varieties for this spring

[newatthiskat]

OK Worth still missing little tiny and funny shapped. I am sure there is a link somewhere to help you find these!
Can you believe that I went to wallyworld and another place and could not find seed starting mix. I will have to hit the depot just before a Dr visit today. Urologist, yea this is going to be a fun day LOL. I am thinking about starting seeds indoors vs garage this year. It is pretty cold out right now. Have a breakfast nook table that just sits there in front of 3 windows. Trouble is dirt is messy. It would more than likely drive my husband batty looking at it until it warms up. Might have to think up a few diversions to keep him from noticing
Kat

[Nightshade]

Kat, I hope you get the all-clear (no pun intended) sign at the urologist, today.

HD has been my local source for the starting mix and vermiculite. You should have good luck there.

And tell your hub that putting up with a little dirt now is a small price to pay for yummy maters early on! Being a floor sitting kind of person, I keep a big sheet to throw out for a work place when the seed starting mood strikes. It's easy to pick it up and shake out later.

And I have a mixed-matched assortment of foil pans and plastic containers under the seedlings on on the kitchen table. I love this time of year, but I won't be winning any House Beautiful awards!

Jan

[newatthiskat]

Yep got the all clear. Found some seeds starting stuff and thinking I am either taking a nap (work tonight) or to plant seeds. Hmm have to decide shortly. OK better idea take a nap and take seeds to work and plant I would actually think about doing that but things there are very unpredicatable (sorry Worth. Big word) I am either sitting and have all my work done in an hour or I have several people trying to kill me with many admissions and I end up staying 2 hours late. What I want to know is why someone waits until 5:45 am to try to kill me when I get off at 6am. They have had a good 7 hours previous to do it.
Kat

[feldon30]

Starting seeds tomorrow.

[newatthiskat]

Feldon I have not heard of Blue River. Want to share info? If you are afraid we might all ask for it as soon as you tell us, it is possible
OK did not sleep. Going to be a very long night. Going to get me a diet dr Pepper and read a few charts. I did get about 20 varities planted though. I also did place the seeds in the breakfast nook. I hope my babies are happy
Kat

[feldon30]

It's a pink beefsteak. VERY productive from what I saw at Deer Park's place. Probably very similar to Gregori's Altai.

Finding a productive pink beefsteak for Houston can be tricky.

[travis]

The Black and Brown Boar I grew in 2008 weren't heart shaped. Is that a supposed-to-be or a climate variation?

[feldon30]

One of those lovely genetic variations that are driving me crazy.

[newatthiskat]

I tried Brandywine last season but they died about 2 weeks after planting. I have not gotten to try a pink beefsteak yet. Can't wait. Be sure to let us know how it grows for you Feldon. I didn't know Black and Brown Boar was supposed to be a heart! I am planning to grow it in fall.
Kat

[Suze]

Black and Brown Boar is not a heart - but - Morgan got some rather interesting blunt pointing on *all* of the fruits he picked for fall crop, not just a few. It was definitely beyond just a bit of elongation, as the shoulders were definitely wider than the tip.

I have seen a slight bit of variation in the shape and size with this one, but I haven't ever gotten quite the degree of the pointing he did. May or may not persist, may have been environmental (this can be a factor), guess we'll find out.

I think he's going to grow it out again from his saved fall seeds for this spring to see what happens, or maybe I will.

[travis]

Wild Boar Farms list calls Black and Brown Boar round but the picture shows some distortion outside of round. Mine were almost identical to the picture on their list.

But I have gotten elongated shapes from varieties that are supposed to be round or oblate. Sometime the elongated fruit looked egg shaped, usually with the round types, and sometimes it looked like a blunt heart, usually with oblate types. Sometimes it was only during part of the season and sometimes it persisted throughout the season.

It has happened to me with both hybrids and with open pollinated varieties.

[Suze]

Travis, definitely the same experience here - in regards to seeing some elongation, pointing, or "hearts" on vars that I was not expecting to see that from. For spring crop, that non-standard shaping usually is not persistent throughout the entire season, though. For me and in my personal experience, anyway - unless there is something else going on. But obviously, you've had some different experiences, so I'm not discounting that.

For fall crop, something like that may or may not have time to iron itself out and make it to "what is expected/normal" before it gets too cold here. Again, IME.

A recent example in my own garden (spring 08) that I can recall was with Burgundy Traveler. For the first month or so, they were definitely all heart shaped, and I started to become almost positive that I had an off-type (mutation or cross), but then the plant finally started to consistently produce fruits with the shape typical for that var.

[duajones]

Black and Brown Boar gave me mixed shapes this fall with most (probably 80 percent) having the blunt pointing that has been mentioned. Flavor was good but I think it would be even better under better conditions. I had lots of cloudy days this fall and dont get near the much sun as I do in the spring and summer

[feldon30]

Click for Larger Size

[OneoftheEarls]

I had this strawberry-shaped one come on with the rest...I harvested one and it had four seeds...hope to get a Zebra Strawberry one day