Recommend garden seed varieites

[Julie]

http://www.bepreparedradio.com/2011/03/17/family-garden-doctor-03-18-2011/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+BePreparedRadioPreparednessRa dioNetwork+%28Be+Prepared+Radio+|+Preparedness+Rad io+Network%29

Food for Everyone recommend varieties

# SWEET CORN. Golden Bantam.

# ONION. Utah Sweet Spanish.

# SPINACH. Bloomsdale Long Standing.

# WINTER SQUASH. Waltham Butternut.

# SQUASH ZUCCHINI. Black Beauty.

# RADISH. Champion.

# TOMATO. Rutgers.

# SWISS CHARD. Lucullus.

# PEA. Lincoln.

# BEET. Detroit Dark Red.

# CABBAGE. Golden Acre.

# LETTUCE. Romaine Paris Is.

# CUCUMBER. Marketmore

# CARROT. Scarlet Nantes.

# PEPPER. Yolo Wonder.

# POLE BEAN. Kentucky Wonder Brown.

# BUSH BEAN, Strike

# BROCCOLI, Waltham

# EGGPLANT, Black Beauty

# LETTUCE, Salad Bowl Red

# TURNIP, Purple Top White Globe

# CANTALOUPE, Hales Best Jumbo

[JayE]

I'm going to try the Mittleider method this year, so I am interested in these recommendations.

[phylm]

Julie,

I got all of those and many more for our "frozen heritage seed stash" from Pinetree Garden Seeds in Maine. They have a large selection of heritage beets, peas, carrots, melons, lettuce, greens, herbs, corn, tomato, and other wonderful vegetables. And, best of all, most of their seeds are priced at 85 cents to $1.99. (And they give the number of seeds in the packets. We especially like the Tall Telephone peas for taste and production. It does have to have a four-foot support fence, but it is a great old heritage pea.

[prairiemom]

Yeah, I agree with Waltham broccoli and Black Beauty eggplant, Kentucky Wonder is probably as good as you can get, although we like yellow varieties as well.

I haven't tried Rutger's tomato, but Brandywine didn't do well here. In fact a lot of heirloom tomatoes have a hard time here. Purple Prudens has been a consistent performer as well as Amish Paste. Black Krim has been the best tasting and production was adequate.

I prefer a dual purpose cuke (eating and pickling) Pickler I think is the variety we like.

And for Swiss chard, I really like Bright Lights. Much more colorful and a thinner stem than most other varieties.

[prairiemom]

Well, I'm a convert now. No more bush beans, from now on I'm going to grow pole beans. First, none of my bush beans came up this year. I even planted them twice. I like the ease of picking from the poles instead of low-growing bushes. And they all ripen pretty much all at once, which makes canning a lot easier. Longer and straighter than bush beans. From three teepees (about 15 seeds around each one) I got 26 lbs today.

http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g275/prairie_chuck/P9090001.jpg

P.S. I started the flowers in the background from seed, grown in the greenhouse before transplanting them. This is my "white flower bed"--all the flowers are white. I'm very proud of the African Daisies as it's the first time I've been able to get them to grow from seed. The other ones are white marigolds--a very pretty variety.

[Earthling]

There are a few things like tomatoes and corn that it is worth storing "extra" hybrid seeds for due to the great flavor of some of the hybrids. Of course storing heirloom (if you know how to harvest the seeds) is good for long term. But if you aren't harvesting seeds, you might as well store your favorite varieties. I adore Serendipity corn. The box I got at the nursery has lasted me 8 years. I pre-sprout it since it is getting older.

[Julie]

I planted both heirloom and hybrid tomatoes in my garden this year. There was a disease that went through some gardens in town and yup the heirlooms got sick and died. The hybrids were developed specifically to withstand disease and are going strong. If I had just heirlooms and was dependent upon this garden for my food source I would of been out of luck. It's worth it to store both kinds, especially if you need it for survival.

[phylm]

Copper sulfate for tomato blight.