Start Gardening Now…If You Have the Time!

To be quite honest, many home gardeners prefer to skip down to their local garden center in early spring to buy transplants for their garden beds. It is convenient and easy, and I do not blame them for doing so. But for me, I truly receive great pleasure in starting my own transplants at home. For one, I always am assured of planting the varieties of my choice, and not have to depend on what the garden center has to offer for any particular season. I surely have some favorites I like to grow, and I cannot always be assured I can find them in the big box or local garden center.

Secondly, starting plants from seeds in my basement allows me to get a jump on the rewards of gardening much earlier in the season. I garden because I like to do so, so why not start the process in February or March? Starting seeds at home may sound like a lot of work, but it does not have to be an intimidating procedure.  Following some very simple seed starting rules and guidelines can surely lead you down the garden path for success. The combination of a suitable location, proper bottom heat, light and moisture will quickly turn your thumb green. Seasoned gardeners already know the rules, but for beginning gardeners, I always suggest starting modestly, with some easy-to-grow flowers and vegetables like tomatoes and marigolds. As you become familiar with the process, you then can turn to some more difficult cultivars to start from seed like geraniums.

Guidelines for seed starting abound, from the web to home garden catalogs. There are so many good resources for seed starting that it is really quite difficult to fail. I can speak confidently about the many home garden catalogs available for seed starting information. They have always been a good, positive source. You can also learn the basics of seed starting through our Seed Starting Seminar for Beginners, an audio and visual PowerPoint presentation.

Give seed starting a try…you might be surprised how much fun and rewarding it truly is. If you have questions and need some answers, write us at: gardeners@harrisseeds.com.

"I Love My Truck"

I assume many of you are familiar with the country song, "I Love My Truck". If a song can be written about loving one's truck, then I believe I can write one about my job. Being in the seed business all these years certainly has returned significant rewards to me. I have been fortunate to gain many friendships throughout my tenure with Harris Seeds. I have come to personally know plant breeders, seed managers and growers large and small across this great land, and I clearly treasure these relationships. My co-workers are a mighty fine bunch of people as well.

One of my favorite responsibilities in the seed business has begun, and will continue through the summer and fall months. It is widely known as flower and vegetable trials. Occasionally I travel to California to attend the greatest flower show on earth…Spring Trials, formally known as Pack Trials. I have not attended in a couple of years, but recall that in the past it was always a spectacular event.

At our facility in Rochester, NY, we have been noting early greens and radishes. Mark Willis, our vegetable seed manager, has put together a new oriental greens mix that is outstanding for flavor and color. We have looked at new radish entries in our high tunnel, and some will most likely hit our catalog this fall. Also in our high tunnel we have our "grafted" trial for cucumbers, peppers and tomatoes. The tomatoes and peppers are setting fruit and we have picked cucumbers already. We are just finishing our plantings of annual flowers in garden beds and in containers. Photos will follow this summer.

Yes, the summer and fall months are busy times as we travel frequently to nearby Hall, New York to the Seneca Vegetable Research Farm, managed by plant breeder, Dr. Walt Whitwood and his plant breeding sons. They are super people and do a great job trialing peppers, tomatoes, sweet corn and squash for us. In late August we are off to Wisconsin to take a look at new beans and a lot of sweet corn. The trialing season comes to an abrupt end with a visit to the Bob Chase Farm in Macedon, New York. On Bob's farm is our fall ornamental trial consisting of pumpkins, gourds and winter squash. Bob is a terrific grower and does a fine job for us. There are always many new introductions that are selected and added to our product line each fall.

I do not look at my job as hard work (as it truly is), but more importantly as great fun. Yes, having a career in the vegetable and flower seed business has been truly richly rewarding. I cannot think of a better one.

It's nearly bedtime!

As we roll through the beginning of fall, it becomes quite clear to me that it is nearly time to put the garden to bed. Here in the Northeast, the cool, early morning outside air beckons the call for warmer clothing. Blackbirds flock together to perform their annual ballets in flight, and colorful fall foliage starts to make its way into the landscape.

My garden this year was a successful one indeed. It is relatively small, compared to the efforts of my departed father. Gardens of the past were always big, and so were the annual harvests. My garden consists of four raised beds and the produce I harvested was impressive. My tomato plants were very productive, and they skirted the devastation from late blight. Many fellow gardeners were not so lucky. Red Candy grape tomato was outstanding, as its texture and sweetness were at the top of the charts.

I have never attempted to raise sweet corn, as it is always commonly available around town at most farm stands, but this year was different. In an area of around 5 feet by 8 feet, I planted my favorite variety to eat - "Mr. Mini Mirai". This yellow supersweet is so tender and sweet that it is clearly classified as gourmet quality. If any of my readers grow sweet corn and have not grown this one, then I highly recommend four or five rows in your garden next season.

I also had a couple plantings of Crockett green bush bean. Given the fact that I had four small rows throughout the season, I believe I harvested a bushel of tasty, dark green beans. I picked the plants several times, and the beans kept on coming. Crockett is a slender, dark green bean that eats exceptionally well.

If any gardener is a fan of radishes like I am, then the one to grow is Red Satin. In my opinion, this is the finest radish in the marketplace. Hybrid radishes have not been around for very long, and hybridization has greatly improved the species. Red Satin is consistently clean, smooth and round, with an appetizing bright red color. In 20 days, you will harvest beautiful red radishes with a delicious mild flavor. There's probably still time to plant a few more rows before cold weather sets in.

My Kuroda carrots made excellent size, and I have left a few to sweeten up for a later fall harvest. Add a few rows of spinach, Swiss chard and lettuce and my garden was quite complete.
In a few weeks, clean-up will begin. Plants will be pulled and composted. I will top my beds with an organic fertilizer and till it in. Then I will wait. I will wait for the snow. I will wait for spring to follow. But then, my garden will begin its next life cycle.