seed companies

[Bob Ewing]

Terra Edibles is one of my favourites, what seed companies do you use?

[Terryc]

In Australia, we curently use

EdenSeeds http://edenseeds.com.au and their organic version select organics http://www.selectorganic.com.au.

We have also used diggers club http://www.diggers.com.au/

[Bob Ewing]

Thanks for this, while i am too far away, eastern canada, to order I will take a look at the websites.

[Andrew Perkins]

Thanks Bob. I've been looking over the Canadian websites for early tomato varieties. Although I have "enough" seeds, I may experiment with a couple of the varieties I haven't found here in the states.

[Andrew Perkins]

I tend to go for Seed Savers Exchange (http://www.seedsavers.org), then off to johnnyseeds.com, territorialseed.com, and tomatogrowers.com.

[Bob Ewing]

Thanks for the tomatogrowers site Andrew, I was unaware of them.

[Bob Ewing]

Andrew if you wish i'd like to hear about any growing experiments you might wish to share.

[Andrew Perkins]

Be glad to. I experimented last year with "Japanese Tomato Ring" style of tomato growing. Since the tomatoes will send roots through the side of their stalks if they can find food, this works great, as long as you plant them close and tie them to the ring. There's a great article at http://www.santarosa.fl.gov/extension/documents/articles/japtomator..., and my last posted results are at: http://www.gardenhacker.com/archives/10-01-2007_10-31-2007.html. By the end of the season, I'd gotten over fourty pounds of tomatoes from one "ring", two of the plants were "Black Prince", one was an "Early Girl, and one was a "Window Box Roma.
I'll be experimenting this year with two more rings, and some other planting techniques as well.

[Sandra Storr]

Wow, that sounds like an interesting way to grow tomatoes. I will try that this year!

[Bob Ewing]

Thanks Andrew this is most helpful.

[Andrew Perkins]

You're welcome! I'm debating on whether to experiment with solar heating a bed in the garden to get a jumpstart, or doing a long-term experiment with some of what I've been reading in "1491", the year(s) before Columbus (terra preta). Maybe both? Can't wait for spring!

[Sandra Storr]

Can you give more details about how the solar heating might work? I'm very interested in finding a way to warm up our (unheated) polytunnel a bit earlier in the year and wondering how solar might help. I'm thinking of laying some of the Clear Dome Solar Thermal drape fabric (that we use to heat the house) on the floor of the polytunnel. I would be extremely glad to hear of other ideas.

[Sandra Storr]

Well, Mapple Farm in New Brunswick is a firm favourite, and I am a very big fan of Salt Spring Seeds http://www.saltspringseeds.com/ and the associated Seed Sanctuary of Canada. Seeds are so precious, it frightens me how we are losing our control over them.