Victory Garden Dream

[Black Krim]

https://www.ted.com/talks/roger_doir..._plot#t-546587

[Black Krim]

https://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver

[Black Krim]

celebrity

Bonnie plants describe this one as producing unti frost on a 3-4 foot determinate plant.

TRUE?

[Black Krim]

rutgers det
big beef indet
early girl indet

[nancyruhl]

I have grown many of the dwarfs released from the project, though I can no longer keep up with the releases nearing 100. I personally can recommend Rosella Crimson, Dwarf Arctic Rose, Yukon Quest and Sweet Adelaide. Dwarf Scarlet Heart produces lots of great smaller hearts, one of the most productive for me. Then there is the variety that has endured and was used in many crosses, New Big Dwarf. I don't think you could go wrong with any of these.

[nancyruhl]

Ok, when I posted, I didn't see that there was a page 2. Are you purchasing plants, not starting your own? Big Beef has lots of fans here and might be the best selection. Me, not so much. I pretty much think Early Girl is a very poor selection for taste and disease resistance, but again it has a lot of fans here. While I have grown the other 2, it has been a long time and I don't have a clear bead on them. Of the varieties I can find available sometimes, I like Supersonic (my favorite for flavor) and Moreton.

[bower]

Personally I would rule out hybrids like Big Beef. Why because the seeds must be bought and cannot be saved. There are so many great OPs, and the beauty of passing on the ability to save the seed can't be denied. It's a key step to sustainability with time and effort instead of cash. For someone in poverty, even a five dollar purchase of seeds can be a non starter.

Also, if I were you I would think about the 30-day to eating kind of vegetables for getting people interested in the rewards of gardening. So easy to do in the ground or containers, fresh lettuce and other greens, radishes and turnips, the quick stuff makes it worth waiting for things like tomatoes. Just think about investing 4 or 5 months of your time, only to have the plant croak of a disease, or worse, someone comes and vandalizes or steals your crop after all your waiting. Not many will give it a second try if that happens the first time around.

[Dutch]

Hi Black Krim,
I grew Garden Gem last year and it was a short node indeterminate that was very productive and tasted great. If you would like to give this new variety a try for your community gardens, PM me.
Dutch

[DonDuck]

Shiloh field, the largest community garden in the United States.

https://www.dallasnews.com/news/news...ngry-in-denton

[Black Krim]

Originally Posted by nancyruhl

I have grown many of the dwarfs released from the project, though I can no longer keep up with the releases nearing 100. I personally can recommend Rosella Crimson, Dwarf Arctic Rose, Yukon Quest and Sweet Adelaide. Dwarf Scarlet Heart produces lots of great smaller hearts, one of the most productive for me. Then there is the variety that has endured and was used in many crosses, New Big Dwarf. I don't think you could go wrong with any of these.

Thanks Nancy for the list==very helpful!!

[Black Krim]

Originally Posted by nancyruhl

Ok, when I posted, I didn't see that there was a page 2. Are you purchasing plants, not starting your own? Big Beef has lots of fans here and might be the best selection. Me, not so much. I pretty much think Early Girl is a very poor selection for taste and disease resistance, but again it has a lot of fans here. While I have grown the other 2, it has been a long time and I don't have a clear bead on them. Of the varieties I can find available sometimes, I like Supersonic (my favorite for flavor) and Moreton.

I have the ability to start a number of plants, and therefore better selections at a better price. The main sellers of plants here have gone to individual pots for about $5 each.

I know , or pretty certain, most people I will be working with have no gardening experience.

Last year when selling seedlings, I had endless requests for Early Girl.

[Black Krim]

Originally Posted by bower

Personally I would rule out hybrids like Big Beef. Why because the seeds must be bought and cannot be saved. There are so many great OPs, and the beauty of passing on the ability to save the seed can't be denied. It's a key step to sustainability with time and effort instead of cash. For someone in poverty, even a five dollar purchase of seeds can be a non starter.

Also, if I were you I would think about the 30-day to eating kind of vegetables for getting people interested in the rewards of gardening. So easy to do in the ground or containers, fresh lettuce and other greens, radishes and turnips, the quick stuff makes it worth waiting for things like tomatoes. Just think about investing 4 or 5 months of your time, only to have the plant croak of a disease, or worse, someone comes and vandalizes or steals your crop after all your waiting. Not many will give it a second try if that happens the first time around.

First. Im am all for seed saving. However, we are talking people who barely know what a tomato is. I see generations who dont know how to cook. Just open a can or order pizza. So... first things first, learn to grow via a strong disease resistant plant.

Second. While I am for all types of produce, tomatoes are the number one eaten veg in the US. I assume then tomatoes would be the segue to other vegetables. If there is interest in other veg, yeah, have at it!

Vandalism. This is the primary reason I do not want to create a large community plot. Would rather have individuals guard their own vegies and yard. I am hopeful that if the local community are on board and are producing,perhaps a larger community garden would work. The current community gardens I know are divided in to plots for each family. The high school garden is donated to the food pantry. I would rather people put work into their own little plot. I see too many lawns that could be food forests.

[Worth1]

Originally Posted by Black Krim

ok Worth, why......? Most folks only know redd or pinks. Does Black plum look pink or red despite the black in the name?

No they are dependable producers and taste good too.

Worth

[Worth1]

Originally Posted by Black Krim

celebrity

Bonnie plants describe this one as producing unti frost on a 3-4 foot determinate plant.

TRUE?

No and it isn't the same celebrity of years ago.
I used to like them but not anymore.
Many others feel the same way.
No they are determinate they put on a good crop or at least they used to and then sort of make another smaller one and it isn't worth messing with them after that.
Why Bonnie would say a det will produce all summer until frost is beyond me.

That is my experience and only my opinion here in the deep south west.

Way up north folks start cooling off while we are still cooking like a chicken.
Plus we get warmer faster.
This can make a difference in what you grow.
It is also a good reason for me to grow det plants.
More tomatoes at once not spread out into a hot summer I cant get blossoms to set on indets.


Worth

[Black Krim]

Originally Posted by DonDuck

Shiloh field, the largest community garden in the United States.

https://www.dallasnews.com/news/news...ngry-in-denton

Wonderful!!

My children and I have worked on far smaller community gardens, and my two complaints were the food is limited to a few recipients, even when I suddenly lost my job I could not get any of that food that we spent hours every week picking right thru my weeks of unemployment. Second, handing out food does not solve the problem of "teach a man to fish". Lack of food is a complicated issue. In my experience, food supplies are very controlled with lots of rules when big government is involved. Lots of hurdles to jump over....

I live in a community of no high rises. The church steeple is the tallest structure. Hundreds of duplexes lines the streets around the old mills. Meaning each home has a small front lawn.