Posted on 01/06/2012 9:53:54 AM PST by JustaDumbBlonde
January is not the most hospitable month of the year to be sure. If you're like me those cold dreary days are best spent curled up in a chair (for the guys that don't *do* curl -- sit there very manly) with a cup of tea (insert the manly beverage of your choice) and a stack of garden catalogs that you need a front-end loader to move (got you with the front-end loader, didn't I?).
I've got to hand it to the catalog people, the covers are exceptional this year and, by golly, with all of the $25 to $100 coupons right there on the front ... I saved $475 just walking in from the mailbox!
Your first five minutes spent thumbing through will tell you something, regardless of which catalog your choose: Prices. Are. Up. Must be that ol' supply-n-demand thing, because I choose to believe that MY favorite seed suppliers would never take advantage of a market that is growing by leaps and bounds as people discover that you can feed your family the highest quality foods and save money at the same time. Not to mention, you know exactly how your food was handled and by whom. It must be said -- produce from Mexico just doesn't have the same tropical appeal that it once did.
These are the catalogs I've received as of this morning. I've put these in the form of a link that you can take to that company, if you so desire. You can request a catalog of your own or, do what I do, which is peruse the paper catalog and then place an order online.
Gurney's Seed & Nursery Co.Please let us know about your favorite catalogs and gardening-related companies. I know that we all love to discover something new that will further our fun in the garden.
Musser Forests, Inc.
Michigan Bulb Co.
Agri Supply
Growers Supply
Stark Bro's Nursery
The Greenhouse Catalog
Gardener's Supply Company
Totally Tomatoes
The Cook's Garden
Burpee
Henry Field's Seed & Nursery Co. *
Gurney's Seed & Nursery Co. *
Jung's Seeds & Plants
R.H. Shumway's Illustrated Garden Guide* Henry Field's and Gurney's are one and the same group. I suspect that Burgess is also owned by them, but haven't confirmed
LOL
That lady is nearing sainthood.
http://neworleans.about.com/od/fooddrink/qt/Creole-Tomatoes.htm
I have absolutely no clue what kind I'm getting in the seed packet that is sold as "Creoles". But, they do make exactly the same tomato every year and across the years, so I'm thinking that they are true decendents of the LSU creoles. At this point it is all as clear as mud!
There was an article that I posted in the form of a link last year about dry farming tomatoes. I do remember that it is mainly done in Texas and mainly using the Early Girl variety. Those babies are highly-sought in central Texas and fetched a premium price. I seem to remember that some people were on a waiting list each year.
As for a crop to take to market, that meets your criteria of bringing a good price with the least effort, I'd recommend okra, cucumbers and/or sweet corn. I've not yet reached the point of growing too many of any of those. Okra sells very well in my neck of the woods, and it is by far the easiest and least expensive to grow. Takes little work except to pick once or twice a day. Small, tender pods bring a good price too. I got $3/pound last year.
Sweet corn is easy, as the picking does not require stooping. It will grow in a wide variety of soil types, but will require nitrogen fertilizer. Not as picky about phosphorus and potash, but you will almost certainly have to add nitrogen. Remember that corn is actually a grass, so anything that will keep grass happy will generally grow corn. Water is important, but you can get by with less water if it comes at critical times in development.
If grown on a trellis, cukes are about as easy as it gets. No stooping, not a big bug problem child, but you will need water. Not enough water makes cukes bitter and you can't sell them or won't get a repeat customer if you do. I try to plant 3 or 4 pickling varieties, 3 or 4 slicing varieties, and at least 1 burpless. There are varieties of pickling and slicing that will overlap as far as use goes, and those are really great.
backyardaquaponics.com has some good tips on raising fish at home.
Also forgot to mention that you want to stagger your plantings so that all of your market crop doesn't all come in at once.
I guess I should give it up and just get some in La. when I am passing through next time during the season.
At least I do know where to get great boudin. We stocked up when we went through La. at Christmas.
Hate to keep bugging you, but I remembered something else that I wanted to tell you. Don’t worry so much about what other people are growing or market saturation. Concentrate on offering the least blemished, best tasting whatever you’re growing. People will flock to a quality product.
Here’s a few favorites of mine:
J.L. Hudson, Seedsman
P.O. Box 337
La Honda, CA 94020
No website - totally snail mail. Worth it, though - 95 illustration-free pages of rare seeds by botanical name.
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Irish Eyes Garden Seeds
http://www.irisheyesgardenseeds.com
Your potatoe headquarters; always pleased with their certified stock.
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St. Lawrence Nurseries
http://www.sln.potsdam.ny.us
Zone 3 nursery with nearly two hundred apple varieties. Other fruits, too, including a silver maple (A. saccharinum) cultivar that has twice the sap sugar content at 3-5% over the sugar maple (A. saccharum) around 2-2.5%.
While I was picking up the pots, I found these pots that are designed to fit on a fence rail. So I picked up a couple and some plumbing and expanded the hydroponic system to a nice sunny spot on the edge of the dock. I went ahead and planted tomatoes, knowing it's not the right time, but I figured if we got any cold this year (here along the north edge of Tampa Bay there are many winters I don't see freezing) I could just take them inside for a night or two.
The next day I see that the weather is coming. Into the house went the existing tomatoes. Lessons learned:
Have to go to the doctor again this coming Wednesday, and I can't wait to bring home a bunch this time.
Wow, thank you so much! All of those sound great.
Thanks for the link. Sorry for the delay - I am having trouble online - keep getting a message that the link appears to be broken.
I don’t know if it is my computer or whether FR is having some issues.
As JADB stated , have the most flavorful , blemish free veggies that you are able ; they will flock to you.
Arround here, a bunch of leeks ( 3 in the bunch ) are going for $4.00 @ bunch . Leeks are like a mild tasting onion. They command a pretty good price especially if the bottom 3-4 inches are ‘blanched’( either by hilling up the soil/ or the use of wooden boards).
Depending on your soil type, cukes are always in high demand, especially the ‘burpless’ , elongated ones as they can be used fresh in salads, or pickled (sweet or dill) .
Thanks for the links, this will help the Indiana winter pass a little quicker.
It is interesting how region affects markets for produce. Where I live, burpless my least asked-for variety, and it seems to be mainly senior citizens that like the no-burp aspect. Mostly people look for the "old-timey" cukes, which are the pickling varieties that they remember from the grandmothers' garden. I don't get nearly as much business out of the dark, shiny varieties like you most often see in the grocery store.
You’re most welcome. Thanks for checking-in.
Yep! Great Boudin was a staple for me for many years for a breakfast when I was working and living in La. easy to just squeeze out of the casing and take a bite of a cracker while driving.
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