Seed Growers Guide 2014 - Siskiyou Seeds

Siskiyou Seeds

2014 Seed Growers Guide

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Visit the Seven Seeds Farm blog www.sevenseedsfarm.com

2014 Seed Growers GuideSeed Planting General Rules

Welcome to the new 2014 Seed Growers Guide! In the following pages, we provide key insights on Growing Tips, Pests, Germination, Sowing, Month-by-Month Planting, Harvesting and Seed Saving.

The following general rules apply to nearly all vegetable seeds:• Plant seeds about twice as deep as they are long, so if a bean is ½” long, plant it

1” deep

• Plant in a fertile, well-drained soil mix. We make our own on our home farm from well-aged compost, sand (1:10 ratio with the compost), crushed eggshells and powdered kelp for minerals. Many good organic soil mixes are available at garden centers.

• Keep soil moist until germination – watering once or twice per day. Once seed-ling emerge moisture is still important

• Keep the seeds at the appropriate soil temperature for optimum germination. Please consult the chart below

• Somecropsshouldbedirectsowninthegarden,whileothersbenefitfrombeingstarted indoors or in a greenhouse, and others can be done either way. (see chart forspecifics)

• Keep a watchful eye for pests such as slugs, birds, cutworms and others that can eat young seedlings as soon as they emerge, often before you notice and then you assume that the seeds never sprouted. We will use spun-polyester rowcovers in instances when seedling predation is an issue.

• Keepinmindparticularitiesaboutyourmicroclimateorsitethatmightinfluenceoptimal conditions. For instance, cucumber beetles are a serious pest for us here, sowegrowourmelonsastransplantsandthensettheminthefieldafterJune1st and immediately cover with row covers. Normally we could simply direct seed them and water. We take similar precautions with cucumbers, summer squash and winter squash, although, we generally will direct seed them and then use row coversuntiltheplantsareabouttoflowerandthenremovethemfortherestofthe season as the plants are large enough to grow unimpeded by pests.

Happy gardening to you and may the forces of nature be with you! Siskiyou Seeds and Seven Seeds Farm

As the awareness of thinking like a watershed has spread to the local foods move-ment, with buy local campaigns encouraging people to get to know their farmers, we have begun to see the term “food-shed” proliferate. This is good. If the food shed is the rivers, lakes and oceans, then the springs and mountain streams are our seed farms. Following this train of thought, I think that it is important to view seed as the source from which our food systems originate. How can you have a healthy, resilient organic food system without diverse, bioregional seed production and plant breeding focused upon adaptation, nutrition and stable resistance to environmental stresses? You can’t. The pervasiveness of GMOs really helps to reinforce the importance of GMO free zones and careful breeding and maintenance of open pollinated varieties.

Here in our bioregion, people are beginning to take the concept of seed-sheds more seriouslywiththeeffortstobantheplantingofGMOcropsinbothJacksonandJose-phine counties in SW Oregon. Swiss biotech company, Syngenta, has been planting transgenic sugar beets in our area, which could easily cross pollinate and contaminate bothtablebeetsandSwisschardanywherewithin5+milesoftheGMOfields.Iamhopeful that the legal system and our county leadership can assist with ensuring our ability to produce organic seed that is free of GMO adulteration.

Why is Siskiyou Seeds any different?

Forone,wearefirstandforemost,seedgrowers.Weproduceabout60%oftheseedinthiscatalogonourhomefarmandaleasedfielddowntheroad.Therestwesourcefrom diverse small, organic growers much like ourselves. Fortunately, we are not alone in our passion for the craft of artisanal organic seed growing. Others such as Uprising Seeds (WA), Adaptive Organics (OR), Wild Garden Seeds (OR), Abondanzza (CO), Tierra Madre Farm (CA), Turtle Tree Seeds (NY), Stellar Seeds (Can-ada) and other bioregional seed companies are carefully tending our collective agricultural genetic heritage.

No one in this list is getting rich from doing this. It is clearly a labor of love. Please support this move-ment as we do this out of our love forbiodiversityandthefloweringof life.

2014 Seed Growers GuideThinking like a Watershed - Seed Sheds

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BEANS - Phaseolus vulgarisGrowing Tips: Grow in well-drained soil of a fairly neutral pH. Beans can be sown anytime after the last frost date. The seeds tend to rot if the soil is too wet, which tends to happen when planted too early in wet cool soil. Alternately, you can start them in small pots (2-3”) (especially if you use an electric heat mat) and then trans-plant outdoors once there is no danger of frost. Starting indoors in pots is one option in this case. Ideal soil temperature for good germination is 70-90 degrees. Plant 1” deepabout5-6seedsperfoot.Rowsshouldbe18-24”apartforgoodairflow.Regularsuccessive plantings every 2 weeks ensures a steady supply, as many bush types tend to give a concentrated set of beans. Pole varieties bear fruit over a longer season.

Harvest: Harvesting regularly helps the plant to keep producing smaller tender pods. Older beans become woody and too chewy for discriminating palates. Dry beans shouldbelefttomatureinthefielduntilthepodsaredryandabuff/tancoloratwhichpointtheycanbecutandvigorouslybangedintoatubortrashcan.Thedryseeds/beansshouldsimplycomeflyingoutintothecan.Poletypestakelongertosetfruit,however, their greater productivity over a longer season endears them to many.

Seeding Rate: One ounce averages 75-100 seeds and will plant 15-20 row feet.

BEETS - Beta vulgaris (same species as Swiss Chard)Growing Tips: Plant beets in spring once soil temperatures have warmed a bit. Ideal soil temperature for germination is 55-75 degrees F. Direct seed at a rate of 10 seeds perfootinrows12-18”apart.Thinto2-4”betweenplantsfornicesizedroots.Theycan tolerate light frost. Planting in successions ensures a sustained harvest. We usual-ly plant 3 waves here, an early planting in March, main crop in mid April and a fall crop inlateJulythatwecanleaveinthegroundandmulchoverthetopswithstrawforwinterstorage.Ifgophersareanissue,harvestandstoreinacold,humidrootcellar/shed.

Diseases & Pests: Damping off of young seedlings can occur when soil drainage is impaired, so take care to plant into well-drained soil. Leaf miners are an issue for us, but their damage is generally minimal and only affects the greens. Gophers like beets too! Control with traps or a good dog or cat, barn owls and gopher snakes.

Seed Specs: One ounce averages 1,500 seeds. This will plant about 150’ of row.

BROCCOLI - Brassica oleracea Growing Tips: AppliesequallywellforBrusselsSprouts,CabbageandCauliflower.The key to successful broccoli is having nice big transplants and ample fertility. Our preferred growing method is to plant 2-3 seeds into soil blocks or cells in a green-house and thin to the most vigorous plant. Grow in a until they have 2 or 3 true leaves and then plant outside after the risk of hard frost has passed. They can tolerate light frost. We generally grow spring and fall crops, with late summer planted fall crops producing the nicest heads. Quick growth is fostered by planting into fertile soil withplentyofnitrogen.Idealheadformationtakesplaceattemperaturesof60-70degrees, so plan accordingly.

Diseases and pests: A number of fungal diseases can infect broccoli. Our approach has been more preventative by supplying seaweed into our potting soil mix and as foliarsprayswesupplybeneficialmicronutrientsthatnaturallyhelptheplantscope.Balanced fertility that isn’t too rich in nitrogen is also important. If diseased (yellowed or withering) plants are observed, pull them or just the infected leaves and compost them. Cabbage moths can eat young plants. The typical organic control is spraying Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) which discourages their foraging on your plants.

Seed Specs: 5,000-9,000 seeds per ounce.

CARROTS – Daucus carotaGrowing Tips: Carefulsoilpreparationgreatlyinfluencesthesuccessofyourcarrotplanting. Carrot seeds are small and take a long time to germinate (up to 2 weeks) and must be direct seeded, so take care in preparing your beds and choosing to plant in silty loam over clay soils. If all you have is heavier clay soils amend with plenty of compost and consider adding some sand. Ideal soil temperature for germination is 55-75°F.Directseedatarateof20-30seedsperfootandthinto1-2”inrows18-24”apart (much like beets, parsnips and radishes). Keep well watered, watering daily if there is no rain and it’s sunny, as they take a long time to germinate and are tiny and can dry out quickly.

Diseases and Pests: In wet conditions, fungal leaf blights can negatively impact the foliage. Practice good crop rotation as they are spread from crop residues from previous crops. We try to maintain a four-year rotation to avoid this. Root maggots, also known as wire worms burrow into roots making unsightly tracks. Again, crop rotation between root crops helps tremendously. Gophers love carrots, so keep an eye outfortheirdamage.Buriedgopherwireisasurefiretechnique,althoughagoodgopher digging dog or cat works wonders, too! One family of barn owls can eat over

2014 Seed Growers GuideBroccoli • Carrots

2014 Seed Growers GuideBeans •Beets

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CUCUMBER – Cucumis sativusSimilar growing tips apply to most members of the Cucurbitacea family – specifics are listed under each species in alphabetical order.

Growing Tips: (Also apply to summer squash, winter squash and melons). Vine crops are best direct seeded once there is certainty of no more spring frosts and the soil has warmed to at least 70°- 75°+. Use of a soil thermometer is a wise route to go. Plant about 1” deep. Alternately, you can get an earlier crop by seeding indoors in 3” pots, 2-4 seeds per pot, 3-4 weeks before last frost and then very gently transplanting. Most vine crops need room to grow, space cucumbers 2-3 feet apart in rows or mounds 3-4 feet apart. Similar spacing for summer squash and melons. Winter squash requires a bit more room, with 2-4 feet between plants and even more in the case of pumpkins.

Harvest: Cucumbers and summer squash regularly to keep them producing. Winter squash is best left on the vine to mature right up until frost or until the stems become woody and hard. See tips under Melons for harvest tips.

Pests and Diseases: The use of drip irrigation helps to circumvent many foliar diseases such as powdery mildew, as overhead watering provides a vector for spores to spread. Remove heavily infested plants. Cucumber beetles are the nemesis of many a gardener with aspirations of growing vine crops - not only eating the leaves, but spreadingnumerousdiseases.Weusefloatingrowcoversfromthetimeofseedinguntiltheplantsareaboutthesizeofadinnerplate.YoumayalsofindsuccessusingKaolin clay (Surround™ is an OMRI approved organic micronized clay). By spraying it on young plants, striped and spotted cucumber beetles try and eat the clay covered leaves and get a bellyache. Numerous songbirds, like tree swallows eat cucumber beetles. So putting up some birdhouses is a pleasant ounce of prevention to invest in.

100 gophers per year, so you may want to consider putting up a barn owl box. Gopher snakes perform an invaluable service for gardeners, so please consider their welfare when mowing tall grass, or if you have an aversion to snakes.

Seed Specs:12,000-23,000seedsperounce,plants400-800rowfeet.

CORN - Zea maysGrowing Tips: Plant corn by direct seeding 1-2” deep after soil has warmed to at least70°(TriplePlay,PaintedHillsSweet&Hooker’sarespecificallyadaptedtocoolsoil planting so can be planted earlier in the season). You can also transplant corn for earlier crops, but you have to baby them a bit.

Plant Spacing:Seed6-10perfootandthinto1plantper8-12”,rowsshouldbe24-36”apart.Hillmethod:Plant5-10seeds1-2”deepinamound,whichshouldbe4-5 feet apart. Grow squash in-between and plant pole beans in mound once corn has emerged.Worksbetterwithflourcornandpopcornasitbecomessomewhatjun-gle-like to harvest sweet corn with this method.

Pests:Protectyoungseedlingsfrombirdpredationwithfloatingrowcovers.Acom-mon novice gardener problem is to assume that their corn didn’t come up; when in actuality birds such as jays, robins and crows were digging and pulling up the young sprouts.Scarecrows,floatingeyeballoonsandreflectivetapearesomewhateffective.Dogs are good too. Corn earworms (which are actually the caterpillar stage of a moth) canbecontrolledbysprayingBt.(Dipel™isabrandnameofOMRIcertifiedorganiccontrol). Or just bear with their minor inconvenience by chopping the tips off of infected ears.

Harvest: Sweetcornwhenit’sinthe“milk”stage,whichyoucandeterminebyfind-ing an ear whose silks have dried, gently peeling back some leaves while the ear is still on the plant, then nicking a kernel and looking for milky liquid to ooze out. Clear fluidindicatesthatitistooearly,noliquid–you’retoolate,saveforseedorflourcorn.Raccoonscandevastateacorncropiftheyfinditappealing.Somefolksputabatterypowered radio in their patch to provide a menacing noise deterrant to keep coons at bay.

Diseases: WehavenotexperiencedanysignificantdiseaseshereinOregon,butmy counsel would be ample fertility from well-matured compost and foliar sprays ofcomposttea,fishemulsionandkelpwhenplantsareyoungifyoudoexperienceyellowing or die back.

SeedSpecs:Sweet:125-225seedsper/oz.;Popcorn:250-300seeds/oz.

2014 Seed Growers GuideCucumber

2014 Seed Growers GuideCorn

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www.sevenseedsfarm.com

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Harvest: Harvest your garlic when the leaves begin to yellow and dry down. We usu-ally use the number of remaining green leaves as a gauge to determine the right time toharvest.Iwanttoseeaminimumof5-6greenleavesleftaseachleaveequatesto one bulb wrapper, so you can imagine that after cleaning each bulb you’ll want to have some wrappers left for optimal storage ability.

GREENS - mixed speciesGrowing Tips: When growing for salad mix, it is best to direct sow beginning in mid March and plant once per month to ensure a steady supply of fresh salads that are har-vested at the peak of their growth cycle. Our beds are 4 feet wide and we’ll plant 4-5 rows8-10”apart,seedingfairlythickly(10-15seedsperfoot)withineachrow.Plantabout ½” deep. When planted like so, greens such as spinach, mustards, cress and orach may be cut about 1-2” above the ground as cut-n-come again salad. In this way, tender, fresh regrowth is encouraged. Alternately, you may grow them as transplants in the greenhouse or cold frame and then plant out in April and beyond (depends on your locale – we are 42° north latitude).

KALE - Brassica oleraceaSee Broccoli

LEEKS - Allium porrumGrowing Tips: Startindoorsearly(2/1-3/15)andtransplantoutdoorswhenspringtemperatureshavewarmedupandtheyhaveatleast2-3leaves(4/1-5/1).Theycanbedirectseededat20seedsperfootandthinnedto4-6”,butifweedpressureisheavy,theycanbeverydifficulttofindamidsttheweeds.Transplantinggivesyoua jump on the weeds in this respect. Onions like fertile soil richly amended with compost.Transplantat6-8”apartintorows12”apartandkeepwellwatered.Theoldadage, “you can grow onions or you can grow weeds, but you can’t grow both”, still holds true for all the alliums- onions, leeks and garlic. Their sparse canopy does not compete well with weeds.

Cultural Info: Onions are a cool season biennial. Short-day onions produce bulbs whentheyreceive11-12hoursofdaylight;long-dayonionsneed14-16hours(lati-tudes north of 35°), and moderate day onions like Siskiyou Sweet and Valencia fall in between these. Harvest once they bulb for fresh use or wait until tops begin to dry

GARLIC Garlic is a Lily family vegetable that is grown for its swollen bulbs. It was domesticated from a biennial lily bulbing plant in central Eurasia.

Growing Tips: It is usually planted in the fall in temperate locales where winter temperature remain above zero degrees fareinheit. In colder climates such as the NorthEasternU.S.itisplantedinthespring,howeverlargerbulbsizeismoredifficultto obtain with spring planting. We typically plant garlic in the month of October. This enables the plant to grow a healthy root system and some tops in the fall before slow-ing way down for winter and resuming growth once temperatures warm in February andMarch.SomehardneckvarietieswillwaittomakeanytopgrowthuntilJanuary& February, but rest assured they are busily making roots. If in doubt, you can dig up some cloves to gauge their progress.

Soil Preparation: LikemostAlliums,Garlicisaninefficientfeeder.Thismeansthatifyou want your garlic to size up nicely, you should have supplied adequate to abun-dant fertility in the form of compost, well balanced organic nitrogen fertilizer. A good approach is to cover crop your garlic area with buckwheat cover crop prior to planting and till this green manure crop into the soil 2-3 weeks before planting.

Spacing: Garlic does not make a very large plant, but it does take some space to makeanicebigplant.Weusuallyspacegarlic3-4rowsper4footwidebedwith8-10inchesbetweenplants.Plantedclosertogetherandyoumaysacrificebulbsizeandmakeweedingmoredifficult.

Planting techniques: Break up the bulb into individual cloves, taking care to try and disturb the clove wrappers as little as possible. Hardneck types tend to lose some wrappers in the process of breaking them up; this is normal. Garlic should be planted within a few weeks of planting to avoid the cloves drying out. Place cloves into the soil as deep as they are long. This usually means planting to a depth where 1-2” of soil covers the tops of the clove. If planted too shallow, the action of frost heave can push garlic right out of the ground. Planted too deeply, garlic can rot in wet soils.

Cultural Techniques: As the saying goes, “you can grow weeds or garlic, but you can’tgrowboth.”Ifindthistobetrue,howevermellowspringweedssuchaschick-weed, veronica speedwell and spring cress do little to impeed growth and provide a nice living mulch if you chose to garden more on the wild permaculture side of life. Otherwise keep your garlic patch well weeded.

Pre-Harvest – Stop watering about 10 days pre-harvest (for us this is about summer solstice,anticipatingaJuly4thharvest)

2014 Seed Growers GuideGreens • Kale • Leeks

2014 Seed Growers GuideGarlic

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off at ground level. Many gardeners assume their peas are not sprouting, when in actuality, birds are eating them and they never see them emerge. Covering them with floatingrowcoversisaneasysolutionthatalsocanspeedearlyseasongrowth.Peasare susceptible to a variety of wilts, viruses and other diseases, the symptoms of which are compounded by hot weather. So grow your peas in the cooler windows of the year. Peas do great as an overwintered greenhouse crop, yielding very early in the spring when planted indoors in November.

PEPPERS - Capsicum annum Growing Tips: Peppers are best started indoors with bottom heat as the seeds requirewarmthtogerminatesuccessfully.Ideallythesoiltemp.shouldbe70-80°F.Once sprouted, we try to grow big transplants in 2” pots, setting them out after any riskoffrosthaspassed(earlyJunehereinSWOR).

Spacing: Wegrow2or3rowsona4ft.widebed,with12-18”betweenplants.

Cultural Tips: Many growers have problems with sun scald on the fruits from inadequate foliage covering the fruit. Avoid sunscald by ensuring high fertility in your growing area with plenty of nitrogen so plants grow bushy with plenty of leaves beforetheybeginflowering.Stakingtallerplantscanbecomenecessaryiftheyarefalling over from too much fruit set.

Harvest: When fruits turn red, green peppers are unripe! They also have much higher levels of toxic alkaloids. Use clippers to avoid damaging plants. Generally red fresh fruit are 2-3x hotter than green fruit, and dried pods are usually 2-10x hotter than fresh pods.

Seed Specs:Averageof4,000seeds/ounce.

RADISH - Raphanus sativusSee Carrots

SQUASH – species listed with each varietySee Cucumbers

SWISS CHARD – Beta vulgarisSee Beets

downandideallyflopoverbeforepullingandcuring/dryinginashedforaweekorso.Once completely dry, clip roots and tops and store in a cool dry place. Most onion and leek diseases are best controlled with good crop rotation, not planting any alliums in the same spot for at least 4 years. Sanitation also helps prevent spread of disease so compost tops, skins and roots completely.

Seed Specs: 7,000 seeds per ounce

LETTUCE – Lactuca sativaSee Greens

MELONS – Cucumis meloSee Cucumbers

Look for the following indicators for when to harvest muskmelons (including canta-loupes when the small leaf closest to where the fruit attaches to the vine turns yellow, also the fruit should have developed some color, and many varieties will “slip” from the stem when a slight amount of pressure is applied. True cantaloupes (like charen-tais melons) do not slip from the stem

ONIONS - Allium cepaSee Leeks

PEAS - Pisum sativumGrowing Tips: Direct seed from mid February until mid April for spring crop and in midJulyforafallcrop.Sometimesearlyplantedpeaswillrotinthesoilifit’srainyand cold, so check to see how they are doing by gently digging some up to see what’s going on in the soil. Alternately you can pre-sprout them indoors with warmer room temperatures by soaking for a few hours then draining and rinsing once or twice daily until you see a small shoot emerge, at which point you can gently plant them. This pre-sprouting technique gives you a head start in cool springs.

Spacing: Plantabout1”deepinrows18-24”apartforbushtypes(Cascadia,SugarDaddy) and 12” apart for climbing types (Sugar Snap).

Pests: Our biggest pests are birds that pull up the tender shoots or simply snip them

2014 Seed Growers GuidePeppers • Radish • Squash • Swiss Chard

2014 Seed Growers GuideLettuce • Melons • Onions • Peas

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shouldbe70-80°F.Oncesprouted,wetrytogrowbigtransplants.In2-4”pots,settingthemoutafteranyriskoffrosthaspassed(earlyJunehereinSWOregon).

Spacing: We grow tomatoes spaced at 2 feet if trellised or 3 feet apart if we are not trellising (as in the case of Roma types).

Fertility: Tomatoes are a heavy feeding crop that likes plenty of nitrogen, so pour on the compost.

Cultural Tips: There are two main clans of tomatoes: determinates - like Roma tomatoes that produce most of their fruit in one concentrated set and do not require trellising;andindeterminatetypesthatkeepfloweringandmakingfruittheentireseason and do require trellising. Trellising is best done in stages as the plants grow up. There are various methods including using tomato cages, wire fencing, or my per-sonalfavorite–whichisstakingevery6-8feetand“sandwiching”theplantsbetweenparallelwiresspacedevery8-10”.Thismethodresultsinaflat“wall”oftomatoesthatreceiveequalsunlightandareeasytoharvest.Usingnaturalfibertwineisnice,butI have found that it stretches and sags, thereby diminishing the tension holding the vinesup.Using18-gaugewireworkswell,canbereusedformanyseasons,anddoesnot sag.

Harvest: Let fruit ripen on the vine. Pick tomatoes regularly to keep them producing more fruits. Use clippers for heirloom types to avoid damaging plants.

Seed Specs:Averageof7-12,000seeds/ounce.

WATERMELON – Citrullus lanatusSee Cucumber

Harvest tips – some folks try to determine ripeness through a series of percussive thumping techniques, listening for subtle variations in the reverberation that the melonmakes.Ifindthistobeakintoamysteriousformofdivinationanddifficulttosuccessfully pick a ripe fruit. Enter the “pigtail test”. Where the fruit attaches to the vine is a small spiraling tendril, the pigtail. Once this turns brown from green, it is ripe. To be absolutely certain I usually wait to see if that pigtail and the one next to it turn brown.

ZUCCHINISee Squash

TOBACCO - Nicotiana tabacumTobacco is quite easy to grow. The seed is very tiny, so it is best to start indoors to keep track of it as it sprouts, then transplant outdoors once the danger of frost is past. Allow togrowallsummerandbegintoharvestleavesinlatesummer/fall,onceitbeginstoflower.Curingandsubsequentagingallowfortheslowoxidationanddegradationof carotenoids in the tobacco leaf. This produces various compounds in the tobacco leavesthatgivecuredtobaccoitssweethay,tea,roseoil,orfruityaromaticflavorthatcontributes to the “smoothness” of the consumed product. Cut plants or pulled leaves are immediately transferred to tobacco barns, where they will be cured. Curing meth-ods vary with the type of tobacco grown, and tobacco barn design varies accordingly.

Curing:

Air - Air-cured tobacco is hung in well-ventilated barns and allowed to dry over a pe-riod of four to eight weeks. Air-cured tobacco is low in sugar, which gives the tobacco smokealight,sweetflavor,andahighnicotinecontent.Cigarandburleytobaccosareair cured.

Fire-Fire-curedtobaccoishunginlargebarnswherefiresofhardwoodsarekepton continuous or intermittent low smoulder and takes between three days and ten weeks, depending on the process and the tobacco. Fire curing produces a tobacco low insugarandhighinnicotine.Pipetobacco,chewingtobacco,andsnuffarefirecured.

Flue - Flue-cured tobacco was originally strung onto tobacco sticks, which were hung fromtier-polesincuringbarns.Thesebarnshaveflueswhichrunfromexternallyfedfireboxes,heat-curingthetobaccowithoutexposingittosmoke,slowlyraisingthetemperature over the course of the curing. The process will generally take about a week. This method produces cigarette tobacco that is high in sugar and has medium to highlevelsofnicotine.TheSmithTobaccoBarnisanexampleofatraditional,flue-cured tobacco barn.

Sun - Sun-cured tobacco dries uncovered in the sun. This method is used in Turkey, Greece, Bulgaria, Macedonia, Romania and Mediterranean countries to produce ori-ental tobacco. Sun-cured tobacco is low in sugar and nicotine and is used in cigarettes. InIndiasuncuringisusedtoproduceso-called“white”snuffs,whicharefine,dry,andunusually potent.

TOMATO - Lycopersicon esculentum unless otherwise notedGrowing Tips: Days to maturity are from transplants. Start indoors with bottom heat, as the seeds require warmth to germinate successfully. Ideally the soil temperature

2014 Seed Growers GuideWatermelon • Zucchini

2014 Seed Growers GuideTobacco • Tomato

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Seed Growers GuideGermination and Sowing

Crop Type Ideal soil temp. for germination

Typical Days to germination

Transplant or direct sow

Arugula 60-80deg 3-8 Direct sow

Basil 60-85 5-10 Transplant

Beans 65-85 3-8 Direct sow

Beets 55-75 4-10 Direct sow

Broccoli, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Brussels sprouts

55-80 3-8 Transplant

Carrots 60-75 5-14 Direct sow

Celery 60-75 5-21 Transplant

Chinese Cabbage 55-75 3-8 Either

Collards, Kale 55-80 3-8 Transplant

Corn 65-90 3-10 Direct sow

Cucumber, Melons 65-90 3-7 Direct sow

Eggplant, Pepper 70-85 4-10 Transplant

Onions, Leeks 50-75 3-7 Transplant

Lettuce 50-70 3-7 Either

Mustards 50-80 3-7 Either

Peas 55-75 5-10 Direct sow

Radish 50-80 3-10 Direct sow

Spinach 50-75 5-10 Direct sow

Summer Squash 60-80 5-10 Either

Tomato 70-85 5-10 Transplant

Winter Squash 65-80 5-10 Either

Seed Growers GuidePlant Spacing and Depth

Crop Type Ideal Spacing of Plants

Spacing between Rows

Planting depth

Arugula 2-4” 12-18” ¼ - ½”

Basil 6-12” 12-18” ¼”

Beans 4-6” 18-24” ½-1”

Beets 2-6” 12-18” ½”

Broccoli, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Brussels sprouts

18-24” 18-24” 1/4-1/2”

Carrots 1-3” 12-24” ¼-1/2”

Celery 12-18” 18-24” ¼-1/2”

Chinese Cabbage 12-18” 12-24” ¼-1/2”

Collards, Kale 12-18” 18-24” ¼-1/2”

Corn 6”-12” 18-36” 1”

Cucumber, Melons 12-36” 36-48” ½”

Eggplant, Pepper 18-24” 18-24” ¼-1/2”

Onions, Leeks 4-10” 12-24” ¼ - ½”

Lettuce 12-18” 12’18” ¼” – ½”

Mustards 4-18” 18” ¼ - ½”

Peas 2-6” 18-24” ½” – 1”

Radish 2-4” 12-18” ½”

Spinach 2-6” 12-18” ½”

Summer Squash 18-30” 36-60” ½ - 1”

Tomato 18-36” 36-60” ¼ - ½”

Winter Squash 24-48” 36-60” ½” – 1”

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Planting Guide for Southwestern Oregon

Location February March April May

In Green-house or Cold Frame

Brassicas

Onions & Leeks

Celery

Parsley

Spinach

Lettuce

Artichokes

Brassicas (2nd wave)

Tomatoes3/15

Peppers3/15

Eggplant3/15

Basil

Early Flowers

Brassicas (3rd wave)

Gourds

Flowers

Summer Squash

Cucumbers

Melonsfirstwaveon5/1,second wave on 5/15

Butternut Squash

Cucumbers

Outside/ Direct Sown

Peas (snap, snow, shell)

Spinach

Fava Beans

early Beets

early Carrots

Carrots

Beets

Peas

Lettuce

Greens

Sun Chokes

SpringWheat/Rye/Barley

Spinach

Early potatoes

Garbanzo Beans (Chick Peas)

Potatoes (main crop)

early Sweet Corn 5/15(70°soil)

early Summer Squash and Cukes (risky)

Quinoa

Millet

Parsnip

Peas – last wave by5/15

Transplant Outside

Asparagus crowns

Strawberry runners

Perennial Herbs

Prune Fruit Trees, Grapes,

Brassicas (Broc-coli, Cabbage, Cauliflower)

Artichokes

Onions

Leeks

Broccoli

Head Lettuce

Celery

Catch up on things you should have planted in April

We are at 42 degrees latitude. For every degree of latitude that you are north or south, add or subtract a week from planting times respectively.

Planting Guide for Southwestern Oregon

Location June July August Sept/Oct

In Green-house or Cold Frame

Fall storage Cabbage

Broccoli

Brussel Sprouts

Scallions

Over-wintered sprouting Broccoli

Kale

Cauliflower

Collards

All fall Brassicas

Sweet Onions Greens & Brassicas in greenhouse in the ground for winter salads

Outside/ Direct Sown

FieldCorn/Popcorn/SweetCorn

Summer & Winter Squash

Dry & Snap Beans

Cucumbers

Amaranth

Black-Eyed Peas

Soybeans

Over-wintered Beets, Carrots (before8/1)

Peas

lateJuly)

Spinach

Buckwheat Cover Crop

3rd wave of Sweet Corn by 7/4

Lettuce

Spinach

Greens

Buckwheat Cover Crop

Garlic

Cover Crops

Fava Beans (for May & Juneharvest)

Transplant Outside

Tomatoes

Peppers

Eggplants

Basil

Melons

Squash

Cucumbers/Gourds

Broccoli

Cabbage

We are at 42 degrees latitude. For every degree of latitude that you are north or south, add or subtract a week from planting times respectively.

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Seed Saving Guide for Beginners

Vegetable (Genus species) Cycle Polli-nation Polli-nator

Beans (Phaseolus vulgaris) A Self Self

Beet/Chard (Beta vulgaris) Bi Cross Wind

Broccoli, Kale, Cabbage, Collard Cauliflower (Brassica oleracea)

Bi Cross Insect

Carrot (Dacus carrota) Bi Cross Insects

Celery (Apium graveolens)

Bi Cross Insects

Corn (Zea mays) A Cross Wind

Cucumber (Cucumis sativus)

A Cross Insects

Eggplant (Solanum melonega) A Self Self

Onion & Leeks (Allium cepa & Allium porrum)

Bi Cross Insects

Lettuce (Latuca sativa) A Self Self

Melon (Cucumis melo)

A Cross Insects

Mustard (Brassica rapa &Brassica juncea)

A Cross Insects

Peas (Pisum sativum) A Self Self

Pepper (Capsicum annum)

A Both Insects

Radish (Raphanus sativus) A Cross Insects

Spinach (Spinacia oleracea) A Cross Wind

Squash/Pumpkin (Cucurbita pepo, C. maxima, C. moschata)

A Cross Insects

Tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum) A Self Self

Seed Saving Guide for Beginners

Vegetable Isolation Seed Life Notes

Beans 100’ 3-5 yrs Looses vigor in time. Let dry in field.

Beet/Chard 1 mile 3-5 yrs Beets cross w/ Chard

Broccoli, Kale, Cabbage, Collard Cauliflower

½ mile 3-5 yrs Many types of Brassica exist within the same species.

Carrot ½ mile 2-3 years Crosses w/ wild carrot

Celery ½ mile 2-3 years Attracts beneficial insects, gophers love to eat roots!

Corn ½ mile 4-5 years Min. 200 plants. Let dry on stalk.

Cucumber ¼ mile 5-10 years Mature to big & yellow. Ferment pulp water process.

Eggplant 150’ 3-4 years Let mature to yellow. Water process

Onion & Leeks ¼ mile 1-2 years Pull onions & replant in fall. Leave leeks.

Lettuce 50’ 2-3 years Needs long season, easy.

Melon ¼ mile 5-10 years Won’t cross w/ watermelon. Seed ripe when fruit’s ripe. Water process.

Mustard ½ mile 3-5 years 2 species B. rapa & B.juncea (spicy types) won’t cross.

Peas 50’ 2-3 years Weevils a problem.

Pepper 500’ 3-5 years More isolation between hots and sweets is necessary.

Radish ¼ mile 3-5 years Beware of wild species. Plant early.

Spinach ½ mile 2-3 years Males make no seed.

Squash/Pumpkin ¼ mile 2-5 years 3 species won’t cross with each other.

Tomato 25-100’ 5-10 years Potato leaf types cross more readily.

For more details on seed saving see ‘Seed to Seed’ by Susan Ashworth or ‘The Organic Seed Grower’ by John Navazio

For more details on seed saving see ‘Seed to Seed’ by Susan Ashworth or ‘The Organic Seed Grower’ by John Navazio

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We must eradicate from the soulAll fear and terror of what comes toward manOut of the future.We must acquire absolute serenityIn all feelings and sensationsAbout the future.We must look forwardWith absolute equanimityTo all that may come.And we must think onlyThat whatever comes is given to usBy a world direction full of Wisdom.It is part of what me must learn in this age,Namely, to live out of pure trust,Without security in existenceTrust in the ever present help of the Spiritual World.Truly, nothing else will doIf our courage is not to fail us.Let us discipline our will,And let us seek the awakening from within ourselves,Every morning and every evening.~Rudolf Steiner

Final Words and Credits

On the Front Cover: Prayers for Seed Freedom Mandala. Created by Don Tipping, 2013.

Seeds represented include: Hopi Purple Born, Hopi Blue Corn, Pepe de Rola Beans, Scarlet Emperor Beans, Pepe de Zappalo Beans, Blackcoat Runner Beans, Hopi Red Dye Amaranth, Golden Giant Amaranth, Black Milo, Anasazi Beans, Glass Gem Corn, Orange Safflower, Moon and Stars Watermelon, Black Forest Hakaido Squash, Sharlyn Melons and Flashback Mix Calendula (in the middle).

Logo Design: Justin Deveckaka

Catalog Design and Production: Kelli Klein (Rua) of Bridgewalkers LLC

Public domain vegetable illustrations thanks goes to OnceNewVintage.com and JustSomethingimade.com.

Seed Growers Guide 2014 - Siskiyou Seeds

Education

Transcript of Seed Growers Guide 2014 - Siskiyou Seeds