creek
Taxi	Johnny's Select
Taxi	Territorial Seed
TC Jones	Baker Creek
Tess's Land Race Currant	Baker Creek
Thai Pink	Seeds of Change
Thai Pink Eggs	Baker Creek
Thai Red Turtle Eggs	Baker Creek
Thessaloniki	Baker Creek
Thessaloniki	Seeds of Change
Tiffen Mennonite	Territorial Seed
Tigerella	Baker Creek
Tigerella	Seeds of Change
Tiletz	Territorial Seed
Tlacolula Pink	Baker Creek
Tomande Hybrid	Burpee
Tomatoberry	Territorial Seed
Tomatoberry Garden	Johnny's Select
Tonadose Des Conores	Baker Creek
Topac	Baker Creek
True Black Brandywine	Baker Creek
Trust	Johnny's Select
Tumbler Hybrid	Burpee
Turkish Striped Monastery	Baker Creek
Tye-Dye Hybrid	Burpee
Unlce Mark Bagvy	Baker Creek
Valencia	Johnny's Select
Valiant	Baker Creek
Valley Girl	Johnny's Select
Veriegated	Territorial Seed
Vinson Watts	Baker Creek
Violet Jasper	Baker Creek
Viva Italia	Territorial Seed
Viva Italia Hybrid	Burpee
Vorlon	Baker Creek
Wapsipinicon Peach	Baker Creek
Washhington Cherry	Johnny's Select
Weeping Charley	Baker Creek
White Cherry	Johnny's Select
White Currant	Territorial Seed
White Tomesol	Baker Creek
White Wax	Baker Creek
Williams Striped	Baker Creek
Wisconsin 55	Seeds of Change
Woodle Orange	Baker Creek
Yellow Brandywine	Baker Creek
Yellow Mini	Johnny's Select
Yellow Mortgage Lifter	Baker Creek
Yellow Pear	Baker Creek
Yellow Pear	Johnny's Select
Yellow Pear	Seeds of Change
Yellow Pear	Territorial Seed
Yellow Pear Heirloom	Burpee
Yellow Perfection	Seeds of Change
Yellow Riesentraube	Baker Creek
Zapotec Pleated	Seeds of Change
Zebra Cherry	Territorial Seed

 

Winner in the Varieties Category

In terms of uniqueness, there is no clear winner as each of the seed companies is selling highly differentiated products.  But for sheer numbers of varieties, Baker Creek wins hands down with 873 veggies for gardeners to consider and purchase.

However, there are disadvantages to listing so many varieties.  I will cover this when I consider the “product information” and “entertainment value” criteria in my next two posts.  The final verdict on the best catalog company will be made when all 3 criteria are evaluated.  This remains for a future post.

Methodology

Why these five catalogs?  The number of catalogs available to the vegetable gardener is huge.  It’s beyond the scope of any one person to review then all.  I choose five of the leading catalogs by using  Internet traffic to the seed catalog web site as a measure of If this review is proves popular with my readers, I may add additional catalogs in the 2011 catalog review.

The information used for this review was taken from the printed catalogs.  Some of the seed companies offer additional varieties online. However, for the purpose of this review, I have not included online versions.

I have done so for a very specific reason.   I believe most gardeners use the catalog to make purchase decisions, even if they place the order online.  If a variety is not listed in the paper catalog, it’s much more likely to be outside of peoples decision set.  (Until I did this analysis, I had no idea Baker Creek sold chard because it’s only available online.)

I also believe paper catalog offers unique advantages over online browsing which is particularly relevant to gardeners who like to test new varieties each year; specifically, the opportunity to easily compare varieties within a catalog and across the multiple catalogs.  This is far more difficult online as it would require shoppers to open multiple windows in their web browser.  Again, I think this makes the paper catalog a better place to browse and I have limited my review accordingly.  I recognize that reasonable people may disagree with this approach.

Finally, a note about accuracy…. I did my best to accurately count varieties, but I probably missed some, or perhaps double counted.  If you find an error, please let me know.  However, the purpose of this review is to get a broad picture of what each seed catalog is providing.  I don’t believe it really matters if Burpee is selling 11 varieties of carrots instead of the 13 that I’ve reported here.  The point is, they are not selling 2 varieties, nor are the selling 100. 

Seed Catalogs: Weapons of Mass Distraction, Part 1

I love this time of year.  The seed catalogs are rolling in.  They're the first things I grab when I reach inside the mailbox.

It's easy to burn time paging through these catalogs, weighing all the seed choices, balancing one variety against another, and plotting ways to add "just one more" heirloom to the garden plan.  The seeds that are always the most tempting to me, are those that grow veggies that can't be found for love or money in a grocery store, or even at a farmers market.  The kind of seeds that grow exotic vegetables that make friends and family sick with envy. 

In other words, those seeds that yield produce of unusual shape or color, provide distinctive flavors, or originate from a far off and exotic land. 

I'm going to take a closer look at this year's catalogs and let you know what catches my eye.  Hopefully, this will help inform your own selections for the 2010 growing season.  Or perhaps lead you astray into buying "just one more" variety.

And while we are on the subject of ordering seeds, I want to encourage you not to dilly-dally too long this year.  According to the Associated Press, a wet summer and higher demand in Europe is going to cause a shortage of vegetable seeds this year.  If you snooze, you're going to lose. 

If you have a favorite online seed catalog company, let me know and maybe I'll add it to the list of catalogs to review.

Preserved Lemons: Easy, Tasty & Cheap

My wife Sharon is a foodie.  She reads lots of cookbooks, watches Food TV Network, and uses cooking jargon like -- chiffonade, remoulade, and tisane -- stuff that's way over my head.

Sharon’s also the part of the marriage that pushes the edge of the culinary envelope. When she saw food writer Nigella Lawson make preserved lemons in an episode of her TV cooking show, the chase was on to make some of our own.

Preserved lemons have a mellow flavor and their saltiness adds a whole new dimension to the taste of citrus. They are generally used as a flavoring ingredient in many Moroccan dishes, especially, lamb and couscous.  I like them enough to occasionally fish one out of the jar and eat it on its own.

The lemons we used come straight from our back yard where we have a very productive tree.  Preserving the lemons is a great way to extend the season and, let’s face it, there only so much lemonade you can drink.

Did I mention that you only need lemon, kosher salt and olive oil to make these?  Yup, really easy to make.  If you buy preserved lemons at a food specialty store, you can expect to pay $13 per pound, so it’s better to DIY for a fraction of the price.

Here’s the recipe for preserved lemons care of Epicurious.com if you want to give it a shot.  Bon appetit. 

How to Make Your Own Lemon Liqueur

 

I first tried “Limoncello” (pronounced: lee-mo-n-chello) when my wife and I were traveling in Italy.  It’s a lemon-flavored after dinner drink that is served ice cold.  People say Limoncello aids digestion, but digestion aside, it is really yummy.

Almost any restaurant in Italy serves Limoncello, but sadly, it is not well known outside of Italy. I suspect that Italians have been shy about publicizing Limoncello for purely selfish reasons.  Let’s face it, Italian know a good thing when they taste it, and they’re probably keeping quiet to ensure a larger supply for themselves.

While you can buy Limoncello in some specialty liquor stores, it’s not widely distributed.  Fortunately you can easily make Limoncello at home. If you have a lemon tree in your backyard like I do, you’re already half way to making your own Limoncello.  If not, it’s easy to find lemons and the rest of the ingredients.

My wife, Sharon, found a recipe for Limoncello in Karen Solomon’s book Jam It, Pickle It, Cure It and I credit Sharon with doing all the work to make our home supply.

Below are the ingredients and instructions to make your own lemon hooch:

Ingredients & Equipment:

• 1 wide mouthed jar with lid
• 8 Lemons (use your own or organic lemons.  You will be infusing the lemons in alcohol and don’t’ want to use lemons that might have pesticides on the peel)
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup water
• 1 1/2 cups good grade vodka

Instructions:

• Peel the zest from 4 of the lemons with a zester or veggie peeler.
• Pour the vodka in the jar and add the zest.
• Seal the jar and let sit for 2 weeks, shaking daily.
• Remove and discard the zest.
• Make a simple syrup by combing water and sugar in a pan and heating till all the sugar is dissolved.
• Let this mixture cool to room temperature and then squeeze the juice of the remaining 4 lemons and into to the syrup.
• Add the syrup mixture to the infused vodka and allow to mellow for 6 weeks.
• Store in your freezer and serve well chilled.

I the next few posts, I will cover other simple delicious things you can make with lemons. I also have added 4 new dwarf citrus trees to my container garden and will post you on their progress as we get into summer. 

Till next post... Salute. Cheers. Zum Wohl. A Votre Sante. L'Chaim. Yung Sing. Kampai. Chin Chin.

From Russia with Love

Siberia conjures up images of cold and isolation.  It's not a positive image.  People go to Siberia, but they don't come back.  Think Gulag.

This year, I've been growing a variety of heirloom Kale called Siberian Dwarf.  I have this planted in containers and growing in my greenhouse. 

When writing this post, I hoped to find detailed information about this particularly variety, that I coud share with you.  But when I searched, I turned up a blank.  Yes, I learned that kale originated in Asia Minor (Turkey), but I couldn't find anything specific about the intriguingly named Siberian kale.

The Wikipedia mentions that the Romans ate kale and called it "Sabellian", so it seemed plausible that "Siberian" is just a derivative of the old Roman word. 

To check this, I sent an e-mail to Red Russian Kale, a seed company in the United Kingdom, that specializes in in kale.   Chris Molyneux of Red Russian Kale was kind enough to reply.  According to Chris, the variety was brought to the U.S. Pacific Northwest by Russian immigrants --perhaps from Siberia, perhaps not.

Origins aside, Siberian kale is true to its name -- it grows very well even in the coldest climates.  I've been harvesting it from my greenhouse all winter.  The plants are a bit leggy right now, but that's to be expected given how little sun light there is at this time of year.

As you know from previous posts, I really like kale; it's delicious, easy to grow, resists pests like aphids and is very nutritious.  It was also a favorite of Thomas Jefferson, who enthusiastically grew kale in his garden at Monticello.  Jefferson liked kale for all the reasons mentioned above.

Well, anything good enough for comrade Jefferson, is good enough for me.  Kale from Russia with love.

Sugarloaf With No Lift Tickets

Mention the word Sugarloaf to most people and they think of a ski resort in Maine.  But there's another Sugar Loaf that also deserves to be known for its goodness in winter.

The latter Sugar Loaf, is a member of the chicory family and looks similar to romaine lettuce.  I have some growing in a pot in my greenhouse.  As you can see from the attached photo, it's doing very well, even in February.  If you are thinking about winter gardening, this is another heirloom vegetable to add to your list.

Despite its name, Sugar Loaf isn't sweet.  It's actually on the bitter side, more in taste like arugula than lettuce.  Sugar Loaf is one of a group of 3 leaf chicories, the other two being Belgian endive and radicchio.

For your information, there's yet another form of chicory, the roots of which are roasted and made into a coffee-like beverage.  According to the Wikipedia, "In the United States, chicory root has long been used as a substitute coffee in prisons."  (Apparently, being locked up isn't punishment enough.  They take away your coffee as well) 

I'll take a pass on the root chicory, but I give the leaf chicories a thumbs-up as salad greens.

Savoy for the "Hoi Polloi"

I  don't know how I got it into my head that Savoy cabbage is more aristocratic than other varieties.  Maybe the name just reminds me of the Savoy Hotel in London that has a reputation for elegance and sophistication.

Well regal or not, the Savoy cabbage is very tasty and a nice heirloom vegetable to have in your garden.  The leaves are soft and Savoy doesn't have that sulfur-like flavor of other varieties of cabbage. 

You can certainly cook with Savoy, but it's also tender enough to eat raw in a salad.  We tried the Savoy Cabbage & Arugula Salad recipe featured at Epicurious.com and liked it.  It is very easy to make if you want to give it a try.

I planted cabbage in a raised bed last fall and left the cabbage in the ground to over-winter.  When we need cabbage, we just harvest the outer leaves.  

New Tomato Outlasts the Twinkie

I suppose everyone knows the urban legend that Twinkies have a shelf-life that spans years, or even decades.  Well according to Snopes.com, a web site that investigates such things, the Twinkies' shelf life is actually 25 days. 

Now here's the really scary news.... Scientists in India have developed a tomato with a reported shelf life of 45 days.  The new tomato accomplishes this feat by "suppressing enzymes that promote ripening."

Call me crazy, but I like tomatoes that are well schooled in the art of ripening and tasting good.  In my opinion, supermarket tomatoes generally taste worse than the packages in which they are shipped; this new tomato is a giant leap backward for anyone that likes to eat.

Vote with your wallet -- shop at a farmers market, grow your own vegetables in containers, join the Slow Food movement, do anything but buy tomatoes that last for 45 days.

AutoPots Reviewed. Hydroponic Container Gardening for Small and Not Small Gardens

Last year, I began experimenting with a hydroponics system for growing vegetables and I've been very happy with the results.  This review covers key features and benefits of the AutoPot system.  AutoPots will work for both indoor and outdoor gardening in pots.  If you have an interest in growing vegetables in containers, this may be the product for you.

How It Works

The heart of the AutoPot system is the  3" x 4" plastic "Smart Valve" which regulates the amount of water and nutrients supplied to your plants.  The Smart Valve sits in a saucer and the pot containing the plant is placed in the same saucer.  Water and nutrients stored in a reservoir (large plastic tank) flow to the Smart Valve via plastic tubing and the Smart Valve feeds water into the saucer.  Water and nutrients are then pulled into the pots via capillary action where the roots of your plants can absorb them. 

What's cool about the Smart Valve is that it uses a unique air pressure system to control the amount of water/nutrient mixture dispensed into the saucer.  As the plant uses this mixture, the level in the saucer drops, causing the air pressure within the valve to change.  The Smart Valve responds to the change in pressure by releasing more water/nutrient into the saucer until an equilibrium is met and then the flow stops.  The Smart Valve keeps the water level constant and responds to the unique needs of each plant; Watermelon and squash that demand lots of water get more water, and lettuces that need less get less.  Yeh, very clever! (see below videos)

 

 

Advantages Over Other Hydroponics Systems

• Ease of Use -- All you need to do is to keep the reservoir filled with water and nutrients.  The Smart Valve fills the saucer based on the plants needs.  If you typically have a problem with over or under watering, this product will suit you well.
• Simple To Maintain -- Oh, so elegantly simple!  Other hydroponics systems are designed to recirculate water and nutrients to the roots of your plants.  As the plant uses nutrient, the concentration of nutrients in the water changes.  So recirculating systems need to have nutrient levels monitored and adjusted.  With AutoPots, there is no recirculation.  Once you mix the nutrients into the water you don't need to think twice about it.
• No Complicated Set Up -- You don't need pumps to run the system.  Just raise AutoPots about a foot above the ground and gravity pulls water to the Smart Valve.  That means you can put your Smart Pots anywhere because you are not dependent on being near an electrical outlet.

Last year, I successfully grew tomatoes, watermelon, winter and summer squash, salad greens, pepper and other vegetables.  I was also able to grow beets in AutoPots, but I think root vegetables like beets and carrots grow better in traditional soil beds. 

For enhancements to this system, see my posting:  Improvements to Auto Pot Hydroponic systems.

Eatin' Weeds

You’d pay big bucks for Miner’s Lettuce (see photo) if you could even find it in a store like Whole Foods or similar upscale grocery.  Eating “wild foods” is trendy right now and folks are shelling out $9 per pound for things like dandelion greens.

Well Miner’s Lettuce (Claytonia Perfolita) tastes a whole lot better than dandelion greens and the good news is that it’s very easy to grow in pots and is winter hardy.  And yes, it is a weed;  It’s a low growing one that originates in the Pacific Northwest and Southwest Canada.  The leaves are round or heart shaped.  Apparently, the plant is named "Miner’s Lettuce" because during the gold rush miners ate it to ward off scurvy.  (Or perhaps, having a nice salad was a pleasant change from a lifestyle of drunken hooliganism and gold-panning.)

Anyway, you can buy Miner’s Lettuce seeds at Territorial Seed Company.   Plant the seeds in containers at a depth of ¼” and they will germinate in 2-15 days.  The leaves are very succulent and taste like bib lettuce to me.  Miner’s Lettuce is said to be high in vitamin C, but I can’t find a source to confirm this or provide other nutritional information.

For fun, please respond to this post by letting me know if you would consider trying Miner's Lettuce, or not, and your reasons.