Welcome...

[GreenZone]

Welcome to IDigMyGarden, the new forum for heritage gardeners, seed savers and all who are concerned for a sustainable quality of life that begins with the soil. Post here with questions or tips regarding your experiences in growing heirloom varieties in your garden.

[JereGettle]

Welcome Everyone, I hope you all enjoy using our forums, we look forward to your questions and I will answer as many as I can.

Jere

[jimboe]

Thank you for having the web site. I'm on a web tv. I'm growing heirloon tomatoes for the first year. I grew regular tomatoes before. But I'm growing them in 5 gal. buckets. I now have 25 plants. My micro-tom has blooms already. I'm also growing Carrots (red, purple,yellow and orange) potatoes all red and all blue , 3 types of green onions and 4 types of radishes. If anybody else grow in containers let me know your secerts. I put a banana peel in the bottom of the buckets.thanks again jimboe

[walleye]

Another thanks for setting up these forums. I've got a lot to learn about seed saving and such, hopefully I can contribute some knowledge too.

I got the latest "Heirloom Gardener" today and that is where I saw the ad for these forums. I also post over on "Organic Gardening" and "Farm-Garden" forums.

Jere -- your catalog and magazine are great. I like the tomato shirt I bought with my seed order this spring. Thanks for the Green Zebra samples. Up here, we like it when you say a certain tomato "should be the official tomato of the Green Bay Packers"!

[lovetogarden]

Jere,
Thanks for the new forum.

[oldfashionedliving]

Hello everyone---

I'm from Michigan and I am interested in heirloom plants, herbs and organic gardening. Nice to meet you...

Brenda

[OzarkGarden]

I'm delighted with this new forum, thanks!

jimboe - I also do some container gardening. I've had great success. Make sure you have good support for your tomates...wire cages or some sort of stakes. When you use containers you have to water more frequently so make sure you fertilizer more frequently too. Good Luck!

[Black Thumb Pat]

This is my first year with heirloom seeds. Except for some problems starting my Green Zebra's from seed I saved when I bought them at a Farmer's Market in St. Louis, most everything I have started inside seems to be doing well. Considering that I expanded my garden site from 12 ft. x 50 feet (which didn't have much in it) to 200 ft by 200 ft, I have my work cut out for me. Has anyone planted dwarf fruit trees? Are there heirloom dwarfs? I'd like to get apple trees to start.

[OzarkGarden]

[QUOTE=Black Thumb Pat] - Has anyone planted dwarf fruit trees? Are there heirloom dwarfs? I'd like to get apple trees to start.

Pat - The link below is very interesting! They sell Heirloom apple trees and you can request a catalog online. I'm interested in the "Arkansas Black" apple...if anyone has grown these I would appreciate some feedback.

http://www.treesofantiquity.com/apples.html

[flutterby]

Hello everyone!I'm new to forums so please pardon my bloopers.I'm also new to the Ozarks and the challenge of gardening here so welcome any and all advice.I'm interested in raising heirlooms,esp. tomatoes.I'm thinking of trying square foot,raised bed gardening as the rocks here out number everything else.

[lovetogarden]

Black Thumb Pat,
I live in Eureka MO. How close are you? Glad to have a neighbor on the forums.

[JackiMac]

Thanks for coming up with this forum :)

Jimboe - I also plant in 5 gallon containers. I start with a few med. to lg. rocks for drainage and weight( our winds get high around here and the tornado weather can really take out the things I grow if I don't use the rocks...stone pebbles can work well to) then I shred a bunch of black and white newspaper (which cut down on alot of pests like cutworms and such ) and put that in then I put in some compost and then more paper then a little bit of fertilizer ( organic of course ) and more compost then I use tall bamboo poles for peppers, tomatoes,and a bit smaller poles for my egglant. I also use raised beds but I am still working on improving the soil...moved into a house with rock hard clay dirt bleh :p

[Countrystyle]

Hi everyone, I'm also interested in raising heirlooms. This is my second yr.. I'm only able to grow tomatoes and a few peppers this yr but like most of us, have plans for more in the future. I have a couple in containers and the rest in a small garden spot the previous landowners had picked out. Plan on moving the whole garden next yr.. I would like to add an orchard to the place also.


Jere, thanks for the forum.

We're now in SW Mo - Barry county for all you neighbors out there -was in NW Ar for 15 yrs. Rocks on both sides of the line :(

[Black Thumb Pat]

OzarkGarden -- thanks for the website. I love the Arkansas Black. They are sometimes hard to find, but I buy as many as I can when I find them. They are good keepers.

Flutterby, after 18 years in the Ozarks there is one thing you can count on - every Spring the rocks have had a new litter!

The other thing I have learned is that mulch is the only way, otherwise, you'll water your well away. I use rice hulls (Arkansas produces rice for the world) which are easy to find and easy to use. They will lighten up the soil, but add nothing to it. I tried Cottonseed hulls, too. More trouble than they are worth. Your local extension office will be able to help you with any questions about the land, soil, etc.

Good luck and happy gardening.

[Black Thumb Pat]

Hi! Love to Garden -- I live just across the state line in Mammoth Spring. This is my first year with heirlooms AND my first year to raise tomatoes and peppers from seed. I can hardly believe the little seedlings not only came up, but lived!

I love the Forum -- thanks Jere!

[terrianne]

I especially enjoy the Fedco catalog in Maine for fruit trees. They have great stories about where each fruit tree was found and the approximate age etc. They probably have some good dwarf choices.

[Bluerose]

Hi everyone, I'm from Batesville Arkansas and I have been gardening for many years. I love growning wildflowers and native ferns. I'm glad I found this forum. It is the kind of thing I have been looking for. Thanks

[Hollowbrook]

Hi, everyone! Thanks for the website! This is my 8th year planting heirloom tomatoes. It's been cold here in PA. Last week's lows dipped in the low 30's. Can't wait to plant out the tomatoes! Had a huge problem with deer last year. They wait until the tomatoes are green then eat them. I'm looking at fencing this year. Any advice?

Love the heirloom squashes too. We're going to sell at farmer's market this year. (Producer's only). Hope to come out to Missouri for the August festival! Only a 15 hr. drive from Carlisle, PA. (with 3 kids in the car?) Could take two days to get there though. I'd like to visit Laura Ingalls Wilder's house while we're there. (the Rock house).

[A.T.Hagan]

Howdy from North/Central Florida!

Just found out about this forum and thought I'd check it out. Most of my garden is OP stuff this year and next year I expect it will be even more OP. Glad to have found the place.

.....Alan.

[kbinz]

[QUOTE=Black Thumb Pat] - Has anyone planted dwarf fruit trees? Are there heirloom dwarfs? I'd like to get apple trees to start.

Pat - The link below is very interesting! They sell Heirloom apple trees and you can request a catalog online. I'm interested in the "Arkansas Black" apple...if anyone has grown these I would appreciate some feedback.

http://www.treesofantiquity.com/apples.html

I also have looked at the Arkansas Black variety. It reminds me somewhat of a single tree my father had in his apple orchard. he called it a blacktwig. Would this be the same tree???

[faye53]

Thanks for the forum. I have been going organic for the last few years and am still learning. I appreciate any and all advice. I'm in lower Alabama in zone 8. I started Cherokee Purple tomatoes from seed this year and they don't seem to be growing good. I may have to try again next year with them.

[drobinson]

I use bone meal and cottonseed meal to fertilize tomatoes organically. The bone meal supplies phosphorus, the cotton seed meal supplies about 7 % nitrogen, and some phosphorus and potash. Feather meal, is also good for nitrogen. I also mulch, usually after the plants set fruit unless hot weather comes early. When planting, my technique is to dig a one foot hole about 10-12 inches deep, put in one medium handfool of coton seed meal and one of bone, mix it well with the soil, and plant the seedling tomato deep. Good drainage is important, so I plant on beds about 5 - 8 inches above grade. I pinch off the bottom leaves to plant, and leave 4 or five leaves at the top. The tomatoes will root all along the stem, giving more root to support the top. I also cage the plants when they get up and growing, about 8-10 inch high, using hoops made of 6 inch mesh concrete reinforcing wire. I cut the bottom ring off the hoop and leave the 6 inch wires to push into the ground. A metal "T" post, used by farmers for fencing support, is driven next to the cage if there is only one tomatoe plant, but spaced down a row if several, to keep the cages from blowing over in storms when they are heavy with vine. A soaker hose is placed along the row at the bottom, if you have a row, and mulch is put in and around the cages Hand watering takes too long for 26 plants in my row. I plant them 3 to 4 feet apart and drive "T" posts about every 7 feet. Then, to tie everyting together, 1X2 inch wood strips about 10 feet long are laid on top of the cages and tied to both cages and wire hoops. Probably PVC pipe would also work well for this and would be less expensive than 1X2" wood lattice. So far, no wind of sufficient strength has come to topple them over, but it did before staking with "T" posts. What a mess to get up the next morning and find all the cages and tomatoes laying on their sides. "T" posts are available in different length at hardware and lumber stores.. Also I also do not plant tomatoes in the same place each year as tomatoes, potatoes and peppers have been planted the previous year. They are of a similiar plant family. This helps keep down diseases.
This method of tomatoeing has not failed me in 30 years of gardening. Good luck and happy gardening.

[JohnYeoman]

Jere

This is one great site, and Forum! I love it - especially the smilies!

[JereGettle]

Hey John great to see you!

AndrewK is the the brainstormed it, (except the colors, that was me:)

Thanks for joining!
Jere

[Brutus]

Just a new guy checking in here.

Howdy.

:)

[TomatoLover]

Hello All,

I have been gardening most of my 50 plus years, having been introduced to it by my father, who was an avid gardener all his life. I have been growing heirlooms for the past 7 years. I started out with heirloom tomatoes and branched out to other heirloom flowers, vegetables, and herbs, and most recently beans. Some of my favorite seeds and plants have been acquired from the historic gardens at Monticello, Thomas Jefferson's home in Virginia.

I was excited to find out about this forum and look forward to exchanging ideas and seeds!

TL

[Jodi]

A special thanks to Jere and the Team for putting this together and making it available. And thanks to all those willing to share their knowledge, and even those with the questions. It helps us all.

I already learned something--thanks for the heirloom apple tree website. Grew up with old apple trees in the wilds of Michigan. Someday I'll learn what they are and even grow some of my own. FEDCO seeds also has a listing of various types of trees. Check them out at www.fedcoseeds.com

Thanks again! I hope to share what I've been blessed with and also to learn along the way. Life is full of continual learning--it wouldn't be life without it!
Jodi

[terrianne]

Thank you for the forum Jere and team. I have a new morning routine..coffee and this forum :) .

Reading the threads brought memories of tagging along with my grandparents and parents as a toddler on up...in the garden....learning by being....and now at 44...I teach my son as he tags along with me in the garden....we are heirlooms too! :)

[Roxann]

Let me add my thank you for starting these forums. I have had vegetable
gardens for some years but am just getting into heirloom gardening and
seed collecting here in Michigan.

Rox

[jrljames]

I'm so happy to be here..i've been growing heirlooms most of my life..we just didn't know it. i look forward to learning and maybe informing.

[AndrewK]

Welcome to everyone! Thanks for joining! :)

[Nora]

Thanks for the forum & the welcome! Started with a "Victory Garden" as a kid during WWII, and resumed 35 years ago by using a vacant lot in the inner city of Milwaukee, which later grew into their "Shoots & Roots" program. Since I move around a lot, I do mostly containers & annual plants. This will be my first year with heirlooms.

I use a ComposTumbler, and plant in almost anything I can find leftover from garage sales. This year's project is a raised bed made from the framework of a discarded futon. I'm also vermicomposting in a couple of tool bins dumped by Honeywell when they closed our local plant.

Looking forward to hearing good ideas from all of you!

[DS Berry Farms]

To Black Thumb Pat:

Try Trees of Antiquity in Paso Robies, CA. Phone is 805-467-9909 and web site is
treesofantiquity.com. You would not believe how many heirloom Apples there are to choose from. Also try bighorsecreekfarms.com.

[Abra]

Hello everyone,

I'm from Olympia, WA and am an organic gardener and am excited to find this website. I'm interested in heirloom seeds for their taste and quality and have been a very enthusiastic heirloom tomato grower for years. I am also interested in seed saving and the political aspects of this issue that has been of great concern of late.

Abra

[Johnny Apple Seed]

This is my first post, I have been gardening most of my life, I'm 48. I grow organic and the vast majority of my seeds are now heirlooms.
I have bought seed from Jere for the second year and had the privledge to attend the spring planting festival April 24th-25th, what a great time and learning experience.
Jere is doing an amazing job with the baker creek business and all it entails, my hat is off to Jere his passion is infectious.

[johnl]

If you live near a creek or spring, the Ozarks is a great place to grow tomatoes. Kentucky Beefsteak or almost any beefsteak does exceptional. The pasta type also do very good. Eggplant can be grown if protected from flea beatles. All types of lettuce will grow if planted in early march. Snow peas are plentiful if planted in late February. I order seeds from Baker Creek because the Ozarks environment is the same as here.
John L.

[new dirt digger]

Hi! I am looking for any information regarding an heirloom Zucchini plant that I have. I planted it from seed. It has squash leaves and flowers but the vegetable is unlike any I have seen. It is the size of a large softball and is a green and white varigated color. Is this really a zucchini? If so how do I know when to pick it? When is it ripe and do I prepare it the same as the zucchini I used to get at the super market? Any info would be VERY MUCH appreciated.

[drobinson]

Regarding planting lettuce in late spring and summer. I have had success with lettuce in the summer using the following strategies. First, I choose a spot that gets half a day of shade, at least. Lettuce will grow in the shade, if it is bright and not dense shade - especially in hot weather. Second, I do not use raised beds as they dry out too quickly in hot weather. Plant on the natural ground level. If it really hot, I even dig down about 3-4 inches and plant below ground level, but you have to watch out for flooding if it rains too much. Provide an outlet for the water in one corner if it is below ground. Site drainage and the type of soil will determine whether you can plant below ground level. Third, I use tried and truetypes of lettuse, like Black Seeded Simpson. Forget Red Sails and the weak stemmed varieties. I amend the soil with compost, cottonseed meal, and bone meal. Lettuce likes lots of nitrogen. I sow the seeds sparingly, and cover with fine compost, or even sand. Then I water with a mist sprayer so that the seeds will stay in place. Finally, if the bed gets lots of sun during the day, I cover the whole bed with an old window screen, salvaged off an old house, put about 8 inches above the bed, and supported on the corners with rocks (or whatever). Finally, I water twice daily, once in the morning and once in the evening, until the lettuce comes up. Then I water once daily, right through the screen - assuming there is no rain. Vary the amount of watering based upon your soil type and the temperature. The screen stays in place even after harvesting begins. Just lift it up to harvest. I have found that the screen provides just the right amount of shade (about 30%) to keep the lettuce from bolting or getting bitter too quickly, and it keeps the critters from digging, or whatever in the bed. Have two beds going, with staggered planting dates, to keep the lettuce coming. We like bacon, tomato and lettuce sandwiches and having your own lettuce is a lot better on a sandwich with fresh picked tomatoes than the store bought "lifeless" iceberg stuff.

[Doc]

drobinson. . .where did you say you lived?
Thought of using my shade cloth for doing such a thing with lettuce, however, I'm wondering if too much shade since you mentioned about 30% with your door screen.

I get all my seed from SSE, Seeds of Change (anyone know about Mars buying them out and what that might mean to the company?), and the majority through Baker Creek. Well, some trading too, but I'm refering to purchasing. I have been buying through Jere since the company was only a few pages stapled together. I'm so thankful for how the Lord is blessing the company as to blessing the rest of us! :rolleyes:

Keep up the great work Baker Creek team! :D

[AndrewK]

Welcome aboard, everyone... :)

[Hollowbrook]

That zucchini you have sounds like what we had last year. It is great hollowed out and stuffed, like a pepper. I think they are best picked less than 4 inches in diameter. They can get to be the size of a small pumpkin and are then fibrous. Even large, though you can shred the zucchini and use it in zucchini breads and cakes. :)

[drobinson]

Hi Doc, I live in central Arkansas. About shading lettuce in the summer.
I have not used any shading material except screen wire. I know it works, but whether denser shade would be too much, or not, I don't know. I would guess that up to 50% shade might work. By the way, after posting the info about growing summer lettuce, I was prompted to get mine started, which I did that same day. It is up and doing nicely having been covered constantly since planted. Two kinds were planted - black seeded simpson and green ice. Both came up equally well.The Simpson seed I bought and the green ice seed I saved from last year.
The temp today was 97. Hot and dry, but the lettuce looks fairly moist from watering two days ago. All watering is done right through the old window screen. The bed is surrounded by a 6inch rock wall on three sides, and carrots on the other side.

[Doc]

well, you got the lettuce to sprout up nicely. that's good. but how bitter will these greens be with the heat?

[SunflowerMeg]

Hi - This is my first post. Just stopping to say hi! Our garden this year, is once again, almost destroyed by rain. BUT, I do believe we will still get a handful of heirloom tomatoes (a German variety) off of one plant, so that alone will be worth the effort. I've been an avid gardener for years, but have had space for only a small garden. My son is trying his hand at hydrophonics and our pool table in the basement is full of peppers, one tomato and many basil plants. We grow no hybrids! :) I was wondering, why the banana peel in the bottom of a bucket if you are doing container gardening??? Nice to meet all of you.

[drobinson]

Welcome to the new members. You will like this site. Very friendly and helpful. Thanks to Jere Gettle for starting it.
Regarding my post about growing lettuce under screen in the summer: Here it is August, and the lettuce I planted about the time of the post, has come up well and did taste good. While it did turn bitter a bit faster (we have had several days of 100+ weather) than the spring lettuce, it was well worth the effort. I plan on starting another bed pretty soon.

[camochef]

Found this on page 45 of the Heirloom Gardening forum, Being a newbee myself, I thought it should be moved up where those just joining would find it. I'm very impressed with this site and think it's great and would like to thank those that are responsible (and paying the bills for it). Also like to thank all the wonderful people that contribute to it's success. We need you, all! :)
Camo

[redneckplanter]

thanks indeed for this new forum....
i like it too......
thanks jere....
i think you have an awesome idea here...
it will take off like a rocket i'm sure......
make mine baker creek.......
the best seed company period.

[Cliff Timmons]

thanks indeed for this new forum....
i like it too......
thanks jere....
i think you have an awesome idea here...
it will take off like a rocket i'm sure......
make mine baker creek.......
the best seed company period.

Did you just find this?
Hey, did you know, we landed on the moon? <GRIN>
I'll pay for this, I'm sure.

[redneckplanter]

ummm did i do this right?
hi mr.timmons?
how are you sir?

[Cliff Timmons]

<GRIN>
Hi-ya back attcha!

[redneckplanter]

are we alone in here?looks like a neat place?

[bluelacedredhead]

I just went through this thread from the very beginning and surprisingly, there are still a few members that visit regularly from way back in 2005. Considering the volume of members that have come and gone, it's good to see some still here after 4 years.

[Cliff Timmons]

Some of us are like bad pennies.
<grin>

[redneckplanter]

hello mrs redhead.nice to see you.....
are you an original member?

[redneckplanter]

how many of us are there?

[bluelacedredhead]

Nope. Mr. Timmons joined up I believe in February 2006 and I wasn't far behind in March 2006.

[redneckplanter]

i hear we have more forums here in the works?lol

[Cliff Timmons]

Blues alright for a ,............ "Y" word. <Grin>

[redneckplanter]

she seems very nice to me.....
i like her.....
you seem ok to mr.timmons

[Cliff Timmons]

she seems very nice to me.....
i like her.....
you seem ok to mr.timmons

I'm heavily medicated.
But, the wards are motioning me to go back to my room now.

[bluelacedredhead]

Thanks Y'all.
Good Night Mr. Timmons, Good Night RedPerson.

[redneckplanter]

lol cliffie.

[Liberty_Man]

Wow.. you bumped it and no one is yelling at ya?

I think this was way before idig had any members even. And they thought i was bad for bringing up old topics. Least it shows how much Jerre and GZ have grown this forumn.

[GreenZone]

May possibly be the very oldest thread on idig.

[redneckplanter]

smiles.....

[nordicnacho]

welcome to idig

[redbrick]

Man, I just realized that I've been here almost from the start! 18 days shy, in fact. Startin' to feel old, now....

[Cliff Timmons]

Man, I just realized that I've been here almost from the start! 18 days shy, in fact. Startin' to feel old, now....

<GRIN>

[klorentz]

Man, I just realized that I've been here almost from the start! 18 days shy, in fact. Startin' to feel old, now....


I feel that way every time I here some songs from the sixties and seventies.




Kevin

[Locavore]

So, does this mean that IDig was born on April 15th, 2005, at 12:29 pm?

Mark your calendars for next year's 5-year birthday celebration!!!!:)

[winter_unfazed]

IDig was actually established (the Web address and forum software) on March 31, 2005 and introduced the following day, April 1.

It wasn't a joke, though.

[redneckplanter]

what joke?lol

[linda clements]

I recently happened upon a succulent I haven't seen since I was a little girl. It has nice large leaves with jagged edges. Each jagged point on the leaf had a baby growing on it and I took seven of the babies off and brought them home in an empty water bottle. They are each almost two inches tall now and are developing the jagged edge on the leaf. I would like to know if anyone knows the name of this plant. Thank you, Linda Clements

[GreenZone]

It sounds like kalanchoe to me. Does it look anything like the plants pictured here?

http://images.google.com/images?q=kalanchoe&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&ie=UTF-8&ei=QgGsSsyOO8Sutgf55ZCdCA&sa=X&oi=image_result_group&ct=title&resnum=4

Welcome to iDig!:)

I recently happened upon a succulent I haven't seen since I was a little girl. It has nice large leaves with jagged edges. Each jagged point on the leaf had a baby growing on it and I took seven of the babies off and brought them home in an empty water bottle. They are each almost two inches tall now and are developing the jagged edge on the leaf. I would like to know if anyone knows the name of this plant. Thank you, Linda Clements

[redneckplanter]

good job gz...

[w8in4dave]

I recently happened upon a succulent I haven't seen since I was a little girl. It has nice large leaves with jagged edges. Each jagged point on the leaf had a baby growing on it and I took seven of the babies off and brought them home in an empty water bottle. They are each almost two inches tall now and are developing the jagged edge on the leaf. I would like to know if anyone knows the name of this plant. Thank you, Linda Clements

Linda put this in the herbs and flowers thread and post a pic with it :D That will shurly help :D

[redneckplanter]

we do need to commemorate the event somehow?suggestions?

[Hairy Moose Knuckles]

We could talk Politics:D

[redneckplanter]

ohhhhhh nooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!

[klorentz]

We could talk Politics:D


Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh Get away.


Kevin