WRONG PHONE NUMBER LISTED IN FIRST BLOG POST!!

IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN PLANTS PLEASE CALL 507-625-5493

As I looked out my window  at the ever increasing snow accumulation and dropping temperatures I can only hope the cold frame holds.  So far the temp. is 36.  As long as it stays above freezing and the plastic holds we are OK.

Today was a day of transplanting tomatoes to even bigger pots.  After running out of paper pots during the transplant process the eve was spent  folding more of them and will finish the transplanting tomorrow.

On a brighter side let's look at some tomatoes.

Brandywine tomatoes are one of my favorites.  They are an heirloom which means I can save seed from year to year.  Unlike hybrids they will continue to reproduce from seed saved from last year.  I really love the flavor as it is the old fashioned tangy tomato taste I grew up with.  The taste is a good balance of acid and sweet. These tomatoes are large (up to 1 1/2 pounds of meaty tomato goodness) and so are the plants. This tomato is an indeterminate (does not stop growing in height until is dies off) so be prepared to stake them.  I have had them grow over 6' tall.  The leaves look more like potato leaves and are large than other tomato varieties and prevent sun scald.
FYI  Many nurseries are advertising grafted Brandywine tomatoes.  They sell for $12.99 each.  I got curious and did some research and have three successful (alive) grafted plants.  The purpose for grafting is to provide disease resistance to these great heirlooms.  The process requires a hybrid with disease resistance. Hybrids are not genetically modified.  Hybrids are a result of natural selection - continuing to selectively breed (through protected pollination) only those plants that naturally provide the results desired.  the hybrid is used as a root stock and the heirloom is grafted to the top thereby passing the disease resistance to the heirloom.  I will see how the grafted compare to the non-grafted Brandywine.  If there seems to be an improvement in quantity and quality of the tomatoes I will make them available next year.
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The Tomato Pole Beefsteak is another large meaty tomato often reaching 2 pounds.  It is a hybrid and has disease resistance.  Good old fashioned flavor.  Like the Brandywine this is also an indeterminate and will need staking or support of some kind.

Early girl is great if you want that first tomato in your neighborhood feeling. Provides great tasting tomatoes all summer.The plants are strong  and have large leaves so will help prevent sun scald.  this one is a Great Container plant.

One of the best tasting sauce tomatoes.  So if you like salsa or just good old fashioned spaghetti sauce with robust flavor this is one to consider.  The fruits vary from 3"-5" long and grow in clusters.This is a heavy producing tomato and need staking/supporting.  The tomatoes hold well on the vine so not much waste with fruits fall off before you get them picked. I really like this one.

I've got 2 kinds of cherry tomatoes.  Both are indeterminate so require support and will produce all summer. Taste seems to be much the same and both are hybrids so disease resistance is present

Rutgers is a great canning and freezing tomato.  They have a small seed cavity and make a thick rich past, or a tasty salsa.  this one is a determinate and Does Not Require Staking!!  Fruits are 7-8oz. and similar in size.  As a determinate the plants stop producing and growing, at about the same time, which makes them easy to work with when canning.

Crimson Cushion is another indeterminate (requires support).  A large tasty slicer great for burgers or salads.   Fruits can reach 2 lbs in weight.  It is an heirloom so does not have natural disease resistance.

Roma is another sauce tomato similar to the Olpalka.  It is a determinate so will stop growing and producing on it's won about August.  It Does Not Require Support!!  Great for sauce and salsa.  Thick, meaty and has few seeds.

Super Beefsteak is another large tomato often reaching 2lbs in size.  Solid meaty and heavy producer.  This one is a hybrid and has disease resistance built in.  Does require support.

Last but not least another of my favorites the Cherokee Purple.  Another heirloom so seed can be saved from year to year.  It is believed the seed comes from the Cherokee Nation.  Another indeterminate  so stake this one.  The fruit is flattened and weighs 10-12oz.  The flesh and skin is soft and easily damaged but what a sweet tasty treat.

If you are a salsa lover don't forget the tomatillo.  Looks like a little like a small green tomatoes but grows inside a paper like husk.  Fruits are 2-3".  Only a few of these available so let me know if your interested.

Wow finally done with the tomatoes.  After talking about making salsa. I'm thinking about doing the herbs next.  Maybe that's the most logical next post.  Until then.  Char

Pepper pruning

The plants keep growing and the sun refuses to shine.  Yesterday was the first day in 11 days that the sun was visible for more than just a few minutes.  Put the tomatoes out for about 3 hours so they can start hardening off.  Unfortunately if I can only do that once in every 11 days it doesn't work very well.

Yesterday was also pepper pruning and transplanting day.  Pruning peppers provides a stronger bushier plant with higher yields.  Even after the blossoming tops are clipped off the plants are still 4"-5" tall with thick stems and glossy  leaves. They too want sun.  Even keeping the lights on for 12-16 hours it just doesn't equal sunshine.
 Here are some pics of the types of peppers available.

Both yellow and orange bell peppers are available.  Great fresh and can be frozen for  those long winter days.

These lovely mini belle peppers are delicious and can be used fresh or frozen.  This past year I tried drying some.  Using them requires some patience as they have to be re-hydrated or they are tough.  I found them to be great for soups and other cooked dishes.










Other varieties are mild Jalepeno and Sweet banana.  None of the green belle peppers sprouted sorry can't provide those.

Transplanted the bigger tomatoes again.  They just keep growing but are getting weaker without sunlight.  Saturday is supposed to be sunny so will wait and see.

Until next time.  Char

UCC GARDEN PROJECT

After looking over the first post it appears a description of what we are about is needed.  The idea came from discussion on meeting the annual goals of our church.  One of which is greening and sustaining our church and community.  A combined group from trustees, facilities, missions and general membership met to discuss the feasibility of expanding our local mission experience by creating a garden with produce from it going to CADA.
In the early meetings we discussed the need to maintain the existing prairie behind the church and the difficulty with poor soil elsewhere on church grounds.  Other than the prairie area, construction rubble is below grade in available ground.  Going above ground will be costly the first year or two and self sustaining from there on. The decision to move forward was brought to church council and specific planning began.  At present the garden committee six members that are moving the project forward.
As I visit with people about our garden project I realize this has sparked interest in some who have never gardened in the past, many who have but stopped for some reason, and of course those who are current growers.  As a result I will attempt to address all areas including uses of herbs and veggies.  Hmmmm  all this from one who struggles with a computer!  Well let's see what happens.
I became a master gardener back in the late '70s.  Due to a number of life events I have not been able to provide the community support that is a part of the master gardener program.  However, I have continued to learn and grow throughout the years and am now able to give back to community through this project..

Let's start with some early gardening planting.  In recent years the soil had warmed enough to plant onions, peas, and potatoes.  For those who have never gardened before, onions, peas, and potatoes along with some others can be planted as soon as soil has warmed somewhat and moisture level is reduced.
Yesterday I did a quick bit on peas and plan to feature available varieties of plants as we move forward.

Hopefully. the weather will mellow soon so we can begin the outside work on constructing the actual garden space.

Till next time  Char

OK OK  ENOUGH ALREADY WINTER

Remember those cabbages in the make shift cold frame?  Last Monday was a fast and furious remake after a forecast filled with snow and cold soooooooooooooo

this is the end result!!
I've watched this since Tues hoping everything inside is alive and well.  There is a single 60w bulb that I control by plugging and unplugging a cord outside.  YUP outside in the snow and yuck.
One of the problems is there is so much condensation I can't see the thermometer in side so it's been a guessing game for plugging in and unplugging the cord.  Four days without ventilation is a long time so tomorrow I will attempt to make a couple of openings that I hope to control with Velcro.  Will let you know what things look like inside once I can see them.  If I can I'll take a pic and add it to tomorrows blog.

I've mentioned the volunteers that have been making the paper pots for transplanting the seedlings. Here is a pic of three of them.  There are more!!  Looks like a little of coffee hour is on the plate but Larissa is holding a finished pot in here hand.  the lovely lady in the middle is Donna and on the right is Jane.  Thanks again to these three and all who have assisted.

Transplanting has slowed down as the space for more flats doesn't exist.  We continue to make the paper pots so everything will be done when you get them.
I have developed an Adoption Certificate for those choosing to receive plants from our project.
DO MAKE YOU DESIRE FOR PLANT KNOW AS THE NUMBERS OF AVAILABLE PLANTS IS DECREASING!!!

Yesterday's blog entry had info on crops for early outdoor planting.  The plan is to provide info on types of veggie characteristics and general info for new gardeners and old hands.
Let me know if this is something you want.
Till next time  Char

So far mother nature hasn't been cooperating so I haven't planted anything out in the garden yet.  For those that are new to gardening some of the early planting includes onions, peas and potatoes.  Below is one of several types of peas.  I usually plant both the kind you shell for the peas only and the ones that you can eat pod and all.

I like heirlooms as I can save seed from my plants from year to year.  It is also easy to find organic heirloom seed if you choose to purchase rather than save your own   An unfortunate negative with heirloom seed is poor disease resistance.   

Hybrid seed is also available. Hybrids are naturally selected plants that have been chosen for specific characteristics such as taste, resistance to disease, strength of stems to resist breaking in winds etc.  Plants with the desired characteristics are cross bred until a strain is produced that meets the desired results.  Unfortunately seeds from these plants are often sterile and viable seed will not usually produce the same result as that of the hybrid seed.  

Produce from either type of seed is equally nutritious.  The nutrition of  produce is often due to soil composition but I'll leave that for later.

There are numerous varieties in of each of the vegetables.  Looking through seed catalogs, perusing the seed racks in stores and talking to gardeners is a great way to gather the information needed to pick the seed you are looking for.  Seed packets will provide information about when and how to plant, length of time to harvest and sometimes taste, texture and other tasty tidbits.

My favorite onion is a hybrid called Copra.  They are sweet and really long keepers.  I still have a few left from last summers crop.  I also like to plant one of the red varieties that usually are a little stronger and are also good keepers.

Potatoes are red, white, blue and yellow now.  Check out their variable characteristics such as taste, keeping capabilities, and length of growing time.

Until next time and a look at beans.  

Char

I can hardly believe I actually have this working.  

Thanks to Pastor Deb and our Friendship Family  student Kasturi we are good to go.

Big or small we have them all.  If you want tomatoes with flowers and small fruit pick the one on the right.  Want something smaller try the left although that one has grown another 2" since the picture was taken.  The paper pot holding the plant on the left is one of many lovingly hand folded by gracious persons.  This allows for easy planting as you plant pot and all.  This reduces root shock often occurring when having to remove plants from hard containers before putting in your garden.
We currently have over 2000 plants waiting to be adopted.  All donations will help to offset 2014 garden expenses.

AND THERE IS THE PROBLEM OF RUNNING OUT OF ROOM    YIKES!!

You guessed it the shelves are full so outside with those plants more tolerant of cooler temps.    This is a really quick cold frame out of straw bales and old windows. So far the neighbors haven't complained.

UCC GARDEN PLANTS 2013 

PLANT TYPE	VARIETY	#
Tomato
	Cherry Livingston	23
	Crimson Cushion Beefsteak	68
	Brandywine	110
	Pole Beefsteak	12
	Super Beefsteak	150
	Rutgers	68
	Cherokee Purple	65
	Opalka	45
	Roma	45
Tomatillo	?	14
Peppers	Sweet Banana	23
	Orange	29
	Yellow	59
	Sweet Pepper Mix	40
	Mild Jalapeño	7
Broccoli	Waltham	36
Cauliflower	Green	75
Brussels Sprouts	Long Island	60
Egg Plant	Rosa Blanca	60
	Long Purple	100
Cabbage	Red Drumhead	17
	Early Standard	65
	Early Copenhagen	18
Cabbage	Autumn Jewel	31
	????	40
Herbs
	Fenugreek	15
	Fennel	30
	Cilantro	109
Basil	Purple	78
	Holy Basil	118
	Sweet Basil	50
Leeks		115
Flowers
Zinnia	Violet	18
	White	30
	Scarlet Flame	146
Larkspur		27
Poppy	Black Peony	29
Wall Flower	From Vancouver	64
Alyssum		48
Calendula		59

TO RESERVE YOUR PLANTS

PLEASE CALL CHAR LUSHER

507-625-5493

Donations will go to 2014 garden expenses.

Garden project and other volunteers have been lovingly making paper pots for your plants.  This will allow for easy planting as pot and all can be planted.  This reduces shock to the plants and enhances growth.  All plants are organic and have been hardened off and will be ready for planting when you pick them up.