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Bush Beans Beets Beets thrive in rich, sandy loam. Best growth and colour formation occurs in the cooler temperatures of late spring and early summer. For continual harvest, sow seeds 1.2cm (1/2") deep and 2.5cm (1") apart in two week intervals beginning when the soil has warmed to 7C (45F) and stopping in mid July. Each beet seed is actually a corky fruit with 2 or 3 seeds contained within it, it is important to thin the young seedlings to 7-10cm (3-4") apart in order to provide enough room for proper root formation. Use plants that are thinned as a source of tender, edible greens. For top quality roots maintain even soil moisture as a lack of water leads to woody roots that often split when it does rain or when water is applied. Over-watering can lead to excessive leaf growth and pale or small roots. Detroit Dark Red This variety is the standard bearer of the beet family! Dark red, globe shaped roots have a smooth crown and small taproot. The quick maturity, sweet earthy taste, uniform shape and consistent interior colour make this variety the perfect candidate for canning or freezing. Very low in geosmin. Geosmin is the naturally occurring compound in beets responsible for "earthy" flavours. Early Wonder Is it any wonder that this variety is a gardener's friend - its quick to mature so you can harvest the sweet, deep red, tender roots then re-plant the area with other more heat-loving vegetables. The smooth-skinned, round to semi-globular roots are exceptionally uniform in shape and interior colour. A favourite variety for greens. Hybrid Red Ace The attractive red-veined leaves crowning this hybrid make tasty greens. Not to be outdone, the exceptionally sweet flesh of the round, deep red coloured roots is delicious freshly cooked or pickled. Quick to mature, excellent heat and bolting resistance, a long harvest period and an ability to maintain their tender sweet tasting flesh when larger, make Red Ace a prime candidate for the best all round beet. from OSC website: http://www.oscseeds.com Garlic In Canada most varieties of garlic, under most conditions, do best when planted in the fall. The timing of fall planting should be such that the roots have a chance to develop and the tops do not break the surface before winter. Shortly before planting break the bulbs apart into cloves. (If you separate the garlic cloves as close to planting time as possible, preferably within 24 hours, the root nodules won’t dry out and the garlic will be able to set roots quickly.) Garlic requires fairly even soil moisture during its early growth and then no additional moisture during the last few weeks. California White This delicious seasoning perennial is also very attractive in the garden and can be planted near roses to keep aphids away. Elephant White This seasoning perennial produces huge cloves which are milder than traditional garlic. The garlic tops, called flowers or garlic scapes, are a gourmet delight! Steam them whole and serve with melted butter like asparagus. Cut them into short lengths to add to a stir fry. They have a delicate garlic flavour which gives a subtly different and delicious flavour to the sauce. Lettuce While lettuce is fairly adaptable, it will make its best growth on organic, well-drained soils in sunny locations. Since lettuce is a cool weather crop, sow seed as soon as the soil can be worked in the spring then every two weeks thereafter to ensure a continuous supply. Sow seed about 3mm (1/8") deep in rows 45cm (18") apart. Lettuce can also be sown in blocks or squares as opposed to rows. Thin heading lettuce to 30cm (12") spacing. An even supply of moisture during the entire growth period is imperative for success. Harvest leaf lettuce by either pulling the entire plant or by cutting leaves from the main stem at least 2.5cm (1") above the base - this will allow the plant to sprout new leaves. Harvest head lettuce by cutting the head off at the base just below the lower leaves. Once lettuce bolts (starts to produce a rapidly growing flower stem) leaves will become bitter. 'Bibb' Butterhead Lettuce Deep green shade with a distinct, mouth-watering flavour. An excellent variety for early spring or late summer sowing and always in high demand. 'Great Lakes' Crisphead Lettuce Heads are large and solid. A vigorous, disease resistant variety that withstands hot, dry weather better than any other variety 'Royal Red' Leaf Lettuce This crispy, loose-leaf lettuce produces brilliant red, slightly serrated leaves of superb taste and quality. The best new red around! 'Ruby Red' Leaf Lettuce Frilled leaves are a bright brilliant green artistically marbled with deep red shading. A good, crisp, sweet flavoured leaf lettuce that does run and hide in hot weather. It performs well under stress. 'Grand Rapids' Leaf Lettuce The absolute monarch of the leaf lettuce family! Crispy, succulent, light green leaves are lightly crinkled and possess a fine delicate taste. This is an excellent variety for cut and cut and cut again. You can successfully grow continuous supplies of leaf lettuce during the winter using cold-frames or sunny windows. Soil-less (peat moss based) potting soils work best. Use water soluble 20-20-20 fertilize from OSC website: http://www.oscseeds.com Onions A sunny site with fertile well drained soil will grow the best onions - work in lots of organic matter such as garden compost, composted manure or peat moss if your soil is sandy or heavy. Sow seeds outdoors from mid April to mid May about 8-15mm (1/4-1/2") deep and 15mm (1/2") apart in rows 30-45cm (12-18") apart. Thin after sprouting to 5-7.5cm (2-3") apart for cooking onions and 7.5-10cm (3-4") apart for the sweet Spanish type. Start sweet Spanish types indoors in February - where the growing season is particularly short start all onion seed indoors around this time. Onions can also be started from sets, which are "baby" onions that were started the previous year. Plant sets as soon as the soil can be worked about 5-7.5cm (2-3") apart in rows 30-45cm (12-18") apart. Onions are shallow rooted, so water them evenly through the growing season. Watch for flower stalks and bend over any that do start to encourage larger bulbs. Harvest storage onions when the tops have dried and bent over on their own. If possible leave them lying on the soil for up to a week to cure before storing in a cool place. Yellow Dutch Sets The most popular of all the cooking onions, the yellow dutch is easy to grow, has excellent storage capability and produces large, crisp, great tasting onions. Multiplier Set Grown primarily for early green onions that are ready to eat only 4-6 weeks after planting. French Shallots The bulbs are a culinary onion with a superb mild flavour. They can be eaten raw, boiled, pickled, baked. or fried. Shallots are long keeping and will sore for up to 12 months. Red Onion Sets Ideal for decoration or garnishing. Strong flavour. Spanish Onion Sets Spanish onions are much larger than the traditional yellow dutch onion. Flavour is very mild. Onions store extremely well. White Onion Sets White onions have an attractive clean skin with firm flesh. Excellent storage onion. Mild flavour. from OSC website: http://www.oscseeds.com Potatoes Warba Warba potatoes are a high yielding variety. They are good for boiling and baking but not suitable for chips. Norland Norland potatoes are a high yielding variety. They adapt well to different soils but sensitive to drought. Stores well. They are very good for boiling and french frying, good for chipping (best at harvest), and fair for baking. Russett Burbank Russett Burbank is a medium to high yielding variety and stores well. Requires a uniform moisture supply and long growing season to produce maximum quality tubers. To produce large tubers, plants must be spaced 30 to 45 cm apart. They are excellent for boiling, baking, chipping, and french frying. Yukon Gold Yukon Gold is a medium to high yielding variety and have excellent storability. They are very good for boiling, baking, and french frying; unsuitable for chipping. They retain their yellow flesh color when cooked. Red Pontiac Red Pontiac pototes are a high yielding variety and are widely adapted (especially to muck soils). They have good storability. They are fair to good for boiling, baking, chipping and french frying depending on maturity. Pumpkins Pumpkin is a warm weather crop. They need full sun and a soil that is deep, rich, well drained and highly organic. Before planting, work in lots of garden compost or well-composted manure. Plant seed outdoors in late May and June 2.5 cm (1") deep in hills 2.4m (8') apart with 4-6 seeds per hill. After germination thin to 3-4 plants per hill. To get a jump on the season, seed can be started indoors 3 weeks before the plant out date. As pumpkin do not transplant well, use paper or fibre pots that can be set directly in the soil. Protect seedlings from cold temperatures or frost, as they are quite sensitive when young. Pumpkins need lots of water, particularly once flowering and fruit formation starts. Fertilize pumpkins every two weeks with a water-soluble vegetable fertilizer and keep the patch well weeded. Male and female flowers develop separately on the same plant. The female flowers, which have a small embryonic pumpkin at their base, can be easily hand pollinated by taking pollen from the male flower with a small brush and transferring it to the stigma of the female flower. For larger fruits, only allow 2-3 pumpkins to mature per plant. Towards the end of the season, protect mature pumpkins from frost or freezing temperatures to prevent rot. 'Small Sugar' or 'Pie' Baking Pumpkin Whether this variety goes by ‘Small Sugar’ or ‘Pie’ there’s no denying it is a sweetie! Bright orange flesh is finely grained, meaty and just perfect for pumpkin pies like Gramma used to make! Produces a large crop of round fruits 20-25 cm (8-10") in diameter that store quite well. Atlantic Giant Without a doubt, this is one of the worlds largest pumpkin varieties. Developed by Mr. Howard Dill of Nova Scotia, this giant has won numerous world titles for largest pumpkin, often weighing in excess of 450 kg (1000lbs)! Even under normal conditions in the average home garden, this monster is still capable of outstanding performance. The kids will just love growing this one. from OSC website: http://www.oscseeds.com Radish Other than avoiding heavy clay or very sandy soils, radishes are not all that fussy. Sow summer varieties in a sunny site as soon as the ground is workable in the spring - winter radishes are generally sown in mid-summer. Sow seed every two weeks 12mm (1/2") deep and about 2.5cm (1") apart in rows about 30cm (12") apart. Rapid growth is essential for tasty, tender roots so keep the soil evenly moist during both the germination and growth stages. Harvest in 3-4 weeks when the roots have reached the size of a large marble. 'Cherry Belle' Summer Radish (Fast) Quick as a wink to grow! A delightful cherry red root that has solid, crisp, very sweet and mild tasting flesh. This is an extra early variety that forces well under glass and maintains its good eating quality a long time. Try this variety for late spring/early summer plantings. 'French Breakfast' Summer Radish (Heirloom) An ancient variety that produces rich scarlet red roots with white tips that are crisp, mild and surprisingly sweet. A real favourite that has stood the test of time! Although frost hardy, roots will not tolerate freezing. Irrigation is essential for best flavour and root consistency. 'China Rose' Winter Radish Perhaps the least pungent of the winter radishes producing long, cylindrical roots averaging 15-20 cm (6-8") in length. The skin is a bright deep rose with flesh that is white, crisp, juicy and pleasantly pungent. A good keeper. from OSC website: http://www.oscseeds.com Squash Squash is a warm weather crop. They need full sun and a soil that is deep, rich, well drained and highly organic. Before planting, work in lots of garden compost or well-composted manure. Plant seed outdoors in late May and June 2.5 cm (1") deep in hills 2.4m (8') apart with 4-6 seeds per hill. After germination thin to 3-4 plants per hill. To get a jump on the season, seed can be started indoors 3 weeks before the plant out date. As squash do not transplant well, use paper or fibre pots that can be set directly in the soil. Protect seedlings from cold temperatures or frost, as they are quite sensitive when young. Squash need lots of water, particularly once flowering and fruit formation starts. Fertilize squash every two weeks with a water-soluble vegetable fertilizer and keep the patch well weeded. Male and female flowers develop separately on the same plant. The female flowers, which have a small embryonic squash at their base, can be easily hand pollinated by taking pollen from the male flower with a small brush and transferring it to the stigma of the female flower. For larger fruits, only allow 2-3 squash to mature per plant. Towards the end of the season, protect mature squash from frost or freezing temperatures to prevent rot. 'Spaghetti' Summer Squash An interesting novelty squash producing medium sized oblong fruit on normal size vines. Boil the mature fruit for 20 minutes, open, remove the seeds, fluff out the flesh with a fork and season with salt, pepper and butter! >'Bon Bon' Hybrid Winter Squash AAS Winner 2004. (85 days.) A classic buttercup squash with deep green smooth skin; rich, sweet orange flesh and great taste! Fruits average 2 kg (5 lbs) on vigorous 2.5 m (8') vines. More uniform taste and better production than other Buttercup varieties. Its quality from storage is excellent! A must for this years garden! Smallish vines make 'Bon Bon' an excellent choice for small or crowded gardens. 'Green Hubbard' Winter Squash The wild ancestor of the Hubbard squash is alleged to have originated from South America locations where summers are similar to southern Ontario. Tough, slightly warted fruits have a bronze-green rind. The large fruits average 30 cm (12") long by 20 cm (8") wide. The flesh is orange-yellow, very thick, dry and nicely sweet. Heirloom variety. Needs lots of space. Vines are lengthy and fruit are large. Benefits from straw mulch to protect fruit from contact with soil. Remedy drought stress by under foliage watering especially while fruit is growing. Avoid wetting foliage as much as possible. 'Table Queen' Winter Squash Heirloom variety. An ancient, early cropping variety producing acorn shaped fruits roughly 15 cm (6") in diameter. The hard, dark green shell hides pale yellow, exceedingly sweet flesh whose taste rivals that of the sweet potato! Sow seed directly into the garden when soil temperatures exceed 30 C (86 F). Very warm soil temperatures increase germination speed and prevent seed rot. Some gardeners report success with seed sown indoors with bottom heat. Transplant to the garden when soil temperatures are never below 60 F (15 C). An excellent keeper! from OSC website: http://www.oscseeds.com Zucchini Zucchiniis a warm weather crop. They need full sun and a soil that is deep, rich, well drained and highly organic. Before planting, work in lots of garden compost or well-composted manure. Plant seed outdoors in late May and June 2.5 cm (1") deep in hills 2.4m (8') apart with 4-6 seeds per hill. After germination thin to 3-4 plants per hill. To get a jump on the season, seed can be started indoors 3 weeks before the plant out date. As zucchini do not transplant well, use paper or fibre pots that can be set directly in the soil. Protect seedlings from cold temperatures or frost, as they are quite sensitive when young. Zucchini need lots of water, particularly once flowering and fruit formation starts. Fertilize zucchini every two weeks with a water-soluble vegetable fertilizer and keep the patch well weeded. Male and female flowers develop separately on the same plant. The female flowers, which have a small embryonic squash at their base, can be easily hand pollinated by taking pollen from the male flower with a small brush and transferring it to the stigma of the female flower. For larger fruits, only allow 2-3 squash to mature per plant. Towards the end of the season, protect mature zucchini from frost or freezing temperatures to prevent rot. 'Dark Green' Zucchini This compact, bushy variety will produce enough delicious, dark green fruits to feed the nation! Harvest fruit for best quality when 25-30 cm (10-12") long. This is the zucchini to have when you are pressed for space! Very easy to grow in half whisky-barrel sized containers. from OSC website: http://www.oscseeds.com |
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