Seed Company: Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds

Posted on May 21, 2019 by Brian Gallimore
Company NameBaker Creek Heirloom Seeds
Websitehttps://www.rareseeds.com/
Catalog Available?Yes
Review
4.1
Rated 4.1 out of 5
4.1 out of 5 stars (based on 9 reviews)
Excellent33%
Very good45%
Average22%
Poor0%
Terrible0%
​

Great seeds, not enough direction

Rated 4 out of 5
June 9, 2021

Seeds germinate well, and they offer a great variety, but you need to research when to plant and how to care for each plant.

Suzanne

Dependable, Reliable, Good Selection

Rated 5 out of 5
November 3, 2020

Introduced to this company by way of a grower in Lafayette, La. I order seeds from Baker / Rare Seeds and within a short time I’ve an ack in my email box, then not long after the packets ship. Germination rate is at least 80% if not more (i don’t follow directions well) generating into sturdy seedlings.

Lynette LeDoux

Great Pictures. Lots of Seeds. But...

Rated 3 out of 5
August 29, 2020

Inconsistent info on seed packets. Heavy on marketing; light on solid info. Fewer seeds for the $$ than other sellers.

Kirk

Huge Variety of Sees

Rated 3 out of 5
February 13, 2020

Baker Creek has everything an heirloom gardener could want and then some, but some of their seeds are expensive and germination isn’t high. Also, I have received rogue seeds in packets that are not what I’ve ordered. I do shop with them, but they are not my first choice.

Stephanie

Pure beauty

Rated 5 out of 5
February 12, 2020

Just take a look at their catalogs, they are AMAZING! They provide lots of details from planting to history. I’ll always order from Baker Creek. Very satisfied!

Donita Schindler
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4 Ways You Can Boost Local Backyard Vegetable Gardening

Posted on May 14, 2019 by Brian Gallimore

There is an abundance of valuable knowledge, advice, and wisdom shared in the NTVG Facebook group, but Facebook is a poor tool for storing and categorizing this information. For those that feel compelled to help save good information and help more people grow their own food, here are some ideas:

  1. Answer questions on social media with known-good answers and provide links to the answers when possible (such as individual answers found in the NTVG Knowledgebase, NTVG forum, or the NTVG blog, university websites, master gardener websites, etc)      
  2. Preserve good information by copying conversations and/or links to the NTVG forum in a relevant category or board. 
  3. Create new articles based on your own experience or your own research. Ideally, articles will contain a few pictures and links to sources for more information that are considered reputable. Publish the article in a way that will give it a permanent home, then link to the article in the NTVG forum using an appropriate category and board.
  4. Volunteer to help answer questions in the Ask NTVG Facebook group.  More experienced gardeners might also consider signing up to answer questions submitted to the NTVG helpdesk, where they can be assigned to a specialty team so questions in their field of expertise are assigned to them, and then creating FAQ articles in the NTVG Knowledgebase for questions that get asked frequently.

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Using BT (Bacillus thuringiensis) to Control Caterpillars

Posted on May 7, 2019 by Brian Gallimore

caterpillar poop (frass)

caterpillar poop (frass)

Seeing signs that caterpillars (I lazily call them worms) are eating up your vegetable plant?

Before going to the ‘spray to kill’ route, let’s think through a few other options first.

Did you know hornworms glow (iridescent) when a black light is shined on them?  It may feel a little strange to work in your garden at night, but a few trips with a special flashlight might be enough to resolve the problem.

Beneficial wasps – tiny little wasps that kill caterpillars?  That is really a thing!  Keep in mind these little guys are the first to be killed if insecticides are sprayed nearby.

Attract birds – have a small birdhouse and perches near your garden gives birds a place to hang out and watch for food.  Birds love fat caterpillars.

Sacrificial crops – if you have the space plant some plants just for the caterpillars to enjoy.

If you decide to use a pesticide, one of the most environmentally friendly ones is BT, Bacillius thuringiensis.  This is a spray that causes a caterpillar’s digestive system to shut down when eaten.  It only affects caterpillars, so it is considered safe to use since it doesn’t harm other critters.  A few things to keep in mind with this product:

  • Timing is important – the caterpillars must be actively eating the part of the plant you can get spray on to.
  • BT washes off easily – if it rains after you spray it, it is gone
  • BT breaks down in the sunlight.  So it is only effective for a few days.
  • It takes a few days for the caterpillars to die after they eat BT.
  • Read and follow the instructions on the label
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How To Test Hay, Compost, or Manure for Herbicides That Will Wreck Your Garden

Posted on March 8, 2019 by Brian Gallimore

Before you use that a free load of manure, compost, or hay in your garden, do a little testing to make sure the great deal on free or cheap material you just scored won’t ruin your garden for the whole season or longer!

The idea is to set up a science experiment of sorts and use the material on some test plants to see how they react. Beans work well because they are sensitive to most herbicides that you might run into. So get 20 or so small cups, poke a drain hole or two in the bottom, then fill them all with some sterile potting mix. Next, plant a bean in each one and water. When they start growing, divide them into two groups: 1) the test group and 2) the control group.  (Just label the cups so you know which is which)

Prepare a special batch of water made with whatever material you want to test.  If you want to test hay or mulch, fill a bucket with the material, then fill with water.  If you want to test manure or compost, fill a bucket about half way with the material and then fill with water , stir well.  Next, let the mixture sit for 8 hours or more, then pour off enough water for your 10 cups in the test group.  Water the 10 bean plants with the test water.  Water the 10 bean plants in the control group with clean water.  Wait a few days.  If both groups are still alive, you know it is probably safe to use the material in your garden.  If your beans die, feel free to curse the giver of your free goodies and leave them a bad review online!  :)

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Community Seed Swap – Dallas, Texas – March 2nd

Posted on February 23, 2019 by Jon Alvey

Martin Luther King Branch Library

2922 Martin Luther King Jr Blvd , Dallas, Texas 75215

Saturday March 2nd from 2:00 – 5:00 p.m.

MLK Branch Library

Little do people know, the J. Erik Jonsson Central Library in Dallas contains tens of thousands of seeds that are open for the community and also at no cost. All that is required is signing up for their email list and boom that’s it. Heck, there isn’t even a requirement to return seeds but you should at least consider it to help improve the Seed Library Community. You can also volunteer by help sorting and repacking seeds but you could even help facilitate an event like the upcoming one on March 2nd. Not only will this help you save money by growing food that’s known to produce here. But you also get to spend some time around like-minded people and converse.

Back to the topic of the post, the Dallas Seed Library and our good friends over at Restorative Farms are hosting this collaborative event at the MLK Branch Library. They are inviting all neighborhood gardeners to come and have fun but to also share their knowledge that will help build the community as a whole.

Continue reading →
Posted in Community, How-To, Information, News | Tagged , , | 2 Comments