One Seed Chicago

I voted on One Seed Chicago a while back.  From their website:

Each year One Seed Chicago selects one plant to be the focus of a season-long celebration. Imagine thousands of the same vegetable or flower linking community gardens, yards and window sills across the City! As One Book, One Chicago is to reading, One Seed Chicago is to urban greening.

I didn’t vote for the Blue Lake Pole bean (I think I went corn, but it’s been a while).  Anyway, I will grow it in the spirit of One Seed Chicago.  It felt like magic seeds when they showed up in the mail yesterday.

They will go in the ground this week and I’ll try to highlight the beans seperately to showcase One Seed Chicago.

Related articles:

1. Planted: Greasy Grits Beans
2. Planted: Stowell’s Evergreen Corn
3. Planted: European Mesclun Salad

I try a new variety of corn each year.  Last year was Illini corn (again favoring the local variety).  I’ve pulled the corn too early and I’ve waited too long and an animals has gotten to the corn before me.  I thought corn was pretty easy to grow but I always run into a problem.  Hopefully I’ll pay close attention and get a few good ears of corn this year.

It’s hard to tell from the photo below, but the seeds of corn are very white/light yellow.  I’m curious what this will taste like.

Stowell's Evergreen Corn from Baker Creek

Stowell’s Evergreen Sweet Corn
This is among the oldest sweet corn that is still in production, predating 1949. It is still a favorite of many, producing tasty white kernels. The plants used to be pulled up when completely ripe, and hung upside-down in a cool pantry; the ears would last well into the winter, in a semi-fresh state. In 1873, the seeds sold for 25 cents per pint.

Related articles:

1. Planted: European Mesclun Salad
2. In the Ground: Carrots
3. Planted: Radishes

Cilantro is fresh — coriander is the seeds that grow when the plant bolts.  Cilantro bolts fast.  If this is your first time growing Cilantro, grow slow bolt cilantro to allow the fresh leaves to grow longer without bolting (or sending up the coriander seeds).

When I think Salsa, I think Mexico.  When I think Mexico, I think Oaxaca.  Oaxaca was the origin for maize, beans, cacao, tomatoes, chili peppers, squash, pumpkin, and turkeys. Also available in the fertile region of Oaxaca were pineapples, avocados, zapotes, and maguey.

If I were to go off the grid, I would probably go off the grid in Oaxaca.  Ok, back to growing…

I grow:

Cilantro Oaxaca
Nice strain from the Zapotec people in Oaxaca, Mexico. Excellent flavor and good bolt resistance. It is also a good producer of coriander.

Cilantro is tough to grow.  It’s another plant I would normally start inside, but this year I’m trying directly in the ground.  Half the plants I cut for things like salsa.  The others I let bolt to send up the coriander seeds.  I cut the plants and allow the seeds to dry and then pull them off the stocks.  The coriander seeds will last all winter.

What seems like a simple plant provides a lot of different options.

Related articles:

1. On the Farm, June 12, 2009
2. On The Farm, June 26, 2009
3. In the Ground: Parsley

In years past, I’d have planted them indoors a few weeks ago and transplanted into the ground in a few weeks.  I’m trying something new this year.  Instead of transplanting, I’m trying to direct seed in the ground.  I’ve planted 12 seeds and I’m guessing only 6 will actually sprout.  Once they do sprout, I hope the plants will be more robust than my transplants.

Nothing crazy with parsley varieties.  Here is the variety that I’m growing:

Giant of Italy (Petroselinum crispum)

Huge leaves with great flavor. Dark green, flat leaves with strong stems.

Related articles:

1. In the Ground: Cilantro
2. In the Ground: Swiss Chard
3. A Growing Farm, May 27, 2009

I think people forget why April showers bring May flowers.  This weekend was a great example — Saturday was a great day to work in the garden.  Since then, we’ve had 2 great days of rain — .9 inches on Sunday and .16 on Monday.  That’s a full inch of rain.  With freshly planted seeds in the ground, the rain will keep the seeds moist and encourage the seeds to sprout.

Among many vegetables in the ground on this Saturday was Swiss Chard.  I’ve become a big fan of swiss chard after growing it.  It’s another real easy vegetable to grow.  Also called silverbeet, the leaves have a hint of beet flavor to them (they are in the same family as the beet).  Sauteed, chard tastes much like spinach.

The picture below shows the plants much further apart then I’ve planted them.  Since I’m using the square foot gardening principles, it will be grown tightly.  I plan to cut some leaves early for baby chard and let others grow out.  I’ve found chard doesn’t get bitter or change taste too much as it grows, so there is no need cut it too early.

Here is the description of the variety I’m growing:

Red Chard growing in the garden of Slow Food Nation, Photo by mercedesfromtheeighties

Five Color Silverbeet (Rainbow Chard)
60 days. A beautiful chard, its colors are brilliant (pink, yellow, orange, red and white). This chard originated in Australia. Very mild, ornamental, and tasty. Great for market growers and specialty markets. Pretty enough to plant in the flower garden, so delicious, one of our favorite greens! (Sold in stores as “Bright Lights”)

Related articles:

1. Live from the Farm: Swiss Chard
2. Live from the Farm: Water Logged Chard
3. On the Farm, June 19, 2009

In the ground on Friday went Carrots.  This is the first vegetable I’ve planted that actually goes in the ground (radishes do, but only an inch or two).  The hope is that the carrots will grow about a 4 to 6 inch root at the very least (yes, you actually eat the root of the plant).  So you have to be very careful that you can grow down deep.  See how easy it is to dig about 12 inches into the ground.  If it gets really hard really quickly, the carrot is going to hit the same wall and stop growing.  You really want to work your soil to allow the carrot to grow nice and easy.

If your dirt is ok, then you’re not likely to encounter any other troubles.  Space them appropriately and watch them grow.  What I’m planting this year, St Valery, matures in about 2 months.  I like to plant a few carrots every 2 weeks to make sure I have carrots all season.  They’ll make it all the way until the fall frost (you can overwinter carrots, but I’m not thinking winter yet).

As I’ve mentioned before, I look for heirlooms and in particular with this carrot, really old ones.  Check out two different descriptions for this carrot.  Both from 1885 and but from two different continents.

Baker Creek: The Vilmorins of France mentioned this variety in 1885 and said it had been grown a “long time” then. A large handsome variety with bright red-orange roots; smooth, 10″-12″ long & 2″-3″ in diameter. Sweet & tender. Rare. Our favorite!

Cherry Gal: ST VALERY CARROT was marketed as early as 1885 by the James Vick & Son Company of Rochester New York. Very desirable for private gardens  and very productive. Roots are 8-10″ long, fine-grained, sweet and excellent for storage. 50-80 days. 50 seeds.

If you’ve never heard of Vilmorins, check out their website or click on the image above to see some of their classic catalogs.

Related articles:

1. In the Ground: Swiss Chard
2. A Growing Farm, May 27, 2009
3. Happy Friday on the Farm

A couple of things that are important to me when I buy seeds.  First, I want unique versions of the vegetables I grow — no standard grocery tomato for me.  Second, I’d prefer an organic seed although with many heirloom varieties that is not possible.  Finally, I tend to buy from a few companies rather than one or many.  It just makes it easier.

In non-scientific speak, an heirloom variety is a variety of vegetable that was grown “way back when.”  Being in Illinois, I look for heirlooms traditionally grown here.  Of course, we don’t grow very many peas in Illinois today, but “way back when” we grew Lincoln Peas.

Tomatoes

I buy my tomato seeds from Tomato Growers Supply Company.  Tomato Growers has over 500 varieties of tomatoes and peppers to choose from.  I will end up writing many posts on my selection of tomatoes, but I purposely grow early maturing, mid maturing, and late maturing tomatoes to try to get as many tomatoes as possible throughout the growing season.  I also grow Green Zebras and a few other specialty varieties.

Vegetables

Baker Creek Seed Company has just about the best looking seed catalog out there.  I will keep buying from Baker just to get next year’s catalog.  Baker has an incredible selection of heirloom seeds that many other seed companies do not carry.  With vegetables, in particular, their selection is broad, descriptions fun, and seeds always germinate.

Herbs

In terms of Organic herbs, Southern Exposure Seed Exchange (SESE) is my choice.  They have a very classic looking seed catalog that makes me feel like I’m back in the 40s.  SESE has a great selection of vegetables, herbs, and flowers of very high quality.  I have had a lot of success over the past year with SESE seeds.

Others

A few other recommended companies that I use:

Peaceful Valley is an excellent source for the serious gardener.  I’m jumping way ahead to the fall, but I buy my cover crops, beneficial plant seeds (more on this later, but I plant seeds to encourage insects to hang out in the garden), and fertilizer.

Gardeners.com is where I buy all of my supplies — vegetable stakes, trellises, etc.  Good prices and very high quality.

Seed Savers Exchange is where I find the rarest of the rare seeds.  Because I’m an urban gardener, it makes it very difficult to grow for seed (you must maintain a distance between plants so they don’t accidentally cross pollinate).  I feel very guilty not giving back.  I’ve always bought my potato seeds from SSE.

This should give you a hint of what is to come this summer in the garden.  Things move quickly after the last frost!

Related articles:

1. Planted: Rocky Top Lettuce
2. Transplanted: Mule Team Tomato
3. Spring Preparations

This is my fourth year urban farming and while I might make it look good today, I’ve definitely had a fair bit of trail and error along the way.  Living in Chicago, the growing season isn’t long enough to satisfy my urge.  It’s usually November and December before I’m ready to get seeds back in the ground.

Seed catalogs — more on those tomorrow — come in December and January and I usually make my first purchases shortly thereafter.  With the seeds in my hands by February 1st, it’s easy to start growing right away.

A few years ago, I planted tomato seeds in the seedstarters around February 1st.  By March 1st, they are outgrowing the 2″ square pot and ready to stretch out.  First, please don’t plant in the ground until the ground and the weather is good and ready.  I hate losing 6 weeks of work to putting the tomatoes in the ground too early.

My recommendation is to give them the room they need but keep them inside.  While I’m not a fan of plastic cups (for environment reasons), they do make a good mini pot for tomato starts.  It will also give them another 2 to 3 weeks to grow inside.

If you’re using a “growing medium” (I use this mix), you’ll need to add some real dirt and some tomato fertilizer to keep the tomatoes happy.  For tomatoes throughout the growing season, I use Gardeners.com Organic Tomato Fertilizer.  Transplant them to the cups and they’ll do fine until you can get them outdoors.  Crisis averted!

Tomato starts growing under a grow lamp, April 2009

Related articles:

1. Spring Preparations
2. It’s a tough day for a Tomato
3. Transplanted: Grandma Mary’s Paste

Rocky Top is probably the least descriptive seed I’ve bought.  From Baker Creek:

Our improved blend is now better than ever!  With more brightly colored and unique lettuces, it makes a flavorful and brilliant salad.  People love the rich, old-fashioned taste.

Unfortunately, no listing of exactly what makes up Rocky Top.  Sadly, I picked it this year after my usual salad mix – Summer of Salads Mix – was discontinued.  Summer of Salads provided many, many pickings of 20 different varieties of salads throughout last summer.  This mix specifically I planted about every 2 to 3 weeks during the summer months.  While salads grow great all year long, it is important that they don’t get too much sun.  The lettuce plot is strategically located near the garage so that it gets only a bit of morning sun.

Yesterday I mentioned how I was lazy when it comes to lettuce, opting to plant directly in the ground versus transplanting.  Lettuce seeds shouldn’t be planted too deeply.  In fact, if you were growing them indoors, you would want to lay them on top of the dirt instead of in the dirt.  Outside, giving the windy Chicago springs, the seeds would blow away and I’d be staring at the ground for days wondering why my lettuce isn’t growing.  A little bit of dirt and lots of water generally keeps the seeds right where I left them.

Related articles:

1. Planted: European Mesclun Salad
2. Planted: Lincoln Peas
3. On the Farm, June 6, 2009

Lettuce Cultivars by David Shankbone, New York City

As a home farmer, growing single types of lettuce can get boring.  The fun of growing at home is growing a number of varieties that you wouldn’t necessarily buy for yourself.  This year, I’m planting two mixes of lettuces — European Mesclun Salad and Rocky Top Lettuce Salad.  I’ll talk about Rocky Top tomorrow.

European Mesclun Salad mix contains radicchio, arugula (formerly known as rocket), endive, orach, mizuna, kale, mustard, and corn salad.  I grow kale separately, but it adds variety to this salad mix.

Many people grow lettuces indoors and then transplant outside.  Primarily you’d like the warm soil to allow the lettuce to sprout — something we don’t get outside in Chicago in April.  Call me a little lazy, but I don’t mind waiting a few more days for the seeds to sprout directly in the ground.

In past years I’ve thrown seeds around in the plot to let them grow where ever they fell.  With salads, you tend to cut them at different times — early for baby leaves and later for full salad heads.  With the website and a new camera, I want to take more pictures of the vegetables throughout the season, so I’ve planted them this year in a more traditional row method.  At least I’ll be able to compare whether rows or free fall makes a difference.

Related articles:

1. Planted: Rocky Top Lettuce
2. Planted: Radishes
3. On the Farm, June 6, 2009