January 2016 Meeting in Tahlequah

[macmex]

I just sent this in to the newspaper. I'm sure we'll have some seed to share. January is the time to start onions from seed (indoors) if you want to grow your own. I also like to plant parsnips now. If you are able, come on out! We always have a good time.

George

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Green Country Seed Savers will have a local meeting, Sunday, January 24 between 2:00 and 4:00 PM. We will be meeting in the meeting room at Napolis Italian Restaurant (901 S Muskogee Ave
Tahlequah, OK 74464). This group wishes to encourage gardening and seed saving, especially in our region. Need ideas on what to plant or varieties adapted to our unique conditions? Would you like to learn how to save your own seed? Come on out! Someone is certain to show up with extra seed or plants. Our web site is seedsavingnetwork.proboards.com or call George McLaughlin at 918-457-8284

[macmex]

Here's the text of an e-mail I just sent out. Don't want to miss anyone who might be interested.

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Hey folks!
Tomorrow is the meeting at Napoles; just a reminder. Also, I want to let you know that Ron Cook is giving a demonstration on how to put together a vacuum seeding want. He'll be bring parts for 12 of them. Anyone who would like to participate, and take one home, should bring $3 to cover parts. Here's a link to a description:

homesteadingedu.com/homemade/

Lisa LeRay is bringing some onion seeds and materials so we can demonstrate how to start onions from seed. So, that too is on the docket. I think we will have a great time.

Remember. It's at Napolis Italian Restaurant, in Tahlequah, on Muskogee Ave.

[macmex]

Here's the text of an e-mail I just sent out. Don't want to miss anyone who might be interested.

---------------------
Hey folks!
Tomorrow is the meeting at Napoles; just a reminder. Also, I want to let you know that Ron Cook is giving a demonstration on how to put together a vacuum seeding want. He'll be bring parts for 12 of them. Anyone who would like to participate, and take one home, should bring $3 to cover parts. Here's a link to a description:

homesteadingedu.com/homemade/

Lisa LeRay is bringing some onion seeds and materials so we can demonstrate how to start onions from seed. So, that too is on the docket. I think we will have a great time.

Remember. It's at Napolis Italian Restaurant, in Tahlequah, on Muskogee Ave.

[macmex]

Sunday, January 24, 2016 Green Country Seed Savers had it's first local meeting of 2016. We met at Napolis Italian Restaurant in Tahlequah, Oklahoma. There were about 14 people present, including two from the Tahlequah Daily Press. During our meeting we had a really good, informal discussion on the challenges of growing onions in our area. The consensus was that medium day length varieties do the best. Long day onions are meant to mature when days are their longest, and do best further South. Short day varieties are meant for the North and mature (make bulbs) as the days begin to shorten. Another challenge for our area is the extremely variable temperatures we experience. Onions, when planted out, won't make good bulbs if they are exposed to freezing temperatures. Instead they “bolt” to flower and make seed. Yet, in our region of extremes, it is necessary to get the plants in the ground sometime in February in order to give them time to grow and make good bulbs. Most people, present, who had grown onions in our area, were of the opinion that starting from seed can be challenging. Most preferred to purchase started plants.

We also discussed some of the good tomato varieties members have grown as well as the fact that a seed saver has many more options available, for grow out, than someone dependent on purchasing plants in the “box stores.”

Cowpeas (Vigna unguiculata) were mentioned as a very versatile crop for our region, as they handle heat and drought, even out competing Bermuda grass. During this discussion several varieties of squash were mentioned on account of these same qualities. In this context David Hickey mentioned that the Tromboncino (Zucchetta) squash, apart from being from the c. moschata family, and hence very insect resistant, also sells extremely well in the farmers' markets.

During our conversation it was mentioned that a group of seed savers is having a Seedy Saturday Seed Swap 10AM – Noon, in Tulsa on February 27. Everyone who can go, was encouraged to do so. Gary Schaum, of Duck Creek Farms, would be the contact person for more details. [e-mail]


Ron Cook gathered the parts for a suction powered seed wand and brought enough to assemble these for anyone present. On the Internet these run for $21-$30. “Ron Cook's Seed Sucker” cost a total of $3! 

There were a good many different seeds passed around at this meeting. Ron Cook, true to form, brought an entire box of Heavy Hitter Okra pods, willing to share with anyone present. There were seeds from one of our out of state members, John Ciesielski, of Bethlehem, Connecticut, who had generously shared from his specialty crops of giant pumpkins and watermelons.

Various packets of Heidi, a very heat resistant tomato, from Cameroon, Africa, were passed around. Lisa LeRay commented that this tomato has been one of the very best in her garden for its dependability and decent sized fruit. There were a good many other seeds distributed.

Our meetings usually do “break down” onto multiple conversations about various aspects of gardening and seed saving among various parties. So this write-up cannot cover all of the good stuff we had going on. But at least it's a start.

As soon as possible, we'll notify you about the date for February's meeting.
George

[philagardener]

Glad a good time was had by all! Ron's seed sucker sounds like a useful tool!

[jenn]

I really enjoyed the meeting and group. One question I didn't ask was about carrots. Has anybody grown a good sweet carrot that would be good or juicing as well as cooking? We are New to the area AND gardening. I am very thankful for a great group of people that want to help any gardener succeed!!!

[philagardener]

Hi jenn ! Glad to see you posting. I don't have any experience juicing my carrots (yet) so will be interested in hearing what folks suggest!

[macmex]

Jen, it IS great to have you post! Welcome!

Carrots have been a real challenge for me, since coming to the Tahlequah area. For spring plantings they need to be planted, sometime, like from the middle of February through sometime in March. After that, they tend to get off to too slow a start and not make it. Fall plantings might work better. Last fall would have been amazing for carrots. I just didn't get around to it. 

As far as varieties, well, probably the only thing I can suggest is that you consider something like Danvers or another variety which is not as long as, say, Nantes. Our rocky soil would make the shorter, "stumpier" varieties more advantageous. Years ago, while living out of the country, I grew Topweight, which was an outlawed variety from the United Kingdom. It was fantastic and huge. But I haven't been able to find seed for it for decades, and, the conditions I grew it under were vastly different than what we face in Oklahoma.

Hope this helps some. I'll try to get Dorothy to respond to this question. I bet she and Glen have more experience with carrots, here, than do I. 

[dorothy]

Hi, Jen. I have been growing carrots...sort of...for years, but have never really taken the time to build the kind of bed that they would do best in outdoors. I mainly plant them because the grandkids like to dig them, wash and eat right in the garden.
The problem is my soil is heavy and I always plant a row of carrots next to the tomatoes in our still-too-heavy soil, so every year they are in less than optimal soil since we rotate tomatoes.
We have talked about doing it right by building a raised bed for drainage and to warm the soil in the early spring for faster germination. Sharp builders sand along with compost would loosen the soil. Woodashes would sweeten it. A good mulch would keep the soil from getting TOO warm too quickly. The only thing we do right is spread a few woodashes and mulch. Oh and choose short types. We get a few carrots by early summer from an early March planting, but only enough to eat fresh.
I got sweeter carrots in the greenhouse from an October planting. The soil in there was composted a bit heavier plus I spread some kelp meal. Good luck.

[philagardener]

I had a nice crop of oxheart carrots in heavy soil last year. (I garden in SE PA but have heavy clay too). Its an old variety that was out of circulation for a while, but showed up last year at a bunch of seed houses. I got mine from Baker Creek.

[macmex]

I've heard good things about Oxheart. In fact, I believe Topweight is a type of oxheart carrot. I really really liked that carrot.