Greens planted on Feb 6, getting some filtered sun outdoors Feb 23

With just a week remaining in February, it is time to get my seed planting plans in place. I already have some things up and growing, which I will show and describe below.

Let’s start with some milestones.

Epic Tomatoes was published in December 2014. It’s been 10 years since its release!
My first significant garden was in 1981 - 43 years ago. That’s a lot of pounding stakes into the ground, dealing with dirty fingernails, feet with ground in clay soil, and tomato foliage-stained T shirts!
I joined the Seed Savers Exchange in 1986 - 38 years ago. No wonder my heirloom seed collection grew to the size it now is.
The SSE was formed in 1975. That means next year is its Golden Anniversary - 50 years for the great idea and incredibly relevant organization.
I received, and first grew (and named) Cherokee Purple in 1990. That is 34 years ago.
I’ve grown Cherokee Purple 52 times, Cherokee Chocolate (which appeared in my garden in 1995) 40 times, Cherokee Green (which appeared in my garden in 1997) 28 times, Brandywine (Sudduth strain which I received from Roger Wentling in 1987) 45 times, and Lillian’s Yellow Heirloom 30 times - these are the varieties I’ve grown the most often by a wide margin.

Time certainly flies when you’re having fun - the speed that the above transpired can only mean I am having a blast!

Now, on to seeds planted, or planned to be so soon.

My first 14 cells, planted on February 6, included spiderwort (a slow germinator, still waiting for it) Bright Lights chard, an heirloom Collard, a smooth leaf Kale, the spinach varieties Acadia, Space, Seaside, and Giant Nobel, and lettuces Magenta, Cherokee, Cimarron, Gabriella and Green Ice. The seeds germinated quickly and mostly well (a few varieties are a bit old and were no shows), and are getting their first taste of outdoors and sun today.

As for tomatoes, I always like to go back and germinate some really old seed of important varieties. Sadly, the list of potential candidates is much smaller this year. Today I planted Cherokee Chocolate from 2011 (T11-13), Cherokee Purple from 2011 (T11-51), and Brandywines from 2011 - T11-7, 49 and 60. These are the oldest vials, closest to originally sent seed, that could germinate. for Brandywine, 11-7 is 4 plantings removed from source seed, and 11-49 and 11-60 are 5 plantings removed. Cherokee Chocolate 11-13 is only 2 plantings removed from discovery, and Cherokee Purple 11-51 is 3 plantings removed.

At this point, it seems the 12 tomato plants destined for my main tomato strawbale garden, 1 plant per bale, are Abraham Brown, Polish, Lucky Cross, Lillian’s Yellow Heirloom, Cherokee Purple, Cherokee Chocolate, Cherokee Green, Captain Lucky, Potato Leaf Yellow, Sun Gold F1 hybrid, and Egg Yolk - and either Earl, Mary’s Yellow or Rainbow Bling. I will have Mexico Midget in a container in a different location, and am pondering growing out 1 each of the new hybrids I made last year at the Veterans Healing Farm greenhouse. For all of these plants, I will be going to most recently saved seed.

Varieties I will start for the Farm straw bales in addition to the above are Earl, Big Sandy, Nepal, Red Brandywine, and. Fairytale Angel. I did want to have a few plants at my home to donate or give to local gardens, so am also going to start Lillian Rose, Fairytale Fruit, Uluru Ochre, Gloria’s Treat, Eagle Smiley, BrandyFred, Beauty King, Wild Spudleaf, Saucy Mary, Sweet Scarlet Dwarf, Purple Heartthrob, and Chocolate Heartthrob. All of these will be from most recently saved seeds. Filling the 50 cell plug flat will be peppers Shishito and Pinata, eggplants Midnight Lightning and Twilight Lightning and some downy mildew resistant Basil, as well as some Genovese.

Events for March

March 4 - Containers and Strawbales, Zoom for a PA library
March 16 - Veterans Healing Farm, US Garden History, Johnson Farm on Rt 191 Hendersonville, 10 AM, free
March 19 - Containers and Strawbales, Hendersonville Library 5:30 PM, free
March 20 - Tomatoes, Sonoma CA garden group Zoom, details to follow
March 27 - Containers and Strawbales, Sow True Seeds, Asheville, 5:30 - link to follow (fee event)