—ARUGULA. (a!,g) VARU-A. Packet: $1.50 OUT OF STOCK
Oz: $5.00, 1/4 lb: $15.00 OUT OF STOCK
Eruca sativa. Easily grown annual with lobed leaves. The young leaves are added to salads, soups, etc. Begin harvest in 6 weeks, and they will keep producing after cutting. The younger the leaf, the milder the flavor. Best with frequent waterings. Also called Rocket Salad.
—CHIVES. (a,g) VCHV-C. Packet: $2.00
Germination: 84% Tested: 10/08, Oz: $6.00
Allium schoenprasum. This perennial herb is the best-flavored and smallest member of the onion family, having slender, delicate leaves with a mild flavor. Excellent in salads, eggs, soups and for topping baked potatoes. The beautiful lavender flower heads make a colorful, tasty garnish when broken into individual florets and sprinkled on salads, in dips, and anywhere else you would use chives.
Chives will grow in any well-drained soil. Keep moist. An excellent pot plant for the kitchen window, or may be sown in rows 1 1/2 feet apart, thinned to 8" apart in the rows. Harvest leaves continuously until frost. Plants will die back over winter, and reappear in spring. Every cook needs chives.
—COLLARDS Georgia Green. (a,h) VCOL-G. Packet: $1.50
Oz: $5.00
Large juicy leaves, heat, drought & cold tolerant. Stands light frost, which improves the flavor. Produces abundantly, even in poor soil.
—COLLARDS Green Glaze. (a,h) VCOL-GG. Packet: $2.50
Bright green leaves with a distinctive shiny or glazed look; often called 'Greasy Collards' in the South. Tall plants to nearly 3 feet, highly resistant to cabbage worm. Excellent old variety, pre-1860.
NEW—DILL Bouquet. (a!,h) VDLL-BQ. Packet: $1.50
Germination: 88% Tested: 10/08, Oz: $5.00 .
The most popular' variety, blooms early with large flower umbels and leaves for pickling. Highly aromatic and easily grown annual.
—FENNEL Bronze. (c,g) FOEN-1B. Packet: $2.50 OTC ORGANIC SEED
1/4 Oz: $7.50
Foeniculum vulgare v. rubrum. Feathery reddish bronze foliage; a very pretty 'smoky' effect. To 4 feet. Hardy short-lived perennial. Chopped leaves nice in salads or sauces, seeds for seasoning.
—FRENCH SORREL. (a!,g) VSRR-F. Packet: $1.50
Oz: $6.00
Rumex acetosa. Perennial greens with a pleasant acidic flavor. Much used in spring salads in the place of vinegar, or cooked like spinach. Makes a nice green sauce used with fish. Sow early in spring, thin to 6" apart. Ready in 60 days or so, and will continue to bear for three to five years.
—GARLIC CHIVES. (b,h) ALUM-105. Packet: $2.00
Germination: 88% Tested: 9/08, Oz: $6.00
Allium tuberosum. Flat dark green leaves with a delicious garlic flavor. Strongly aromatic, popular in Asian cooking, chopped fine like chives. Heat and cold tolerant hardy perennial to 1 1/2 feet. Good in wet climates where garlic won't grow.
—GROUND CHERRY. (b,h) VGRC-GC. Packet: $2.50
Cherry-sized golden-orange fruits enclosed in papery husks. Luscious, sweet fruity taste, compared to apricots, tangerines, or pineapple. Makes wonderful pies, dessert sauces, and jelly. To harvest, wait till the fruits ripen and fall from the plant, gathering them from the ground.
—HUAZONTLE (Chenopodium). (a,g) VHUA. Packet: $2.50 OTC ORGANIC SEED
1/4 Oz: $10.00
Ancient Mexican vegetable, producing an abundance of mild, spinach-like leaves, and the flower clusters are steamed, boiled, or battered and fried. Ripe seeds ground as meal. Very easily grown and very productive and delicious. Germinates in 1 - 2 weeks.
MANGEL WURZEL
Beta vulgaris. A type of beet usually grown for stock and poultry feed, but used as a delicious table vegetable when young and tender. Cooked, the texture is that of tender beets, but the flavor is more potato-like, with a delightful touch of sweetness. If you find ordinary beets too strong, try this kind. The roots are globe shaped or elongated, with red or yellow skin, and white or pale yellow flesh.
Mangels can be grown in almost any soil, but a well-prepared rich loam is best for a heavy yield of the long kinds. Sow as early as ground can be worked, in rows 2 feet apart. Thin to 6" apart when seedlings have developed 4 leaves.
—Mangel Wurzel Mammoth Long Red. (b,g) VMAN-MLR. Packet: $2.00
Oz: $6.00, 1/4 lb: $18.00
Produces large thick red roots with pale yellow flesh. Leaves red veined. Very high yielding variety, excellent for table use even when mature, having almost no tough fibers. Has a succulent sweetness that lasts through a month or two of storage. Fine winter food for cattle and poultry.
NEW—NASTURTIUM Blue Pepe. (e,h) VNAS-BP. Packet: $2.50
Germination: 88% Tested: 6/08, 25 grams: $8.00, 100 grams: $25.00
Unique variety from Europe, bred for the specialty salad market. Small round leaves are a dusky blue-green, with purplish undersides. Spicy flavor makes them an attractive addition to salad mixes.
NEW—OKAHIJIKI. (d,f) VOKH-OK. Packet: $3.00
Germination: 52% Tested: 3/08, Gram: $6.00, 5 grams: $16.00
Salsola komarovii iljin. A very unusual specialty salad green, with slender branches of spiky-looking tender fleshy leaves. Light green and crunchy, makes a unique addition to baby salad mixes. Also called 'Seaweed-on- Land'. Germinates in 1 - 2 weeks.
ORACH VARIETIES:
Atriplex hortensis. Also called 'Butter Leaves' & 'Mountain Spinach'. Hardy annual succulent herbs with large, tender triangular leaves, growing 3 - 6 feet tall. Delicious as cooked greens or in salads, a good substitute for spinach during hot weather.
Cultivated since the 1500's in Europe, but little known in the U.S. Salt and heat tolerant, fast growing with ample water. Succession sow, thin to 2 feet. Also grown for ornament, making handsome cut foliage, fresh or dried.
—Orach Aurora. (c,h) ATRI-11A. Packet: $2.50 OTC ORGANIC SEED
Oz: $16.00
Bright red, gold, green, pink, carmine, and deep purple foliage. Stunning in salads and for cooked greens, as well as cut floral ornament. Sure to be a good seller at farmer's markets. Organically grown.
—Orach Green Spires. (b,h) ATRI-11G. Packet: $2.50
Dark green plants to 5 feet high. Bred for the European florist trade, very ornamental, as well as being good in the vegetable garden.
—Orach Magenta Magic. (c,g) ATRI-11M. Packet: $2.00 OTC ORGANIC SEED
Germination: 64% Tested: 9/08, 1/4 Oz: $6.00, Oz: $16.00
Deep glowing magenta-red leaves, a wonderful new color for baby salad greens. Organically-grown.
—Orach Purple Savoyed. (c,h) ATRI-11PS. Packet: $2.50 OTC ORGANIC SEED
Germination: 84% Tested: 9/08, Oz: $16.00
Heavily crumpled, thick purple leaves. Very ornamental; new salad vegetable for the restaurant trade. Developed by Shoulder to Shoulder Farm. Organically grown.
—PURPLE GOOSEFOOT Tree Spinach. (a!,h) CHEN-20. Packet: $2.00 OTC ORGANIC SEED
Germination: 56% + dormant Tested: 8/08, Oz: $10.00, 1/4 lb: $30.00
Chenopodium giganteum. Young leaves are a striking iridescent magenta-red with crystalline red powder. Long red panicles of flowers. The stem is striped red and is very strong for its light weight due to a spiral twist. Large tall annual to 6 - 8 feet. Birds are fond of the seeds, and the leaves have been used as a spinach in the Mediterranean, by South African Bantu, and here in the U.S. Tender young leaves are good in salads.
—PURSLANE Golden. (a,h) VPUR-Y. Packet: $2.50 OUT OF STOCK
Portulaca oleracea var. sativa. Large succulent leaves tinged golden. Little known in the U.S., but relished raw or cooked in China, Europe & México. Harvest the tender leaves and stems any time, add to salads or cook like spinach. Good in soups. The mature plants with seeds can be pickled in salt & vinegar. It is high in Vitamins C & E, and Omega-3 fatty acids. Has a mildly tart flavor. Pre-conquest peoples in North America & Australia roasted the seeds for food & ground them for mush & bread.
QUINOA VARIETIES: Chenopodium Quinoa
'QUINOA'. An important high-protein (12 - 19%) grain of the Andes, with good amino acid balance and 58% starch. A staple for millions of Andeans, the development of low-elevation types is helping its spread. Seed washed in water before cooking to remove saponins which protect from pests. Hardy, easily grown annual to 4 - 6 feet, with large seedheads. The leaves, stem-tips and young flowers are excellent in salads, having a mild sweet flavor, and very succulent. Also good cooked like spinach or added to soups. Germinates in 2 weeks.
—Quinoa Brilliant Rainbow. (b,h) CHEN-25BR. Packet: $2.00 OTC ORGANIC
Germination: 92% Tested: 8/08, 1/2 Oz: $5.00, Oz: $8.00
Reselected from Rainbow for the brightest, most brilliant colors. Nice! Germinates in a week.
—Quinoa Cherry Vanilla. (b,h) CHEN-25CV. Packet: $2.00 OTC ORGANIC SEED
Germination: 96% Tested: 9/08, 1/2 Oz: $6.00, Oz: $10.00, 1/4 lb: $35.00
'QUINOA'. Seedheads a blend of colors from creamy-white to rose, a beautiful variety with very mild-flavored grain. Developed by Shoulder to Shoulder Farm. An important high-protein (12 - 19%) grain of the Andes, with good amino acid balance and 58% starch. A staple for millions of Andeans, the development of low-elevation types is helping its spread. Seed washed in water before cooking to remove saponins which protect from pests. Hardy, easily grown annual to 4 - 6 feet, with large seedheads. The leaves, stem-tips and young flowers are excellent in salads, having a mild sweet flavor, and very succulent. Also good cooked like spinach or added to soups. Germinates in 2 weeks.
SORGHUM VARIETIES:
Sorghum bicolor. Corn family plant grown as an important grain in many parts of the world. The stems of some are used for making molasses or syrup, while other types are grown for making brooms or as ornamentals. Seeds cooked like rice or popped, stems chewed like sugar cane. Good fodder plant.
—Sorghum Black and White. (b,h) VSOR-BW. Packet: $2.00
Oz: $6.00
Beautiful mix of several varieties with glossy black or white seeds, some tall, some short, all striking when dried. Contains Black Amber Broom Corn, Egyptian Wheat Sorghum, White Popping, Black Kaffir and more.
—Sorghum Colored Uprights. (b,h) VSOR-CU. Packet: $2.00
Oz: $6.00
Compact thick seedheads in shades of gold, maroon, bronze, red, black, brown and cream. One of the finest ornamental mixes.
—Sorghum Red Broom Corn. (b,h) VSOR-RB. Packet: $2.00
Oz: $6.00
Mixture of several red types, in shades from pale rose to dark burgundy. Beautiful when dried. Includes Apache Red, Tennessee Red, Hungarian Red, many of the Hadley Reds, and others.
NEW—Sorghum, Tepehuan Popping. (b,h) VSOR-TP. Packet: $2.00
Germination: 92% Tested: 10/08, Oz: $8.00
Plump white seeds popped by native peoples in México, just like popcorn. Slender productive plants. Delicious flavor and an unusual crop.
—Sorghum White African. (b,h) VSOR-WF. Packet: $2.00
Oz: $6.00
Shiny white seeds with black hulls. To 8 feet tall. Makes a fine dark syrup.
—SORREL DeBelleville. (a,g) VSRR-DB. Packet: $2.50 OUT OF STOCK
French heirloom with long, thick, tender, bright green leaves with a delicious tart flavor. Much used in French cooking for soup and sauces, young leaves for salads. Easily grown hardy perennial, does well in poor, heavy soil.
NEW—SORREL Red-Veined. (b,g) VSRR-RV. Packet: $2.00
Germination: 52% Tested: 6/08, Gram: $6.00, 5 grams: $16.00
Rumex sanguineus var. sanguineus. Lovely bright green oval leaves with dark red veins. This European salad leaf has a fresh tart flavor and is a great addition to baby salad mixes.
SUNFLOWER VARIETIES:
—Sunflower Arikara. (d,h) VSUN-AK. Packet: $2.50 CERTIFIED ORGANIC SEED
Oz: $9.00
Helianthus annuus. Originally grown by the Arikara in North Dakota, these tall, sturdy plants produce masses of large dark edible seeds. Single or multi-headed plants with yellow 12 - 16" flowers.
—Sunflower Peredovik. (b,h) VSUN-P. Packet: $1.50
lb: $6.00
Classic black-seeded type, 6 - 8 feet tall, with medium heads of yellow flowers. High oil content; widely grown in Russia for making fine quality cooking oil. Birds and wildlife love the seeds.
SPINACH
Spinacia oleracea. Annual plant, best grown as a cool weather crop. Sow in early spring, late summer, or fall. Seed sprouts best at cool temperatures. Space 4 - 6" apart in rows 1 1/2 feet apart. Likes a rich, very moist soil. Spinach is very rich in Vitamin A and protein.
—Spinach Giant Nobel. (b,g) VSPI-GN. Packet: $1.50
Oz: $5.00, 1/4 lb: $10.00 OUT OF STOCK
Very large, smooth, thick, dark green leaves on big spreading plants. Slow bolting, for late spring sowing. A fine variety, not often available.
—Spinach Malabar Red. (c,g) VSPI-MR. Packet: $2.00
Oz: $6.00
Basella rubra. Large tender perennial vine from SE Asia, with lovely red stems & red-tinged leaves & flowers. Likes heat and moisture; a good hot weather spinach substitute. Excellent eaten raw in salads. Climbs to 10 feet and can be picked often.
—Spinach New Zealand Spinach. (b,v) VSPI-NZ. Packet: $2.50
Tetragonia tetragonioides. Thick, succulent triangular leaves on sprawling plants that thrive in hot weather, poor soil, and harsh conditions. Tender, delicious, and with a milder flavor and more body than regular spinach. We often find it growing on local beaches in pure sand, a wonderful wild food. Produces a continuous, abundant supply of spinach from June till frost. Pre-soak the seed overnight.
SQUASH
Cucurbita species. Annuals of either trailing or bushy habit. Summer varieties have tender skin and are best eaten young. Winter types have a hard rind and are harvested when mature for storage over several months.
Sow seed in late spring to early summer, in well-worked soil with plenty of manure thoroughly mixed in. Plant in hills 4 - 6 feet apart, with 6 - 8 seeds per hill. Thin to the 3 or 4 strongest plants when well established. Give full sun and plenty of water.
Summer Squash Varieties:
Tender, thin-skinned squashes that are eaten when young. Very good raw in salads, steamed or fried. Good for stuffing when a little larger, but if left too long will become tough and bland.
—Squash Cou-Tors Hatif. (e,h) VSQU-CT. Packet: $3.00
Bright golden-orange crook neck squash, eaten like any summer squash when young. In Europe they are often grown for ornament, as the mature fruit develop handsome pebbly skin and keep for months.
—Squash Cucuzzi Caravazzi. (e,g) VSQU-CC. Packet: $2.50
An Italian favorite, the long pale green fruits can reach 6 feet, but are best when 2" thick and a foot long. Breaded, stuffed, or boiled like zucchini, Cucuzzi has a unique flavor that some prefer to any other squash. Actually an edible gourd (Lagenaria siceraria), the vines are extremely prolific and vigorous growers. Good trellised or grown on a fence.
—Squash Round Zucchini. (c,h) VSQU-RZ. Packet: S1.50
Oz: $5.00
Nice round squash with light green skin and firm, creamy-white flesh. Exceptional flavor, very good steamed when small, and a favorite for grilling when baseball-sized or larger.
—Squash Zucchini Dark Green. (e,h) VSQU-Z. Packet: $1.50
Oz: $5.00
Smooth straight dark green fruits, with pale tender flesh. One of the best flavored zucchinis. Bushy, vigorous plants, early and prolific. Best harvested when 6" long or less.
Winter Squash Varieties:
Called 'winter squash' because they are grown to full maturity and stored over winter. Hard rinded, with orange or yellow flesh. Very good boiled or baked, stuffed or dried. The seeds are high in protein and oil, and are delicious salted and roasted.
Fruit should be left until the vines are brown and withered, but should be harvested before frost or they will not store well. Optimum is when the stem is drying and the squash is well-matured, the rind hard and not easily broken with the thumbnail. Cut with an inch or so of stem, and cure for 10 days in the field, or indoors in a cool place if frost is likely. Undamaged, they will keep for several months if stored in a cool dry place. Dampness is bad.
—Squash Amish Pie. (10,h) VSQU-AP. Packet: $2.50
Cucurbita pepo. Large pale-orange squash are oval and slightly pointed, weighing up to 80 pounds. One of the finest varieties for pies, canning or freezing, with very thick, firm flesh. Heirloom from an Amish gardener in Maryland.
—Squash Blue Hubbard. (d,h) VSQU-BH. Packet: $2.00
Oz: $6.00
110 days. Large fruits of true Hubbard shape, round in the middle, tapering at both ends. Skin a handsome, dusky blue-green color, warted and slightly ribbed. Thick, deep orange, fine-grained flesh. Exceptional sweet flavor. Fruits weigh 15 - 30 pounds. Stores perfectly for months. Heavy yielder. A New England favorite, for pies, baking, etc.
NEW—Squash Galeux d'Eysines. (e,h) VSQU-GX. Packet: $3.00
Oz: $9.00
Also called 'Peanut Pumpkin' because of the rough corky pebbles that appear over the smooth, rosy-tan skin. Unusual handsome 10 - 20 pound fruits, best harvested before the pebbles completely cover the pumpkins. Thick, sweet, moist orange flesh, wonderful for baking, frying, or soups. A best seller at farmer's markets.
—Squash Kumi-Kumi. (e,h) VSQU-KU. Packet: $3.00
Click for photo »
Maori squash with a speckled green skin, stocky and deeply ribbed. White flesh with mild flavor. Young squash eaten like zucchini, mature ones like any winter squash. Originally called Kama Kama by the Maori, who like them baked.
—Squash Melonette de Vendee. (e,h) VSQU-MV. Packet: $3.00
A beautiful small pale orange French pumpkin. Used for soups, jams, and cakes. Very pretty.
—Squash Queensland Blue. (d,h) VSQU-QB. Packet: $2.50
Oz: $14.00
Cucurbita maxima. Large, deeply ribbed and flattened blue-grey squash to 10 - 20 pounds. Very flavorful thick orange flesh. Stores well.
—Squash Shishigatani. (e,h) VSQU-SH. Packet: $3.00
Cucurbita moschata. This unusual squash has the distinction of being a "traditional Kyoto vegetable", a title given only to those varieties which have been grown in the Kyoto area from prior to the Meiji period (1868 - 1912). Squash are bottlegourd shaped, ribbed and warty, with dark green skin turning tan at maturity. Rich nutty flavor. Rarely found outside Japan, this squash is valued in traditional Kyoto cuisine.
—Squash Sibley. (d,h) VSQU-SB. Packet: $2.50
Cucurbita maxima. Slate-blue teardrop-shaped squash to 8 - 10 pounds. Sweet orange flesh becomes drier and more flavorful during winter storage. Very hard skin, making it an excellent keeper. Also called 'Pike's Peak', it may be an old Indian variety, but was introduced by Sibley & Co. in NY in 1887
—Squash Triamble. (10,h) VSQU-T. Packet: $3.00
Cucurbita maxima. Remarkable three-cornered squash with slate-grey skin and very sweet dark orange flesh. Keeps for months, and can reach 15 pounds. Distinctive French heirloom from the Locine Valley.
—Squash Veracruz Pepita. (e,h) VSQU-VC. Packet: $3.00
Cucurbita argyrosperma. Large flattened squash striped green and cream, with distinct shallow ribs and a thick crown or handle just below the stem. Pepita types are often grown just for the edible seeds. Quite unusual, rarely seen outside of México or Central and South America.
—Squash Verruqueux du Portugal. (10,h) VSQU-VP. Packet: $3.00
Dusky charcoal-black skin, small to medium-sized round squash. Handsome and unusual- originally from Portugal, but came to us through a home gardener in France.
—Squash Vert d'Espagne. (10,h) VSQU-VD. Packet: $3.00
Large handsome maroon-orange pumpkins which reach 35 pounds. Highly flavorful orange flesh.
—Squash Yokohama. (e,h) VSQU-YK. Packet: $3.00
Oz: $18.00
Beautiful Japanese black-skinned squash, lumpy and ribbed. Handsome, nice for fall decorations. About the size of a small pumpkin or turban squash.
—Squash Yugoslavian Finger. (10,h) VSQU-Y. Packet: $3.00
Oz: $20.00
Cucurbita pepo. Truly curious, like an acorn squash with flaring wings or 'fingers' at one end, variable in shape. White or green skin, cream flesh. Good flavor, firm texture. Highly ornamental.
SUNFLOWER: See Specialty Vegetables
SWISS CHARD
Beta vulgaris var. cicla. The leaves and stems of Swiss Chard are eaten like spinach, though the flavor is milder and the whole plant more robust. Will continue to produce until frost if the outer leaves are kept harvested and flower stalks are plucked. In mild climates, chard will give for 2 or 3 years or more, though the quality diminishes.
Sow seed as early as ground can be worked, in any good garden soil. Plant 1/2" deep in rows 18" apart, and thin to 8" apart when plants are well up. Harvest by cutting outer leaves at base of stem. Chard makes good poultry fodder.
NEW—Swiss Chard Arancia. (c,h) VSWI-AR. Packet: $2.00
Germination: 96% Tested: 10/08, 10 grams: $8.00
Vivid orange stems and crumpled green leaves. European type bred as a colorful baby salad leaf. Crunchy and mild flavored, good picked young for salads, or let it mature for cooked greens.
—Swiss Chard Golden. (d,h) VSWI-G. Packet: $2.00 OTC ORGANIC SEED
Oz: $9.00
Emerald green leaves with golden yellow stems. Young leaves are a colorful addition to salads, mature leaves wonderful for stir-fry or braising. The handsome color makes a good choice for market growers. Organically grown.
NEW—Swiss Chard Pink Lipstick. (b,h) VSWI-PL. Packet: $2.00
Germination: 88% Tested: 10/08, Oz: $5.00
Brilliant rose-pink stems and crumpled deep green leaves. Tender colorful young leaves good in baby salad mixes.
—Swiss Chard Rhubarb Chard. (b,g) VSWI-R. Packet: $2.00
Oz: $6.00
A lovely type with deep red stems and veins, contrasting with dark green crumpled leaves. May winter over in mild climates. Very pretty, can be harvested from summer to frost.
"I took my spade and went and broke the ground upon George-hill in Surrey, thereby declaring freedome to the Creation, and that the earth must be set free from the intanglements of Lords and Landlords, and that it shall become a common Treasury to all."—Winstanley, founder of the Diggers, 1649.
TOMATO
Lycopersicon esculentum. Tender perennial plants from South America, tomatoes have become one of the most popular garden vegetables. Tomatoes are eaten raw or cooked, in soups, stews, sauces and catsup. They are delicious stuffed, and can be fried or pickled when green. Dried tomatoes are an excellent and flavorful way of preserving a bumper crop; in jars of olive oil, they command high prices at the delicatessen. Delightful with a sprig of fresh basil.
Seed is best started early indoors, about 6 weeks before the last frost. Sow in a rich, light soil, and transplant to another flat when 3" tall, spacing 4" apart. When all danger of frost has passed and ground has warmed, set plants out into a well-manured, deeply dug soil, spacing 3 - 5 feet apart.
Determinant varieties stop growing and bearing fruit when they reach a certain size. They are more compact, good where space is a consideration, and they will ripen fruit all at one time, which can be an advantage if you are canning or preserving.
Indeterminate varieties continue to grow and bear fruit until frost kills the plant. They grow into large plants that set fruit over the entire season for an ongoing harvest. Cage, trellis or stake them.
—Tomato Amish Paste. (c,h) VTOM-AP. Packet: $2.50
Grams: $8.00
Oval red tomatoes weighing up to 8 ounces, with thick, meaty flesh. Outstanding sweet flavor, one of the best sauce tomatoes. An Amish heirloom from Wisconsin, producing abundantly even under harsh, adverse conditions.
—Tomato Aunt Ruby's German Green. (c,h) VTOM-AR. Packet: $2.50
Gram: $6.00
Large beefsteak-type tomatoes are a lovely pale green, sweet and juicy, with great flavor. Heirloom from Ruby Arnold of Greenville, Tennessee. Indeterminate.
—Tomato Black From Tula. (d,h) VTOM-BT. Packet: $2.50 ORGANIC SEED
Russian heirloom with rosy-purple irregularly-shaped fruits, said by some to be the "ugliest and most delicious" tomato ever grown (vying with the Purple Calabash for this). Rich flavor, sweet and tart. Small plants produce large tomatoes. Brought into circulation by the Seed Saver's Exchange.
—Tomato Black Krim. (c,h) VTOM-BK. Packet: $2.50
Russian variety with round 8 - 12 ounce, purple-red tomatoes with green-black shoulders, turning nearly full black in hot sun. Delicate skin and rich flavor make this one top-rated in taste tests. Originally from Krim Island in the Black Sea. Indeterminate.
—Tomato Box Car Willie. (c,h) VTOM-BX. Packet: $2.50
Classic big orange-red tomatoes, great old-fashioned taste. Produces heavy crops of 10 - 12 ounce tomatoes for slicing fresh or canning. Indeterminate.
—Tomato Brandywine. (c,h) VTOM-BY. Packet: $2.50
This is the original variety with large pink beefsteak tomatoes, famous for its rich, intense, full-bodied flavor. Amish heirloom from 1885, later obtained and maintained by Ben Quisenberry and the Seed Saver's Exchange. Potato-leaf type, indeterminate.
NEW—Tomato Brown Berry. (c,h) VTOM-BB. Packet: $2.50
Appealing earthy-brown cherry tomatoes, juicy and sweet, with excellent flavor. Highly productive, indeterminate vines.
NEW—Tomato Cherokee Purple. (c,h) VTOM-CP. Packet: $2.50
Unusual dusky rose-purple fruits with superb flavor, sweet and juicy, reaching 12 ounces. One of the top favorite heirlooms, very productive on rather short, indeterminate vines. Thanks to Kent Whealey and the SSE for this one—their original source said it was from the Cherokee people, over 100 years old.
—Tomato Druzba. (c,h) VTOM-DZ. Packet: $2.50
Bulgarian heirloom with large, red, slightly flattened tomatoes with a fantastic sweet-tart flavor. Heavy producer over a long season. The name means "friendship".
NEW—Tomato Garden Peach. (c,h) VTOM-GP. Packet: $2.50
Delicate round yellow-pink fruits like small peaches—even lightly fuzzy. Keeps well and the mild, distinctive flavor improves with storage. Vigorous and productive heirloom introduced in 1862.
—Tomato Hillbilly. (c,h) VTOM-H. Packet: $2.50
Large orange-yellow beefsteak type, beautifully marbled and streaked inside with red. One of the best-tasting bicolored tomatoes, fruity and mild. Heirloom grown for many years in Ohio, said to have originated in West Virginia.
—Tomato Jaune Flammee. (b,h) VTOM-JF. Packet: $2.50
French heirloom, with clusters of small orange-yellow tomatoes with a reddish interior. Full-flavored. Beautiful in salads, it also dries well and holds its color. Indeterminate.
NEW—Tomato Jitomate Bulito. (d,h) VTOM-JB. Packet: $2.50
Large bright red plum tomatoes, to 4 ounces each, thick, meaty, and full-flavored. Popular in southern México for a wide variety of salsas, cooked and fresh. Dependable and prolific, produces abundantly in coastal areas with cool, foggy summers. Indeterminate.
—Tomato Nebraska Wedding. (c,h) VTOM-NW. Packet: $2.50
Beautiful 3 - 4" deep orange round tomatoes borne in clusters. Great sweet-acid flavor, stunning color, and very productive.
—Tomato Omar's Lebanese. (c,h) VTOM-OL. Packet: $2.50
Enormous dark pink tomatoes, reaching 1 1/2 lb. Sweet flavor. Does best in the North, away from too much humidity. Indeterminate.
—Tomato Persimmon Orange. (c,h) VTOM-PE. Packet: $2.50
Golden-orange flattened round tomatoes, with sweet rich flavor. Medium-sized and stores well.
—Tomato Pineapple. (b,h) VTOM-PN. Packet: $2.50
Large beefsteak type, yellow-gold with red stripes. Sweet, fruity flavor. Indeterminate.
—Tomato Punta Banda. (c,h) VTOM-PB. Packet: $2.50
A good-sized cherry tomato, producing hundreds of meaty red fruits even in the hottest, driest conditions. Originally collected on the Punta Banda Peninsula in Baja California. Semi-determinate.
NEW—Tomato Purple Calabash. (d,h) VTOM-PC. Packet: $2.50
Click for photo »
Our favorite heirloom tomato, with unusual rosy-purple ruffled fruits, blushed bronze or chocolate-brown when ripe. Intense flavor. Very prolific, drought-tolerant plants; the only tomato in our trials that produced abundantly under the severely hot and dry conditions we had in 1988. A very old type; the fruits resemble tomatoes pictured in 16th century herbals. Very productive. Indeterminate.
"Well, I must say that this is certainly the ugliest tomato I have ever seen in my life... On the other hand, there's the taste... the TASTE! Now I know where all of the flavor bred out of the commercial F-1 hybrids has fled to! These ugly little tomatoes are the tastiest I have ever encountered... they're wonderful raw (one friend says that they taste as if grown in wine). Fabulous simmered briefly with chopped vegetables and served on pasta, and would probably make the best tomato sauce and stewed tomatoes in the world."—D.P., California.
"These are FABULOUS—won 1st place in neighborhood in a blindfolded taste test against 4 other varieties! Strong and productive in our Texas heat."—N.D.M., Boerne, Texas, 2/97.
—Tomato Purple Russian. (c,h) VTOM-PR. Packet: $2.50
Germination: 99% Tested: 10/08, 5 grams: $10.00
Beautiful dark purple plum-shaped tomatoes, 3 - 4" long, weighing about 6 ounces. Terrific flavor, juicy, meaty, and sweet. Originally came from the Ukraine. Indeterminate.
—Tomato Red Strawberry. (c,h) VTOM-RS. Packet: $2.50
Germination: 96% Tested: 10/08, 5 grams: $9.00
Huge red heart-shaped tomatoes weighing up to 10 oz. Deep red, meaty and solid, excellent flavor.
—Tomato Thessaloniki. (c,h) VTOM-TH. Packet: $2.50
Germination: 99% Tested: 10/08, Gram: $5.00, 1/4 Oz: $12.00
Beautiful smooth, red, baseball-sized tomatoes with outstanding flavor. Resistant to cracking, blemish, and rot. Very productive. Developed in Greece, a great variety for farmer's markets.
—Tomato Tigerella. (b,h) VTOM-TG. Packet: $2.50
Red with golden stripes. A large cherry type, with striking color and superb flavor. An early and prolific bearer. Indeterminate.
—Tomato Variegated. (b,h) VTOM-VA. Packet: $2.50
Germination: 92% Tested: 10/08, Gram: $5.00, 1/4 Oz: $12.00
Strikingly beautiful white and green variegated leaves make this a dramatically different tomato. Fruits deep red, not variegated, about tennis-ball sized. Huge vigorous vines to 12 feet tall-stands both hot and cold weather, but variegation lessens with very hot weather. Great edible landscape plant from Europe. Indeterminate.
—Tomato Voyage. (b,h) VTOM-VY. Packet: $2.50
5 grams: $6.00
Click for photo »
One of the strangest tomatoes you can find-some fruits are flat and ruffled, to 3" across, but others form large clusters of 10 or more cherry-size tomatoes joined together into a Siamese-twin-like bunch.
—Tomato Wapsipinicon Peach. (c,h) VTOM-WP. Packet: $2.50
Unusual round yellow 2" fruits are actually fuzzy like a peach. Sweet delicious flavor—a winner in heirloom tomato taste tests. Named after the Wapsipinicon River in Iowa. Indeterminate.
—Tomato Watermelon Beefsteak. (d,h) VTOM-WB. Packet: $2.50
Large meaty red tomatoes with fruits reaching 1 pound. Terrific for slicing and fresh eating.
—Tomato Wolford Wonder. (b,h) VTOM-WW. Packet: $2.50
Big heart-shaped pink tomatoes, sweet and juicy, with terrific flavor. Low acid, few seeds. Indeterminate.
"I strongly oppose the expropriation of genetic resources by individuals, corporations or governments for their private control and profit."—J.L. Hudson.
TURNIP
Brassica rapa. A sweet-flavored root vegetable, turnips can be pulled young and eaten raw like radishes. Mature roots are excellent sliced raw and salted, cooked in stews, or mashed along with potatoes, or on their own. Roots store well in a cool, dry place. The tops are cooked for tasty, vitamin-rich greens.
Best as a cool weather crop. Sow seed in early spring or fall in a rich soil. Plant 1" deep in rows 18" apart, and thin to 4 - 5" apart in the row.
—Turnip Scarlet Ohno Revival. (b,h) VTUP-SC. Packet: $2.50 OTC ORGANIC SEED
Reselection of a Japanese heirloom, with round, flattened, bright red roots. Leaves smooth, glossy, with some scarlet or rarely bright purple stems and veins. Grown in Japan as pickling turnips, as the red skin colors the pickles a lovely pink. From Wild Garden, organically grown.
—Turnip Seven Top. (a!,h) VTUP-ST. Packet: $1.50
Oz: $5.00, 1/4 lb: $10.00, lb: $9.00 OUT OF STOCK - PACKETS STILL AVAILABLE
The best variety for greens. Harvest whole plant when young and tender. Boil with salt to taste. I sowed some in April, & they gave greens constantly throughout a very hot dry summer. After hot spells they got a rich, strong flavor (the way I like them), but after the cool fall rains came, they turned sweet and mild again. Cut with scissors, they give again. A real workhorse food producer. My favorite.
—Turnip White Egg. (a!,h) VTUP-WE. Packet: $1.50
Oz: $5.00, 1/4 lb: $10.00
Fast growing, with small, oval, pure white roots. Firm, fine-grained, tender, sweet and mild. Top of root grows above ground, with a green tint. A favorite in the South. About 50 days.
—Turnip Yellow Globe. (a!,h) VTUP-YG. Packet: $1.50
Oz: $5.00, 1/4 lb: $10.00
Smooth yellow round turnips. Sweet and fine-grained, with excellent flavor. About 75 days.
FRIED TURNIPS—Virgil Russell.
"My own recipe. Peel and slice (1/4") three or four medium turnips. Lightly salt and set aside (the salt brings out the juice). Chop and sauté one clove garlic in bacon drippings, cooking oil or whatever. When soft, remove garlic from pan. Bread turnip slices with Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix. Fry, one layer at a time, until golden brown on each side. (You will wish that you had fried more!)"
WATERMELONS
Citrullus vulgaris. Annual tropical vine from Africa bearing melons with sweet, crisp, juicy flesh. The seeds are high in oil and are very nutritious, and can be eaten whole after roasting and salting.
Sow when ground has warmed in hills about 8 feet apart, planting 6 - 10 seeds per hill. When plants are well up, thin to the strongest 3 plants in each hill. Watermelons like a light, sandy, well-manured soil, plenty of moisture, and full sun.
—Watermelon Blacktail Mountain. (d,h) VWAT-BT. Packet: $2.50 OUT OF STOCK
Handsome round watermelons with dark green skin and crimson flesh. Firm, juicy, and sweet. Developed by Glen Drowns in Idaho, with summer nights averaging 43°F. Also does well in heat and humidity—an all-round reliable producer to 6 - 10 pounds.
NEW—Watermelon Congo. (e,h) VWAT-CO. Packet: $2.50
Big oval 30 - 50 pound melons with sweet, firm, deep red flesh. Green rind with darker stripes, durable for shipping. Over 9% sugar content, disease resistant, and long bearing. Good in the South.
—Watermelon Cream of Saskatchewan. (d,h) VWAT-CS. Packet: $2.50
Small round melons to 4 - 10 pounds, with light green skin with dark green stripes. Flesh is creamy white, with a wonderful flavor. Does well in cool climates, brought to Canada by Russian immigrants. Has a thin rind, so can't be shipped—great for home gardens and farmer's markets.
NEW—Watermelon Desert King. (e,h) VWAT-DK. Packet: $2.50
Oz: $8.00
Round pale green melons with rich dark yellow flesh, sweet and tender. Lasts a month on the vine after ripening, with no loss in quality. Drought and sunburn resistant.
NEW—Watermelon Mountain Hoosier. (e,h) VWAT-MH. Packet: $2.50
Oz: $8.00
One of the biggest, to 75 - 80 pounds under good conditions. Enormous oblong dark green melons with crimson flesh, crisp and sugary sweet-one of the best eating-quality giant watermelons. White seed. Introduced before 1937.
—Watermelon Mountain Sweet Yellow. (d,h) VWAT-MT. Packet: $2.50
One of the sweetest and best tasting yellow watermelons. Long dark green melons with lighter stripes, deep yellow flesh and black seeds. Very high sugar content, it was popular in the 1840s, and revived by the SSE. Reaches 20 - 35 pounds.
—Watermelon Orangeglo. (d,h) VWAT-OR. Packet: $2.50 ORGANIC SEED
Long oval melons have light green skin with dark green stripes, and deep pumpkin-orange flesh. To 20 - 30 pounds. Very sweet, crisp and tasty. Organically grown.
"If you're going to get old, you might as well get as old as you can get."—Wallace Stegner.