Of what do bees dream?
January 20, 2022
Of what do bees dream,, clustered in the middle of their snow covered hive? Brassicas in flower? A yellow sea of nectar? A million micro cafes where they can meet their friends for a quick drink?
Category: Pollinators
What to do when your arugula look like this!
June 30, 2020
Hey Kids, do you have any arugula that looks like this at home?
Did you know that if you just leave it there, all those flowers will turn into seeds pods?
… More What to do when your arugula look like this!
Genetic memory or chance encounter?
June 26, 2020
This week I’ve been walking the Rainbow Tatsoi to select what plants we’ll be letting go to seed. Overall, things are getting very stable. Some solid dark leaves with a lot of purple stems. Some diversity in savoy texture. Very similar growing habit. But then I come upon this. I haven’t seen an individual this … More Genetic memory or chance encounter?
Guided Spring Rutabaga Meditation
May 24, 2020
Nothing like a little sun after spending the winter in cold storage. Melts all those rutabaga worries away. Forget about those flowers you’ll be growing. Don’t worry about all those noisy pollinators that will be buzzing around. And don’t even think about about all the seeds that come after that. Right now, it’s time to … More Guided Spring Rutabaga Meditation
Walking the Fields at Fruition Seeds
July 23, 2019
Last week, Emily and I took the week off to go on a vacation. And what better place for a vacation than to visit another seed company? So we drove down to Naples, New York to visit Petra and Matthew at Fruition Seeds. This is the first of 3 posts about our visit. The Fields … More Walking the Fields at Fruition Seeds
5 Steps To Rogue And Select Brassica Rapas
July 4, 2019
I love growing out crossed up plants and selecting what we will save for seed. Brassicas are probably my favourite plant to select. Here are some pictures of what it looked like while I was selecting one breeding population last week. The plants I was selecting are the F2 generation of a cross between Tokyo … More 5 Steps To Rogue And Select Brassica Rapas
The Secret Origin of Carrot Bomb Peppers
March 22, 2019
This is a story about bees and how unexpected things can be exciting and about orange hot peppers.
Growing Out Crossed-Up Lettuce Seed
August 26, 2010
When folks start saving seeds, their biggest fear is usually cross-pollination between different varieties. But unless you are selling the seed or trying to preserve it as a named variety, a little crossing won’t kill you. In fact, growing out crossed out plants can be a learning and aesthetic experience. With some crops, growing two … More Growing Out Crossed-Up Lettuce Seed
Field Update: Brassicas in Bloom!
April 24, 2010
How about we take a little break from profit analysis for a field walk … We’ve begun seeding and planting in the field. Our first plants go onto ridges. The ridges dry up quicker than the flat ground so we can plant 7-10 days earlier even if the field is wet. As the picture above … More Field Update: Brassicas in Bloom!
Field Update: Unexpected Visitors
April 1, 2010
Well the weather dropped a bit last weekend. We didn’t take the plastic off the field tunnel like I thought. Still, the tunnel is booming and the field is starting to sprout. Brassica greens (and purples) growing and going to flower. I was a touch worried about these guys bolting before any pollinators were around. … More Field Update: Unexpected Visitors