A Seed Saver's Garden

[Zeedman]

Hokkaido makes me think of the Sapporo Midori soybeans I had from @Zeedman a millennium ago . This is not soybean growing country, I guess. There are no farms with soybeans that I know of. Trying several from Zeedman and Manitoba and Sapporo Midori had names that sounded like good choices. They were outperformed by one of the other varieties ... But, "Manitoba" ... And, Sapporo was where they once held the Winter Olympics !

Sapporo Midori failed completely this year. It did moderately well when germination tested (about 40%) but had zero germination when planted in the ground - and it was heavily over-seeded! That is one of my favorite edamame varieties too, very large-seeded; it was one if the varieties that I planted a lot of, for freezing. Instead, it is now one of the 2 soybeans I will try to resurrect in pots next year.

I find it really odd that soybeans planted at home - some of which which were 10-20% in germination testing - performed much better than soybeans planted in the rural garden which tested much higher. I replanted Sapporo Midori (and St. Ita) under better conditions, and still got 0% germination... so I'm wondering if there is indeed some pest or pathogen there which is destroying the seed. I've noticed very tiny brown beetles there, whenever I turn over a trowel of dirt.

Which still wouldn't explain why other beans & soybeans in the same location had very good germination.

Fortunately, the other main-crop edamame (Tengamine) is doing very well. I had hoped to post a few photos, but it appears my old Note 4 has finally uploaded itself to the cellphone afterlife. Looks like I'm phone shopping tomorrow.

 

[heirloomgal]

'Rebel Starfighter' is gaining in size. Bigger than an apple

I keep harvesting my okra a bit past prime, even though at this point I'm picking them with the flower blossom still wrapped around the pod. AND the stems appear to be made of FIBREGLASS! How on earth to you get okra pods off the plant without a massacre??? Not even my pruners do the job!

White currants, almost ready to be picked! Time to get the bird netting! The berries get a pinkish tone over a clear ivory base.

Picked these yesterday at the back of the property. It will be a good blueberry year with all the rain. My 10 year old daughter, though, has more patience than me to pick them, it's so tedious. She can go for hours. Not me, a few blueberry pancakes, maybe an upside down cake, and I'm good.

Found these today! And this variety, Goose Gullett, was listed at 115 days to maturity, so it was a long shot! Yay!

'Purple Magic' potato blossom. There's a faint purple tinge on the white petals; strange because the potatoes have a white middle and purple flesh around the white with purple skin.

'Pink Amarosa' potato blossoms. Coincidence that the colour reflects the pink potato?

Fully 'stickified' most of my semi runner beans. Took me MUCH longer than I thought to get these, and I'm still not totally done. I think as @Bluejay77 suggested I'll keep these if possible for next year. This has been quite time consuming. Don't want to have to do so much stick hunting next year!

To all those with T post experience - what did I do wrong here? The peas are leaning so bad on their strings and giving way. Does type of string make or break the use of these? Something went very wrong here...

 

[heirloomgal]

Sapporo Midori failed completely this year. It did moderately well when germination tested (about 40%) but had zero germination when planted in the ground - and it was heavily over-seeded! That is one of my favorite edamame varieties too, very large-seeded; it was one if the varieties that I planted a lot of, for freezing. Instead, it is now one of the 2 soybeans I will try to resurrect in pots next year.

I find it really odd that soybeans planted at home - some of which which were 10-20% in germination testing - performed much better than soybeans planted in the rural garden which tested much higher. I replanted Sapporo Midori (and St. Ita) under better conditions, and still got 0% germination... so I'm wondering if there is indeed some pest or pathogen there which is destroying the seed. I've noticed very tiny brown beetles there, whenever I turn over a trowel of dirt.

Which still wouldn't explain why other beans & soybeans in the same location had very good germination.

Fortunately, the other main-crop edamame (Tengamine) is doing very well. I had hoped to post a few photos, but it appears my old Note 4 has finally uploaded itself to the cellphone afterlife. Looks like I'm phone shopping tomorrow.

Honestly @Zeedman, you have all the experience, but I think pests are the soybean curse. Creatures both large and miniscule seem to love these things. The 4 legged creatures mow them indiscriminately, the little ones in patches. It's their downfall. Too delicious?

 

[flowerbug]

lovely purple colors in those tomatoes.

 

[Zeedman]

Honestly @Zeedman, you have all the experience, but I think pests are the soybean curse. Creatures both large and miniscule seem to love these things. The 4 legged creatures mow them indiscriminately, the little ones in patches. It's their downfall. Too delicious?

Soybeans really are a challenge, which at least partially explains why so few seed savers grow them. For the most part, I think I've solved (or at least reduced) most of the animal damage; rodents harvesting seed remains the biggest problem. I've had to destroy a planting once or twice due to ant-borne disease, but haven't had serious insect problems.

Unusually bad weather in recent years is still haunting me. The two lost years in the rural garden - and previous losses due to drenching rains after planting - have been major setbacks. As a rule, soybeans have a shorter seed life than most beans or peas. I should be regenerating soybeans at least every 5 years; but nearly all of this year's soybeans were from 2012-2015. Seed vigor for much of my collection has been severely weakened.

It doesn't help that DW & I reduced the garden size by 4000+ square feet (we gave up the low end) so there's room each year for fewer varieties of everything. That translates to 3 less tomatoes, 3 less beans - and 7-8 fewer soybeans.

All that being said... although it has come close (I only have one plant of DV-2371) I haven't lost any soybeans yet. The rescue procedures this year worked well, so I am optimistic that this year's 2 failures can be saved. Wider usage of rescue procedures next year (more soybean transplants) should result in fewer failures, and better stands. If I can get through this year & 2022 with minimal losses, the grow outs will be nearly caught up, and it will (hopefully) get easier.

Oh, and enough late-comers of Hokkaido Black came up that provided they all ripen, there should be enough for a few exchanges after all.

 

[ducks4you]

I always twist my okra pods off.
It is best to harvest okra less than 3 inches long. When there is a drought anything bigger is too tough.
Good move on the red okra.

 

[heirloomgal]

Soybeans really are a challenge, which at least partially explains why so few seed savers grow them. For the most part, I think I've solved (or at least reduced) most of the animal damage; rodents harvesting seed remains the biggest problem. I've had to destroy a planting once or twice due to ant-borne disease, but haven't had serious insect problems.

Unusually bad weather in recent years is still haunting me. The two lost years in the rural garden - and previous losses due to drenching rains after planting - have been major setbacks. As a rule, soybeans have a shorter seed life than most beans or peas. I should be regenerating soybeans at least every 5 years; but nearly all of this year's soybeans were from 2012-2015. Seed vigor for much of my collection has been severely weakened.

It doesn't help that DW & I reduced the garden size by 4000+ square feet (we gave up the low end) so there's room each year for fewer varieties of everything. That translates to 3 less tomatoes, 3 less beans - and 7-8 fewer soybeans.

All that being said... although it has come close (I only have one plant of DV-2371) I haven't lost any soybeans yet. The rescue procedures this year worked well, so I am optimistic that this year's 2 failures can be saved. Wider usage of rescue procedures next year (more soybean transplants) should result in fewer failures, and better stands. If I can get through this year & 2022 with minimal losses, the grow outs will be nearly caught up, and it will (hopefully) get easier.

Oh, and enough late-comers of Hokkaido Black came up that provided they all ripen, there should be enough for a few exchanges after all.

One thing I've learned about fruits and vegetables, the more you think they are delicious, the more THEY think so too. They being any other living organism who gets hungry.

Also, I planted Grand Forks and they are coming up, though I did replant some. A bug seems to be chewing them right now, but I think they'll be alright. I hope.

 

[heirloomgal]

The blooms are really starting to appear in the vegetable garden! The wet weather seems to have passed and the bean plants have finally been able to dry up. Some of the beans that seemed to have contracted a wilt of some type have bounced back and are covered in new growth where they had lost many leaves and buds. We'll see if they can catch up. This is the largest bean grow out I've done, over 100 varieties, so I'm really enjoying comparing the differences in the plants as they grow - bloom colours, unique foliage growth. I love gardening!

'Koronis Purple' bean bloom

'Vaquero' bean bloom

'Speckled Algonquin'

'Chester' pole bean bloom, seems the wrong colour though...@Zeedman do you recall the blossom colour of this one?

'Winter Luxury' pie pumpkin bloom

My blue corn has two different silks, this colour and a light green silk. I'm not sure if this is normal for this variety, but I'm certain my seed source would not have crossed corn seeds. If anyone has any ideas, please let me know. This is a bit of a puzzler.

'Blue Coco' pole bean plant. I'm quite enjoying the unique colouring on the stems and foliage of this variety. Stands out from the rest.

Went strawberry picking. These particular kind are very tasty, and are even more flavourful cooked. A really aromatic, sweet type. I always ask at the farms about the different varieties they have because strawberries are not created equal - some are much more suitable for jams, some for fresh eating.

'Haskap' berries! I've really grown fond of these unique fruits. They taste nothing like blueberries, and have a larger berry as well as bush growth habit. There are several varieties as well, many of which ripen at different times in a season. Their nutrition profile is much better than blueberries too, a real power food. This one is HoneyGem, a larger berry, less sour but which needs to be processed or frozen very soon after being picked.

Sweet pea flowers are starting to roll in. I have no idea why these flowers are not more popular, they smell like heaven! This vase has 'High Scent' (my fave)with the purple edging on white, and the bicolored 'Cupani' which is one of the oldest varieties of sweet pea flower. I even put these vases in my car - it's the best place to enjoy them! Small, warm enclosed space!

 

[heirloomgal]

'Vermont Cranberry' bean bushes - such unusual, rippled & pointed foliage. I have found this variety very hardy, neither rain or excessive heat has seemed to really bother it.

Bloom buds of 'Carminat' purple pole bean. First time growing this bean, and I quite like it. So vigorous.

Cannot remember what bean this was! I liked the two toned bloom though.

'Amish Snap' pea is ready to be picked! I had about 6 old seeds left last year, and I managed to resurrect my whole Amish Snap seed supply from those few. This year I have whole long row that should provide a good insurance of seeds now. So happy I won't have to buy any!

Can't wait for these to ripen

Pumpkin patch is growing, and WOW the vines are covered in such sharp bristles! There must be some toxin on those hairs because too much working among those vines and I get a very red, itchy rash.

More snow peas ready to be harvested. My plan is to actually stuff these with herb cream cheese and serve them as an appetizer.

I found this growing in my garden the other day. It's a weed, technically, but I left it because of historic sentiment, settlers used to collect these dried heads for pillows. There isn't enough for a pillow but I could try a scented sachet maybe.

The picture quality is very poor as I was in a hurry taking this when I saw the bee, but it was quite the sight this little guy burrowing into the bloom and seemingly working with such patience like a surgeon. I don't mind him here since he can't cross pollinate these beans. Funny though (and good) how much the bees love these blooms but seem to ignore the other bean blooms.

Cucumber baby

 

[Zeedman]

'Chester' pole bean bloom, seems the wrong colour though...@Zeedman do you recall the blossom colour of this one?

As I recall, there was something unusual about the flowers of Chester; I think it had two-toned petals. I planned to take a photo when I grew it again (hopefully next year). The unidentified blossom in the following post looks similar to what I remember about Chester.