Time to add them up.

Lou from Wi.

Well-known Member
We have a large cardboard box filled with garden seed. All are assorted but not counted as to variety. In the mail we keep receiving seed catalogs from companies,Gurneys, henry fields, Jung's,etc. All their pictures look really great,but alot of increase stuff. My son bought a seed planter 2 yrs ago,made out of aluminum, and the cost was less than $60.00, they show them now in the seed catalogs for over $140.00.That is really a nice piece of equipment, saves bending and stooping.

With all the snow we have,it may be June before we get the garden in.lol. I'm already tired of the winter and cold.This morning it was -29 deg,made it to 0 deg now,real heatwave.
Our new item this year is going to be a couple of Bing cherry trees,need well drained soil and a pollinator, we can supply the well drained soil,all sand.According to the map,we're in Zone 4,and one of the catalogs says it can be grown in 4 or 5,will check them out. The peach tree we have says it was meant for zone 5,but so far it was still growing last summer, produced one nice peach,hopefully more this coming year.
LOU
 
I always get "big eyes" when the seed catalogs come. The higher prices have put a stop to all the impulse buying I did. Only the necessities now. I spy clearance seeds in the grocery or dollar stores occasionally and get some better deals that way. I bought a dwarf peach some time ago. when it got "big" it had a load of peaches probably a bushel. Never again. Its gets loaded but now they all get buggy and fall off. I tried half heartedly to spray but it didn't really help.
 
Lou, did he get the earthway planter ? I needed something for corn and bought one 2 years ago, its ok, seems tricky to get seed to drop uniformly and consistently, in these soils, some rocks etc, no good in any kind of clumps. Something about filling the little hopper, gets too low, you have to lean it into the seed plate, too full something else, I've had skips. I think its too light, I need to find an old Planet Jr, iron and wood, heavier and would have to work better, well push easier or better through these soils. The earthway is probably best for ideal soils, which part of my larger garden does not have yet, I think its on the edge of the fill line when the house was built, and it came from the bottom of the hill here, garden plants will grow in it, just the rocks and clay. There are new models similar to the old Planet Jr's being made, but like $600, next on my list, shoulda never passed on a nicely kept, complete, almost NOS one I saw on CL a few years back, was only $250, with the manual.

PS, I see that cold air coming in up your way, time to keep my stove going !
 
We have two peach trees here in far northern NY state and they have done well with many sweet peaches each summer. The last ice storm broke a big limb off one of whem a couple of days ago. We hope the tree recovers but if not we started a new one to replace it. Last years garden was a big bust. Way to much rain and cool weather. Not sure we will try again this spring.

Even the seed catalogs have not been able to get us thinking about gardening, what with all this cold weather and ice storm.
 
you may have to put a lot of mulch around the trunk each fall to help protect the roots. May do ok if you luck out weather wise. I am in Zone 4, and the Bings I see are usually Zone 5 or higher. I want to do some grapes, but most seedless are zone 5 and up.
 
Lou,I just posted about dumpster diving I did today,then read your post,didnt you find a great score of seeds tossed in the dumpster,display and all if I Remember right,
 
I get them also, but the prices are WAY too high. I can buy the seeds locally for less than half the price that's in the catalogs and don't have to pay shipping. Most of the stuff is for Northern climates too. Some of them don't do well here in mid-MS.
 
Their trouble is for one thing they have to cover the cost of their catalogues. Sure is fun looking at them and dreaming of spring!
 
We planted Evans Bali Cherry in 2009. They have very tasty fruit but the birds like them very much also. We are in zone 3 so we are a little colder here in southern Price County. We had -33 degrees this morning. We have also planted a few different plums (Pipestone, Toka and pembrook). The Toka is a very delicious plum and good size and it is for zone 3. Actually all our trees are for zone 3. Good luck with your plantings. Am also looking for the warmer growing season.
 
Not only do the mail order seed companies have the highest prices, they also sock you with high shipping charges. The seed catalogs have started to hit my mom's mail box already. I noticed that on the front cover of one of them, they were trying to sell a single grape plant (called Razzmatazz, I think) for $100.00, plus shipping.
Imagine how bad the gardener would feel if the thing died. I try to support the local greenhouses if possible.
 
Billy NY Son went to the basement and took a picture of the planter (and the guarddog of it lol) our soil is fine sandy with black dirt, seeder works ok for us, and couldn't pass up the price.
Yep it is colder than a well diggers azz in the klondyke, Both furnances are running to keep the house at 75 deg expect it to continue for a while. Son ran the bobcat to scoop and pile the snow we have had so there is more room for the comming stuff. Just couldn't resist the picture of our gaurd dog, he is a gift from a friend. Notice the door is open,even in this cool weather,he's spoiled rotten.lol. He's growing by leaps and bounds.Had to child proof lots of things.Put a swinging gate up,only took a couple of tries and he mastered how to open it,so we put a hasp hook on it, figure a couple of days he'll learn to open it again.He'll be 6 months old in January. Thanks for the reply,
LOU
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Gambles,
yep we try to buy locally too. Our local green house has good plants (tomato,pepper and such) we buy in the spring. Travel down to Klinger Farm for seed potatoes, but this year we save enough for seed from our last years plants.
Another Seed catalog showed up in todays mail,too bad the fruits and vegies in the local supermarket didn't look so good.lol.We're hoping for a good year this year.
Regards,
LOU
 
dahlin,
We're going to try the Bing cherries,probally have to spray and net ours to keep the birds off of them. They're $16.95 each,(requires a pollinator) but it works out better in price (cheaper) than seed catalogs and local greenhouse can sell them to us. The company is called Willis Orchards,fairly reasonable prices to us anyhow.
We had a couple of plum trees,but a late heavy snowfall broke them over,lost them both,had a couple of plums off of them and that was it. Squirrels and birds took the green ones off before we had a chance net the trees to let them ripen. Also had 2 pear trees that were damaged by the same fate. By the time we're done, we should have a nice little orchard.lol.
Regards,
LOu
 
Billy C.,
You are right about the prices,they go up every year, it sure becomes discouraging. Thanks for the reply.
Regards,
LOU
 
gtractorfan,
Sure is alot of grphic artwork in it though. I guess they have to cover it somehow.lol
Regards,
LOU
 
Larry@stinescorner,
Haven't read your post on dumpster diving yet, but will. Yes, we got a huge cardboard box of various seeds from the dumpster,I always say "waste not, want not."
Hope all the Gardens make up this year.Some areas are extremely cold, like ours, and I don't know how long it's going to last into the spring.Anyway keep trying.
Regards,
LOU
 
rustyacres sd,
Yes'm, we put alot of composted horse manure around the two peach trees and apple trees every year, so far that seems to keep the trees coming back year after year.

According to Willis orchards, he says they are for zones 4-8, so guess we will give them a shot.Nothing ventured,nothing gained.lol.

According to our newest mail delivery seed catalog, from Farmer Seed and Nursery, they have a couple of grape plants that are for zones 4 and up. We have a reliance seedless,and so far, it keeps growing, this year should have grapes.Daughter has the same grape,it was loaded last year,but "something" took them, she didn't get a one. Either deer,coons or maybe neighbors,don't know for sure so can't say exactly.Hope the grapes come back again this year.
Thanks for the reply,
regards,
LOU
 
2badlybent,
I'm sorry to hear about your peach trees, we got our inspiration from a guy in Superior. He has a nice peach tree right on 2 off of 53,been there since I can remember, peaches the size of a good sized softball.We just had to try.

We had snow up until may of last year,put us way behind in planting, although we got one peach,if you remember our post about it.lol. Garden was ok,but not like years before.either started out too cold, then turned hot and nothing in between. Thanks for the reply,
Regards, LOU
 
I got the first seed catalog yesterday. I have given up on them and I won't pay $7.50 for an envelope with $.90 postage on it. I buy all my seed at our local hardware in bulk. Lots cheaper. Only exception is "Show-Off" cabbage which is the best cabbage I have ever grown in 45 years of gardening, and I do order it.
 
That is too funny, its the same one, and I have the extra plates in a ziplock too, in the hopper with the booklet. The box it came in has something really funny written on it, "end stone age planting methods" There is some artwork included, which is the stone age gardener using a tree limb to open the soil, a funny caricature if that fits, and under his feet it says "the precision seeder eliminates the back pain, slowness and inaccuracy of primative seeding" and primitive, is spelled like the previous.

That pup sure has grown ! Its 80 deg F by the stove, cooler elsewhere, time for venison sausage and peppers, a cold beer some down time and hit the hay !
 
Paul' Can't say as I blame you. I can not understand why seed becomes a throw away when it still will germinate for some folks. . Thanks for your reply,
Regards LOU.
 
Redtom Just looking at the catalogs makes me hungry, when one ordered, the trees come so small, it takes years to mature. Better buys comes from local nursery's when season ends. Thanks for your reply.
regards LOU.
 
6 or 7 years ago I was at Tractor Supply around June. They were moving the displays around. I got almost all of the seed they had left for free. The manager said take it all. Its Ferry-Morris if I recall. I only took what I like to plant. Left the rest for others.

I am still planting it, all seems to germinate fine. I got enough to almost fill a big shoe box.

Rick
 
As Garrison Keiller once said "The Burpee seed catalog is responsible for as many unfulfilled fantasies as the Victoria's Secret Catalog"
 
Rick Kr,
We're hoping ours will germinate.All together our cache will fill a 10"tall x 24"long x 16" wide box.Just have to take the time to catalog and presort them for this(2014) years garden.Might have to try some different plant seed to see what tastes right.lol.
Regards,
LOU
 
We deal with a local nursery, St Lawrence Nurseries, out of of Potsdam NY. http://www.sln.potsdam.ny.us The stuff isn't cheap but I know the owner somewhat and he's a nut for having things that will take our cold climate. There's an online catalog there in that link.

Neighbor who just moved back to Alaska had some plum trees in the yard. Last year they bore beautiful fruit. Not sure what the new owners will do, but i hope they don't cut the trees down.

I have an Earthway too. I've played with it, trying to get it to operate smoother. It's accurate enough as long as the hopper is pretty full. But the belt they use, on mine at least, is pretty stiff and the axles have no way to really lube them. I think a dry graphite type lube would help there. Weighting it would help too, but how? It's still way better than trying to plant carrot seed one at a time!
 

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