Monday, February 1, 2010

A good mail day

My last seed order arrived today. I needed a few odds and ends so I ordered them from Pinetree Garden Seeds. They have a very good selection of seeds and good prices but those better prices come with less seed most of the time. Here is what I ordered:

Tatsoi, Purple Sprouting Broccoli, Pinetree Leaf Lettuce Mix, Sungold F1 Tomato & Martinos Roma Tomato

A couple packs of mung bean seeds, I am going to try out sprouting my own bean sprouts. A few years ago they started selling bean sprouts in sealed bags. Being sealed makes them taste awful from the trapped off gassing. I also ordered 80 plastic labels and ended up with 50 wooden labels. I have dropped them a line in hopes of getting my plastic labels resent. I'm not really a fan of wood labels, they mold.

Pinetree also had this 'No No Feeder' on clearance. It stands for no wood & no plastic which means the squirrels can't eat it, a plus in our tree rat filled yard. It was only up for a few minutes and started attaching chickadee's & house finches. Seems like a hit!

In the regular mail came the annual Lee Valley Garden Tool catalog. If you have not checked them out before, they carry a very good selection of garden related things, many things that are quite hard to find now the the big box stores have taken over. Things I am eying from them this year are:

The stainless steel digging fork with an ash handle. I have wanted this fork for a couple years and this year will be the year I finally get one. I don't have a fork in the shed and this one seems like excellent quality for $36 bucks.

I am also sick of buying peat modules for things that don't like being transplanted. So I am going to get a couple of these Rootrainers. I seen them used on Vegetable Heaven last yeat and they look like they work very well. I will use them for peas, broad beans, squash, beans, cucumbers and melons. The Rootrainers air prune the roots which greatly reduces transplant shock and they also stop the roots from winding around the pot.

Well that's all the garden consumerism for today... no affiliation with either company by the way.

17 comments:

  1. K you didn't get them from Veseys lol .....How far are you from actually planting anything? I have to wait 'till may to plant outside but 'till the end of February to plant indoors =)

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  2. PainChaud - I started onions and one early tomato Jan 21st. The peppers will be started early march and the rest will be started early april. I can start planting hardy things outside mid April.

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  3. That is a good mail day. BTW I got your seed in the mail. I'll have to put it in a post sometime soon.

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  4. Am I glad you commented on this company. Since I am such a small gardener, I don't require such huge amounts of seeds, they just get stale before I can use them up. I am going to check them out now!

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  5. I was thinking about starting my peas and broad beans inside too but I think I might just direct sow under my hoops. I don't know...my peas just didn't transplant well last fall.

    It looks like everyone is dying to get their spring sowings started!

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  6. I think you're going to love your garden fork, it's one of the most used garden tools that I own.

    Some day soon I'm going to have to do a post about all the seeds that I've purchased for this year. Something like true confessions... My excuse is my looong growing season.

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  7. Got to love it when the mail man and UPS delivery truck brings garden goodies!

    That garden fork looks like a really good one. I actually need a new one because mine is not the highest of quality and I work it to death. I did splurge several years ago and bought a really really good hoe and I adore it. The edge is much easier to keep sharp and it does the job so much more easily. I have been making do with a rake, garden fork, and three pronged cultivator though that I have had for years and years and are of non descript origins/quality. They get the job done and are not falling apart but I know a better designed and made tool would be so much more enjoyable to use. I am just to cheap to buy one until the old ones actually fail on me.

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  8. Daphne - Glade to hear the seeds came! Now you will have to find more spots for veggies :-)

    Zach - Pinetree is the most affordable seed house I have come across. Check out their 'Around the World' section, lots of goodies in that section.

    Thomas - I have had issues direct sowing. They either rot in the cool damp soil or the squirrels eat them. Peat pots work well, you can just plant pot and all. I start them indoors and as soon as they germinate I put them outside undercover.

    Michelle - I need a fork, I use a shovel now and it makes a clumpy mess. This is my third seed order this year... at least they were all small ones this year!

    KitsapFG - Up to this point I have used a long handled shovel. I split the handle, screwed it back together and then ductaped it so the screws don't cut my hands. I am very much looking forward to the fork! This one seems fairly priced as well, I have seen similar ones for upwards of $90 and a cheapo one is $19. Seems like a bargain at $36 for stainless steel.

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  9. I think my fork is the tool I use the most and the one I couldn't manage without. I can't praise root trainers highly enough - Mine are in their 3rd year now - and I got them second hand!
    Small quantity packets are brilliant - I can't imagine who would need 500 aubergine seeds!

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  10. I'm a big fan of my neighbors at Pine Tree Seeds, I have always had good success with their seed. I am also a huge fan of Lee Valley tools -- we have their broadfork and that thing totally rocks. I have used it everywhere, easy and quiet!

    I look at the stainless garden fork every year, but my cheap-o one is still working, with added screw for the handle. I'll be curious to see what you think of the SS one.

    Ali

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  11. Good mail day indeed! This is the first I have heard of rootrainers. I bet they work really well for plants that don't like to have their roots disturbed.

    I've purchased flower seeds from Pinetree Garden Seeds in the past with great results. I bought most of my seeds from them this year. I like the smaller seed packages. I also will be picking up my seed potatoes from them in March (Pinetree is in my hometowm).

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  12. That purple broccoli sounds interesting. This year I'm in the mood for oddball plants. I purchased some purple spinach. I don't think it's actually related to spinach and can grow up to about 6 ft.

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  13. I hope that feeder works for you. The squirrels can be sneaky critters and penetrate the best feeders. The moon is an awesome shot Dan! A perfect picture in my book... Happy Belated Birthday to mom and yum those red velvet cupcakes look good. I bet she really did enjoy them made with love…

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  14. These days I try to save as many of my own seed as possible, but one of the few exceptions is the Sungold F1 tomato. Worth it every time!

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  15. Although I already own every garden implement I need, I must hop on over to Lee Valley sometime. (The one in Ottawa is only 1.5 hr drive away). I will go mental I'm sure.(I cannot resist tools and hardware of any kind !)

    Oh goody, I was looking for rootrainers ! Thx for the tip !

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  16. Veg Heaven - Never used a fork before, I am looking forward it. Looking forward to the rootrainers as well. From what I have read they were invented in Canada in the forestry industry.

    Henbogle - I have been looking at the stainless fork every year too... I'm taking the plunge!

    Grafixmuse - The smaller seed packs are nice and their smaller prices too. I don't know how seed houses get away charging 4 bucks for just ordinary packs of seed.

    Aerlonian - The purple sprouting broccoli is a fall crop from what I have read. It is planted in the summer and harvest in the fall and it is said to over winter for a spring crop. Pinetree sells the seed for $0.95 cents if you are interested.

    Skeeter - The squirrels have already found the feeder... but being made of heavy metal they can not eat the feeder at least.

    Matron - I saved about a 1/4 of my seed last year. I need to save more.

    Miss M - I usually mail order from lee valley unless the item has a shipping surcharge like the fork. There is one at the north end of Burlington which is about 30 minutes away. But you have to take the QEW and the truck burns alot of gas, shopping from the desk is so much nicer.

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  17. I eat sprouted moong beans almost every week, my kids will eat it too. Any Indian or Asian grocery store sells 1 pound bag for $1.50. It is cheap to buy it this way.

    I don't use fancy sprouters either... Just soak moong seeds in tap water for 12 hours then drain the water and keep on oven shelves covered. Turn oven light ON for half day. that's it... lovely sprouts are ready in 2 days.

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