A Seed Saver's Garden

[Pulsegleaner]

The odd thing is these peas, presumably, come from a location with a much more difficult growing zone than you or I are in; Prairie Garden Seeds is in northern Saskatchewan. I guess it isn't impossible but I can't imagine that they buy these seeds elsewhere and sell them. So how are they getting such good quality seeds is the question. Maybe the plants are very frost tolerant, and the vines will continue to persist deep into September early October. I messaged the company. We'll see what they say about seed maturity with these.

I'd be a lot easier if we knew the scientific name of them, then we could do some web research.

God, I wish I was still back at Cornell and had access to the files at the Ag Station at Geneva; I remember them once photocopying me some publication that listed the vetches by seed shape. But it's twenty years now; any access I had will be long gone (I may have been eager but it was still just one college student among God knows how many. The undoubtedly saw hundreds just like me over the years. )


As I have mentioned, I tend to have the same growing problem with many soybeans (domestic ones, not the wild ones*). They'll reach what might be termed "edamame" stage quite quickly, and then sort of go into stasis, never moving on to drying down and being ready to be picked and stored. Or why I largely gave up on those; the last time I did a grow out of found ones (probably at least ten years ago, if not more) I think only one more or less matured correctly; and since that was the one with the super flat, super thin seeds, it wasn't one really worth pursuing for eating growth (though it was the first time I discovered soybeans could have seed that was red/pink when fresh.)

* With the wild ones, the problem was trying to keep up with the production, they LOVE it here (enough to be a potential weed threat if I lost control of them.)

 

[heirloomgal]

I'd be a lot easier if we knew the scientific name of them, then we could do some web research.

God, I wish I was still back at Cornell and had access to the files at the Ag Station at Geneva; I remember them once photocopying me some publication that listed the vetches by seed shape. But it's twenty years now; any access I had will be long gone (I may have been eager but it was still just one college student among God knows how many. The undoubtedly saw hundreds just like me over the years. )


As I have mentioned, I tend to have the same growing problem with many soybeans (domestic ones, not the wild ones*). They'll reach what might be termed "edamame" stage quite quickly, and then sort of go into stasis, never moving on to drying down and being ready to be picked and stored. Or why I largely gave up on those; the last time I did a grow out of found ones (probably at least ten years ago, if not more) I think only one more or less matured correctly; and since that was the one with the super flat, super thin seeds, it wasn't one really worth pursuing for eating growth (though it was the first time I discovered soybeans could have seed that was red/pink when fresh.)

* With the wild ones, the problem was trying to keep up with the production, they LOVE it here (enough to be a potential weed threat if I lost control of them.)

The website lists it as Lathyrus tingitanus, is that what you mean by scientific name?

 

[Pulsegleaner]

The website lists it as Lathyrus tingitanus, is that what you mean by scientific name?

EXACTLY what I meant. You didn't mention that bit before. With that name, web searches can be done to see things like conditions of the plant ripening.

 

[Pulsegleaner]

Only one thing to report (and it's not in my garden).


Last evening we ordered in Greek for dinner, so I took the opportunity to return to that wild pear tree and get some riper fruits (about nine or ten of them).

While collecting I noticed something. Either there are two pear trees intertwined or the tree must have been grafted at some point. One spur, vary low down, had very different looking fruits. MUCH. much tinier, and round. Looked sort of like Bradford/Callery ornamental pear fruits, only a bit bigger, a larger, persistent calyx, and much shorter stems (those have long stems like cherries, right?)
There was also one fruit that seemed like it might be a hybrid or chimera. It was pear shaped, but smaller than the other pears, and had brown skin over the WHOLE surface, as opposed to the odd random spot on the side. Collected examples of both along with the standards.

 

[heirloomgal]

Only one thing to report (and it's not in my garden).


Last evening we ordered in Greek for dinner, so I took the opportunity to return to that wild pear tree and get some riper fruits (about nine or ten of them).

While collecting I noticed something. Either there are two pear trees intertwined or the tree must have been grafted at some point. One spur, vary low down, had very different looking fruits. MUCH. much tinier, and round. Looked sort of like Bradford/Callery ornamental pear fruits, only a bit bigger, a larger, persistent calyx, and much shorter stems (those have long stems like cherries, right?)
There was also one fruit that seemed like it might be a hybrid or chimera. It was pear shaped, but smaller than the other pears, and had brown skin over the WHOLE surface, as opposed to the odd random spot on the side. Collected examples of both along with the standards.

I realize that this is not entirely related to the pears, but you mentioned the word so I'll take opportunity to ask - can a human be a chimera? I have a friend who I suspect is one of those (from my understanding of the word chimera), but I've never taken the time to research the topic to be clear enough on it.

 

[heirloomgal]

Some tomato stuff.

The jumbo tomato of the year 'Minusinskiy Lev'. Didn't weigh it but it's huge. Bigger than I like tomatoes actually, but I never grew it before so had no idea. Put a 'normal' sized tomato next for scale, probably 1 1/2 pounds.

I had one seed left for the 'Targinnie Red' tomato that was once offered by Tatiana's but is no longer offered anywhere. Thankfully it grew! Victory! It's supposed to be a mini stuffer, and I just had to check. It was! The only thing that seems a bit off is the color is slightly 'light red', just a hint of pink in there. Not sure what that might mean in terms of inadvertent genetic introductions but I consider this close enough.

Another rare Russian tomato that turns out to be not so early a variety, but productive nonetheless -'Taimyr'. It flopped over, I should have staked it (it' a dwarf), but I broke another plant trying to stake it after a flopping like this so didn't dare try. Several of these early varieties I got were old seeds, and many didn't have high germ rates - they almost all sprouted, and I was lucky, but there wasn't room for error because sometimes only 1 or 2 sprouted. This was one of those singles. Apparently, Taimyr Peninsula it's namesake is in Siberia.

Made rice and beans tonight, adding in my own carrots, cabbage, peppers & kale. These are 'Marron de Fabrica' - such a great little sweet pepper! Earliest of the bunch too.

The experienced cabbage growers will probably laugh (rightfully so!), but hey, it's my first ever decently grown cabbage! I didn't think the green ones would survive the hideous bugs, I protected only the purple heads. The outer leaves were absolutely butchered by crawlies, but inside was unblemished. I don't know how much nutrition would be in these, not much chlorophyll, but it tasted good!

 

[Pulsegleaner]

I realize that this is not entirely related to the pears, but you mentioned the word so I'll take opportunity to ask - can a human be a chimera? I have a friend who I suspect is one of those (from my understanding of the word chimera), but I've never taken the time to research the topic to be clear enough on it.

I think it can. It certainly can happen with cats (there's that famous one Venus on the internet with the split colored face and the heterochromia).

The literal definition of a chimera is an organism which has more than one cell line with different genotypes. Literally some of their cells have one set of DNA, and others have a different one. It's pretty rare, so if your friend is that it would be notable.

 

[flowerbug]

...
The experienced cabbage growers will probably laugh (rightfully so!), but hey, it's my first ever decently grown cabbage! I didn't think the green ones would survive the hideous bugs, I protected only the purple heads. The outer leaves were absolutely butchered by crawlies, but inside was unblemished. I don't know how much nutrition would be in these, not much chlorophyll, but it tasted good!
View attachment 68226

it's beautiful! good job! no laughing matter to me...

i grew cabbages here once and since i did not want to deal with covering them i went out each day and picked the worms off that i could find. i didn't get them all. even the wasps were helping out but they also could not get them all. the cabbages grew great, but they had worms in them all through the cores and stems. so considering how many hours i had in picking off the worms and growing them they were probably worth $100/lb at least...

 

[Shades-of-Oregon]

When I see cabbage a gorgeous as @heirloomgal I think corned beef.

 

[Pulsegleaner]

Looks like the sprouts in the pot next to the basil plant are also basil. Though at this point, I don't know if they are the same kind from the original plant that came from seeds it dropped, or returns from the failed type of last year. I tried smelling them, but the main tulsi plant's scent is so strong, even when you don't bump into it, I can really smell anything over it, so I'll have to carry the second pot somewhere else to smell it, without touching the first one (so no smell attaches to my hands or clothes).

Oh and that rather anemic looking cowpea plant has a flower bud now, so I should get some tiny black cowpeas.