Mid-Atl - Dec 2016 - Seed Catalog ?

1. Have you receive any seed catalogs yet? If so, what one(s)?

2. Which one(s) did you sign up for?

3. What are you going to try this year that's new?

4. What will you NOT plant this year because it underperformed, or you didn't like?

1/2. I’ve  received: Pinetree seeds*, HighMowing*, Totally Tomatoes, Vermont Bean Company, BC’s Whole Seed catalog*
Signed up for the ones starred. Also signed up for and am awaiting Johnny’s and the regular BC catalog. May yet request a SeedSaversExchange catalog...

3. NEW plants planned for 2017: upland cress, parsley root, Koji tatsoi, garnet-stem dandelion, red-veined sorrel, a mangel beet, “Ice Lettuce”(not an actual lettuce), a filet/French type green bush bean, Blacktail watermelon, Minnesota Midget melon, Cherokee Purple tomato, a paste tomato (Bellstar), orach*, saltwort*, epazote* (not sure if these count as new, I couldn’t get germination –will try new seeds), a new dry bush bean (maybe Peregion), a new cherry tomato (maybe Black Cherry), a replacement for Rutgers tomato (maybe Nepal), a new frying-type pepper (maybe Jimmy Nardello), probably some new lettuce varieties, maybe Patio baby Eggplant, maybe Ole Timey Blue collards, and maybe Dwarf Blue Scotch Kale.

4. NOT PLANTING in 2017:
Jacob’s Cattle dry beans - can buy them locally, want to try something different;
Hot chile peppers - too successful – have enough dried to get me through at least a year w/o growing them!;
Chadwick cherry tomato – larger fruit than I want from a cherry tomato;
Rutgers tomato – not enough disease resistance;
Golden Crispy melon - free BC seeds,  either not very sweet and/or I couldn’t tell when they were ripe;
Purple tomatillo – too late & most fruits seemed to suddenly rot from the inside before they were even ready;
Sunflowers -- too wormy. But I’ll try Tithonia again, and will keep my Jerusalem artichokes; 
Pole lima beans – took up too much space for the yield;
Cowpeas – not enough yield at a time to DO anything with;
Short and intermediate/neutral  day onions – inappropriate for my location; 
Sweet potatoes – low yield, not enough sunny spots to grow everything I'd like
Yardlong beans – tasty but slow/low yield -- and I want to grow out some different-looking dry beans that appeared in this year’s harvest; 
Olive Leaved Syvetta arugula – wasn’t as vigorous as the other two arugulas I grew;
Holy basil – the smell is too strong/slightly offensive to me.

Is this limited to the mid-Atlantic Region? Looks like a great thread for everyone.

Everyone is to join in the discussion.

Yesterday I received my Seed Savers Exchange and Johnny's Selected Seeds catalogs.

Waiting on my free Baker Creek catalog. I bought the big catalog last year and will do so again in a year or two.  LOL that's my favorite "coffee table book".

sfg4uKim wrote:1. Have you receive any seed catalogs yet? If so, what one(s)?

2. Which one(s) did you sign up for?

3. What are you going to try this year that's new?

4. What will you NOT plant this year because it underperformed, or you didn't like?

Kim thank you so much for starting this and providing the list of questions. I like this idea very much. Wondering if we should put it under a non-regional specific topic with a title that reflects what is intended.  

I seem to be getting zero catalogs this year. Since I save all my own seeds now I guess if you don't order you don't get.  I still have the old ones if I feel the need to look at the pictures.

The new thing I'm trying is some seed starting mix called Pikes Peak 5 that my neighbor gave me to try out for him. I'm going to use my usual used up MM alongside the Pikes Peak 5. That way I can compare both.

Every year I say I'm not going to grow squash and every year I try again.

CapeCoddess wrote:I seem to be getting zero catalogs this year. Since I save all my own seeds now I guess if you don't order you don't get.  I still have the old ones if I feel the need to look at the pictures.

The new thing I'm trying is some seed starting mix called Pikes Peak 5 that my neighbor gave me to try out for him. I'm going to use my usual used up MM alongside the Pikes Peak 5. That way I can compare both.

Every year I say I'm not going to grow squash and every year I try again.

No catalogs? Oh no!

Let us know how the seed starting mix works.

What varieties of squash have you tried?

Save

YAY! Got my free Baker Creek seed catalog. I pay for their big book every few years, but their 145 page one isn't so bad. And you can't beat free.

trolleydriver wrote:

sfg4uKim wrote:1. Have you receive any seed catalogs yet? If so, what one(s)?

2. Which one(s) did you sign up for?

3. What are you going to try this year that's new?

4. What will you NOT plant this year because it underperformed, or you didn't like?

Kim thank you so much for starting this and providing the list of questions. I like this idea very much. Wondering if we should put it under a non-regional specific topic with a title that reflects what is intended.  

Sure, if you'd like.
Save

sfg4uKim wrote:YAY! Got my free Baker Creek seed catalog. I pay for their big book every few years, but their 145 page one isn't so bad. And you can't beat free.

Kim, a couple of years ago they sent me a big one for free since I recommend them in my gardening classes. As much business as you do, I'd be surprised if they wouldn't give you one as well...

oooooo thanks

Truth.  You and the other color guard on here is why me or anyone ever on here lurking or otherwise has heard of them!

Update: My regular BC catalog arrived some time ago... twice. I got RH Shumway's right before leaving on a trip and I came back from Christmas travels to see my Johnny's catalog finally arrived, along with Jung, Territorial*, Seeds nSuch, and Burpee.  I'm currently plan on ordering from Trade Winds Fruit, Adaptive Seeds, Totally Tomatoes, Vermont Bean Company, Seed Savers Exchange, and Baker's Creek.

*I think I saw someone comment these were expensive... I agree. It's not because they are balancing out free shipping (shipping was a flat $8 for not-heavy items), it doesn't seem like it's because they are growing hybrids or otherwise difficult varieties, and I don't think it's because they have more seed per packet -- though it's difficult to do the math when they sell by grams and ounces and have wide ranges for the equivalent number of seeds (if they provide one.)

BeetlesPerSqFt wrote:Update: My regular BC catalog arrived some time ago... twice. I got RH Shumway's right before leaving on a trip

I love this! My maiden name is Shumway, and there are so few of us, we're all related, so if you order from them, you're shopping with one of my distant cousins.