Seed and Plant exchange for 2015

Hey, fellow gardeners! It's been months and months since I checked DI and was happy to see this thread developing.
I've been trying to grow stuff on my little farm in Valencia for four years with only occasional success. Last year, about Aprilish, I had tremendous success with about 10 beefsteak-type tomato plants. Huge tomatoes with excellent flavor. I keep a little diary of how I plant everything I try to grow, so, once the 10 plants were done producing, I planted over 60 more of the same variety in the same soil with the same nutritional additives. The plants started out very well and got to about 18" tall. Then, over a period of about a week, every single plant DIED! The symptoms were indicative of bacterial wilt. Once in the soil, bacterial wilt is very difficult to get rid of and no varieties of tomatoes are really immune to it. So, at the advice of an Oklahoma boy, I switched to using large, individual pots of sterilized soil. Only marginal success the first try. On a second try now with different soil additives.

Generally I've had little difficulty STARTING plants from seed. The problem has almost always been in getting the plants to the point where they will produce fruit. Sound familiar?

I am willing to start plants in small pots for folks if they provide the seed. It would be helpful for all of us to share growing information to see if we can come up with methods that actually work. (I'm excuding hydrophonics and aquaphonics in this.) I want to learn how to grow here, in the ground, consistently, at different times of the year.

I currently have a half dozen different varieties of tomato seed from the States. I've tried them here at my place with little or no success. But I'm willing to start some from seed and give them away to anyone willing to keep track of, and share, their results.

I'm also willing to start local varieties of tomato seeds on request and share them. The fruit is generally smaller, though.

George: 09198756015

 

Thanks George for you interest.

It does seem to be that producing fruit (name of the game) is always a problem here. The foreign seeds that we all remember from our mother countries grow well but have difficulty bearing fruit.

Thanks for you offer to grow seedling. Although this "Seed Exchange" effort last yea was originally started as a seed exchange to lower the cost of seed, the immediate requests was for growing seedlings. So last year I tried to start growing seed but was short on time. I will start some of the varieties here next week. If we coordinate what we are growing and what is available for trade then we should increase our levels of success.

I am very glad you record your efforts. It is the only way to really "break the code" here with gardening. The more each of us share here as a group the more successes we will experiences as individuals.

I have many seed varieties here, available for you or anyone interested in trying them. Just contact me.

My helpers planted about 6 varieties on January 14, Zucchini, corn and eggplant seem to be the star performers so far with the rest no breaking ground yet.

If some people come to LaFiesta before the Hydroponic tour, we may be able to trade stories and create some successes.

@george .

 

We have been planting seed for a couple of weeks now. These are the plants we have coming on for the exchange.

Legend: Dates are plant dates, bold type plants have sprouted in pots

January 14, 2015

Basil

Eggplant

Okra - Smooth Green

Tomato

Tomato Discovery

January 30, 2015

Broad leaf chives

Coriander

Pole sitao Concepcion

February 5, 2015

Herb mint

Market tomato

Parsley

Herbs parsley curled

Bunching onion

Broad leaf chives

California capsicum

Capsicum (yellow)

Coriander

Dill aneth

Baby carrot

Egg plant

Basil


February 19, 2015

Sweet corn -bantam

Basil

Parsley

Okra - smooth green

Water melon

Lettuce Monte mars

For tuner

Coriander

Hybrid zucchini

Capsicum pepper


If you have seed that you have planted for the exchange please post them on the thread.

If there are plants you are looking for please post that information and maybe someone has the plants growing, or will plant them or has seed. Please state whether you want seed or plants.

In the past those that did not have seed to trade usually paid 1 P a piece except for expensive seed like Zucchini. Those who did not have plants to trade, paid 12 P for a 120 size pot.

The SEED EXCHANGE WILL PROBABLY HAPPEN AT THE END OF MARCH.

Thanks for your interest.

 

hi have some tomato seeds from U.S.A. 3 difrent types one marked tropical their is 20 to 25 seeds in each pac from gary ibsen,s tomato fest, i will strike some to try, let me know if you want some seeds or plants ,they are organic seeds, i also have D.T. BROWN australian tomato seeds (roma style fruit) plus aussie great lakes lettuce seeds . Let me know if you would like some

 

Norm, I bumped into Graham Reinders at McD's this morning. I asked him out his hydroponic commercial lettuce endeavor was going and he said production was way down as the weather has heated up.

I asked him what he would plant today, as my helpers were preparing another area for seed sowing, and he said "Nothing." Wait until the rainy season in May begins." So with that in mind, I am considering moving the seed exchange off for a could of months until May.

The seed I have planted have germinated in some case, and not in others.

What has been the current results of other members? Please post so we can determine the best time for the exchange.

PS: I am thinking of stopping by tomorrow morning Norm if you are going to be home.

 

dave...
we're sowing mostly greens in plug flats placed in shady areas and seeds are sprouting as usual but temps up here are cooler than your place, reaching 80 on cloudy days and 85 on cloudless days which have been few.

we switched to plugs about 4 plantings back, there's little to no transplant shock and way less problems with seedlings getting eaten in the 1st few days. we got the flats (approx 12x22'') at JB marketing and cut them down to suit our needs. (see foto)

it's been dry but temperatures aren't that much difference from jan and feb but... plants are wilting in the sun and i'm not sure why.

we gardened thru the last 2 dry seasons and plan to do so this year also, ya just never know how the weather will go.

come on up today (tues) or tomorrow or ???

 

As I stated in one of my earlier posts I did visit Kelpguy (Norm) yesterday a pick up a lot of new information. It had been about a year since my last visit since his road is not user friendly. He is into growing things there.
He had some problems with his soil being burned out so he did some experimenting also. He grows pepers there. His temperatures is significantly cooler than what most of us are experiencing and there seemed to be a low level breeze. He seems to be sold on the Korean Natural Gardening. Korean natural fariming (KNF) takes advantage of indigenous microorganisms (IMO) (bacteria, fungi,nematodes and protozoa to produce fertile soils that yield high output without the use of herbicides or pesticides.
An result is improvement in soil health, improving loaminess tilth and structure, and attracting large numbers of earthworms. He felt this new approach has increased his crop yields. KNF also enables odor-free hog and poultry farming without the need to dispose of effluent. This practice has spread to over 30 countries, and is used by individuals and commercial farms. He uses

He makes his own fertilizer and what impressed me is his fish emulation did not stink like mine use to stink. I just threw some fish in a bucket with water.

He is also experimenting with Kabir chickens which he is very excited about. My helper's father had grown these chickens previously. Apparently they are rather large chicken, high meat producing. They are available around Dumaguete when not " out of stock."

His information sources are the Korean Natual farming, and the Unconventualy Farmer with Gil and Patrick. There seems to be lots of recipes on these sites.

@kelpguy

 

There will be a Mini Seed Exchange on Monday March 16 at at 1:00 PM at Andys Private Gardens at the end of noreco road . See Garden Stuff thread Post by Alex for more information.

Come and bring any seeds you would like to exchange... There will probably be lots of BS, that can be used for Fertilizer.

@alex
@george

 

Hi Dave ... Like "Alex" i have started a little vege garden on our land and are very pleased with the continuing crops of okra , loofah , long beans and now some cherry tomatoes and just picked a pumpkin yesterday ... be great to start a little "vege " group to swap seeds and surplus produce .. like a bartering system ... saving seeds from my successs for replanting and/or swapping .. hope to catch up one day to do this. i woulod really like to get hold of some cilantro or corriader as us aussies call it .. never seen it at markets ...cheers