According to records, I have sown about 8,281 seeds indoors in plug trays so far this year. Although there are some loose ends to tie up (replantings of varieties which did not emerge or which died), this planting phase is essentially complete.
Um, if it’s not obvious, this is a very tedious process, yet enjoyable as I imagine all the great tomatoes, peppers, etc. that will result from this effort. Each tray takes about 5 hours from preparation, to hunting up seeds, planting, and keeping careful records.
About 150 “1801” trays were filled with 3-1/2″ pots potting mix (all organic, OMRI listed products – see previous blog posts for details).
Many days of potting up work, but now 95% completed:
I got some great and much-appreciated help from several young people and relatives with this huge job of potting up! Here’s the high tunnel about a week ago – shade cloth essential for freshly potted up seedlings:
And here it is on April 30th:
Short video of this:
And here is probably my last batch of Venus tomatoes for seed saving – I’ve turned the kids loose to eat the rest of the fruits – yummy tomatoes in April!
Here is an interesting novelty I’m trying out this year, a salad green from Dalmatia called Grzduja, perhaps Bunias erucago, or Crested Warty Cabbage. I received five seeds in a seed trade in 2013 and finally got around to planting them. So far, they are not liking the cool weather, but the three plants that did emerge are surviving:
Following is a breakdown of what I’ve planted (some of this duplicated in previous blog post).
Peppers, 70 varieties
Aleppo
Anaheim
Aribibi
Bahamian Goat
Bhut Jolokia, Chocolate
Big Bertha
Bleeding Borg 9
Blushing Beauty
Bonda Mas Jacques
Burgundy 7 Pod
Caramel Moruga
Carmagnola
Carmen Sweet
Carolina Reaper
Carpatia
Charapita
Chocolate Borg 9
Chocolate Brainstrain
Chocolate Habanero
Chocolate Naga X Brain
Congo Trinidad
Corno di Toro Giallo
Corno di Toro Rosso
Doe Hill
Duke Italian
Fatalii, Red
Fresno
Full Moon Orange Thai
Genghis Khan Brain
Giallo d’Asti
Giant Aconcagua
Golden California Wonder
Golden Treasure
Gypsy
Habanero
Habanero, Red
Italian Pepperoncini
Jalapeño, Traveler’s Strain
Jay’s Peach Ghost Scorpion
Joe’s Big Blocky
Le Rouge Royal
Lesya Necsi
Lipstick
Margaret’s
Mini Chimes Orange
Mini Sweet Orange, Store
Mini Sweet Red, Store
Naga Morich
Nano Cortona
NuMex Big Jim
Oda
Paper Lantern
Paradiscom Alaku Sarga Szentes
Pinga de Mono
Purple Beauty
Red Douglah
Roberto’s Cuban Seasoning
Rocoto Red
Satsuma
Senise
Spanish Spice
Striped Holland
Super Heavyweight
Tabasco Annco BGft
Taknotsume
Tango
Trinidad Chocolate Scorpion
Trinidad Scorpion
White 7 Pod
Yellow Brain Strain
Eggplant, 9 varieties:
Antigua
ARAP
Brazilian Oval Orange
Casper
Diamond
Mestisa
Orient Charm
Orient Express
Ping Tung
Other types and varieties, 64 (not listing)
And last, but far from least: tomatoes, 623 varieties (including crosses, unnamed, etc.):
3945
0-33
646_
Abakanskyi
Abraham Lincoln
Abrika Zebra
Absinthe
Adelaide Festival
Agatha
Alen’kiy Tsvetochek
Alex Popovich Yugoslavian
Alice’s Egypt
Alona Lyuks
Altaiskiy Oranzhevyi
Altayskiy Gigant
Altayskiy Shedevr
Amana Orange
Amarillo de Benlloch
Amazon Chocolate
Americke Pyramidni
Amish Bicolor
Ananas Noire
Andrew Rahart’s Jumbo Red
Andy Buckflat’s Wonder
Anna Meyer
Anna Russian
Appetitnyi
Arad’s Pink Heart
Argentine Paste
Aunt Gerties Gold
Aunt Swarlo’s Polish Plum
Auria
Avstraliyets
Azoychka
Babushkino
Babushkino Bych’ye Serdtse X Zolotyie Kupola
Bangladesh Heart
Banksia Queen
Barlow Jap
Barossa Fest
Basinga
Basrawya
Batyanya
Behemoth King
Belgian Heart
Berkeley Tie-dye Heart
Bezrazmerniy
Big Cheef Pink Potato Leaf
Big Green Dwarf
Big Hill
Big Orange Stripe
Big Rainbow
Big Zac
Bigzarro
Birma
Bison
Blaby Special
Black Beauty
Black Cherry
Black From Tula
Black Krim
Black Mountain Pink
Blackberry
Bloody Butcher
Blue Ridge Black
Blue Ridge Mountain
Bob’s Boomtown Titty
Bochkovoy Minusinskyi
Bogatyr’ Minusinskiy
Bolgarskiy Gigant
Boloto
Bol’shaya Malina
Boondocks
Boronia
Brad’s Black Heart
Brandy Boy
BrandyFred
Brandywine from Croatia, PL
Brandywine Red X Purple Russian
Brandywine, Black
Brandywine, Cowlick’s
Brandywine, Liam’s
Brandywine, OTV
Brandywine, Texas
Brazilian Beauty
Brazil’skiy Velikan
Brutus
Brutus Magnum
Budonovka Starinnaya
Bulgarian Heart
Bulgarian Rose
Bulgarian Triumph
Bulgarische Rosa Riese
Bundaberg Rumball
Bych’ye Serdtse Oranzhevoye Ostroye
Bych’ye Serdtse Rozovoye Ostroye
Byler’s Red Oxheart
Campbell 135
Canestrino Di Lucca
Carbon
Carbon
Casino
Cero Blackburn
Chapman
Charlie Chaplin
Chaynaya Roza
Cherniy Slon
Cherokee Purple
Chesapeake
Chilo della Garfagnana
Chocolate Champion
Chocolate Cherry
Chocolate Lightning
Chudo Zemli Uluchshennoe
Churra Plum
Clear Lake Heirloom
Coeur de Surpriz
Copia
Copper River
Couer de Bob
Cousin Frank’s
Creole
Cuore del Drago
Cuore di Toro
Dachtyla Mynoa
Dactyla Mynoa
Damascus Steel
Dancing with Smurfs
Daniel Burson
De Barao Chorniy
De Barao Rozoviy
De Barao Tsarskyi Krasnyi Ukrainskyi
Delishes
Delishes Krasniy
Demidev
Diamante
Dice’s Black Mystery
Ditmarsher
Dixie Golden Giant
Domingo
Dr. Lyle
Dr. Wyche’s Yellow
Drug (Dzhan)
Dvorska
Dwarf Arctic Rose
Dwarf Barossa Moon
Dwarf Beauty King
Dwarf Bendigo Dawn
Dwarf Black Angus
Dwarf Blazing Beauty
Dwarf Caitydid
Dwarf Confetti
Dwarf Crimson Sockeye
Dwarf Firebird Sweet
Dwarf Franklin County
Dwarf Golden Gypsy
Dwarf Golden Heart
Dwarf Kelly Green
Dwarf Lemon Ice
Dwarf Mahogany
Dwarf Mandurang Moon
Dwarf Mr. Snow
Dwarf Orange Cream
Dwarf Pink Opal
Dwarf Pink Passion
Dwarf Purple Heart
Dwarf Russian Swirl
Dwarf Sarah’s Red
Dwarf Saucy Mary
Dwarf Scarlet Heart
Dwarf Shadow Boxing
Dwarf Sneaky Sauce
Dwarf Velvet Night
Dwarf Wild Spudleaf
Dyvo
Dyvo bicolor
Earl’s Faux
Early Chatham
Elbe
Elfie
Emerald
Emerald Evergreen
Erdie’s Family Oxheart
Esquena Verd
Everett’s Rusy Oxheart
Faelen’s First Snow
Fidelio
Fioletoviy
Flathead Monster Orange
Fleur de Reagir
Forest Fire
Fourth of July
Frantsuzskiy Gigant
Fred’s Tie Dye
Fred’s Tie Dye
Gavayskyi
Germanskiy Polosatiy
Gerodes
Gertsegovina
Gezahnte Buhrer-Keel
Giant Heart Climber
Giant Italian Paste
Giant Oxheart
Gibrid 4 Tarasenko
Gibrid 7 Tarasenko
Gigant Kuby
Gigant Limonnyi
Gigante Castilla
Gigantskiy Grebeshok
Gildo Pietroboni
Girl Girl’s Weird Thing
Glacier
Gold Medal
Golden King of Siberia
Golden Monarch
Golden Queen, USDA strain
Golden Treasure
Goluboy Les
Gopak
Gordost Sibiri
Gorgeous
Goryashchiye Ogni
Govyadina S Kusta
Grase de Calina
Green Doctors Frosted
Grosse d’Eaude
Grub’s Mystery Green
Grub’s Mystery Green
Grushovka
Guernsey Island Pink Blush
Habanero
Hamilton’s Gold
Happy
Hawaiian Pineapple
Hege German Pink X Claude Brown’s Yellow Giant
Hege German Pink X Grandfather Ashlock
Hendershott
Hercegovac
Hihant Lymonniy
Hillbilly
Homestead 24-F
Hooker’s Huge
Hoy
Humph
Hungarian Giant
Husky Pink
Idyll
Imperator Chu Fu
Indian Stripe
Iranskoye Chudo
Isis Brandy
Ispanskaya Roza
Ispanskiy Gigant
Ispolin
Istra
Ital’yanskaya Grusha
Iva’s Red Berry
JD’s Special C-Tex
Jeff Davis
Jefferson Giant
Jenkins Creek
Joe’s Pink Oxheart
Joe’s Plum
Julia Child
June Pink
Jung’s Giant Oxheart
Jutland
Kangaroo Paw Brown
Kangaroo Paw Green
Kangaroo Paw Yellow
Kardinal Mazarini
Kardio
Kavkazskyi Velikan
Kazakhstanskiy Rozoviy
Kazan
KBX
Kenigsberg Serdtsevidniy
Khokhol Gigant
Kickapoo Creek
King Pineapple
Kookaburra Cackle
Koralik
Korol King II
Korol’ Londona
Korolevskaya Mantiya
Korshun Ogromniy
Korshun Ogromniy Krasniy
Kosovo
Kozula #128
Kozula #133
Kozula #161
Krainiy Sever
Krasnaya Grusha Frankov
Krasnaya Mishen’
Krasniy General
Kuma
Kurganskiye
KY Cygni
La Grosse A Lulu
La Nénesse
Ladoshka
Lancaster County Pink
Large Pink Bulgarian
Larisa
L’Espagnol Lefebvres
Letniy Sidr
Lev Minusinskiy
Levino
Libanaise des Montagnes
Lida Ukrainian
Linnie’s Oxheart
Lipstick
Lithium Sunset
Little Lucky
Liz Birt
Longhorn
Lopatinskiye
Loxton Lad Dwarf
Loxton Lass Dwarf
Luchshiye
Lucinda
Lucky Swirl
Lyagushka Tsarevna
Lyubimyye Kurskiye
Lyubov’ Irana
Lyubyashcheye Serdtse
Maddeline’s Vine Candy
Maiden’s Gold
Malina Treston
Malina Treston
Malinovaya Zebra
Mallee Rose
Mamina Lyubov’
Mamont Gigant Ploskiy
Maralinga Dwarf
Margareto
Marglobe Supreme
Martin’s Mennonite
Mavratinskite
Maxifort
Mayo’s Delight
Mazarini Ploskiy Malinoviy
McClintock’s Big Pink
Mckinley
Medovyi Spas
Medvezhya Lapa Rozovaya
Mennonite Orange
Merrill Shulz Beefsteak
Michaela’s Pink Oxheart
Michael’s Portuguese Monster
Mikhalych
Minusinski
Minusinskiy Malinoviy Traditsionniy
Minusinskiye ot Starozhilov
Minusinskiye ot Zyryanovoy
Minusinskyi Yablochnyi Rozovyi
Momotaro
Monastyrskaya Trapeza Krasnaya
Monica
Monomakh’s Hat
Morado
Moravsky Div
Mortgage Lifter
Mortgage Lifter, Pesta
Mortgage Lifter, Radiator Charlie’s
Moscow
Mrs. Houseworth
Muddy Mamba
Mystery
Nesravnenniy
Neves Azorean Red
Nevskyi
New Big Dwarf
Nochnaya Svecha
NuMex Big Jim
Ogromnaya Sliva
Old German
Old Heart Italian
Omar’s Lebanese
Opalka
Orange Bourgoin
Orange Bourgoin
Orange Minsk
Orange Oxheart
Orange Paruche
Oranzheviy Bizon
Oranzhevoye Bych’ye Serdtse
Orenco Gold
Oslinyie Ushi
Pappy Kerns
Park’s Whopper
Pasha
Paska
Peaches and Cream
Pebrera de Jerica
Pepe’s Gigant
Persikinis
Pertsevidnyi Polosatyi
Peter Glazebrook’s Special
Pineapple
Pinga de Mono
Pink Berkeley Tie-dye
Pleated Carnelian
Plum Lemon
Polesskiy Gigant Tarasenko
Polish Giant
Polish Giant Beefsteak
Polish Linguisa
Polish Pink
Pol’skoye Serdtse Gigant
Postraya Grozd’
PPPX PP “B”
PPPX PP “C”
Prezident Yuar
Pruden’s Purple
Pumpkin
Purple Beauty
Purple Calabash
Purple Dog Creek
Purple Not Strawberry
Purple Potato Top aka German Purple
Purple Reign
Qiyanai-Huang
R-10
Radishchevskyie
RAF Fimande
Rainey’s Maltese
Ramski
Raspberry Miracle
Raspberry Oxheart
Rayskoye Naslazhdeniye
Rebel Yell
Red Alert
Red Belly
Red Butter Heart
Red Pear Periforme Abruzzesse
Red Penna
Red Zebra
Regina Yellow
Reibais Kekars
Reif Italian Heart
Reinhard’s Chocolate Heart
Rekordsmen
Reverend Morrow’s Long Keeper
Rhoades Heirloom
Rhode Island Giant
Rim
Rimma
Romeo
Rosa Gigant Gallego
Rosalie’s Big Rosy
Rosalie’s Early Orange
Rosalie’s Large Paste
Rose Quartz
Rosella Crimson
Royal Hillbilly
Rozovaya Krupnaya
Rozoviy Begemot
Rozoviy Flamingo Serdtsevidniy
Rozoviy Izyumniy
Rozoviy Kit
Rozoviy Med
Rozoviy Syrayeva
Rozovye Krupnye
Rozovyi Gigant
Rozovyy Slon
Rubinovyie Zvozdy
Russian Rose
Russkaya Dusha
Russkiy Bogatyr’
Rutgers 250
Ruttgers
RW Cephei
Sainte Lucie
Sainte-Lucie
Sakharniy Gigant Rozoviy
Sakharnyi Pudovichok
Samarskiy Medved’
San Marzano
Sara’s Galapogos
Sarnowski Polish Plum
Sasha’s Altai
Scheherazade
Schimmeig Striped Hollow
Schwarze Sarah
Scotia
Secano de Ares
Selwin Yellow
Semipalatinskiy
Serbskiy Yaguar
Serdtse Ameriki
Serdtse Kenguru
Sergeant Pepper’s
Severnaya Korona
Shary Minusinskiye Rozovyie
Sheryl’s Portuguese Red Heart
Siberian
Sibirskiy Velikan Rozovy
Sibirskoye Zastol’ye
Sirenevoe Ozero
Skubi
Slankards
Smith’s Southern Star
Smuggler’s
Sofia
Sophie’s Choice
Sosulka Krasnaya
Sovetskyie
Sparks
Spudakee
Stan’s Oxheart
Staroobryadcheskyi
Stick
Stupice
Sugary
Summer Sunrise
Summer Sweet Gold
Summertime Green
Sumochniy
Sunbursts
Sungella
Sunrise Bumblebee
Super Beefsteak
Super Beefsteak Bicolor
Super Choice
Super San Marzano
Super Sioux
Super Sweet 100
Supersauce
Sweet Adelaide
Sweet Apertif
Sweet Scarlet Dwarf
Swisher Sweet
Syzranskaya Skorospelka
Tadzhikskiye
Talgarka
Tamara
Tanunda Red
Taos Trail
Taps, PL
Taps, RL
Tasmanian Chocolate
TastyWine
Taupo
Tel-Aviv Train
Tess’s Land Race
That Russian Tomato
Tigrette
Tomatniy Ray
Top Sirloin
Torbash
Totushka
Trees Bottom Streaks
Trophy
Tsindao
Uglerod X Babushkino Bych’ye Serdtse
Ugly Ripe
Ukh, Visit!
Ukrainka
Ukrainskyi Gigant
Uluru Ochre
Unknown #05 Cherokee bi-color
Unknown #07 Koshykar bi-color
Unknown #21 Hurdman
Unknown #22 Aceto Large Red
Unknown #23 Believe It or Not, Yellow
Unknown #25 Italian Cluster
Unknown Volunteer Large
Uralskiy Ranniy
Utyonok
Vashe Blagorodie
Vater Rhein
Vaterloo
Vechnaya Lyubov’
Venetian Marketplace
Venus
Verkiny
Vinni Pukh
Vinnyi Bolgarskyi Velikan
Violet Jasper
Virginia Sweets
Volov’i Ushi
Vostochnaya Pyshka
Vystavochniy
Waltingers Fleisch aus Indien
Waratah Dwarf
Wes
Wessel’s Purple Pride
Westerlund
Wherokowhai
White Tomesol
Wild Bill’s Old Timey
Wild Thyme Bicolored
Wild Thyme Purple
Willa’s Cariboo Rose
Woodle Orange
Work Release Paste
Worley Red
Yamal
Yaponiya
Yasha Yugoslavian
Yegipetskaya Lad’ya
Yegipetskiy Velikan
Yellow Cookie
Yellow Star
Yevgeniya
Yoder’s German Pink
Yoder’s German Yellow
Yoder’s Red Beefsteak
Yuriy Gagarin
Yusupovskyi S Fergany
Zagorsko Volovsko Oko
Zasolochniy
Zebra Chernaya
Zebra Oranzhevaya
Zemlyanika Margarity
Zhar Goryashchiye Ugli
Zolotaya Kanareyka
Zolotoe Serdtse
Zolotoy Dozhd’
Zolotoy Myod
Zolotyie Kupola
Zore’s Big Red
Among these 623, I hope to save seeds from at least 550 varieties. Where will I find the space, or the time, or the energy for such a massive undertaking? Help, I need help!
But everyone wants money to help, which I don’t have any of to spare. So the stream of 100+ hour work weeks will continue into the foreseeable future.
If only I could sell 2,000 of these extra seedlings, then maybe I could afford to hire some part-time help? But marketing is so NOT my forte…
Delectation of Tomatoes, etc. 