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Showing posts from December, 2022

The Cost of Seeds: UPDATED

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I just want watermelon seeds! What is with the different pricing? Crimson Sweet is a Crimson Sweet - right? Down the rabbit hole I go... UPDATE : I was watching Roots & Refuge on YouTube and Jess mentioned a seed company MI Seeds ; the seeds are $2.00 a bag, lots of seeds and you'll get a discount if you type JESS10.   Gurney's Seed and Nursery  30 seeds/$2.99 This is a national brand, maybe world wide (I didn't check). A packet of 30 seeds will cost $2.99 and produce fruits weighing 20-25 pounds. 88 days til harvest. Johnny's Seeds  30 seeds/$5.50 Actually, I think I have heard of this brand before from YouTube sensation Hollis & Nancy's Homestead - I love that couple. Johnny's offers a packet of 30 seeds for $5.50 producing fruit weighing 15-25 pounds. 85 days til harvest. Eden Brother's  maybe 30 seeds/$4.50  Seen this brand a lot around the internet, sells a packet of seeds weighing 2 grams for $4.50. The fruit is said to weigh 25+ pounds and r

Buying Seeds Was Never The Problem ...

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Buying 50 different seed packets and starting every seed was the problem. I just love all those marketing pictures on the packets of healthy looking vegetables and flowers and want to recreate those visions in my own garden. To top it off, those cute 72 celled seed trays are at arms length from the seed packets - I think my brain just glitches.  A few years ago, I bought two packets of cherry tomatoes: Sweet 100 and Black Krim. I planted every single seed. Jim caught me mid-planting and honestly questioned, with eyes wide and brows high, if I thought I should plant them all - well absolutely! As my garden grew, the vision I had dreamed of turned into a Cherry Tomato Jungle! Like Gremlins! Those little tomato guys were everywhere and each day I had a bountiful harvest. I had to construct supports, bamboo - ladders - chairs - fishing poles - whatever worked, to keep plants off the ground because, who knew, tomatoes are runners and every nub will start a new plant. The following season, e

Learning When to Start Seeds

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I had no idea when to start seeds; but, I'm learning from the best - like I said, I got people. I knew Jim had a plan but wasn't real sure where he acquired his magical planting skills - not lying his name should be Jack - like the guy and the beanstalk. I had two plans. Plan A: As soon as I saw the seeds on display,  I bought the ones I love and started them in March - didn't matter what - just stuff I loved. Plan A never really worked out but it was always fun. Plan B: This plan was a little more successful. I saw plants at Lowe's - got 'the garden fever' aka TGF - bought all I could and planted - done. Where I planted them was of zero consequence - just plant them. Now I have a crazy looking garden (but those Bleeding Hearts look great in the spring!). Maybe that's why Jim and I work so well together; he thinks his thoughts and I voice all mine. What ever chemistry we have, it's been working for 30+ years. So, I needed a new plan; a  Plan C!  I tipto