Greetings!
As I write this the nights are long, days crisp and short…a great time to reflect on the previous season and fantasize about spring and new potential. The cycles of the Earth bless us with infinite potential for hope, digesting the incredible complexity of seed, soil, sun and water…It all seems so simple, yet we can’t MAKE seeds grow, we must trust that we have done our best preparing the soil, planting at the right time, fending off those who would like to eat our tender seedlings and that the weather will be gentle. Yet somehow, amidst incredible odds, tiny seeds sprout, push through the soil, grow and fruit, blessing us with their efforts. Miraculous, to say the least. Our successes clearly eclipse our failures! Participating in the miracle of growth and creation is what keeps us coming back for more…. to dance with Mother Earth…to honor the elements…. to acknowledge the power of climate, to taste fresh fruits from the vine, sprinkled with dew, birdsong ringing in the trees, splintered sunlight bathing us in warmth, soft soil between our toes and to share the bounty with friends and family!
Here in SW Oregon we had a sobering deluge of rain from March through mid June that challenged pollination in many seed crops, as honeybees don’t like getting their wings wet. However we were blessed with the latest fall frost in the past 15 years (November 16th!), allowing the hot weather crops to mature nicely. As a result we have over 40 new varieties to share with you. Our commitment to building a sustainable seed movement has resulted in new growers joining our established grower network. We welcome Katie and Casey Kula from Oakhill Organics, Taylor and Sarah Starr from White Oak Farm, and Ben Yohai from Wandering Fields. Please look over our list of seed growers and notice the grower code that you will find with most varieties. It requires skillful, dedicated farmers to produce successful seed crops and we feel very fortunate to be working with these exceptional people.
Thank you for supporting this critical
work. We are grateful to you for the
gift you bring of planting seeds and
helping to grow the Earth grow green.
May your gardens flourish beyond
your wildest expectations!
Our Mission:
Siskiyou Seeds is dedicated to providing growers of all scales with certified organic, open pollinated seeds of exceptional vigor, quality and integrity. These tried and true varieties have proven themselves over the years in our family’s homestead gardens, feeding us, delighting our senses and producing well amidst the occasionally less than ideal conditions that our bioregion dishes out. We continually work to improve heirloom and market standard varieties through regular trials, selection work, strain crosses and careful attention to important traits such as yield, flavor, pest and disease resistance and climate adaptability. The domestication of plants is an ongoing relationship, one in which sensitive observation reveals insights into the incredible potential for plants to co-evolve with stress and change. They never cease to amaze!
Guarantee
We greatly appreciate your feedback with regards to how any of our strains grew for you and suggestions about what we might want to work on. In the event that any of seeds fail to perform adequately for you, please let us know and we would be happy to either replace the seed or refund the purchase cost.
Don Tipping
ABOUT US:
Siskiyou Seeds operates at our family farm, Seven Seeds Farm. We have been growing certified organic seed for many national scale mail order seed companies for the past 14 years. We are fairly unique within the world of seed companies in that we actually produce much of the seed ourselves, as opposed to most companies that buy most (or all) of their seed from multinational corporate seed houses, many of whom also produce genetically engineered vegetable seeds.
In addition to commercial seed production, Seven Seeds Farm produces biodynamic fruits and vegetables that we distribute through a cooperative Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program called the Siskiyou Sustainable Cooperative (www.siskiyoucoop.com) in the Rogue Valley. We also raise ducks, chickens, turkeys, and sheep. Seven Seeds hosts numerous on-farm classes and workshops in a variety of sustainable agriculture related topics. To see a current listing of workshops at Seven Seeds and classes that Don Tipping will be teaching in southern Oregon please see our website www.sevenseedsfarm.com.
About our site: We are located at 2,000 elevation, 43 degrees North latitude. Our average frost free season is from June 1st until October 15th. We are technically a Zone 7 site, however this can fluctuate. Summers are hot and dry with high temperatures in the upper 90’s or low 100’s not uncommon. Our evenings are cool in summer due to our arid, mountain environment. Winters are cool and rainy with periodic cold snaps down into the teens or below. Our average rainfall is 42” per year, coming mostly between October and May.
Although we are blessed with abundant summer sun here in the “banana belt of southern Oregon”, the Siskiyous can be a challenging place to garden with our winter rainforest, summer desert climate of harsh extremes. The varieties that we offer in this catalog have proven themselves through years of homesteading….filling countless harvest baskets and serving as the foundation for many nourishing meals.
Now is the time! There is tremendous opportunity for the renaissance of the bioregional seedsman/woman to select and breed varieties for organic agriculture. I am committed to the notion that well-selected, open-pollinated seeds can outperform commercially available hybrids. Through focusing on this crucial work, we can cooperate with gardeners and farmers to address the agronomic challenges that we will all face as climate change shifts microclimates in North America. Population breeding with special attention to horizontal resistance will hopefully alleviate the hardships growers experience with plant diseases, pests and climatic stress.
Careful attention to plant selection for seed saving can contribute to the improvement of important traits such as disease resistance, pest tolerance, climate adaptation, flavor and nutrition. Domestication is not an endpoint. Rather it is a relationship that is ongoing and can go in different directions. We are much more concerned with breeding plants that will foster healthy food for people, rather than traits such as ship-ability and shelf life. When we consider the concept of “food security” I find it logical that “seed security” should receive equal attention especially considering the threats of genetic engineering and the corporate consolidation of the seed industry. Much of the seed currently available from the traditional seed houses is increasingly coming from overseas and every year hundreds of valuable varieties are dropped from production. Consider that in the last 13 years over 200 regional seed companies have disappeared in our country and that Monsanto is now the largest vegetable seed company in the world, having bought up other large seed companies such as Seminis and Peto. Bioregional seed banks and distribution networks will emerge as one of the more important stores of wealth in the future. Anyone want to buy futures in seeds? Let’s get planting!
“I have great faith in a seed.” Thomas Jefferson
∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞
“Seed is the biggest issue of democracy in food. Seed is a common resource, and we have to protect it for future generations…I would call GM [Genetic Modification] a cruelty to seed…I will live to see the end of Monsanto.”
∞ Vandana Shiva
∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞
“Be the change you want to see in the world.” Gandhi
Contributing Seed Growers:
SSF: Seven Seeds Farm, Williams, OR
Don Tipping and Kimberly Brown have farmed on the north slope of Sugarloaf mountain since 1997. They have produced seed for many commercial seed companies that offer organic seeds including Seeds of Change, Fedco, Abundant Life, and Johnny’s. Renee’s, Turtle Tree Seeds, Uprisings Seeds, Wood Prairie Farm, Bountiful gardens and others. Their Biodynamic approach to seed growing aims to develop varieties that is resilient and capable of thriving in low-input, diverse micro-farming conditions. Siskiyou Seeds lives happily at Seven Seeds Farm www.sevenseedsfarm.com
WGS: Wild Garden Seeds at Gathering Together Farm, Philomath, OR
Frank and Karen Morton have been real pioneers in the grassroots organic seed industry. Overseeing an extensive breeding program, they are responsible for a number of new original variety releases, some of which can be found in this catalogue. They have done an impressive amount of work, mostly with salad greens, of classical breeding for disease resistance. They grow about 8 acres of seed within the context of the much larger fresh market Gathering Together operation. Growing conditions are classic Willamette Valley hot dry summers and cool wet winters. www.wildgardenseeds.com
GG, Gratitude Gardens, Concrete, WA
Woody Derykx of Concrete, WA grew most of the carrots, spinach and cabbage seed which we sell. Besides being a farmer, Woody has helped create a number of organizations that support the organic community such as Oregon Tilth, the Organic Seed Growers Trade Association and the Family Farmer’s Seed Cooperative.
ERP: Eel River Produce, Shively, CA
Seasoned farmer, Bill Reynolds farms amidst the Redwoods on the Eel River in Southern Humboldt County. Bill is a produce farmer, seed grower and plant breeder and has co-developed (with John Navazio) the best open pollinated zucchini available (see “Dark Star”). He also works with tomatoes, squash and melons.
LKF: Lupine Knoll Farm, Williams, OR
Jesse and Jonathan Spero farm on the Williams Creek in Williams, OR doing tremendous work with developing new open pollinated, high nutrition sweet corn. They are also doing plant improvement and seed production work with broccoli, kale, tomatoes, and marigolds. Their forward thinking to plant breeding is resulting in varieties that have valuable traits for organic growers that the industrial farming model is sadly overlooking.
WGF: Wolf Gulch Farm, Jacksonville, OR
Tom and Maud Powell farm in a remote canyon in the beautiful Little Applegate river valley. They also coordinate a cooperative Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program called the Siskiyou Sustainable Cooperative (www.siskiyoucoop.com). They excellent genetic isolation and extensive farming experience make them invaluable growers of high quality organic seed.
LRF: L&R Family Farm: Provolt, OR
Liz Tree and Ryan Dolan farm organically in the Applegate River valley growing market produce and seeds for a variety of commercial catalog companies. Their approach to farming encompasses stewardship of grain crops, cattle, hogs, pasture, poultry and vegetables in a cohesive way that upholds good family farming ethics. They have their own organic garlic seed business with Taylor Starr; visit them on the web at www.organicgarlicseedfarm.com
WOF: White Oak Farm, Williams, OR
White Oak Farm is a non profit educational farm and learning center that produces organic fruits, vegetables and seeds in addition to offering classes in natural building and childrens’ farm discovery programs. Taylor and Sarah Starr currently focalize the impressive efforts of this land trust farm.
OAK: Oakhill Organics, McMinnville, OR
Casey and Katie Kulla grew our Celeriac, Tropea Onions and Lipstick peppers
WF: Wandering Fields, Applegate, OR
Ben Yohai grew the Baby Butternut squash we are offering this year. He farms a mixture of vegetables and seeds with his family in the upper Applegate Valley. Please keep an eye out for more goodness from these wandering farmers who are beginning to settle into a good fertile spot on the Earth!
Grower Code is listed after the variety descriptions (e.g. SSF, WGS)
Please see our Website
at www.siskiyouseeds.com
Hey! What’s “OOO”?
Throughout this catalog you will see this designation OOO - Oregon Organic Originals to highlight farmer-bred varieties uniquely adapted for organic growing conditions
New Additions to this catalog include: 154 varieties of seeds from last year, 38 brand new seed varieties, lovely and delicious farm recipes, and growing tips. The new seed varieties will be marked as such throughout the catalog.
Farm Recipes:
Cornbread Casserole
Ingredients: Cornmeal, Black Beans, Sea Salt, Olive Oil or Butter, Cheese, Salsa
This is a staple food around our farm, homegrown and delicious and nutritious! Make a cornmeal crust with water cornmeal (we grind ours fresh from the Riverspirit Rainbow corn) and some butter or oil so it’s not too crumbly about half an inch thick in a 9x 13 casserole dish. Cover the bottom and sides of the dish. Then add precooked black beans (we use our Black Turtle Bean). Then add a layer of salsa (see salsa recipe) then top generously with cheese and bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees. Let cool and enjoy!
Salsa - Seven Seeds style
While many folks have their favorite salsa recipe, we have gotten so many compliments on ours over the years from folks visiting the farm that I figured that I would share some of our secrets.
We start with heirloom tomatoes ripened to perfection and blend them up in a Food processor, then cook this down to about 1/3 of its original volume, thereby concentrating the flavors and making a nice thick base that won’t slide off chips or other things. To this we add fresh heirloom tomatoes (my favorites are fruity types like Marvel striped, Brandywine, Zapotec and German Streaked). These
are diced and placed into a colander over a bowl so their juices may be collected and drank, added to beans cooking, soups, or canned for later use. Then add plenty of fresh chopped garlic, onions (both red and yellow), scallions, celery, sweet peppers, and a variety of chilies, basil, parsley and cilantro. This mixture can be eaten fresh or canned in Mason jars. A taste of summer that you can enjoy year round!
Roasted Roots
This is a wonderful way to enjoy root vegetables in the ate fall and winter. Parsnips really shine with this treatment. In a casserole dish mix chopped beets, carrots, potatoes, parsnips and celeriac with about a half cup of olive oil, rosemary and basil. Bake in the oven at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes or until thoroughly softened and enjoy!
Vegetables
(Listed A-Z, Greens are grouped together)
BEANS - Phaseolus vulgaris
Growing Tips:
Grow in well-drained soil of a fairly neutral pH. Beans can be sown anytime after the last frost date. They tend to rot if the soil is too wet, starting indoors in pots is one option in this case. Ideal soil temperature for good germination is 70-90 degrees. Plant 1” deep about 5-6 seeds per foot. Rows should be 18-24” apart for good airflow. Regular successive plantings every 2 weeks ensures a steady supply, as many bush types tend to give a concentrated set of beans. Harvesting regularly helps the plant to keep producing smaller tender pods. Older beans become woody and too chewy for discriminating palates.
Seeding Rate: one ounce averages 75-100 seeds and will plant 15-20 row feet
BEANS - “Blue Lake” Bush (62-75 days) - Straight and string less, dark-green round 5-7” pods. This reliable strain has fed many families for many years with its versatility and is good fresh, canned, frozen. Originally bred in the Willamette valley. SOW
BE1: One Ounce - $3.00
NEW! - BEANS - Dragon Tongue Wax - Originally hailing from Holland this variety of wax bean that produces 6-8" flat, string less, French type beans. Dragon's Tongue Wax Bean is yellow, striped with purple, has an excellent, sweet, and juicy flavor. High yielding, the pods keep their quality for a long period in the field after maturity. Dragon Tongue beans have a wonderful buttery taste. use for. They can be grown for fresh cooking , freezing, or let mature to the dry stage for winter use in soups and stews. BE9: One Ounce - $3.00
BEANS - “Giant Romano” POLE (60 days) - From the seed collection of the late Alan Vanet, they produce an abundant set of large (5-6” x 1”) flat-podded snap beans. They are stringless and richer in flavor than traditional green beans. Hold well in the field. Large speckled, lavender seeds make a good dry bean too. 40 beans to the ounce. SSF BE3: One Ounce - $3.00
BEANS - “Kentucky Wonder” Pole (65 days) - An Heirloom pole bean that has been widely grown in gardens since the Civil War. Pods are 7-9” long, stringless, and have posses superior flavor. Very vigorous and productive. Pole beans take longer to produce, but yield over a much longer harvest window than bush types. Has good disease resistance. BE11: One Ounce - $3.00
NEW! – BEANS - Pepe de Rola, Pole (90 days) - We originally received this seed from Tessa Gowans at the Abundant Life Seed Foundation in 1999. It produces abundant sets of pods that dry down into round beans that are half white and half mottled brown and yellow. This is a very unique type of bean. Has performed well in 3 sisters plantings here in SW Oregon, wherein we plant flour corn, winter squash and pole dry beans. It’s best to wait until the corn is about 4 inches high before planting the beans or the quick growing vines will overtake the corn. Limited quantities (SSF) BE7: Half Ounce - $3.00
BEANS - “Tiger’s Eye/ Pepe de Zappallo”, Bush (85 days) - Originally from Chile’. Vigorous growing bush dry bean a favorite for filling jars in our pantry with their gorgeous golden beans with maroon swirls on them. One of the earliest dry beans in our trials over the last decade. Beans are fairly large, 50/ ounce. Very nice cooking characteristics as the rich tasting beans hold their shape after cooking. Easy and rewarding to grow! HEIRLOOM, SSF
BE5: One Ounce - $3.00
NEW! – BEANS - “Provider”, Bush (55-70 days) - An old workhorse variety that grows vigorously even amidst cooler conditions as it has good resistance to virus and mildew. Produces heavy, concentrated sets of uniform green beans that lend themselves well to fresh market use or canning. Successional plantings sustain yield over the summer. Handsome purple dry beans can be used as a soup bean too.
BE8: One Ounce - $3.00
NEW! – BEANS - Royal Burgandy, Bush (60 days) - Purple snap beans are so beautiful with their deep violet pods, stems, flowers and leaf venation that they are worth growing simply for their eye appeal! Fortunately they are tasty lightly steamed as a wonderfully colorful and flavorful compliment to summer meals. Plants grow easily and have fairly good cold soil emergence in our trials. Very good disease resistance which improves success in organic conditions. They are easier to pick because he pods stand out against the foliage better than green beans. BE9: One Ounce - $3.00
BEANS - “Scarlet Emporeror”, Pole Phaseolus coccineus (65 – 90 days) - Rambunctious vines grow 6-18 feet tall, enjoys cool weather and is actually somewhat frost hardy. Beautiful crimson scarlet flowers attract hummingbirds. Large beans may be enjoyed at snap stage, fresh shelled or left to dry on the vine and used as a delightful creamy tasting dry bean. Seeds are black and maroon speckled. 20 seeds/ounce. Native to S. America. ERP BE6: One Ounce - $3.00
NEW! BEANS - “Midori Giant” Soybean Glycine Max (70 days) - A wonderful soybean that is normally grown for Edamame that are prepared by boiling whole fresh pods in salt water. A delicious and nutritious snack that is very popular in Japan and is catching on in “foodie” circles. Vigorous, upright plants grow to about 18”. Growing techniques are similar to those used for bush beans.
BE10: One Ounce - $3.00
BEETS: Beta vulgaris
Growing Tips:
Plant in spring once soil temperatures have warmer a bit. Ideal soil temperature for germination is 55-75 degrees F. Direct seed at a rate of 10 seeds per foot in rows 12-18” apart. Thin to 2-4” between plants for nice sized roots. It can tolerate light frost. Planting in successions ensures a sustained harvest. We usually plant 3 waves here, an early planting in March, Main crop in mid April and a fall crop in late July that we can leave in the ground and mulch over the tops with straw for winter storage. If gophers are an issue harvest and store in a cold, humid root cellar / shed.
Diseases & Pests: Damping off of young seedlings can occur when soil drainage is impaired, so take care to plant into well drained soil. Leaf Miners are an issue for us, but their damage is generally minimal and only affects the greens. Gophers like beets too! Control with traps of a good dog or cat, barn owls and gopher snakes.
Seed Specs: One ounce averages 1,500 seeds. This will plant about 150 feet of row.
BEETS - “Bull’s Blood” Beta vulgaris (65 days) - Intensely dark purple-red leaves add pizzazz to salads. Don’t disregard the deep red 2-3” roots as they make a nice table beet, steamed, boiled or grated raw on the aforementioned salad. Selected by seedsman Frank Morton. OOO. WGS BT1: Packet (4g.) - $3.00 One Ounce - $8.00
BEETS - “Chioggia” (60 days) - Old Italian heirloom with candy striped roots with a bull’seye pattern of red and white alternating rings. Very pretty grated over salads. Non-staining juices come in handy when traditional red beets would dye a dish red. HEIRLOOM
BT3: Packet (4g.) - $3.00 One Ounce - $8.00
BEETS - “Early Wonder Tall Top” Beta vulgaris (48-60 days) - Standard production O.P. table beet. Vigorous 16” tops are tinged with purple make excellent eating greens. Roots are a 3” flattened globe that makes great bunched beets. Can be used as a storage beet and it shines when used fresh too. Among our favorite tasting beet in our boiled beet taste trials. A workhorse variety!
BT2: Packet (4g.) $3.00, One Ounce (2100 seeds) $8.00
Please see our Website for up to date listings:
www.siskiyouseeds.com
BROCCOLI Brassica oleracea
Growing Tips (applies equally well for Brussels sprouts, Cabbage and Cauliflower:
The key to successful broccoli is having nice big transplants and ample fertility. Our preferred growing method is to plant 2-3 seeds into soil blocks or cells and thin to the most vigorous plant. Grow in a greenhouse or cold frame until they have 2 or 3 true leaves and then plant outside after the risk of hard frost has passed. They can tolerate light frost. We generally grow spring and fall crops, with late summer planted fall crops producing the nicest heads. Quick growth is fostered by planting into fertile soil with plenty of nitrogen. Ideal head formation takes place at temperatures of 60-70 degrees, so plan accordingly.
Diseases and pests: a number of fungal diseases can infect broccoli. Our approach has been more preventative by supplying seaweed into our potting soil mix and as foliar sprays we supply beneficial micronutrients that naturally help the plants cope. Balanced fertility that isn’t too rich in nitrogen is also important. If diseased (yellowed or withering) plants are observed, pull them or the infected leaves and compost them. Pests: Cabbage moths can eat young plants. The typical organic control is spraying Bacillus thringiensis which discourages their foraging on your plants.
Seed Specs: 5,000-9,000 seeds per ounce.
BROCCOLI - “ DeCiccio” Brassica oleracea (48-85 days) - Old reliable European variety, compact 2-3’ plant with 3-4” bluish-green central head, then lots of medium sized side shoots. Excellent eating quality. Variable productivity. Introduced in 1890. HEIRLOOM, SOW
BR2: Packet (2g, about 500 seeds) - $3.00
BROCCOLI - “Green Goliath” Brassica oleracea (55 days) - A wonderful variety for home gardeners because it produces large heads and side shoots over a long harvest window. In recent trials through the NOVIC program in Oregon, Green Goliath was far and away the best yielding open pollinated broccoli in terms of head size and side shoot production.
BR3: Packet (2g. about 500 seeds) - $3.00
BROCCOLI - “Oregon Long Neck” Brassica oleracea (60-80 days) - Being developed for organic conditions, this is an open pollinated broccoli from seed provided by Oregon State University in 2002. Was the darkest green broccoli out of a dozen commercial varieties in the NOVIC trials performed in 2010 in collaboration with OSU and leading organic farms in Oregon. The head stands high on the plant for easy harvest. This variety is still in development and should be considered a “gardener’s variety” only as it lacks the uniformity and head size required of many commercial growers. Produces abundant side shoots. OOO. LKF
BR1: Packet (2g. about 500 seeds) - $3.00
BRUSSELS SPROUTS - “Eco” Brassica oleracea (100 days) - Developed by Alan Kapular, this open pollinated strain produces plump green spouts on a tall stem with some purple coloration. Must start them early to get them to mature before fall frosts, which bring out their sweetness. OOO, SOW
BS1: Packet (2g, about 500 seeds) - $3.00
NEW! - CABBAGE – “Columbia” (67 days) - Great, quick growing round green cabbage that produces dense, round 3-5 pound heads that resist splitting. A versatile vegetable (try saying that 10 times fast!)that can be used for Cole slaw, sauerkraut, cooked or as vegetable catapult projectile! Compare to Golden Acre.
CB3: Packet (2 g. ≈ 500 seeds) - $3.00
CABBAGE - ” Early Jersey Wakefield” Brassica oleracea (60-75 days) - Small, compact plants produce tight, conical heads, 5-7” in diameter; 10-14” tall, 2-4 pounds, yellows resistant. Smooth, dark-green thick leaves, resists cracking. Can overwinter. An heirloom favorite in gardens since 1840. GG
CB2: Packet (2 g. ≈ 500 seeds) - $3.00
CABBAGE - “Red Express” Brassica oleracea (55-65 days) - An excellent O.P. compact, 2-3 pound red cabbage that heads up quickly. Uniform purple color, size and shape. Not a storage variety, rather enjoy them over the summer and fall.
CB1: Packet (2g. ≈500 seeds) - $3.00
CARROT – Dacus carrota
Growing Tips:
Careful Soil preparation greatly influences the success of you carrot planting. Carrot seeds are small and take a long time to germinate (up to 2 weeks) and must be direct seeded, so take care in preparing your beds and choosing to plant in silty loam over clay soils. If all you have is heavier clay soils amend with plenty of compost and consider adding some sand. Ideal soil temperature for germination is 55-75 degrees F. Direct seed at a rate of 20-30 seeds per foot and thin to 1-2” in rows 18-24” apart (much like beets, parsnips and radishes). Keep well watered, watering daily if there is no rain and it’s sunny, as they take a long time to germinate and are tiny and can dry out quickly.
Diseases and Pests: In wet conditions, fungal leaf blights can negatively impact the foliage. Practice good crop rotation as they are spread from crop residues from previous crops. We try to maintain a four year rotation to avoid this. Root maggots, also known as wire worms burrow into roots making unsightly tracks. Again crop rotation between root crops helps tremendously. Gophers love carrots, so keep an eye out for their damage. Buried gopher wire is a sure fire technique, although a good gopher digging dog or cat works wonders too! One family of barn owls can eat over 100 gophers per year, so you may want to consider putting up a barn owl box.
Seed Specs: 12,000-23,000 seeds per ounce, plants 400-800 row feet.
CARROTS - “Nantes Fancy” Dacus carrota (65 days) - Smooth 5-8” roots with unmatched dark orange color and blunt tips, avg 1.75” diameter. Strong tops are disease resistant. Unusually uniform for an O.P., holds well in the field and keeps well. GG
CT1: Packet (1.5g. ≈ 200 seeds) - $3.00
CARROTS - “Scarlet Nantes” (70 days) - A wonderful selection of the finest open pollinated fresh eating carrot. Grows quickly into a nice 7-9” straight root with little to no taper and a blunt tip. Crunchy, sweet with a dark orange color and core. Keeps fairly well in cold storage too. Strong tops make pulling them up easy and resist many common diseases.
CT3: Packet (1.5 g. ≈ 200 seeds) - $3.00
CAULIFLOWER - Snowball Improved, (55 days) - Snowball is the classic open-pollinated variety that reliably makes large, snow-white 6-7" heads that are well protected by outer leaves. Outer leaves wrap tightly around the head so that it is self-blanching. To successfully grow cauliflower, give it plenty of fertility and more space than broccoli.
CF1: Packet (1/2g.≈ 75 seeds) - $3.00
CELERY - “Giant Red Reselection” Apium graveolens (100 days) - The largest red-stalked variety. Has been selected for better color, cold hardiness and disease resistance. Very flavorful. Excellent in soups and stews and blanched pink hearts are divine in salad! Celery really likes high fertility so amend your planting beds accordingly. WGS
CL1: Packet (1g. ≈ 150 seeds) - $3.00
NEW! – CELERY - Celeriac – Brilliant Apium graveolens (100 days) - A wonderful fall and winter staple will add tremendously to stews and soups with its large, heavy, smooth roots with refined celery flavor. Resists pithiness and hollow core very well. OAK
CL2: Packet (1/2g. ≈ 75 seeds)- $3.00
CHINESE CABBAGE - “Nozaki Early” Brassica rapa (60 days) - Tall barrel shaped, heading variety produces 3-6 pound heads with light green leaves and broad white midribs. Heads up quickly. Best sown in spring or late summer. Dependable. GG CC1: Packet (1g. ≈450 seeds) - $3.00
CHINESE CABBAGE - “China Choy” Brassica rapa (70 days) - Similar to Bak Choy but with a looser rosette of leaves. Produces dark green leaves with wide, brilliant white petioles that are crunchy and tasty. Does well from spring or fall sowings. Good for Kim Chee. SSF
CC2: Packet (1g. 450 seeds) - $3.00
CHINESE CABBAGE - “Prize” Brassica rapa (50 days) - Grows quickly to produce a dense, open head with thick, flat, white stalks and dark green leaves. Succulent petioles are reminiscent of celery stalks and add crunch to salads or stir-fries. Suitable for making fermented Kim chee/ Korean sauerkraut. Easy to grow, direct seed or transplant. SSF
CC3: Packet (1g. 450 seeds) - $3.00
COLLARDS - “Flashy” Brassica oleracea (60 days) - Big, vigorous plants produce sweet, tender mild, blue green leaves all summer and then over winters well to provide greens through the fall, winter and early spring. Compare to the variety ‘Champion’. A real family feeder. SSF
CL1: Packet (2g. ≈500 seeds) $3.00 One Ounce (≈7000 seeds) $20.00
CORN - Zea mays
Growing Tips: Plant Corn by direct seeding 1-2” deep after soil has warmed to at least 70 degrees (Hookers and Triple Play are adapted to cool soil planting so can be planted earlier in the season). You can also transplant corn for earlier crops, but you have to baby them a bit.
Plant Spacing: Seed 6-10 per foot and thin to 1 plant per 8-12”, rows should be 24-36” apart. Hill method: Plant 5-10 seeds 1-2” deep in a mound, which should be 4-5 feet apart. Grow squash in-between and plant pole beans in mound once corn has emerged. Works better with flour and popcorn as it becomes somewhat jungle-like to harvest sweet corn with this method.
Pests: Protect young seedlings from bird predation with floating row covers. A common novice gardener problem is to assume that their corn didn’t come up, when in actuality birds such as jays, robins and crows were digging and pulling up the young sprouts. Scarecrows, floating eye balloons and reflective tape are somewhat effective. Dogs are good too. Corn earworms, (that are actually the caterpillar stage of a moth) can be controlled by spraying Bt. (Dipel™ is a brand name of OMRI certified organic control). Or just bear with their minor inconvenience by chopping the tips off of infected ears.
Harvest: sweet corn when it’s in the “milk” stage, which you can determine by finding an ear whose silks have dried, gently peeling back some leaves while the ear is still on the plant, then knicking a kernel and looking for milky liquid to ooze out. Clear fluid indicates that it is too early, no liquid – you’re too late, save for seed or flour corn.
Diseases: We have not experienced any significant diseases here in Oregon, but my counsel would be ample fertility from well-matured compost and foliar sprays of compost tea, fish emulsion and kelp when plants young if you do experience yellowing or die back.
Seed Specs: Sweet: 125-225 seeds per/oz., popcorn: 250-300 seeds/oz. CORN - “Anasazi Sweet” (90 days) - Productive, diverse, multi-colored sweet corn. Plants grow 6-8’ tall and produce 2 ears per plant that are 4-7” and 2” in diameter. Very flavorful. Ancient variety reportedly found by archeologists in Anasazi ruins. HEIRLOOM, LKF
CO1: One Ounce - $3.00 Half Pound - $15
CORN - “Cassiopeia” Popcorn (100-110 days) - A southern Oregon original in development over the past 11 years. Originating with the old ‘Coche de Pueblo’ strain we crossed it with 4 other varieties. ‘Cassiopeia’ combines the best traits of 5 different heirloom popcorns. Selected for early maturity, large ear size and multiple ears per plant (up to 5), it is multicolored, tall (8-9’) and beautiful. Let dry in the field and cure on the cob indoors for a few months before popping. Will not cross with sweet or flour corns. Please see Japanese hulless description for some popcorn curing tips. OOO, SSF
CO2: Packet (1/2 ounce) - $3.00 Quarter pound - $15.00
CORN - “Festivity” Sweet Corn (su with some sh2) - Open pollinated, cold tolerant, rainbow colored, multi-stalked with frequently 3-4 ears per plant. Created with cool soil with higher latitude locations and low-fertility in mind. Most cobs have a blend of white, yellow, red and purple kernels. Variable. 5-6 feet tall. OOO. LKF
CO3: One Ounce - $3.00 Half Pound - $15
CORN - “Hooker’s Sweet” (70 days) - The earliest sweet corn we grow. Very dependable in cool summers as seed can germinate at cooler soil temperatures and it’s short stature (4 to 5 ft.) doesn’t require as much heat as taller stalks. It produces 2 to 3 small (6-8”) ears per plant of deliciously flavorful bicolor corn that matures to dark blue when the seed is dry. We can grow 3 successions of this corn in our 120-day growing season. A tried and true farm favorite! HEIRLOOM, SSF
CO4: One Ounce - $3.00 Half pound - $15.00
NEW! - POPCORN – Japanese Hulless White (110-120 days) - A vigorous shorter season white popcorn that grows to about 5 feet tall and produces 2-3, 6-10” long ears per plant. Kernels pop easily and do not have a hull to get stuck into your teeth. Delicious and nutritious…Grow your own snack food! This variety was one of half a dozen parents to our Cassiopeia strain. Takes slightly long to mature, however the ears are slightly larger. * Please note that in order to pop successfully popcorn must have an adequately long season to mature fully. Harvest once husks are dry on the plant. If frost kills plants before maturity you can pull them from the roots, bundle and let finish under cover. Let ears dry fully after shucking (usually 2-3 months) before trying to pop, and no it doesn’t work to try and pop it on the cob. they just burn. SSF
CO8: half Ounce - $3.00
CORN - “River spirit Rainbow” Flour Corn (90-110 days) - A stable & diverse gene pool of native flour corns including Anasazi, Hopi Blue, Hopi White and others that has been successfully grown on homesteads in OR & CA for decades. Tall (7-10’) plants produce 1-2 large (10-20”) ears in every color and pattern imaginable. Excellent for corn bread, masa, tamales and adding to any recipe that calls for wheat. Incredibly beautiful – shucking it is like opening a present from the Earth! SSF
CO5: One Ounce - $3.00 Half pound - $15.00
CORN - “Sparkler” (se x su F1) Sweet corn - All the hybrid vigor. Twice the diversity. A cross of an ancient Anasazi corn with a modern sugar enhanced variety. Big cobs (both in length and width) with large kernels. Tasty and highly productive. At eating stage, about ½ the cobs will be yellow-white bicolor, the other half will have varying amounts of red and purple in addition to the yellow and white. OOO. LKF
CO6: One Ounce - $3.00 Half Pound - $15.00
NEW! – CORN - “Triple Play” (su) Sweet Corn (75 – 85 days) - A nicely stabilized cross of Hookers sweet with the old open pollinated standard “Golden Bantam” that results in a very pretty bicolor sweet corn with greater ear size than Hookers and plenty of tillers that can result in 4-5 ears per plant that tends to shine under hill or clump culture rather than traditional rows. Harvest at milk stage just as some blue is beginning to show in the kernels. Delicious, rich, full flavor with large meaty kernels that burst with real corn flavor sadly lacking in modern super sweets. Developed by John Sundquist. OOO. SSF
CO7: One Ounce – $3.00
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CUCUMBERS - Cucumis sativus
Growing Tips: (applies to summer squash, winter squash, and melons):
Vine crops are best direct seeded once there is certainty of no more spring frosts and the soil has warmed to at least 70 degrees, 75+ is a safer bet. Use of a soil thermometer is a wise route to go. Plant about 1” deep. Alternately, you can get an earlier crop by seeding indoors in 3” pots, 2-4 seeds per pot, 3-4 weeks before last frost and then very gently transplanting. Most vine crops need room to grow, space cucumbers 2-3 feet apart in rows or mounds 3-4 feet apart. Similar spacing for summer squash and melons. Winter squash requires a bit more room, with 2-4 feet between plants and even more in the case of pumpkins.
Harvest regularly too keep cucumbers and summer squash producing. Winter squash is best left on the vine to mature right up until frost or until the stems are woody and hard.
Pests and Diseases: The use of drip irrigation helps to circumvent many foliar diseases such as powdery mildew, as overhead watering provides a vector for spores to spread. Remove heavily infested plants. Cucumber beetles are the nemesis of many a gardener with aspirations of growing vine crops, not only eating the leaves, but spreading numerous diseases. We use floating row covers from the time of seeding until the plants are about the size of a dinner plate. You may also find success using Kaolin clay (Surround™ is an OMRI approved organic micronized clay). By spraying it on young plants or transplants striped and spotted cucumber beetles try and eat the clay covered leaves and get a belly ache. Numerous songbirds, like tree swallow eat cucumber beetles, so putting up some birdhouses is an pleasant ounce of prevention to invest in.
CUCUMBER - “Lemon” (68 days) - Very productive variety introduced in 1894 produces copious amounts of pale yellow round sweet and crunchy fruits that are delicious eaten right in the garden. Never bitter. Plants are sprawling vines that keep producing up until frost. Disease resistant. Children love them. HEIRLOOM, SSF
CU1: Packet (3g. ≈45 seeds) - $3.00
NEW! - CUCUMBER – Little Leaf H-19 Pickling - This little gem marvels us with their abundant piles of tasty and crisp little pickers. Plants are parthenocarpic and produce heavily even in the absence of pollinators, so they may be used in greenhouse culture. Compact vines don’t occupy much space and lend themselves nicely to container culture. Released by the University of Arkansas in 1991. (SSF)
CU4: Packet (3g ≈ 45 seeds) – $3.00
CUCUMBER - “Mideast Peace” (70-85 days) - From the seed collection of Alan Kapular, also known as ‘Mideast Prolific’ 3-5’ vines produce several crops of 6-8”, non-bitter, smooth-skinned is thin and makes for excellent fresh eating or pickles. OOO, SSF
CU2: Packet (3g ≈45 seeds) - $3.00
CUCUMBER - “Suyo Long” (60-70 days) - From northern China. Ribbed, dark-green skin with heavy white spines. 10-18” long fruits are almost seedless, non-bitter burp less, crisp and tender. Very prolific. Heat resistant. PM resistant. Trellis for straight fruits. HEIRLOOM, SSF
CU3: Packet (1g ≈ 25 seeds) - $3.00
EGGPLANT - “Violetta di Firenze” Solanum melonega (60-80 days) - Beautiful and unusual lavender fruit sometimes striped with white. Large and stocky and grooved fruit sometimes resembles squash, needs ample heat to mature successfully. Cloche or greenhouse culture recommended in colder microclimates. HEIRLOOM, WGF
EG1: Packet (1/2g. ≈ 60 seeds) - $3.00
FENNEL - “Perfection” Foeniculum vulgare (75 days) - An excellent quality European, bulbing fennel. Matures quickly, even in cool weather, sow spring through autumn. Produces a large, round, succulent bulb with an anise flavor that is sweet and mild. Our children love this raw. Also great steamed, baked or fried. WGS
FN1: Packet (1g ≈250 seeds) - $3.00
NEW! - GOURD – “Peyote Rattle”Largenaria siceraria (120 days) - Produces prodigious amounts of small (3-5”) long hourglass shaped gourds on very vigorous vines that can easily spread 10 feet or scramble 15 feet up a fence or trellis. They require a long season to mature so we usually start them indoors 3-4 weeks before setting them outside after our last frost date. They must be cured before using, which we accomplish by leaving them out all winter on pallets outside as the frost, rain and snow work their magic on them. SSF
GD1: Packet (5g ≈ 25 seeds) - $3.00
GREENS: mixed species
Growing Tips that apply to most greens:
When growing for salad mix, it is best to direct sow beginning in mid March and planting once per month to ensure a steady supply of fresh salads that are harvested at the peak of their growth cycle. Our beds are 4 feet wide and we’ll plant 4-5 rows 8-10” apart, seeding fairly thickly (10-15 seeds per foot) within each row. When planted as such greens such as spinach, mustards, cress and orach may be cut about 1-2” above the ground as cut-n-come again salad. In this way tender fresh re-growth is encouraged. Alternately you may grow them as transplants in the greenhouse or coldframe and then plant out in April and beyond (depends on your locale – we are 43 degrees north latitude)
GREENS - Arugula “Sputnik” Eruca vesicaria (30 days) - A unique find from a pickling spice bulk jar in Italy by plant breeder John Navazio. Pleasantly piquant leaves contain a pleasing mix of lobed and strap shapes. Selected for bolt resistance over multiple generations. A delicious basil substitute for “rocket pesto” early in the season, simply blend with garlic, olive oil, and nuts or sunflower seeds and enjoy. HEIRLOOM, SSF
AR1: Packet (2g.≈500 seeds) - $3.00
GREENS - Cress, “Wrinkled Crinkled Crumpled” Lepidium Sativum (35 days) - Bred by Frank Morton, “a cross between ‘Persian’ and ‘Curly’ cress, the leaves of this unique variety are held erect for easy cutting. The twisted, crisped and savoyed texture gives these leaves unexpected heft and toothsomeness for a little garden cress.” Late bolting. OOO, WGS
PC1: Packet (2g.) - $3.00
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GREENS, Lambs quarters, “Magenta” Chenopodium gigantium (30 days) - I obtained this seed from seedsman, Doug Gosling 20 years ago, where this plant bedazzled garden-goers and salad eaters with its iridescent magenta leaves. Flavor is tender and uniquely rich. Self sows readily if allowed to go to seed. Heat tolerant. Flowering plants can reach 5 feet tall. SSF
LQ1: Packet (2g.) - $3.00
GREENS - Mustard, ‘Karate Cabbage’ Brassica carinata (40-70 days) - Now here is something unique! Originally sourced from seedsman, George Stevens (Synergy Seeds), this Ethiopian green grows quickly to a nice mound of shiny light green leaves that have an amazing texture and sweet flavor that truly tastes buttery; yes that’s right, like Butter! Must be tried to be believed. SSF
MU4: Packet (1 g. ≈ 400 seeds) - $3
GREENS - Mustard, “Komatsuna” Brassica rapa (35-55 days) - Aka ‘Spinach mustard’. This plant is a non-heading leaf-type of Chinese cabbage with a tender, sweet, non-spicy flavor. Great used young in salad mix or let mature for stir-fry. Grows very quickly to 12-18” height. HEIRLOOM, SSF
MU1: Packet (1g. ≈450 seeds) - $3.00
GREENS - Mustard, “Mitzuna” Brassica rapa (40-65 days) - A quick growing, tender, non-pungent mustard for use in salads or stir-fry. Slender leaves are deeply cut with thin stems and mild, sweet flavor. Selected for generations for non-hairiness and late bolting. HEIRLOOM, SSF
MU2: Packet (1g. ≈450 seeds) - $3.00
NEW! GREENS - Mustard, “Purple Osaka” Brassica juncea (30-50 days) - This is a very quick growing spicy mustard with dark purple tops of the leaves with green under sides. Adds pizzazz to salads with their vivid color and forward flavor. Direct sow. If left to flower and go to seed it will reseed for years to on end ensuring diverse salads with little effort! SSF
MU5: Packet (1g.)– $3.00
GREENS - Mustard, “Wild Garden Pungent Mix” Brassica juncea (30-45 days) - Bred by Frank Morton, “A mixture of 7+ diverse varieties. Bunches of this look like vegetable bouquets. Perfect for salad mix diversity. Leaf colors are golden, green, striped red, and solid purple; flavors sweet, pungent, and hot.” OOO, WGS.
MU3: Packet (1g.≈500 seeds) - $3.00
GREENS - Orach, “Purple Mountain Spinach” Atriplex hortensis (45 days) - A relative of spinach, Orach makes delicious heat tolerant greens all summer with gorgeous purple sparkly leaves. When plant it in flower it can reach 6 feet and reseeds easily. Direct sow. Visually spectacular in the garden and on the salad plate! SSF
OR1: Packet (2g.) - $3.00
GREENS - Purslane, “Golden” Portulaca oleracea sativa (30-60 days) - A big garden strain of the familiar weed, does not become invasive, but will self sow if tended. Thick and succulent grows to 14” tall. Juicy, lemon flavored leaves make a great summer salad addition. Very high in Omega-3 fatty- acids. WGS
PU1: Packet (1 g. ≈500 seeds) - $3.00
GREENS – Purple Tatsoi F2 - Brassica rapa (30-50 days) –
A cross between regular tatsoi, spoon mustard and a purple stemmed, veined mustard called Hon Tai Tsai. My goal is to eventually have a true purple tatsoi. For now it is a work in progress, with plantings resulting in a wide diversity of leaf shapes and colors. Works well in salad mix.
PT1: Packet (1g.) - $3.00
KALE - Black Tuscan” Brassica oleracea (50 days) - This is an excellent Lacinato (or Dino) type kale from the late Alan Vanet and SOW seeds. With dark green leaves and resistance to both heat and cold, it provides tasty, nutritious, tender kale leaves for most of the year. Very winter hardy it becomes exceptionally sweet after frost. A proven farmer’s market favorite it is beautiful to behold as well. HEIRLOOM. LKF
KL1: Packet (2g ≈ 500 seeds) - $3.00,
One Ounce (≈ 8000 seeds) - $15.00
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KALE - “Red Russian” Brassica napus (50 days) - The standard homestead/garden kale in the PNW. Leaves are blue-green, flat and lobed/toothed with beautiful purple stems and veins. Mild flavor can be used young in salad or mature as a cooking green. Selected for multiple generations for cold hardiness down to 10 degrees Fahrenheit and uniform color. HEIRLOOM, SSF
KL2: Packet (2g ≈450 seeds) - $3.00
KALE, “Red Ursa” Brassica napus (60 days) - Bred by Frank Morton, “combines the broadleaf frills of ‘Siberian’ with the color of ‘Red Russian’. Great raw flavor for salads, especially the young mature leaves of full-grown plants. Gives good fluff to flat salad…also perfect for light stir-frying.”
KL4: Packet (2g.≈450 seeds) - $3.00
KALE - “White Russian” Brassica napus (60 days) - The most cold hardy kale, also bolts later in the spring than any other kale by 2-3 weeks, which helps to keep the garden on your dinner plate in the lean month of April. Looks like Red Russian kale, but with white stems and venation rather than purple. Developed by Frank Morton. OOO SSF
KL3: Packet (2g. ≈450 seeds) - $3.00
Ounce - $20
KALE - “Alive” Vates Grex Brassica oleracea (55 days) - A Seven Seeds Farm original variety that is the result of allowing 6 different strains of Scotch curled, Vates types of Kale intermate. We began with a large population of a few thousand plants and then selected the hardiest survivors that made it through a week-long cold snap down to 5 degrees F with no snow or mulch. What made it not only survived, but thrived, growing succulent, sweet green leaves starting with the warming days of February and jamming right along until finally flowering in late May, at which point we harvest tasty flower shoots for use in stir fry or raw in salad. Frilly blue green leaves are held high off the ground to keep winter splashback of mud off them. This is an intermating population so expect some variability…perfect for homestead gardeners who look to their kale patch to feed them year round! OOO (SSF)
KL5: Packet (2g. ≈450 seeds) - $3.00
LEEKS - Allium porrum –
Growing Tips: applies equally well to Onions - Leeks grow somewhat slowly easy in the season and are easily overwhelmed by weeds so it’s best to grow transplants in a greenhouse or cold frame and then set them out in April or early May in Oregon. They can tolerate light frost easily. We grow our onion and leek transplants in open flats (boxes) filled with about 2” of nice compost based potting soil and make little furrows with our fingers and grow rows about 1.5” apart. This gives us nice healthy transplants in about 8 weeks.
Plant Spacing: Transplant about 4-8” apart in rows 18-24” apart.
Cultural Tip: Hilling, or the mounding up of soil around the plants helps to produce the long, white, blanched tender stalks for which leeks are so prized. This can be accentuated by planting leek seedlings into shallow (3-4” trenches and then backfilling them as the plants grow.
Pests and Diseases: Leeks are rarely bothered by disease, however onions can be plagued by various fungi which are best avoided through good crop rotation and thorough composting of onion, garlic and leek crop residue.
Seed Specs: 9-10,000 seeds per ounce
NEW! - LEEKS – Ester Cook (100 days) - An old heirloom from the collection of Abundant Life Seed Foundation. Rescued from obscurity and shared with us at a seed swap by Zea Sonnabend. A hardy winter leek that is capable of growing very fat (3”+) stems that overwinter down to 5 degrees in our experience. Mild, luscious leek flavor! (SSF)
LK3: Packet (2.5g. ≈ 700 seeds) – $3.00
LEEKS - “King Sieg” (85 days) - Beth Rasgorshek of Canyon Bounty in Idaho crossed King Richard with Siegfried Frost leek to create a versatile stable cultivar that has some of the good attributes of both. Its shanks are intermediate between the long King Richard and the short Siegfried, about 6" long but with a wonderful 3" thickness for a wide edible area. It also has some of Siegfried’s delightful blue-green coloration and delayed maturity. WGF
LK1: Packet (2.5g. ≈700 seeds) - $3.00
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LEEKS - “Tadorna” (110 days) - A Large leek for fall production. Uniform, long shafts are east to clean and have that delicious mild flavor that brings just the right subtlety to fall and winter meals. SSF
LK2: Packet (2.5g ≈ 700 seeds) - $3.00 One Ounce - $20.00
LETTUCE – Latuca sativa
Growing Tips:
I like to grow lettuce from transplants, but you can definitely be successful by direct seeding it too. Direct Seeding is the preferred method for salad mix and cut-n-come again plantings. To grow beautiful lettuce transplants, start with nice fertile potting soil and fill your favorite pots, trays or what have you (we use Soil Blocks made from a soil blocking machine- a hand held/powered device). Our potting mix is 8 parts screened, aged compost, 1 part sand and 1 cup crushed egg shells, 1 cup powdered sea kelp…that’s it! Plant 2-3 seeds per spot and thin to the healthiest one. Transplant into well prepared bed when plants have at least 4 true leaves. We grow 3 rows on a 4 foot wide bed, with one foot between plants in all directions. Keep well watered.
Pests and Diseases: Slugs love lettuce and as Bill Mollison said, “you don’t have a slug problem, rather a duck deficiency!” If you can’t manage ducks, hand pick slugs or use beet traps, by putting strong beer in low tubs…the slugs climb in and can’t get out and drown. Sad...yes…maybe you should get some ducks? There are a number of diseases that can plague lettuce from downy mildew and bottom rot to tipburn. Many diseases are exacerbated by environmental conditions, so avoid over watering for fungal diseases and ensure adequate fertility to ensure quick growth. Remove diseased plants and feed to your ducks, did I mention that they like lettuce too?
Seed Specs.: 20.000-30,000 seeds per/ ounce
“Bronze Arrow” (60 days) - Gorgeous mild-flavored heirloom with oak leaf tips and a tightly wrapped, sweet heart. Produces heavy heads that are a mix of greens, red, and of course…bronze. Good market variety. Slow to bolt and very cold hardy. HEIRLOOM, SSF
LT1: Packet (1g. ≈ 800 seeds) - $3.00
LETTUCE - “Quan Yin” (60 days) - My favorite green head lettuce. This Batavian type is a dense, large, sweet flavored variety that holds up well in the heat. Does well as a fall lettuce too. SSF
LT2: Packet (1g. ≈ 800 seeds) - $3.00
LETTUCE - “Crispmint” (55 days) - Romaine type. A vigorous growing, uniquely savoyed upright, green romaine. Heads are large and tight. Fairly bolt and disease resistant. This beautiful, sweet tasting lettuce is a real standout and has become one of our favorites. SSF
LT3: Packet (1g. ≈ 800 seeds) - $3.00
LETTUCE - “Devil’s Ears”– “Les Oreilles du Diablo” (50 days) - One of the most unique varieties of lettuce that I’ve seen. Deer tongue type, produces a large rosette of pointed shiny, rusty-red/green leaves like a big star. A vegetable mandala. Heat resistant, without becoming bitter. HEIRLOOM, SSF
LT4: Packet (1g. ≈ 800 seeds) - $3.00
LETTUCE - “Dark Lolo Rosa” (55 days) - Very dark purple/red, frilly leaves make an attractive addition to salads. Great salad mix variety as it adds color and loft. Slow growing and bolt resistant. SSF
LT5: Packet (1g. ≈ 800 seeds) - $3.00
LETTUCE - “Forellenschullus” (55days) - A loose leaf Romaine from Austria whose name means, “speckled like a Trout’s back” in German. Leaves are bright apple green with maroon-scarlet blotches. Winner of many tastes tests for its excellent mild sweet flavor. A good salad mix variety for its unique leaf coloration. HEIRLOOM, SSF
LT6: Packet (1g. ≈ 800 seeds) $3.00 Ounce (25,000 seeds) $25.00
LETTUCE - “Lettuce Mix” (30 days for baby leaves) - A mixture of all of the varieties we offer. Instant salad mix diversity! Romaine’s, butters, red, green, speckled and more! Direct seed in succession for a continuous supply of cutting salad leaves. SSF
LT7: Packet (1g. ≈ 800 seeds) $3.00 Ounce (25,000 seeds) $25.00
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LETTUCE - “Marin” (55 days) - A nice, refined green head lettuce that achieves a large stature with its open whirl of slightly savoyed rumpled leaves. As good market head lettuce that has been largely dropped by the commercial seed trade. SSF
LT8: Packet (1g. ≈ 800 seeds) - $3.00
LETTUCE - “Merlot” (30 days baby, 60 days head) - Leaves are intensely purple, red with a nearly metallic sheen. Terrific for a real standout salad mix. Doesn’t have the weight for head lettuce culture Very disease and bolt resistant. Good source of the antioxidant, anthocyanin. SSF
LT9: Packet (1g. ≈ 800 seeds) - $3.00
LETTUCE - “New Red Fire” (50 days) - Grand Rapids type. A reliable market standard red head lettuce has filled many cases on organic farms around the country. Leaves are a nice combination of red and green. Versatile plant can be grown as a 3-season head lettuce as it’s bolt resistant and has good disease resistance. SSF
LT10: Packet (1g. ≈ 800 seeds) - $3.00
LETTUCE - “Optima” (60 days) - A large, dark green butterhead with a succulent blanched heart. Very good disease resistance, which is helpful in butter as most others are fairly wimpy. SSF
LT11: Packet (1g. ≈ 800 seeds) - $3.00
LETTUCE “Outredgeous” (50 days)
Bred by Frank Morton, this variety had intensely red-pigmented leaves in an open romaine shape. Great for cutting for salad mix, although it can make a nice smaller head. Pretty. OOO, SSF
LT12: Packet (1g. ≈ 800 seeds) - $3.00
LETTUCE - “Redina” (55 days) - Grand Rapids type. Good red head lettuce, but works equally well cut young for a mix. Frilly, medium-red leaves. Exhibits good disease resistance. SSF
LT13: Packet (1g. ≈ 800 seeds) - $3.00
Blog at www.sevenseedsfarm.com
LETTUCE - “Red Iceberg” (60 days) - Forget what you know about Iceberg lettuce and picture crunching your teeth into the thick sweet, juicy midribs of this French crisphead/Batavian lettuce. Forms a tightly wrapped, softball sized head surrounded by a satellite dish of reddish-green leaves. Very bolt resistant and doesn’t become bitter in summer heat. Delightful! SSF
LT14: Packet (1g. ≈ 800 seeds) - $3.00
LETTUCE - “Red Sails” (50 days) - Grand Rapids type. Ruffled, fringed leaves frame a nice large head lettuce that is among the most bolt resistance red lettuces. Crisp midribs make for crunchy summer salads. SSF
LT15: Packet (1g. ≈ 800 seeds) $3.00 Ounce (25,000 seeds) $25.00
LETTUCE - “Romaine Mix” (30 days for baby leaves) - A wonderful assortment of 25 different types of upright romaine lettuces for direct seeding into a cut and come again salad bed. Includes reds, light greens, dark greens, speckled, and unique combinations. Easy pickin’s! OOO, SSF
LT16: Packet (1g. ≈ 800 seeds) $3.00 Ounce (25,000 seeds) $25.00
LETTUCE – “Thai Oakleaf” (50 days)
This is a pleasing light green oakleaf with many layers of frilly delicate leaves that have a delicious melt in you mouth flavor. Real nice addition to salad for its visual appeal too. SSF
LT18: Packet (1g. ≈ 800 seeds) $3.00 Ounce (25,000 seeds) $25.00
LETTUCE - “Verte Mar” (55 days) - A big, dark-green tall heading Romaine type. Uniform heads are surrounded by tasty, crisp, slightly crinkled leaves that are sweeter than other romaine’s. HEIRLOOM, SSF.
LT17: Packet (1g. ≈ 800 seeds) $3.00 Ounce (25,000 seeds) $25.00
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MELONS – Cucumis melo
Growing Tips – please see Cucumbers
MELONS - “Athena F2” ((79 days) - The first step down the road of stabilizing this workhorse hybrid variety. Selected from choice fruits within a field at Fry Family Farm. Long grown for its disease tolerance, crack resistance, good shelf life and thick, exceptionally sweet orange flesh. 4 pound average fruits, oval shape. SSF
ML1: Packet (2.5g.≈75 seeds) - $3.00
NEW! – MELONS - DELICIOUS 51 PMR (75-80 days) - A very dependable producer of numerous 2-3 pound round, well netted cantlopues that hold up well in the field. Very aromatic and flavorful. Guaranteed to leave a taste impression! PMR stands for powdery mildew resistant, so they hold up well late into the season allowing the later pollinated fruits to mature when more susceptible strains are succumbing to mildew. Cornell University release from (yes, you guessed it) 1951! SSF
ML6: Packet (2.5g. ≈ 75 seeds) – $3.00
MELONS - “Eel River” (90-100 days) - This long season melon is worth the wait for its 3-8 pound fruits with thin skin and dense luscious orange flesh that’s remarkably creamy. Also referred to as ‘Crane melon’ it has been improved and reselected by seedsman, Bill Reynolds in southern Humboldt county for many years. HEIRLOOM, ERF
ML5: Packet (2.5g. ≈ 75 seeds) - $3.00 Half-Ounce (500 seeds)- $20
MELONS - “Galia x Haogen F1” (80 days) - An early glimpse into an intentional cross between Galia F1 and Haogen. We love Haogen for its unique pineapple-like luscious flavor. However its thin rind bruises easily. Galia improves on this aspect, but we found that it sacrificed some of the flavor and texture. So see for yourself what this novel mating yields! SSF
ML2: Packet (2.5g≈75 seeds) - $3.00
MELONS - “Haogen” (80 days) - An Israeli perfume melon held in high esteem for its creamy, sweet green flesh that is much richer than any honeydew. Smooth skin with no netting. Worth growing for the smell of the ripe fruits alone. One of our favorite tasting melons hands down. Good dependable short season variety for northern growers has vigorous vines that produce 10 or more fruit. 1-5 pounds. SSF
ML3: Packet (2.5g. 75 seeds) - $3.00 Half-Ounce (500 seeds) - $20.
MELONS - “Mountain Honey” (85 days) - A very productive traditional netted cantaloupe with excellent flavor. Texture is smooth and firm. Highly prolific, each plant can produce 10-12, 2-4 pound melons successfully even with the cool nights of our mountain farm. A good open pollinated melon for market growers. SSF
ML4: Packet (2.5g.≈75seeds) - $3.00
ONIONS, Allium cepa:
Growing tips for Onions can be found under LEEKS
ONIONS - “Evergreen Hardy Bunching Onion” Allium cepa (60 days) - Non-bulbing scallions for bunching. Sow in spring in clumps and transplant out for deliciously mild garnish for beans, baked potatoes and many other culinary creations. Delicious raw in salsa too! Can be fall sown as well.
ON5: Packet (2.5g. ≈ 450 seeds) - $3.00
ONIONS - “New York Early” (98 days) - An improved strain of early Yellow Globe. Long day, Northern type with globe shape and very hard bulbs that store very well. Sweet enough for sandwiches and salads, but more bite than Siskiyou Sweet below. WGF
ON1: Packet (2.5g. ≈ 450 seeds) - $3.00
ONIONS - “Siskiyou Sweet” (110 days spring sown, or 300 days over wintered) – A reselection of Walla Walla sweet onion. Light brown skin with white flesh that is very mild and sweet. Summer ripening from a spring sowing is convenient for fresh use, not a keeper. Fresh tops useful as scallions. Very cold hardy. Can attain mammoth proportions with ample fertility, our record is 2.5 pounds without trying anything fancy. SSF
ON2: Packet (2.5g.≈ 450 seeds) - $3.00 Ounce (≈6500 seeds) - $20.
ONIONS - “Southport Red Globe” (100-120 days) - Large globe with glossy purple-red skin. Mild firm white, pink-tinged flesh with pungent flavor. Long day type. Heavy yields possible because it can easily attain 10-12 ounce bulb size. Good market and medium storage variety. HEIRLOOM, SSF
ON3: Packet (2.5g. ≈450 seeds) - $3.00 Ounce (≈6500 seeds) - $20.
NEW! – ONIONS - TROPEA
A very pretty elongated red onion also known as “torpedo” for it’s distinctive shape. The unique shape also has practical applications in the kitchen, being easier to chop as it only rolls in one direction, rather than every which way like typical round onions. Safety First! Excellent sweet, pungent flavor. Try it and you’ll see! HEIRLOOM, OAK
ON6: Packet (2.5g. ≈450 seeds)
ONIONS - “Valencia” (115 days) - Large, sweet Spanish type with a full globe covered in a bronze skin. White flesh is very mild and sweet, although not as sweet as ‘Siskiyou Sweet’ above. Keeps well for a sweet onion. Thick necks require careful handling and drying for good storage. SSF
ON4: Packet (2.5g. ≈450 seeds) - $3.00
PARSNIP - “Cobham Improved Marrow” Pastinaca sativa (120 days) - An old English variety with 8-10 inch tapered white roots with excellent sweet flavor. Selected for a gentle taper with a nice wedge profile. Vigorous foliage. Very high sugar content makes for sublime winter dishes. Very cold hardy. HEIRLOOM, SSF
PN1: Packet (4g. ≈850 seeds) - $3.00 Ounce (≈6100 seeds) - $20.
PEAS - Pisum sativum,
Growing Garden Peas: Direct seed from mid February until mid April for spring crop and in mid July for a fall crop. Sometimes early planted peas will rot in the soil if it’s rainy and cold, so check to see how they are doing by gently digging some up to see what’s going on in the soil. Alternately you can pre-sprout them indoors with warmer room temperatures by soaking for a few hours then drain and rinsing once or twice daily until you see a small shoot emerge, at which point you can gently plant them. This pre-sprouting technique gives you a head start in cool springs.
Plant about 1” deep in rows 18-24” apart for bush types (Cascade, Sugar Daddy) and 12” apart for climbing types (Sugar Snap).
Pests: Our biggest pests are birds that pull up the tender shoots or simply snip them off at ground level. Many gardeners assume their peas are not sprouting, when in actuality, birds are eating them and they never see them emerge. Covering them with floating row covers is an easy solution that also can speed early season growth. Peas are susceptible to a variety of wilts, viruses and other diseases, the symptoms of which are compounded by hot weather. So grow your peas in the cooler windows of the year. Peas do great as an overwintered greenhouse crop, yielding very early in the spring when planted indoors in November.
• Bamboo Pea Trellising: We learned this great technique for trellising vine peas from our friend and amazing natural gardener, Danny Gregg. When peas are trellised on wire or fencing, the metal heats up in the sun late in the season which stress the cool loving vines which invites diseases such as pea enation virus that attacks heat stressed peas, curtailing late season yields. To create bamboo trellises: pound wooden or metal stakes in every 6 to 8 feet and tie a stout string or wire along the top of them, which can me anchored to the ground at the ends for greater stability. Then take bamboo stakes (ideally they still have branches on them for pea tendrils to cling to) that about 8 feet long and lean them up against the top wire at a steep angle from either side. The result will be a narrow tunnel with the tops of the stakes crossing above the top wire. The benefits of this system are multiple: the bamboo doesn’t heat up like metal, it shades the vines somewhat (a good thing), it’s natural, reusable and biodegradable and it looks really cool!
PEAS - “Cascade” (58-70 days) - A bush pea with 3-foot vines that produce prodigious quantities of 3” stringless pods with fabulous snap and sweet flavor. Thick pod walls. Out performs Sugar Ann in our experience. Multiple disease tolerance. Bred by Dr. James Baggett, OSU
PE1: Packet (one ounce/28g.) - $3.00
PEAS - Green Arrow, shelling (65 days) - This shelling pea produced large 4-4½ inch pods with 8-12 peas. Green Arrow’s yields are higher than other varieties because it posses the trait of making 2 pods per node. Short vines are 24-28 inches long so they don’t necessarily need trellising, although yields will be enhanced by providing some support.
PE4: Packet (one ounce/28 g.) - $3.00
PEAS - “Sugar Daddy” (68-75 das) - A dwarf bush snap pea with 24-30” vines that need little or no support. Heavy yields of 2.5-3.5” pods with thick, crunchy sweet flavor. 3 harvests common. Stringless
PE2: Packet (one ounce/28 g.) - $3.00
PEAS - “Sugar Snap” (70 days) - This is the classic snap pea with vigorous vines that grow to 6-7 feet, requiring staking. Pods are 3” and are borne over a long season. Incredible flavor is unmatched. Long harvest window means greater yields than bush types.
PE3: Packet (one ounce/28g.) - $3.00
PEPPERS Capsicum annum,
Pepper Growing Tips: Peppers are best started indoors with bottom heat as the seeds require warmth to germinate successfully. Ideally the soil temperature should be 70-80 degrees F. Once sprouted we try and grow big transplants in 2” pots, setting them out after any risk of frost has passed (early June here in SW OR).
Spacing: We grow 2 or 3 rows on a 4 foot wide bed, with 12-18” between plants.
Cultural Tip: Many growers have problems with sun scald on the fruits from inadequate foliage covering the fruit. Avoid sunscald by ensuring high fertility in your growing area with plenty of nitrogen so plants grow bushy with plenty of leaves before they begin flowering. Staking taller plants can become necessary if they are falling over from too much fruit set.
Harvest: when fruits turn red, green peppers are unripe! And have much higher levels of toxic alkaloids. Use clippers to avoid damaging plants.
Seed Specs: average of 4,000 seeds/ounce
PEPPERS - “Cayenne- Aci Sivri” (80-90 days) - This strain from Hungary is incredibly prolific, producing up to 25 fruits per plant that are about 5-10” long. Fruits ripen from green to a brilliant shade of red and are larger than traditional cayenne’s without sacrificing the heat. Excellent for making ristras. Very impressive. SSF
PR2: Packet (1/2g. ≈ 70 seeds) - $3.00
NEW! - PEPPERS - Lipstick Pimento (80 days) - A wonderful variety that produces 6-10, 4” long fruits that taper to a point. The flavor of the delectably thick, crunchy walls is quite sweet and works equally well in raw dishes or roasted. Productive even in cooler summer regions. OOF
PR6: Packet (1/2g. ≈ 70 seeds) - $3.00
PEPPERS - “Pimento Mix” (90 days) - Mix of round red pimento and ‘Lipstick’ elongated shapes. Selected for generations for productivity and lodge-resistance. Its delicious, thick juicy fruits endear these peppers to many. Plants grow 18-24” tall and set 8-12 fruits in our climate. We grow in a greenhouse and enjoy them for 2 months after the last frost. SSF
PR3: Packet (1/2g≈ 70 seeds) - $3.00
PEPPERS - “Italian Rellano” (80 days) - Big, beautiful Italian sweet roasting pepper. Stocky plants are reliably productive in northern areas. Fruits emerge as green and mature to a waxy, scarlet red. Not spicy. SSF
PR4: Packet (1/2g ≈ 70 seeds) - $3.00
NEW! - PEPPERS - Tangerine Pimento (90 days) - 12-18” plants make a about 8-12 fruits with 5 lobes and thick, crunchy bright orange flesh that is wonderfully sweet. A delightful late summer garden treat. We grow them in a greenhouse to extend the late season harvest until about Thanksgiving ion our locale. (WGF)
PR7: Packet (1/2g≈ 70 seeds) - $3.00
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PEPPERS - “Yankee Bell” (60days green/ 80 days red) - Developed by Rob Johnston in Maine for short season growers. This is a blocky medium sized pepper with 3 or 4 lobes that ripens to a bright red. Compact growth habit helps to shade fruits from sunburn and resist lodging. SSF
PR5: Packet (1/2 g. ≈ 70 seeds) - $3.00
PUMPKIN, “Winter Luxury” Cucurbita pepo (105 days) - An old variety that’s making a comeback because of its excellent flavor for pumpkin pies. Uniquely netted orange skin over thick flesh. Sprawling vines produce 3-4 fruits that are 5-7 pounds each. HEIRLOOM, LKF
PK1: Packet (5g. ≈ 30 seeds): $3.00 Ounce (175 seeds) - $10.00
RADISH Raphanus sativus
Growing Tips for Carrots apply to Radishes
NEW! RADISH “Cherry Belle” (30 days) - The market standard for open pollinated, round, red radishes. A very uniform producer of crisp brilliant scarlet with pure white flesh. Mild flavor while young.
RD5: Packet (7g, ≈650 seeds) - $3.00
RADISH “French Breakfast” (25 days) - Classic heirloom with an elongated shaped with a pleasing mix of scarlet-red on top and white on bottom. Grows very rapidly and is best enjoyed while they are young and tender. Distinctly mild pungent flavor. Grown since 1880s. HEIRLOOM, SSF
RD1: Packet (7g, ≈650 seeds) - $3.00
RADISH “Plum Purple” (30 days) - Rescued from PVP private domain by seedsman, Dr. John Navazio. A delightful quick-growing garden beauty that retains its crisp texture and mild, sweet flavor to a larger size than most other radishes. Beautiful amethyst skin over bright white flesh. Selected for resistance to wire worms over multiple generations. SSF
RD2: Packet (7g. ≈650 seeds) - $3.00
RADISH “Rondo” (25-30 days) - An old German round-red variety with a nice globe shape and crisp and mild bright white interior. Rediscover radishes! HEIRLOOM, WOF RD3: Packet (7g. ≈ 650 seeds) - $3.00
SPINACH - “Bloomsdale Longstanding” Spinacia oleracea (45 days) - A classic open pollinated strain introduced in 1925 that is well-selected in the Skagit valley of Washington for its upright, dark-green savoyed leaves and terrific spinach flavor. Performs better than most varieties in the heat, but really excels in spring and fall plantings. HEIRLOOM, GG
SP1: Packet (3g. ≈ 225 seeds) - $3.00 Ounce (≈2200 seeds) - $10.
SPINACH - “Winter Giant” Spinacia oleracea (45 days) - Also known as ‘ Geant Hiver’ in France. Smooth, semi-savoyed variety with medium green leaves that are exceptionally cold hardy. This is an excellent strain for late summer and fall seeding. HEIRLOOM, GG
SP2: Packet (3g. ≈ 225 seeds) - $3.00 Ounce (≈2200 seeds) - $10.
SQUASH, SUMMER - “Costata Romanesca” Curcibita pepo (55 days) - Delicious Italian heirloom with pale green fruits with distinct ribs. Although it yields lower than hybrid varieties, its flavor is far superior, creamy, nutty and with great texture. Exceptionally large blossoms lend themselves to frying well. WGF
SS1: Packet (4g ≈ 60 seeds) - $3.00 Ounce (≈150 seeds) - $15.00
SQUASH, SUMMER - “Dark Star” Zucchini Curcibita pepo (50 days) - A new open pollinated zucchini developed by Eel River, California organic grower, Bill Reynolds that has been bred as an OP market gardener workhorse alternative to hybrids. Spineless stalks prevent damage to fruits while harvesting. Long harvest window is a good trait for farmer and gardener alike. Remarkably vigorous. ERP
SS2: Packet (4g. ≈ 60 seeds)- $3.00 Ounce (≈150 seeds) - $15.00
SQUASH, SUMMER - “Yellow Crookneck” Curcibita pepo (50 days) - A tried and true variety with exceptional productivity of tender, smooth yellow fruits with an intriguing twist. Bush habit helps to save space in the garden. The flavor of this variety is rich and creamy, delightful steamed and mashed with butter! HEIRLOOM, SSF
SS3: Packet (4g. ≈60 seeds) - $3.00 Ounce (≈250 seeds) - $15.00
SWISS CHARD - “Fordhook Giant” Beta vulgaris (50 days) - An incredibly vigorous green leafed chard with very wide, brilliant white petioles. Leaves can grow to 3’ tall with good fertility! Lots of variation in leaf shape, but generally heavily savoyed. An old standby in gardens across northern latitudes. HEIRLOOM, SSF
SC1: Packet (5g ≈350 seeds) - $3
SWISS CHARD - “Prismatic Rainbow” Beta vulgaris (60 days) - Our selection that has leaves in shades of green, red, pink, yellow, orange and stripes. Highly ornamental, it’s a beautiful sight to behold! Selected for resistance to leaf miners, wide petioles and upright growth habit. This strain was tops in a recent trial in Washington. OOO. SSF
SC2: Packet (5g. ≈350 seeds) - $3.00 Ounce (≈2, 100 seeds) - $10..
SWISS CHARD - “Rhubarb” Beta vulgaris (55 days) - This is the standard for red chard. A selection by John Navazio, it has deep ruby, red stems and dark green leaves with a pleasing savoyed rumple. Can be used young as a baby leaf in salad mix for some color. Try sautĂ©ing with balsamic vinegar and sweet onions, delightful. WGS
SC4: Packet (5g ≈ 350 seeds) - $3.00
TOMATO - “Black Cherry” Lycopersicon esculentum (60 days) - A refreshing break from the ordinary, this purple brown cherry tomato has incredibly abundant 1” diameter fruits with a complex, rich sweet flavor. Very productive with vigorous vines that can top 6 feet, so stake accordingly or you’ll be traversing a jungle of tangled tomatoes to satiate your desire for more of these tasty treats. SSF
TM1: Packet (1/4g. ≈ 75 seeds) - $3.00
TOMATO - “Burbank Slicing” Lycopersicon esculentum (70-80 days) - Developed by the infamous, Luther Burbank, this variety is a reliable producer of 4-6 ounce round red fruits on bush habit plants that do not require trellising. Flavor is a pleasant sweet/tart. Crack resistant and disease tolerant. SSF
TM2: Packet (1/4 g. ≈ 75 seeds) - $3.00
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TOMATO - “Caro Rich” Lycopersicon esculentum (72-80 days) - Indeterminate. Large 4-6 ounce beefsteak type fruits with a deep golden-orange color and low acid flesh. Very high in beta-carotene. Selected for crack resistance and general adaptability. Productive and pretty. HEIRLOOM, SSF
TM3: Packet (1/4g. ≈ 75 seeds) - $3.00
TOMATO - “Chianti Rose” Lycopersicon esculentum (90 days) - A beautiful large pink-fruited tomato that is the result of an intentional cross between the famous heirloom, Brandywine and Oxheart. Fruits are 8-16 ounces, mostly smooth, but some have furrows. Flesh is thick and meaty with a distinctive, full, rich flavor and very few seeds. Vigorous indeterminate vines require staking. SSF
TM4: Packet (1/4g. ≈ 75 seeds) - $3.00
TOMATO - “Double Rich” Lycopersicon esculentum (60-80 days) - Indeterminate. Double Rich has solid, meaty, medium sized deep red globe shaped fruit with 50-60 units of Vitamin C per fruit. Good short season producer. Good resistance to blight and wilt. HEIRLOOM. SSF
TM5: Packet (1/4g. ≈ 75 seeds) - $3.00
TOMATO - “Doucet’s Plum” Lycopersicon esculentum (60-70 days) - One of the earliest tomatoes for the Pacific Northwest. Plum tomatoes are larger than a cherry, but smaller than a slicer, makes a great salad tomato. Originally obtained from the Sandhill Preservation Society. LKF
TM6: Packet (1/4g. ≈ 75 seeds) - $3.00
TOMATO - “German Streaked” Lycopersicon esculentum (80 days) - Large 8-12 ounce, flattened fruits are a beautiful yellow, orange red marbled pattern. Particularly attractive when sliced. Flavor is very fruity and complex and reminiscent of fruits from more tropical locales. My favorite! HEIRLOOM, SSF
TM7: Packet (1/4g. ≈ 75 seeds) - $3.00
NEW! - TOMATO - Legend Lycopersicon esculentum
A University of Oregon release that is late blight resistant, which is a real blessing in wet summer locales where this fungal pathogen can wipe out lesser varieties. Fruits are deep red, 3-4” half pound beauties. Flavor is rich and full, like a red tomato should be. Produces where others fail! (SSF)
TM21: Packet (1/4g. ≈ 75 seeds) - $3.00
TOMATO - “Marvel Striped” Lycopersicon esculentum (90-110 days) - Originally from the Zapotec peoples of Mexico. Produces large 10-16 ounce fruits on indeterminate vines. Fruits are yellow, orange with a lobed, pleated shape, and very few seeds. Complex, fruity and tasty. HEIRLOOM, SSF, LRF
TM8: Packet (1/4g. ≈ 75 seeds) - $3.00
TOMATO - “ORLST” Lycopersicon esculentum (80-85 days) - This variety came to us from the collection of seedsman, Alan Vanet with this strange name, which we’ve deciphered as Oregon Late Spring Tomato. It appears to share genetic parentage with the OSU/James Bagget variety ‘Oregon Star’. ORLST produces nice 1-2 pound flattened red fruits with few seeds, a nice firm texture and great rich flavor. The most productive red slicer in our trials last year. SSF
TM9: Packet (1/4g. ≈ 75 seeds) - $3.00
TOMATO - “Peacevine Cherry” Lycopersicon esculentum (78 days) - Stabilized from the hybrid ‘Sweet 100’ by Dr. Alan Kapular of Peace Seeds. This rambunctious indeterminate produces an astounding amount of 1” round red fruits, borne in cluster of 6-10. Flavor is excellent, sweet/tart. You’ll find yourself gorging on them in the garden. Contains very high levels of Vitamin C and gamma-amino butyric acid, a natural nervous system sedative, hence the name. SSF
TM10: Packet (1/4g. ≈ 75 seeds) - $3.00
TOMATO - “Peron Sprayless” Lycopersicon esculentum (70 days) - Introduced in 1951 from Greece. Early, vigorous midseason tomato with good crack resistance and exceptional disease resistance. Deep-red 10-ounce fruits are globe shaped. Outperforms hybrids. Indeterminate, requires staking. HEIRLOOM, SSF
TM11: Packet (1/4g. ≈ 75 seeds) - $3.00
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Blog at www.sevenseedsfarm.com
NEW! – TOMATO - Red Calabash Lycopersicon esculentum
Origionally a meso-American variety from the Zapotec peoples of Mexico, brought to northern shores by horticultural adventurer, Gabriel Howearth. Delights the eyes with its flattened, bright red, pleated fruits that are 3-4” across and have a wonderful sweet tomato flavor. HEIRLOOM, SSF
TM20: Packet (1/4g. ≈ 75 seeds) - $3.00
TOMATO - “Red Pear” aka “Red Fig” Lycopersicon esculentum (70-80 days) - Very vigorous vines produce copious quantities of delightful 1.75”x1” pear shaped fruits that are scarlet-red. Delightful sweet mild flavor really spruces up salads. Crack resistant. One of our favorites. Originally brought from Italy. HEIRLOOM, SSF
TM12: Packet (1/4g. ≈ 75 seeds) - $3.00
TOMATO - “Sweet Orange II” Lycopersicon esculentum (65 days) - A unique open pollinated orange cherry tomato that is exceptionally productive. Crack resistant. Bred for higher sugar levels. LKF
TM13: Packet (1/4g. ≈ 75 seeds) - $3.00
NEW! - TOMATO - Red Rock Paste Lycopersicon esculentum
A nice determinate Roma type of tomato for canning and drying. Fruits are oblong and 2-3” long with a meaty texture and very little juice, so they require less cooking down to make sauce, or less time to dry. An heirloom favorite for many decades revived from extinction by Lupin Knoll Farm.(LKF)
TM19: Packet (1/4g. ≈ 75 seeds) - $3.00
TOMATO - “Thessaloniki” Lycopersicon esculentum (66-80 days) - Indetermate. Developed in Greece, this variety produces uniform baseball sized smooth red fruits that weigh 4-6 ounces. Resistant to sunburn, cracking and spots. Mild flavor. A reliable early producer. SSF
TM14: Packet (1/4g. ≈ 75 seeds) - $3.00
TOMATO - “Willamette” Lycopersicon esculentum (70-100 days) - 3-4’ bushy vines yield quality small (3”), smooth red slicers. Bred at OSU for Oregon growers. Small stem and blossom scars. SSF
TM15: Packet (1/4g. ≈ 75 seeds) - $3.00
TOMATO - “Wisconsin55” Lycopersicon esculentum (72-75 days) - Large smooth red slicer that produced uniform 3-4” round fruits that hold very well off the vine. Strong skin and solid walls give this tomato the workhorse characteristics that could make it a main crop tomato for market growers. Flavor is excellent, full, rich and satisfying. SSF
TM16: Packet (1/4g. ≈ 75 seeds) - $3.00
TOMATO - “Yellow Pear” Lycopersicon esculentum (70-80 days) - Rampant indeterminate vines produce clusters of small (1.5-2” x .75-1” diameter), yellow pear shaped fruits. Mild flavor. Great eye appeal for fresh eating. 1805, HEIRLOOM, SSF
TM17: Packet (1/4g. ≈ 75 seeds) - $3.00
TOMATO - “Yellow Brandywine” Lycopersicon esculentum (75-100 days) - Indeterminate, fuzzy potato leaf vines that make humongous 1-2+ pound fruits that are flattened with occasional ribbing. Delicious creamy texture and complex bouquet will satisfy the most discriminating tomato connoisseur. HEIRLOOM, SSF
TM18: Packet (1/4g. ≈ 75 seeds) - $3.00
NEW! - WATERMELON - Crimson Sweet Citrullus lanatus (85 days)- An heirloom work horse that can hold its own against any hybrid out there. Fine sweet flavor with incredible smooth texture. Small seeds don’t get in the way of enjoying the crisp red flesh. Produces 5-6 fruits that are generally about 10-15 pounds, but can mushroom up to 30 pounds with ample spacing and fertility. Rind is light green with dark green stripes. HEIRLOOM, SSF
WM2: Packet (3g. ≈ 70 seeds) - $3.00 Ounce (≈650 seeds) - $20.00
WATERMELON - “Early Yellow Moonbeam” Citrullus lanatus (80-90 days) - This variety originated as a hybrid called ‘Yellow Doll’ and was stabilized over the last 2 decades as a result of the work of Dr. Alan Kapular. A reliable producer of 3-8 pound fruits with bright, lemon yellow crisp sweet flesh. Very thin rind that has been known to crack open with an audible ‘pop’ when stared at for too long or handled roughly. Refined flavor. Productive variety for northern growers. SSF
WM1: Packet (3g. ≈ 70 seeds) - $3.00 Ounce (≈650 seeds) - $20.00
NEW! - WATERMELON - Moon & Stars Citrullus lanatus (80 days) - Take a bite our of this galaxy of taste. Moon and Stars is named for the yellow dots,“stars” and 1-2” “moons” the are speckled over the dark orange skin. The flesh is deep red with large tan seeds that are the perfect ammo for seed spitting. Not as sweet as Crimson sweet but very pleasant and refreshing nonetheless, with fine texture and depth. Can grow up to 40 pounds! HEIRLOOM (SSF)
WM3: Packet (3g. ≈ 70 seeds) - $3.00 Ounce (≈650 seeds) - $20.00
WINTER SQUASH species listed with each variety
∞ See growing tips under Cucumber ∞ *
NEW! - Black Forest Kabocha (95 days) Cucurbita maxima - A nice uniform kabocha that produces 4-5 fruits that average 3-4 pounds each. Fruits are gray green flattened shape with dark orange flesh that is sweet, dry and flaky. They store moderately well until February or March if kept in a dry spot. Delicious baked with butter! (WOF)
WS7: Packet (6g. ≈ 30 seeds) - $3.00
“Buttercup, Burgess” Cucurbita maxima (100days) - A 3-5 pound, blocky squash with deep orange skin and dark orange flesh that is sweet, creamy and smooth. Very nice eating quality, not stringy. Productive vines yield 3-8 fruits each. HEIRLOOM
WS1: Packet (6g. ≈ 30 seeds) - $3.00
“Butternut, Waltham strain” Cucurbita moschata (110 days) - Solid 9” fruits weigh in at 4-6 pounds and have a very small seed cavity, brilliant orange flesh and a tan skin. Flavor is sweet, smooth and slightly nutty. Excellent for pie. Requires supplemental curing in a greenhouse or warm house post harvest to properly color up and cure. U of Mass. 1956 introduction. HEIRLOOM, SSF
WS2: Packet (6g. ≈ 40 seeds) - $3.00
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NEW! - Baby Butternut, “Burpee’s Butterbush” Curcurbita moschata
Excellent early-maturing butternut, with compact vines (3-4ft.).
Flesh is deep reddish-orange, moist and deliciously sweet. Long keeper.
Yields 1.5-4 lb. fruits, averaging 4 fruits/plant. 75 days to maturity.WF WS10: Packet (6g. ≈ 40 seeds) - $3.00
“Delicata – Zeppelin” Cucurbita pepo (100 days) - A much loved 1894 heirloom winter squash that’s just the right size for a side dish with dinner. The fruits are 7-10” long, weigh about a pound and posses flesh that’s finer textured, sweeter, and significantly longer keeping than other strains. HEIRLOOM, WGS
WS3: Packet (2g. ≈ 40 seeds) - $3.00
NEW! - Green Hubbard Cucurbita maxima (100 days) - A big vigorous plant that sprawls 8-10 feet and produces 5-6 fruits that weigh 10-15 pounds and store well. Fruits have dark green bumpy skin that surrounds dark orange flesh that is smooth and sweet. Great cut in half, stuffed with rice pilaf and baked. HEIRLOOM (SSF)
WS8: Packet (6g. ≈ 30 seeds) - $3.00
“Stella Blue” Cucurbita maxima (100 days) - Developed by Bill Reynolds this variety is an improved baby blue Hubbard type, suitable for family dinners. Slate gray skin conceals thick deep orange flesh that is smooth, sweet and delicious. Try cutting one in half and filling with rice, onion, garlic, tomatoes and the like and baking it! ERP
WS4: Packet (6g. ≈ 30 seeds) - $3.00
“Sunshine Daydream” Cucurbita Maxima (90 days) - All ideas have to start somewhere…this project started as a taste bud love affair with the excellent variety ‘Sunshine F1’ a delicious orange skinned squash developed by Rob Johnston. With the dream of culturing this strain into an open pollinated variety, we offer this F2 assession. Some variability is distinctly possible, but we have faith that the flavor of this productive and tasty squash is worth it. An heirloom of tomorrow in the making. SSF
WS5: Packet (6g ≈ 30 seeds) - $3.00
“Sweet Dumpling” Cucurbita pepo (95 days) - Delightfully sweet and smooth baked or steamed, this productive squash makes 8-12 4-5” roundish fruits like little yellow and green striped pumpkins. A favorite with children. Stores quite well until April. SSF
WS6: Packet (2g. ≈ 40 seeds) - $3.00
NEW! - “Tuffy” Acorn Cucurbita pepo (90 days) - This has been the favorite eating squash on the farm this winter, charming taste. It produces 5-7 fruits per vine that average 2 pounds each. Perfect for single servings. Dark green rind with heavy ribs is very tuff, hence the name. Stores very well. (SSF)
WS9: Packet (2g. ≈ 40 seeds) - $3.00
HERBS
BASIL - “Genovese” Ocimum basilicum (65-75 days) - Classic pesto Basil. Makes a profusion of deep green, large leaves full of complex flavor and aroma. Responds well to frequent harvests. Harvest low to encourage succulent re-growth rather than woody stems.
BA1: Packet (1g. ≈400 seeds) - $3.00
BASIL - “Cinnamon” (65 days) - Pleasant sweet cinnamon aroma adds a refreshing twist to summer meals. Purple stems, veins and flowers with green leaves. A delightful garden companion. 30” tall. SOW
BA2: Packet (1g. ≈400 seeds) - $3 .00
CHIVES - Allium schoenoprasum (90 days) - A spicy addition to salads and other dishes. Perennial that can tolerate some shade. Makes pretty lavender flowers that can be used in cooking and fresh too.
CV1: Packet (1 g) - $3.00
CILANTRO - “Criola” Coriandrm sativum (50-55 days- leaf / 100 days-seed) - Popular in Mexican and Asian cooking, cilantro brings a refreshing cool flavor to summer dishes. Selected for it’s unique flavor in Columbia, where they have a slightly different taste preference than Central American gardeners. Allowed to go to seed it will resow itself readily. Edible seed is known as Coriander. HEIRLOOM, SSF
CI1: Packet (2g. ≈ 250 seeds) - $3.00
NEW! - CILANTRO – SANTO - A later bolting type of cilantro than “Criola” from Mexico. Better for mid summer plantings. HEIRLOOM, WGS
CI2: Packet (2g. ≈ 250 seeds) - $3.00
NEW! - DILL – Mammoth Bouquet - The classic dill for using the fresh greens as a seasoning or the dried seeds. Vigorous grows quite tall (3-5 feet), gracing gardens with is pungent sweet aroma, and pickle recipies with that certain je ne sais quoi. SSF
DL1: Packet (2g.) - $3.00
ECHINACEA PURPERA – Perennial - This herb is easy to grow as its seeds germinate without stratification (cold-treatment). Vigorous grower can reach 6 feet in flower, with dozens of beautiful pink/purple blossoms arising from a mound of dark green leaves. Flowers usually emerge the second year and thereafter. Aerial parts and roots are used medicinally to support the immune system. SSF
EC1: Packet (2g. ≈ 400 seeds) - $3.00
www.siskiyouseeds.com
HYSSOP - Hyssopus officinalis – Perennial - A wonderfully fragrant ornamental that also has similar medicinal characteristics to mint. Hyssop is also a favorite nectar source for bumblebees and other native pollinators. Grows to 16-30” tall in flower. SSF
HY1: Packet (1/2 g. ≈ 400 seeds) - $3.00
PARSLEY - “Moss Green Curled” Petroselinum crispum - This selection began as ‘Darki’ from Frank Morton, then we made a selection from a large field at Fry Family Farm, rouging any plants with bottom rot, yellowing or other undesirable characteristics. Fluffy, curly, wavy dark green leaves are produced in an abundant mound16-18” high. Try in pesto! SSF
PS1: Packet (1g. ≈ 500 seeds) - $3.00 Ounce (16,000 seeds) - $8.
TOBACCO - “Hopi” Nicotiana rustica – Annual - Large dark green, resinous leaves contain very high levels of nicotine born in a 12-16” rosette. Flowers are subtle lime greenish white with a delicious jasmine-like scent in the evening. Proper curing (like all tobacco) necessary to mellow harshness. Grows to 24” when in flower. HEIRLOOM, SSF
TB1: Packet (1/4g. ≈ 300 seeds) - $3.00
GRAINS
AMARANTH - “Golden Giant” Amaranthus cruentus (100 – 110 days) - A late season grain amaranth that produces large orange/gold seed heads on top of 6 foot tall stalks. Edible green leaves with golden brown veins and stalks. Very productive, producing up to 1 pound of seed per plant. Easy to harvest, simply clip the heads and hang to dry. Thresh by stomping on them once dry and winnow to remove chaff. Should be incorporated into our diet as a staple to supplement other grains like rice, or ground into flour to mix into breads and pancakes. SSF AM1: Packet (1,000 seeds) - $3.00 Ounce - $12.00
NEW! - BARLEY – Burbank Hulless Hordeum vulgare (260 days fall) - A variety originally developed by plant genius, Luther Burbank. A mixture of tan and black seeds. Hulless habit makes for ease of processing on a homestead scale. Plant grows to 30-36” tall and resists lodging fairly well which is very helpful when hand or scythe harvesting. SSF
BR3: Packet (10g.) - $3.00
BARLEY - “EZ thresh”- Hordeum vulgare (140 days to dry grain from a February 1st sowing) - Nice hulless barley from George Stevens. Most barley has a stubborn hull that clings to the seed. Great stew ingredient that brings a chewy, nutty flavor. SSF
BR1: Packet (10g.) - $3.00
BARLEY - “ Kamamuji” Hordeum vulgare (140 days from early spring sowing, or 270 days from a fall sowing) - The most productive barley for our climate in a trial of 10 varieties. 6-row barley that is different from the 2-row types used for beer malt. Long awns make for a decorative display when in seed. Very easy to grow and thresh by dancing on the dried seed heads, or thresh traditionally with a flail on a solid floor, winnow and then ‘presto’ there you go; genuine food security. Let’s create a ‘One Straw Revolution’! SSF
BR2: Packet (10g.) - $3.00
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Blog at www.sevenseedsfarm.com
FLAX - “Omega”Linum usitatissimum (90 days) - Direct sow in spring after it’s warmed up flax is an easy to grow dietary supplement, useful in baking. Very high in Omega 3 fatty acids. Produces a profusion of sky blue flowers on slender 24” stems. Seed matures early in summer. Easy to thresh and winnow. Seed must be ground or sprouted to make nutrition accessible. SSF
FX1: Packet (3.5g.≈200 seeds) - $3.00 Ounce - $15.00
KAMUT - “Blacktip” Triticum turanicum – ((140 days from early spring sowing, or 270 days from a fall sowing) - A landrace strain of wheat from the Fertile Crescent region. Probably better described as ‘Khorasan wheat’, it is more digestible by some people with gluten intolerance, probably because it has been selected by farmers for its eating qualities, as opposed to modern wheat varieties that are selected for high gluten content. Blacktip produces large (1/2”) kernels that have a richer, nuttier flavor than modern wheats. Can grow to 4-5 feet from a fall sowing, so lodging is a consideration that suggests early spring sowing might be better. Unique in its jet-black awns that are 2-3” long. Very ornamental! Originally obtained from seedsman, George Stevens. SSF KT1: Packet (10g.) - $3.00
MILLET - “Foxtail” Setaria italica (100days) - A productive, warm-season grass that yields heavy seed heads with up to an ounce of grain each. Small shiny seeds are the only alkalizing grain commonly eaten. A nice alternative to rice and can be used sparingly as a wheat substitute in baking. Ornamental appeal is nice in dried flower arrangements as well. SSF MT1: Packet (4g.) - $3.00
QUINOA - “Faro” Chenopodium quinoa (100-120 days) - A very easy to grow grain crop related to lambs quarters, beets and spinach. Grows to 4-6 feet tall with an attractive plume shaped seed head that is clipped and dried at summer’s end. Easy to thresh and winnow. Seed must be processed by rinsing with water to remove saponins that coat the seed, otherwise it will taste very bitter. Cook like rice or millet. Staple grain of the Andean peoples. Very productive, 100-foot row can yield 10-20 pounds. SSF
QN1: Packet (4g. ≈ 1400 seeds) - $3.00 Ounce (20,000 seeds) $10.
POPPY - ” Hungarian Breadseed” Papaver somniferum (90 days) - Lemon poppy seed pancakes anyone? Grow your own with this low-opiate strain saved for generations for its abundant seed production. Plants grow to 2-3 feet high with pinkish single petal layer flowers. Sow early (February in Oregon) and will mature in late July. Harvest when pods are dry. SSF
PP1: Packet (1g.) - $3.00
NEW! - WHEAT – Glen Spring Red Triticum spp. - A spring planted heirloom spring wheat (as opposed to white or winter wheats). Good for homestead bread making. Productive and lodge resistant. SSF
WT1: Packet (Ounce) - $3.00
FLOWERS
AMARANTH - “Elephant Head” Amaranthus gangeticus (70-80 days) - A plant with character if there ever was one! Easily the most commented on plant on our farm during Summer tours. Grows to 2-5 feet tall and produces a large, thick maroon red flower stalk that looks like an upraised elephant’s trunk. Makes many thousands of high protein, nutritious seeds per plant. It will self-sow readily. SSF
AM2: Packet (1g. ≈ 250 seeds) - $3.00
NEW! AMARANTH - Hopi Red Dye Amaranthus cruentus x A.powelli (110 days) - A tall (4-5’) self-seeding annual that was originally used by the Hopi as a natural food dye for ceremonial feasts. Very easy and rewarding to grow it adds tremendous visual appeal to gardens with its burgundy foliage and flower plumes. Young leaves are good raw in salads and the mature seeds can be ground into flour. HEIRLOOM (SSF)
AM3: Packet (1g. ≈ 250 seeds) - $3.00
NEW! - CALENDULA – Flashback Mix Calendula officinalis (85 days) - A riot of calendula diversity that is very easy to grow. Direct seed or grow as transplants. Flowers are singles and doubles that range from yellow to orange to white with a variety of novel twists like red coloration on the backsides of the petals. Bred by Frank Morton. SSF & OOO
CD2: Packet (5g. ≈ 500 seeds) - $3.00 Ounce (≈3, 000 seeds) $18.
CALENDULA - “Pacific Beauty Mix” (85 days) - A cheery array of yellow, orange, pinkish and whitish blooms with plenty of diversity to keep you interested as you harvest juicy blossoms for making medicinal oils and salves that are excellent for soothing burns, sprains, bites and other skin afflictions. Very easy to grow and tends to naturalize if allowed to go to seed. SSF
CD1: Packet (5g. ≈ 500 seeds) - $3.00 Ounce (≈3, 000 seeds) $18.
CELOSIA, COCKSCOMB - “Kimberly” Celosia cristata (75 days) - A stunning velvety, maroon crested comb-like flower. Looks like a neon pink brain, truly nothing like it. Kimberly selected this for an abundant profusion of long stemmed blossoms which make an excellent addition to bouquets. Holds color well as an everlasting dried flower. SSF
CC1: Packet (1g. ≈250 seeds) - $3.00
CASTOR BEAN, - “Carmencita Red” Ricinus communis (85 days) - A tropical looking, fast growing (to 5’) annual with wine red foliage, stems and seed pods. Very exotic looking. Large seedpod spikes make an unusual, yet appealing accent in bouquets. WARNING: seeds are poisonous and contact with foliage does not agree with some peoples skin. SSF
CB1: Packet (10 seeds) - $3.00
COREOPSIS - “Calliopsis” Coreopsis tinctoria (80 days) - A Midwest native annual wildflower also known as ‘Plains Coreopsis’ that makes a wonderful showy border plant. Grows to a 30” high bush covered with hundreds of maroon and gold 1½” blooms. SSF
CI1: Packet (1/4g. ≈ 250 seeds) - $3.00
COSMOS - “Sunrise” Cosmos sulphureus (75 days) - A great border plant that grows to a large 4-6’ bush with hundreds of 2” yellow and orange blossoms. Even just one plant really brightens up the landscape. Self seeds readily. SSF
CS2: Packet (1g. ≈ 140 seeds) - $3.00
DAISY - “Zulu Prince” Venidium fastuosum (90 days) - Dramatic large (2-3”) flowers with a jet-black center, white petals with rings of orange and purple in the center grow from a grayish green mound of hairy leaves. Amazing addition to bouquets. Thrives in heat and drought. Easy to grow. Best grown from transplants. (as pictured at the beginning of flowers section) SSF
ZU1: Packet (1/4g. ≈ 250 seeds) - $3.00
NEW! – LAVATERA, Althea zabrina (90 days)
This beauty is like a dwarf hollyhock with its abundant stalks filled with a profusion of brilliant magenta flowers that bloom over a long season. Perennialzes in mild winter areas. A good cut flower and border plant. Grows to 24”. Rewarding to grow! SSF
ZB1: Packet (2g.) - $3.00
“LOVE LIES BLEEDING” Amaranthus caudatus (65 days) - Tall growing (4-5’) annual with a magnificent display of pendulous plumes of maroon rope-like flowers. Very ornamental and suitable for bouquets. Edible leaves are a nutritious addition to salads. SOW
LL1: Packet (1/4g. ≈250 seeds) - $3.00
www.siskiyouseeds.com
Blog at www.sevenseedsfarm.com
Pictured above: Zulu Prince Daisy
NEW! – MARIGOLD - “African Giant” Tagates erecta (70-90 days) - Large 3 to 4 foot tall plants produce prodigious quantities of big, 3” blooms that can really fill out bouquets. A colorful living hedge! String up the flower heads and dry them for amazing homegrown leis and ceremonial offerings. SSF
MG1: Packet (1/2 g) - $3.00
MARIGOLD - “Cracker Jack” Tagates erecta (90 days) - An early blooming mix of yellow and gold blossoms on strong, 3-foot tall plants. Flowers are a robust and fluffy fully double type. SOW
MG2: Packet (1/2g) - $3.00
MARIGOLD - “Frances’ Choice” Tagates patula (70-80 days) - Bred by Alan Kapular and named for horticulturalist Frances Hoffman. Tall growing (4-5’) plants make a lovely hedge festooned with hundreds of red-petaled flowers fringed with gold. Long stems lend themselves to use as a cut flower. OOO, SOW
MG3: Packet (1/2 g) - $3.00
www.siskiyouseeds.com
Blog at www.sevenseedsfarm.com
MARIGOLD - “La Ribera” Tagates patula (80 days) - Collected from Alan Mushroom Kapular form one plant in La Ribera, Baja, Mexico. Big 3-5 foot bushes produce double 2-4” orange flowers. Dry beautifully. SOW
MG4: Packet (1/2g) - $3.00
MARIGOLD - “Sparkler” Tagates patula (85 days) - Large (2-3”) flowers on a robust 3-4 foot plant are maroon red accented with orange. Another Alan Kapular origional. Marigolds are excellent garden allies delighting our senses while repelling many garden pests. OOO, LKF
MG5: Packet (1/2g.) - $3.00
NEW! - WHITE NIGELLA - (Flora)
A very easy to grow, self-sowing annual that should have a home in all gardens, especially for its charming ballon-like seed pods that young children find delightful to gather and pop, revealing the abundant black seeds….spreading they joy for future flower pickers to enjoy. Lacey delicate foliage grows to about 18-24” tall and makes many dozen of blooms over a long period. Work well in bouquets as focal points or filler. FLA NG1: Packet (1g. ≈100 seeds) - $3.00
SAFFLOWER - “Orange” Carthamus tinctorius (100 days) - An ancient crop grown for its use as a fiber dye and its nutritious seeds and oil. Cloth dyed with Safflower was found in the tomb of pharaoh Tutankhamen in ancient Egypt. It is easy to grow. Direct sow. Grows to 3 feet high and producing 1-5 flowers per plant with 15-20 seeds per head. Matures seed in short season areas. Tolerates drought well. Poultry relish the seed heads that produce abundant sunflower like seeds. As an oil crop, its oil is more healthful than olive oil, being high in oleic / monounsaturated oil. SSF
SA1: Packet (6g. ≈150 seeds) - $3.00 Ounce - $12.00
SUNFLOWER - “Amber Eye” Helianthus annuus (80-100 day) - A polyheaded beauty that grows to 10’ with abundant blooms that are a mix of golden blooms with an amber “eye” in the center” Easy to grow cut flower, wildlife food and joyful expression of creation! SOW
SF1: Packet (5g. ≈ 100 seeds) - $3
SUNFLOWER - “Tarahumara” Helianthus annuus (90-100 days) - A traditional variety developed by the Tarhumara people of Northern Mexico. Tall (7-11’) plants produce a single large (up to 24” across) solid golden flower with pure white seeds. Seeds are large, plump and delicious. HEIRLOOM, SSF
SF2: Packet (5g. ≈ 100 seeds) - $3.00
NEW! - DOUBLE CHOICE MIX SWEET WILLIAMS Dianthus spp.
A lovely biennial (and occasional perennial) flower that produces a profusion of sturdy blooms on 12-18” stems in an array of pinks, fuchsias, whites, scarlets and combinations thereof. Appreciating them with the eyes alone in only a small part of the picture, because their smell is heaven-scent! Imagine cinnamon, sweet peas, a dash of clove and all perfumed up as only mother nature knows how! Makes terrific, long-lasting bouquets. Rarely flowers in the first year, so please be patient. Very long bloom window in the second year starting in April and going all summer if you keep them picked and deadheaded. FLA/SSF
SW1: Packet (1 g. ≈ 150 seeds) - $3
TITHONIA - “Torch” Tithonia rotundifolia (80-100 days) - Also know as ‘Mexican Sunflower’, this beauty produces many brilliant orange 3” blooms on a multi-branched 6-8’ tall plant. Unique, velvety soft leaves and stems help make this a great border plant. Blooms late into the fall for late-season color and nectar production for insects. SSF
TT1: Packet (1.5g. ≈100 seeds) - $3.00
ZINNIA - “Chromasomia Mix” Zinnia elegans (70 days) - A mixture of all the classic shades and shapes you know and love about Zinnia’s plus some new twists like orange with purple edges and red with purple margins. Superb cut flower has along vase life. SSF
ZN1: Packet (2g ≈ 100 seeds) - $3.00
Website at www.siskiyouseeds.com
Seed Saving Details for Beginners:
Vegetable
(Genus species) Cycle Pollination Pollinator Isolation Seed Life Notes
Beans
(Phaseolus vulgaris) A Self 100’ 3-5 yrs Losses Vigor in time. Let dry in field,
Beet/Chard
(Beta vulgaris) Bi Cross Wind 1 mile 3-5 yrs Beets cross w/ Chard
Broc.,Kale,Cabbage Collard, Caulifl.
(Brassica oleracea) Bi Cross Insect 1/2mile 3-5 yrs Many types of Brassica exist within the same species. Consult a book
Carrot
Dacus carrota Bi Cross Insects ½ mile 2-3 years Crosses w/ wild carrot
Celery
(Apium graveolens) Bi Cross Insects ½ mile 2-3 years Attractsbene-ficial insects, gophers love to eat roots!
Corn
(Zea mays) A Cross Wind ½ mile 4-5 years Minimum 200 plants. Let dry on stalk.
Cucumber
Cucumis sativus A Cross Insects ¼ mile 5-10 years Mature to big & yellow. Ferment pulp water process.
Eggplant
(Solanum melonega) A Self 150’ 3-4 years Let mature to yellow. Water process
Onion & Leeks
Allium cepa &
Allium porrum Bi Cross Insects ¼ mile 1-2 years Pull onions & replant in fall. Leave leeks.
Lettuce
(Latuca sativa) A Self 50’ 2-3 years Needs long season, easy
Melon
(Cucumis melo) A Cross Insects ¼ mile 5-10 years Won’t cross w/ water- melon. Seed ripe when fruit’s ripe. Water process
Mustard
(Brassica rapa &
Brassica juncea) A Cross Insects ½ mile 3-5 years 2 species B. rapa & B.juncea (spicy types) won’t cross
Peas
(Pisum sativum) A Self 50’ 2-3 years Weevils a problem
Pepper
(Capsicum annum) A Both Insects 500’ 3-5 years More isolation between hots and sweets is necessary
Radish
(Raphanus sativus) A Cross Insects ¼ mile 3-5 years Beware of wild species
Plant early
Spinach
(Spinacia oleracea) A Cross Wind ½ mile 2-3 years Males make no seed
Squash/Pumpkin
(Cucurbita pepo, C. maxima, C. moschata) A Cross Insects ¼ mile 2-5 years 3 species won’t cross with each other
Tomato
(Lycopersicon esculentum) A Self 25-100’ 5-10 years Potato leaf types tend to cross more readily
Please visit our website, www.siskiyouseeds.com
Don Tipping’s Blog at
www.sevenseedsfarm.com
• ORDERING INSTRUCTIONS •
You can order from us in two ways:
MAIL: Please fill out the order form with the variety codes (such as SP1, or ZN3) or names and quantities desired, tear it out, or copy it and mail it along with a check or Money Order for the total amount plus shipping to our address at the bottom of the form.
WEB: Our website is www.siskiyouseeds.com or where we have a complete shopping cart format site. The site is updated regularly to reflect shifts in our inventory or new additions. Variety photos are featured with each listing on the website. Growing tips for most species are also available there. Over time we will pack this site with useful information about seed production and seed related issues
SEED RACKS: If you are in southern Oregon please visit our seed racks at the Ashland Food Co-op or the Williams General Store. Also in Portland at Naomi’s Organics and People’s Food Co-op. In Mount Shasta at Berryvale Market. And more in the works….
PLEASE NOTE: At this point we cannot accept orders by FAX or phone. However, if you have a question about an order or if something is in stock feel free to call us at (541) 846-9233
Or email at don@siskiyouseeds.com
GUARANTEE: We personally test all of our seeds for germination rate (typically far exceeding the Federal Minimum Germination Standards) and vigor and are confident that they will perform well for you. However, in the event that you are not satisfied, we will gladly replace either the seeds or refund their purchase price. We appreciate your feedback!
Siskiyou Seeds Order Form 2011
Name:_____________________________________________________
Address:___________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
Phone:(_____)_______________________________________________
Email:_____________________________________________________
Qty. Item Code (BE6, CO3, etc)
& Variety Description Unit Size Price Subtotal
Shipping: Order Total= $0 to $15 add $4.00 Subtotal =
$15 to $50 add $6.00
$50 to $100 add $9.00 Shipping =
Over $100 add $12.00
Total =
* Mail this form along with a Check or Money Order to:
Siskiyou Seeds
3220 East Fork Rd.
Williams, OR 97544 THANK YOU!
Qty Item Code / Variety Unit Size Price Subtotal
The Farmer’s Soapbox
∞full moon January 2011∞
So here is where I get my
chance to tell it like it is from
my vantage point on this
beautiful moonlit mountain-
side. When the day is over,
no one (and everyone) has
won, life is not a war or a contest.
Rather, it’s a dance. You can’t win a dance. If you try you are missing the point. If you feel like a loser, then you don’t understand the rules; which are, put simply…every breath is a miracle, water and food are magic medicine, do no harm and love is the answer!
The gesture of nature reveals that the dance of life is an incredibly diverse, pulsing, cacophonous art form. Be it bold, or subtle, all of creation is emblazoned with a signature flourish. From the way a vine’s tendrils twist, to the kaleidoscope of colors in flowers, to birdsong, waterfalls, lichens on rocks, cats playing, fungi sporulating, to the taste of a ripe melon and on and on. The art of nature is endless and we are all infinitely blessed to share this life with all the amazing beings and entities that are alive and all so exquisitely beautiful. Our challenge, as I see it is to dance with creation without stomping on her toes. Sometimes when overcome with reverence for the miracle of creation we try and live ever so lightly, like the Jain Buddhists, tip toeing with veils over their mouths, as to not inhale or step on any insects. Admirable, yes, but remember, life is not a contest, and no one is keeping score AND we have got to get our collective rear in gear to fix up the incredible messes that humanity has wrought on our home planet! From the Anthroposophical perspective, humanities destiny is to change the Earth. Remember, that’s why we have thumbs. The more I study natural systems I realize that when we can emulate the art of natural forms in what we do, then we’re really starting to Tango!
PEOPLE! I compel each and every one of us to infuse all that we do with ART, make a statement with your LIFE, live your TRUTH and make it FUN and I assure you that we will see suffering decrease, more smiles, more laughter, more deep introspection into emotions, new friendships made, and PEACE will increase. No wars have been fought over art. As I see it, one of humanities’ most amazing gifts that we bring to this planet is our CREATIVITY, be it through music, dance, sculpture, acting, painting, poetry, well designed and crafted joinery or clothing, or well-selected and bred vegetable varieties and so on. Time is short folks, we must dig deep, save our seeds, keep planting them, share your stories, laugh and love often and in the immortal words of Beat poet and driver of the legendary Prankster bus, Neal Cassady, “Stay High and Keep Moving!”
* Don Tipping, writing from the loft of a newly constructed seed barn made solely from the wood of wind fallen trees milled on the farm, by the warm fire burning from the scrap wood of the aforementioned lumber, sipping a nice cup of nettle/peppermint tea while the full January moon shines through the windows listening to the soothing sounds of my two boys Wali (8) and Jasper (4) sleeping mingling with the soft music of the Grateful Dead playing “Dark Star” from 2/23/73. Ahhhh……
AND ANOTHER THING!
We as a people must speak up about the travesty that is corporate personhood which has enabled mega-corporations such as Monsanto to patent life, unleash destructive technologies such as Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO) and toxic agricultural chemicals upon the Biosphere. Corporations are not people and they should not be granted the same rights as individuals. Likewise, Intellectual Property (IP) patents on GMO’s have undermined the very foundation of agriculture. The simple, yet crucial act of farmers and gardeners saving their own seeds is not a matter to be trifled with. With the advent of IP rules, Monsanto and others such as Syngenta, Bayer, BASF can claim criminal trespass against farmers whose crops have been unintentionally cross-pollinated by insects or the wind with GMO pollen from GMO crops growing as far away as 10 miles. This is not theoretical, it happens every day.
Since when did we value mega-corporations such as Monsanto over small family farmers? How can we stop this madness? Are we going to let greed begin to unravel the integrity of plant DNA that has co-evolved with agriculture and shifting climates for centuries? Biotech labs are brewing up toxic gene juice that is resulting in disasters such as Roundup Ready soybeans that no longer fix nitrogen and countless other examples of crops that fail to perform when adverse conditions arise.
Biotech is fostering the EXACT OPPOSITE of what we ought to be doing to address selecting and breeding our food crops to be able to handle the mounting stresses and challenges that climate change is bringing to our fields. GMOs generally require more fertilizer, more herbicides and more babying than traditionally grown crops and when the climate gets weird the yields plummet.
We must rise up and not only make our voices heard, but actively challenge and stop the steamroller / strong-arm tactics of the biotech giants to ensure seed security for future generations. I hereby empower each of us to take a stand and ACT!
Saturday, January 29, 2011
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the quality and integrity of the organic seeds and also open pollinated seeds of exceptional vigor,also taking a good care in growing and planting then you must be get better results.
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