A Great Non-hybrid Seed Source!

Ottawa, Ontario, March 6th, 2011

One of the best places to purchase your non-hybrid seeds is at your local Seedy Saturdays meeting. Seedy Saturdays are seed exchanges where small seed suppliers, gardening clubs and gardeners can buy, sell, exchange and learn all about seeds. It’s a marvelous way to find pure non-hybridized strains of flower, vegetable and herb seeds. We invite everyone to help promote the sustainability of non-hybrid seeds by attending your local Seedy Saturdays seed exchange.

There was a major rain warning in Ottawa for March 5th, so we thought the turn out for this event might be negligible. We waded through the slush and entered a very crowded Ron Kolbus Center. There were about 40 venders selling an assortment of products. As well as seed suppliers selling vegetable, flower and herb seeds, there were vendors selling products like honey, baked goods, and carpets made of recycled materials and organic chocolate. At times the crowds of shoppers were so thick, that we couldn’t determine what items were being sold at a particular booth.

Some of my favorite small venders, like Terra Edibles and Greta’s Organic Gardens, were present. These are both excellent seed companies who sell heirloom seeds as well as organic seeds. Terra Edibles has been an excellent source for non-hybrid tomato seeds like Stupice, Striped German and Moskvich. Terra also features a line of heirloom sweet peas. During our seed search we discovered new suppliers like the Cottage Gardener, where we remembered to get our Romanesco Broccoli. We also discovered La Vie en Rose Garden and picked up Rhododendron seeds for Zones 3 to 8. La Vie en Rose Garden’s specialty is bearded iris and we’re looking forward checking out this supplier in the spring.

As a collector of perennials, we thought that the star of the show was the Ottawa Valley Rock Garden & Horticultural Society! The Society’s booth featured used gardening books at extremely reasonable prices ($1 to $5) and a wonderful collection of rare non-hybrid seeds. We arrived an hour after the show opened, and the book and seed selection was still excellent. Some of the rare seeds we purchased included Magnolia stellata, digitalis ferrunginia and something called, molosperum peloponnesiacum.

Seeds of Diversity, the show’s host, is a national organization of gardeners and farmers dedicated to preserving the heritage, and biodiversity of Canada’s food plants. Food plants include edible grains and vegetables. The organization provides an annual rare seed directory listing over 3,000 varieties of non-hybrid seeds, and cross references this list with Canadian suppliers of food seeds.

Supporting small growers and seed suppliers is an excellent way to promote our seed biodiversity and to sustain the small seed growers. It’s the small companies who really keep our seed heritage alive, promoting and selling heirloom and non-hybrid seeds. We invite all our readers to locate a local Seed Savers or Seeds of Diversity event, to buy a couple of seed packets and to help preserve the biodiversity and sustainability of our seed supply.

Heirloom Seeds Saving Organizations:

USA
Seed Savers

Canada
Seeds of Diversity

Heirloom Seed Sources:
Terra Edibles
Gretas Organic Gardens
The Cottage Gardener
La Vie en Rose Gardens

Maple Syrup is starting to flow.

We have several Maple Trees on the property so in the spring as it starts to warm I tap the trees. The trees are quite large so I usually put 3 buckets on each tree. You can expect the sap to run if the nights are cold – below 0 and the days are above 0 and the sun helps a lot as well. This year the season started real early with a nice mild patch in the begining of March.

It takes a couple days to have enough liquid to start boiling the sap down. It takes approx. 40 gallons of liquid to make 1 gallon of maple syrup. It take about 6 hours to boil down a batch of maple syrup. The first batch I made came out a very light golden color – it looked and tasted wonderful. This was the first time I had a batch that turned out so light. It may have been that the weather was just right and the sap was flowing fast. The next several batches were a dark golden brown color and I noticed with these it took about 5 days till I had enough to run a batch.

Well we are getting closer to the end of March and most days and nights have been above 0 so the sap has stopped flowing for now. I will keep checking the buckets every 3 days or so. Almost all the snow has melted and I am starting to clean up areas to ready them for the coming season.

Vegetable Gardening Tips

Most vegetables require at least 6 hours of sunlight per day, some need 8. Some quick growers like lettuce and radish can be grown between the rows of plants that take longer to mature, like beet or corn, thus making full use of the area available.

Throughout dry periods, vegetable gardens need extra watering. Most vegetables benefit from an inch or more of water each week, especially when they are fruiting.

During the growing season watch for insect pests. If you discover a bug problem early it will be much easier, but be careful to not use pesticides once the vegetable are close to being picked unless it becomes an absolute necessity. Organic gardening is one healthy and environment-friendly option. Once you have reaped your crop, put the vegetable waste into your compost pile so that it can be recycled for next spring.

It is important to protect your vegetable garden from wild animals looking for a tasty treat. Make sure your garden is surrounded by a fence that will keep out dogs, rabbits, and other animals. The harm done by wandering animals during one season can equal the cost of a fence. A fence also can serve as a frame for peas, beans, tomatoes, and other crops that need support.

Protection is needed in order for your vegetable garden to yield a bountiful harvest. Hard work will pay dividends if necessary precautions have been made.

Grow Your Vegetable Garden Inside

Choose Appropriate Vegetables

Different plants have different requirements and with indoor gardens the major restrictions tend to be available space and available light. Salad greens like lettuce, miniature cabbages, swiss chard, and spinach do well indoors.

Check out this cool video:

The size of your pots will determine your choice of plant, choose containers big enough for the plants full growth. Small root crops such as radishes and onions are great choices, and there are even small root carrots available. Herbs are a popular choice because they are compact and do not need much space. Miniature varieties of tomatoes, peppers, and eggplant can also thrive inside when given the proper care.

Find the Perfect Spot for Growing

Lighting is an important consideration for any indoor vegetable garden. A bright south-facing window is your best bet, but any spot that gets a minimum of 5 hours of continuous light can be used. In addition to natural light, you can set up supplemental artificial lighting if you are really serious about growing healthy plants.

Traffic flow is also another important factor to think about. Vegetables in general bruise easily so you want to choose fairly quiet spots so minimize accidental human contact. If you have small children or pets at home, you may want to locate your garden well out of their reach. It is also important to think about proximity to your gardening tools and easy clean-up if things get messy.

Optimize the Microclimate

Plants grow best in high humidity and moderate temperatures. Indoor gardens usually suffer from low humidity. Container grown plants tend to dry out faster and will require more frequent watering. However, it is important not to let the plants get waterlogged as this may cause root rot. Make sure that there is good drainage by raising pots with a pan of gravel underneath. Evaporation from these dishes also improves humidity so they serve a dual purpose.

Another great way to optimize your microclimate, is to group your plants together. You can mix your vegetables with more decorative houseplants to create groupings that are not only beautiful but also functional. Temperature is actually easier to control inside the house, as it is easy to provide more shade by simply drawing the curtains. Just make sure plants are protected from drafts.

Get Good Potting Soil

Potting soil for indoor gardens should drain well and contain the nutrients required to support growth and development. You can purchase premixed potting soil that already incorporates the proper amount of fertilizer. If you prefer to go organic, you can get organic potting mixes from your local garden store. Add nutrients with caution, as fertilizer buildup is quite common in containers.

Planting vegetable gardens indoors can be incredibly rewarding, so do not be afraid to give it a try. You may even end up growing enough produce to give to family and friends.

 

Tips For Taking Care of Your Indoor Plants

Overwatering kills most houseplants. Looks can be deceptive, so to see if your soil is dry enough to water, try the finger test. Insert your index finger up to the first joint into the soil. If the soil is damp, don’t water it.

2. Feeding

Foliage plants usually have high nitrogen needs, while flowering plants, K2O is needed. Slow release fertilizers can be mixed with the compost. However, certain plants like cacti and orchids need special fertilizer. Feed plants during their most active growth period.

3. Lighting

Plants like Sanseveria and Aspidistra require no sun. They can be placed away from a window. Spider plants need semi-shade. You can put plants like these near a window that does or does not get sunlight. Check the label to see what your plant needs.

4. Temperature

Houseplants can survive in cool or warm temperatures, but drastic fluctuations of temperature may not be good for them. One thing that most plants cannot survive is gas heating. If you have a plant that likes warm conditions, don’t put it near an air conditioner in the summer.

5. Humidity

Some houseplants require a humid environment. One tip to maximize humidity is to put the pot inside a larger pot and fill in the gaps with stones or compost to keep in the moisture. Grouping plants together often creates a microclimate that they will benefit from. If you want, you can spray them with water once or twice a day depending on the temperature.

6. Re-potting

Some plants require re-potting for optimum growth but there are others that resent having their roots disturbed. Or their roots system may be small enough that they don’t require re-potting. One way to check if your plant needs re-potting is to turn it upside down. Tap the pot to release the plant and check its roots. If roots are all you see, then re-pot. Sometimes the roots will come out of the pot. You should either cut them off or re-pot the plant.

You just need to have a little care for your plants and in turn, you’ll reap the benefits. Indoor plants not only add to the beauty of your décor, but also give much pleasure to the indoor gardener.