Baker Creek Christmas

[lesa]

Keep an eye on those ground cherries. They can be kind of invasive. If you have a spot you want to fill up, they spread and come back. Mine went by themselves, from my garden to the chicken yard. Chickens do not eat them... Wondering where they will pop up this year!

 

[digitS']

Baker Creek does have a great selection of heirloom varieties, which i like. I tried some varieties from there this past summer, like Pantano Romanesco tomato which were pretty good. And a few others Cherokee Purple Tomato, Flame/ Hillibilly Tomato, Pink Ponderosa, and this Portuguese variety Rei dos Tempores. I need to look for a nice beefy and meaty type of tomato for next summer, anyone know of some varieties that fit that bill?

Greenthumb, a real nice "meaty" beefsteak is Prudens Purple.

It just barely has time to ripen in my garden but, Prudens is a real nice heirloom.

I'm not sure if Baker Creek has it. It seems to be a very popular variety. I got my seed from Remy at Sample Seed.

Steve

 

[Greenthumb18]

Greenthumb, a real nice "meaty" beefsteak is Prudens Purple.

It just barely has time to ripen in my garden but, Prudens is a real nice heirloom.

I'm not sure if Baker Creek has it. It seems to be a very popular variety. I got my seed from Remy at Sample Seed.

Steve

Hey Steve

Thanks so much for giving me a meaty beefsteak tomato variety. Is Prudens Purple really a purple tomato? I went to look it up they say its more pinkisk. It seems to mature pretty early for a tomato around 72 days, not bad. I see a lot of companies carry this variety Johnny's seeds one of them. I'll definitely give this tomato variety a try, looks like a great one to try.

Thanks Again! Steve

 

[digitS']

Yes, it is pink.

A big pink and earlier than most heirloom beefsteaks. 72 days seems too optimistic to me, tho'.

I mean, Big Beef is probably a 72 day tomato and it always has time to ripen several weeks before 1st frost. I'd say that Prudens is more like a 78 day variety. It will turn pink just after the Thessaloniki in my garden.

Those Thessaloniki aren't real large and not so meaty and certainly, certainly not a 67 day variety as claimed in some catalogs. I really wish there was a little more "reality" to some catalog descriptions . . . .

Steve

 

[OaklandCityFarmer]

I would also endorse Prudens, it produces well and has good size fruits.

Other meaty beefsteaks that have come early are Soldacki and Dutchman, which I'm not sure if Baker Creek carries. Both are pinkish/purplish, meaty, low seed count, and relatively mid-early season. Dutchman did better in the test gardens over the years in disease resistance.

 

[mothergoose]

The Pineapple tomato from Baker creek is by far the best tomato I have ever tasted. It is a bycolor- yellow streaked with red. And can reach sizes in excess of 2 lbs. Fantastic.

I also think the Marconni peppers are fantastic. Excellent sweet flavor.

I have my Baker creek order ready!!!

Happy shopping,
Christie

 

[barefootgardener]

Well I am jumping on the bandwagon a little late here, and you probably already sent your order in, but for anyone else interested in ordering from BC cataloge, I can tell you a few of my fav's I have been ordering over the years!..I have also been a customer of Baker Creek for the past 13 years...so some things have come and gone and come back again...

First Tomatoes: I have ordered so many Heirloom tomatoes over the years, I have quite a few fav's that did well for me, but every year is different in the garden, (Zone 4) and taste is subjective ...Last year I planted over 70+ diff. varieties, not all from BC

Fav. tomatoes BC carries: Kelloggs Breakfast, Black Krim, Blk from Tula, Brandywine, Aunt Ruby's German Green, Old German, Pantano Romanesco, Rose, Jap. Blk Trifele, Amish Paste (the original)..Costoluto Genovese,...(CG was new in garden for 2010)..These are in my garden every year....

For Squash/Pumpkin: Winter..Pennsylvania Dutch Crookneck Squash, Musquee De Provence, Black Futsu and the old standard fav. Waltham-Butternut, and Greek Sweet Red..
I have grown others, but these did the best/tasted best, for our zone 4..

.I tried growing Marina Di Chioggia and Galeux D' Eysines, but I started the seeds late and they never matured fully, but I am going to try again soon..they are too beautiful not to try!!

Summer Squash: Hands down fav. is Zucchino Rampicante...Most years it does really well.

Watermelon: Orangeglo, Cream Of Saskatchewan, always ripen for me. Taste wonderful!

Melons: Sakata's Sweet, Petite Gris De Rennes, Charentais

Other Favorites: Japanese Giant Red Mustard, Nero Di Toscano Cabbage, Blue Podded Blauwschokkers Peas, Poohna Kheera Cucumber, Dragon Tongue Bean, Quadrato D'Asti Rossa and Quadrato D' Asti Giallo Sweet Pepper's...Listada De Gandia, Ping Tung and Roas Bianca Eggplant.. Oh and Purple Tomatillos..Sweet enough to eat fresh off vine..Yummy!

Most of these come back every year..Plus I always add a lot of new ones that come and go..

Ginny

 

[curly_kate]

Kelloggs Breakfast was my FAVORITE tomato last year!! They don't seem to be carrying it this year, so I'm glad I saved some seeds from last year. I also love Orangeglo watermelon.

 

[wifezilla]

The Charentais melon is DELICIOUS! I just had a talk with a local farmer that grew them too. She sold them to a 5 star hotel!!! Not only that, they sold so fast she is going to raise her price next year! LOL

More power to her. The farm she manages is part of a trust that only sells heirlooms, has freerange chickens and sells heritage pork.