Tuesday, December 29, 2020

How to Donate Seeds to the Seed Library

 

The Seed Library needs seeds!!!

The seed library can use seeds from open-pollinated, non-hybrid vegetables and flowers or native plants. The plants providing the seeds must not have been cross-pollinated so that means tomatoes, peas, beans, lettuce, and native plants are the best plants to harvest seeds, though some annual flowers are also okay. If the plant is a hybrid the seeds will not come true to the original plant so the seed library cannot use them.

Make sure the seeds are dry!

Please place your seeds in a paper envelope with the name of the plant, the date, your location, and your name.  Plastic encourages mold.  Make sure the envelope is sealed so that little seeds can’t escape. If you only use the glued area on the envelope flap, little seeds can escape on the edges where there is no glue. It is better to fold down the top of the envelope several times and fasten with a paper clip or staple shut.

1) Drop off the envelope of seeds at the curbside pickup area at the White Bear Lake library. Do not use the book return slot.

The librarians request that you refrain from arriving during the first two hours the library is open for curb-side pick up as it is very busy during this time. Please respect their wishes! So here are the hours you can come to donate seeds:

M: 12-8pm,   T, W: 3-8pm,   Th, F, S: 12-5pm

OR

2) Bring your envelope of seeds to a formal seed pickup day where I will be at the White Bear Lake library’s parking lot. The next date is coming soon. There will be more seed pickups throughout the winter and spring.

Tuesday, December 15, 2020

Vegetable, Herb and Flower Seeds (Native Plant Seeds in different post) Updated Jan 19, 2021

OG = organic seed

 

Beans: (approx. 24 seeds per packet)

Blue Lake 7 – pole, 60 days

Bountiful – bush bean, 45-50 days

Empress – bush, 55 days

Mayflower – pole bean, 95 days

Climbing French Bean – pole bean, edible 4-7” pods, 65-75 days

Contender – bush bean, 55 days

Painted Pony – bush, 60 days pod, 90 days bean

Tiger Eye – half-pole, 80-90 days

Unknown variety

 

Lettuce:

Arugula – green, 40 days

Better Devil – OG, romaine, purple ruffled, 56 days

Bronze Mignonette - from Siberia, very cold tolerant, oakleaf shaped leaves, green with bronze tips, 50 days

Burpee Bibb – green, 75 days

Burpee Bibb – OG, green, 75 days

Buttercrunch – butterhead, 65 days

Cinnamon – romaine leaf, ruby rust red, 45 days

Little gem – mini romaine, 50-55 days

Lolla Rossa – OG, red looseleaf, 55 days

Parris White Cos  - romaine, 65-70 days

Parris Island Romaine – OG, romaine, 65 days

Prizehead – inner leaves green, outer leaves purple to bronze, 45 days

Rocky Top – blend or red, bronze, green, 38-45 days

Rogue d’Hiver, red, 70 days

Mesclun, mixed, 20-45 days

Winter Density – romaine, 44 days

Salad Bowl Mix

Gourmet Blend Seed Tape– OG, mixture looseleaf, 44 days

 

 

Peas:  (approx. 24 seeds per packet)

Champion of England – shelling pea, 60-75 days

Extra Early Little Marvel – shelling pea, 58-63 days

Early Perfection – shelling pea, 3” pods, 66 days

Homesteader – shelling pea, 65 days

Mammoth Melting – snow pea, 65 days

PLS 14 – OG, shelling, 50 days

Progress #9 – shelling pea, 58 days

Sugar Ann – snap pea, edible pods, 20” vines, 51 days

Tom Thumb – OG, shelling pea, 50-55 days

 

 

Peppers:

Banana – sweet pepper, yellow, 60 days

California Wonder – OG, sweet green bell, 75 days

Serrano – hot

Thai – hot

Wisconsin Lakes – OG, sweet red bell, 75-85 days

 

Tomatoes: Regular Sized:

Black Giant – purple-black, 6-14oz, 65-85 days

Black Krim – dark red-purple, 80 days

Brandywine – red, 80-100 days

Box Car Willie – red, 12-18oz, 80 days

Copia – gold and yellow stripes, 1lb, 85 days

Dakota Sport – red, 65-75 days

Earl of Edgecombe – orange, 3”, 70-75 days

German Johnson – red, 1-2lb, 80 days

Gold Medal – orange-yellow with red, 75-90 days

Hungarian Heart – reddish-pink, 1lb, 80 days

Pink Brandywine – pink, 1-2lbs, 80-100 days

Rozovyi Izumnyi – pink, 85 days

Vinson Watts – pink, 10-16oz, 85 days

 

Tomatoes: Cherry/Lunchbox Size:

Blue Berries – dark purple, 75 days

Chinese yellow – yellow, pear shaped, 75 days

Current Sweet Pea – red, very tiny, 75-80 days

Fox Cherry – red, 75 days

Garden Peach – light yellow, 2-3oz, 75 days

German Lunchbox  –  pinkish red, 70-80 days

Gold Nugget – golden, 1-2”, 60 days

Green Doctors – green, 85 days

Green Zebra – olive yellow, 3oz, 70-80 days     

Jaune Flamme – orange, 2-4oz, 70 days

Kazachka – red/green, 1-2”

Matt’s Wild Cherry – deep red, 55 days

Mexican Midget – red, 60-70 days

Tommy Toe – red, 70 days

Yellow Pear – yellow pear shaped

 

Tomatoes: Roma/Paste Tomatoes:

Amish Paste – red, 8-12oz, 80 days

Martino’s Red Roma – red, 3” long, 75-80 days

San Marzano – red, 5”long, 75 days

Striped Roman – orange stripes, 75-80 days

 

 

Other Veggies:

Broccoli – Calabrese – 5-8” heads, 58-90 days

Asian Greens:

            Hon Tsai Tai – 40 days

Tatsoi, 21-45 days

Cabbage:

Brunswick – 6-9 lbs, 85-95 days

Early Jersey Wakefield – 3-4 lbs, 60-70 days

Carrots:

St. Valery – Red-orange, excellent storage, 12”, 80-90 days

Red Core Chantenay – red core, wide shoulders, good heavy soils, 5”, 70 days

Rouge Demi-Longue de Chantenay – red core, 65-70 dys

Celery – start by Feb 15, 100-120 days

Chard – Red Rhubarb – dark red veins, 50-60 days

Corn – Glass Gem  - 120 days

Cress - Belle Island – rich in Vitamin A&C, calcium, iron, 50 days

Cucumbers:

            Hmong Red – grows from white-pale green-yellow-red, best eaten yellow, 4-5”

Lemon – round, yellow tennis sized balls, 65 days

Marketmore 76 – slicing cucumber, green, 8-9”, 63 days

Mexican Sour Gherkin – tiny 1”, sweet cucumber flavor with a tang, 60-70 days

Russian Pickling – smooth skin, sweet crisp, 50-55 days

Spacemaster 80 – dwarf plants, 8” fruit, 60 days

Grain – Jacob’s Tears – ancient grain, 4-6’ tall

Kale – Lacinato – blue-green, 65-80 days

Kohlrabi – Blauer Speck – violet-blue color, 60 days

Melons:

            Iroquoise Cantaloupe – 90-100 days

Petit Gris de Rennes cantaloupe – 2 lbs, 85 days

PMR Delicious cantaloupe– 2-3 lbs, 75-80 days

Hearts of Gold cantaloupe – 2-3 lbs, 80-90 days

Kajari melon – copper-red & green striped, light green flesh, 2-3 lbs, 60-70 days

Black Diamond Watermelon – 30-50 lbs, 60-90 days

Sugar Baby Watermelon- <10lbs, 65-85 days

Microgreens - radish

Okra – Clemson Spineless – 2-3”, 56 days

Pak Choy – Hong Tae – 50-55 days

Radish:

Chinese Green Luobo – bright green, 50-75 days

Chinese Red Meat – green/white outside, rosy red inside, 2-4”, 50 days

Champion – red, mild flavor, 25 days

D’Avignon – 3-4” long, slender, white tip, 21 days

Early Scarlet – 1-2” long, 20-28 days

Philadelphia White Root – white, spicy, 30 days

Sparkler White Top – 1” white tops, red bottoms, sweet, 24 days

White Icicle – 5” cylindrical white roots, 27-35 days

Rhubarb – start seeds indoors, grow 1 year before harvesting

Spinach:

            America – heat & drought tolerant, 8” tall, 43-55 days

Caucasian Mountain (Hablitzia tamnoides) – long lived, semi shade vine, edible leaves & shoots

Good King Henry – perennial spinach, edible leaves, seeds need stratification

Red Malabar – tropical vine like spinach, 50-70 days

Squash:

Eight ball zucchini – 3-4” round, green zucchini, 55 days

Sweet Meat (winter) – bluish grey winter squash, 100 days

Tomatillos:

Grande Rio Verde – 3-4 oz, 80-85 days

Aunt Molly’s – small yellow fruit, 75-90 days

Green - green, 60 days

Turnip – Purple Top White Globe – 4-6” white roots, pink top, sweet, 55 days

 

Herbs:

Basil:

Cinnamon

Italian Genovse - OG

Mammolo

unknown variety – locally harvested

Catnip - OG

Cilantro

Dill

Garlic Chives

Lemon Balm - OG

Lovage

Parsley

Dark Green Flat - OG:

Moss Curled

Italian Giant

Parsley Root

Sage – OG, Common

Salad Burnett

Tarragon

Thyme - OG

 

Annual Flowers:

Angel Trumpet

Bachelor Button

Bee’s Friend

Browallia

Calendula

Cosmos – yellow to tangerine in color, Sensation mix

Cutflower mix

Dahlia – Coltness, Mixed

Four O’Clocks – mixed colors

Impatiens

Indian Blanket

Korean Angelica

Marigold – Snowdrift (white), Disco Marietta, yellow, orange

Morning Glory – Milky Way, Grandpa Ott

Nasturtium – Purple Emperor

Ornamental peppers

Poppy – double pink, red

Runner Bean –Scarlet

Tithonia

 

Perennial Flowers:

Baptisia/False Indigo

Blanket Flower – Arizona Sun

Balloon Flower

Foxglove – purple

Globe Thistle – Blue Glow

Lily – Blackberry

Obedient Plant – white

 

Tuesday, December 8, 2020

Upcoming Events

 

Hello Gardeners!

The White Bear Lake Seed Library has received many new donated seeds of lettuce, melon, squash, and other vegetables. Check the blog site to find out what is new.

 

How to Grow Food Plants Indoors

Seed Talk, January 12, 2021 6:30 pm

The next seed talk is on ways we can grow plants to eat indoors in a Minnesota winter!

No, we can’t grow lemons or oranges very well inside during our Minnesota winters unless you have a greenhouse, but there are tasty plants that do grow well inside a regular house that has either a sunny south facing window or supplemental lights.

I’ll share my own successes as well as give you some ideas on what you need to grow tasty vegetables and herbs in your own home.

 As always, seed talks are community get-togethers! Please share you experiences and questions at the seed talk. You must register in advance for this Zoom seed talk. Also, please feel free to turn on your video as I appreciate seeing who is out there! Talking to a bunch of blank windows is kind of weird.

Jan Seed Talk

If you find the event is full please let me or the library know. The number of participants can be increased. Also, you must sign up 2 hours in advance so there is time for the facilitator to send you the email to join the meeting.

 

Do You Need Seeds?

I don’t have a specific date at this time, but if you want seeds I am willing to meet you at the White Bear Lake library’s parking lot. Just send me an email and we can work out a time. Order seeds by sending me an email at wblseedlibrary@gmail.com.

Also, if you’d like to package seeds you can pick up supplies at this time, but please send me an email so I can put together the supplies before you come.

 

How to Donate Seeds to the Seed Library

The Seed Library needs seeds!!!

In general, the seed library can use seeds from open-pollinated, non-hybrid vegetables and flowers or native plants. The plants providing the seeds must not have been cross-pollinated so that means tomatoes, peas, beans, lettuce, and native plants are the best plants to harvest seeds, though some annual flowers are also okay. If the plant is a hybrid the seeds will not come true to the original plant so the seed library cannot use them.

Make sure the seeds are dry!

Please place your seeds in a paper envelope with the name of the plant, the date, your location, and your name.  Plastic encourages mold.  Make sure the envelope is sealed so that little seeds can’t escape. If you only use the glued area on the envelope flap, little seeds can escape on the edges where there is no glue. It is better to fold down the top of the envelope several times and fasten with a paper clip or staple shut.

1) Drop off the envelope of seeds at the curbside pickup area at the White Bear Lake library. Do not use the book return slot.

The librarians request that you refrain from arriving during the first two hours the library is open for curb-side pick up as it is very busy during this time. Please respect their wishes! So here are the hours you can come to donate seeds:

M: 12-8pm,   T, W: 3-8pm,   Th, F, S: 12-5pm

OR

2) Bring your envelope of seeds to a formal seed pickup day where I will be at the White Bear Lake library’s parking lot. The next date is coming soon. There will be more seed pickups throughout the fall.

 

Upcoming Events

 Winter Farmer’s Market, Saturday Dec 12, 10 am – 1 pm

This year’s Winter Farmer’s Market will be held OUTSIDE at Tamarack Nature Center in the parking lot. You can order in advance online and pick up your order at the market or buy directly from the vendors on Saturday. The White Bear Lake Seed Library will not be at the market on Saturday. (I don’t have a good way to keep my display and seeds dry in case of rain or snow.) Check out all the vendors at Forks in the Dirt.

 

Future Seed Talks via Zoom, all at 6:30pm

Dec                             no talk planned

Jan 12, 2021 Tues   How to Grow Food Plants Inside

Feb 9, 2021   Tues  Companion Planting

 

Contact info for the Seed Library:

Email: wblseedlibrary@gmail.com

Blog site: WBL Seed Library