Oregon Trail plants – heirloomgardenerdotnet
GROWING HEIRLOOM PEAS ORGANICALLY
Above: The Blue-Podded Pea, dating to before 1596
Peas love good, rich, moist loamy soils. Gypsum may be added to heavy clay soils to lighten them, and organic compost is excellent for building mountain and valley soils poor in nutrients. Fish bone meal, alfalfa meal, and kelp meal are amendments that will provide the complete range of nitrogen, phosphorous and potash to your garden plot necessary for successful vegetable production. Remember that organic soils are alive with microbes, so food tastes better, is more nutritious, and is safe to eat. Also, organic soils capture carbon out of the air, reducing heating of our planet’s atmosphere.
Peas have been grown as a garden crop for centuries and seem to have been a popular vegetable through all that time. Several heirloom varieties of peas still exist:
‘Blauwschokker’ (Blue-Podded) pea is an ancient variety so old it was described in Gerard’s Herball written in 1596. Plants are very healthy and productive. The pods can be eaten as snow peas when picked early, used as shelling peas later, and dry well for use as soup peas. The vines of the Blue-podded pea grow 60 to 72 inches tall and require a trellis.
‘Alaska’ is an heirloom pea from 1880. It is early, ripens all at once, and like many heirloom varieties will dry and keep well. It is excellent for soup. The vines grow about 30 inches tall.
‘Tom Thumb’ heirloom pea from 1854 is a miniature pea variety that does not need to be trellised. The vines grow to 8 or 9 inches tall and are suitable for containers and for growing in cold frames early and late in the season.
‘Lincoln’ is a famous variety from 1908 that is adapted to warmer American summers. The vines grow to about 28 inches tall and the pods produce 8 or 9 peas each.
‘Wando’ is very adaptable to differing climates. It is more heat resistant than most peas and can be planted later. ‘Wando’ dates to 1943 and the vines grow about 30 inches tall.
Because peas can take some frost, even while quite young, they can be planted early. Some people living in milder climates than Montana’s plant their peas on St. Patrick’s Day; 17 of March.
Here in Western Montana we make our first sowing April 15 to 20 depending on the weather and the soil temperature. A second sowing usually is made July 1 (after first crop is harvested.) It is efficient use of space and easy picking if trellises are set up in the garden bed. The first crop bears from around June 15 -July 1, and the second crop bears from about September 15-October 25.
Plant your peas in full sun for best production. The ideal growing temperature is 55–70 F., with 60-65 F. being ideal (peas prefer cool weather). The optimum soil pH for peas is 5.5-7.5. Peas will germinate between 40-85 degrees F., but 60-75 F. ideal. Germination may take 6-17 days. Direct-sow pea seed 1 inch deep and 1 inch apart. Plant a few extra at the end of the rows to fill in later as mini transplants.
Water well; keep the bed moist, not wet. For the second (midsummer) planting, plant seeds 2-3” deep 1 inch apart, otherwise the same as spring. Do not let plants dry out at any time, especially during flowering! Water peas early in the day only, allowing leaves to dry early in the day–steady moisture is best.
Some pests of peas are: gophers, aphids, birds, mice, cutworms, mites, leafhoppers, cucumber beetles, pea weevils, and various caterpillars. Powdery mildew can be troublesome also, especially if soil becomes dry and air circulation and sunshine is limited.
To harvest: pick peas when the first pods reach full size: 4”- 5”, not smaller. Pick snow peas before seeds start to swell. Snap peas need to be picked when pods are full size, fat, and round with peas inside. Check and pick every 3 days to keep plants producing. The first peas ripen at the base of the plant—remove them carefully to not damage plants. The harvest period should be 4-6 weeks long, for each planting. Pick all (ready) pods to keep vines producing. After harvesting keep cool, in high humidity and out of the sun.
Keep freshly picked peas cool, in high humidity and out of the sun. Store them in a cool location or in the refrigerator. Picked pods last only 5-6 days. Peas do freeze well and most varieties dry and store well.
Tags AlaskaPea, Blue-Podded Pea, carbon dioxide emissions, compost, gardening, heirloom peas, Lincoln Pea, organic peas, peas, seeds, Tom Thumb Pea, vegetables, Wando Pea	
Our picture today is a photograph of a green-edged auricula primrose. As a whole, the auricula section of the genus Primula is fascinating, diverse, and quite varied in form and color. A hundred and fifty years ago auricula primroses were extremely popular plants in Europe and America. April is their prime bloom time!
GENERAL APRIL GARDENING CALENDAR
Finish pruning and grafting of fruit trees if not already done. Plant grapes and other fruiting perennials, shrubs and vines; fertilize and prune raspberries and blackberries. Start many flowers inside for transplanting out and direct sow the last hardy annuals. Direct sow many vegetables late in the month and into May. April is characterized by ups and downs in temperature—watch for frosts! Protect frames at night and admit air daily. Place row covers on newly transplanted, slightly tender plants.
If not done already, sow indoors, for transplanting out early in the month: basil, cabbage, celery, tomatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, kohlrabi, head lettuce, artichokes, Brussels sprouts, Asian cabbage, leeks, greens. After the 15th, sow watermelon, cantaloupe, squash, pumpkins and cucumbers into peat pots for easy transplanting.
Direct sow these outdoors once weather permits and soil temperatures are above 45 degrees: beets, arugula, carrots, caraway, celery, chervil, chives, cilantro, dill, fennel, thyme, oregano, sorrel, collards, mache, fava beans, cress, Jerusalem artichokes, kale, kohlrabi, cabbage, cauliflower, leeks, lettuce, mustard greens, rhubarb, turnip greens, onions, parsley, parsnips, peas, potatoes, radishes, salsify, scallions, spinach, Swiss chard. Sow corn (after the 20th).
Harden-off vegetables in frames, or by exposing them outdoors a few hours at a time. Transplant the following hardy vegetables outside around the middle of the month (they can take some light frost): asparagus, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, Chinese cabbage, endive, leeks, lettuce, onion sets and plants, Asian greens, parsley.
Sow indoors April 1 for transplanting out: Chinese asters (Callistephus), cerinthe, celosia, craspedia, calendulas, annual centaurea, cleome, cosmos, cynoglossum, eragrostis, Panicum, Pennisetum, and annual grasses. Late in the month: sow zinnias indoors.
Direct sow outdoors all month: annual alyssum Lobularia maritima), bupleurum, carnations, pinks, sweet Williams, cynoglossum, stocks, rose campion, wall flowers, lychnis, lupines, lavateras, columbines, valerian, polyanthus, auriculas, Canterbury bells, hollyhocks, honeysuckles, rockets, honesty, fox gloves, snapdragons, sweet peas, poppies, larkspur, cornflowers, nigella, lavatera, poppies, valerian, kiss-me-by-the-garden-gate, dill, morning glory, sweet peas and wildflowers.
Weed and clean borders. Divide perennials early in the month: carnations, bellis, achilleas, asters, mums, campanulas, centranthus, coreopsis, dicentra, dodecatheon, echinops, euphorbias, gauras, gaillardias, gentians, helianthus, hellebores, daylilies, heucheras, hostas, lobelias, papavers, oenotheras, phlomis, monarda, liatris, and marrubiums.
Start dahlia tubers this month and make cuttings if possible.
Shade auricula primroses from intensifying spring sun. This is when auriculas need the most water, but remember— never waterlog the compost. The month of April is their peak bloom period and hybridizing can take place now. Shows are held this time of year.
By April 15, finish pruning /grafting/planting fruit trees; spray Bordeaux mix on fruit trees suffering from fire blight; check fruit trees for pests. Spray superior oil on dormant trees (before leaf out). Lime-sulfur will control anthracnose or blight on raspberries if applied when the buds first show silver, or on currants and gooseberries at bud break. Wait three weeks if you decide to spray lime-sulfur (use caution) as a fungicide on roses, lilacs, dormant shrubs, fruit trees, evergreens.
Weed fruit trees, strawberries, cane fruits. Set out apple pest traps two weeks before bud break.
Lay out lawns by either direct-seeding or purchase turf and roll it out. If the weather gets windy and dry, water your new lawn frequently.
Finish transplanting roses and other shrubs (the earlier the better). Prune established roses after severe frosts. Cut out all dead and crossed wood, and seal the cuts with water-based glue to prevent the drilling wasps from destroying canes. Dress rose plants with Epsom salts, wood ashes, compost, manure, alfalfa meal, bone meal, kelp meal, bunt earth, spent hops, etc. , but keep fertilizers 2 inches away from the canes at the base of the plant.
Tags annuals, April Garden Calendar, auricula primroses, cold frames, direct seeding, flowers, fruit, garden planning, garden planting schedule, hybridizing auriculas, indoor seed-starting, lawns, perennials, planting dates, planting time, planting time vegetables, spring planting, tunnels, vegetables	
March is a very busy month for Montana gardeners! A brief summary of things we can do now is: plant lettuce and spinach in cold frames; plant/prune cane fruits, fruit trees, deciduous trees; plant evergreens as soon as ground thaws; plant rhubarb, strawberries, asparagus, sea kale, and artichokes; weed and clean borders, plant perennials, sow seeds of hardy annuals and biennials outside; sow seeds of tender annuals and vegetables inside. Clean pansy beds and manure them; cover cold frames at night and admit air during the day.
Late in the month, begin to harden off cool loving vegetables (from a January sowing) in frames. Sow indoors: broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, kale, kohlrabi, head lettuce, artichokes, Brussels sprouts, Asian cabbage, greens, peppers (finish peppers early in the month). Start tomatoes also. Late in the month direct-sow outdoors: asparagus, beets, arugula, carrots, celery, chervil, chives, cilantro, dill, fennel, collards, mache, fava beans, cress, kale, kohlrabi, leeks, lettuce, mustard greens, rhubarb, turnip greens, onions, parsley, peas, radishes, scallions, spinach and Swiss chard. As soon as weather permits plant: asparagus roots, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, garlic, shallots, lettuce, onion sets and plants, horseradish, strawberries and Jerusalem artichokes. Finish sowing herb seeds this month.
Begin dividing perennials as soon as the ground is thawed. Direct sow outdoors: annual alyssum, pinks, sweet Williams, stocks, rose campion, wall flowers, lychnis, lupines, lavateras, columbines, valerian, polyanthus, auriculas, Canterbury bells, cynoglossum, hollyhocks, honeysuckles, rockets, honesty, fox gloves, snapdragons, sweet peas, poppies, larkspur, cornflowers, nigella, lavatera, valerian, poppies, kiss-me-by-the-garden-gate and dill.
Fertilize (spread organics), plant and prune fruit trees, blackberries, raspberries, grapes, currants, blueberries. Clean strawberry beds and make new beds. Fertilize (spread organics) on strawberries and asparagus. Clean up after pruning fruit trees; remove dead wood, dropped fruit, and inspect trunks for egg masses. Spray Bordeaux mix on fruit trees that suffer from fire blight after carefully pruning out affected wood. (Cut 6 inches below signs of infection, sterilizing pruning tools between cuts with alcohol, or a 10% bleach solution.) Spray superior oil on dormant trees (before leaf out). Wait three weeks after dormant spray if you decide to spray lime-sulfur (use caution) as a fungicide on roses, lilacs, dormant shrubs, fruit trees, evergreens.
Plant evergreens, roses and other shrubs during March. This month is the very best time of the year to move or plant evergreens. Wait until April to prune roses as canes often die back from late frosts if cut too early. Dress with your roses Epsom salts now, and apply wood ashes, compost, manure, alfalfa meal, bone meal, kelp meal, and other organic amendments to rose, perennial, fruit and vegetable garden beds.
Now is a great time to test the germination on your stored vegetable seeds. To establish a percentage of germination for your seed, place 10 seeds in a moist paper towel, lay it on a plate; with a loose cover of plastic wrap, or a glass or plastic dome. Put the plate in a warm location and wait a few days. The number of seeds that germinate will give you a rough idea of the percentage of live seed you have. This kind of test is a good way to see if your old purchased seed, or seed that you have saved yourself, will grow.
Now is also a prudent time to plan which varieties of vegetables you might want to save seed from for next year. Once selected and growing, plan to save seed from your best plants. Choose plants mid-season in their fruiting and mark them with tags or labels, as ones to save seed from. Pick the fruits when past eating ripeness; clean the seed carefully. Dry it well before storing in clean, dry glass jars with metal lids. Label the jars carefully with variety name and year of harvest. Store your seeds in a cool, dark, dry place so they have the best chance of staying alive. Seed-saving techniques vary from species to species, so it is good to obtain as much information as you can before you try. A great book is Saving Seeds by Montana authors Robert Gough and Cheryl Moore-Gough; another is The Heirloom Gardener by Carolyn Jabs. An excellent book about seed starting, saving and plant propagation is: The Royal Horticultural Society Propagating Plants, Edited by Alan Toogood. These three books may not be the newest, but their information is detailed and practical, especially the latter book. An online article with basic information about seed-saving, including lots of pictures, can be found at: https://robinsonloveplants.com/saving-seeds/
Tags flowers, fruit, fruit trees, garden planning, labeling seed, March, organic gardening, roses, seed saving, storage, vegetables	
TIME TO PURCHASE YOUR GARDEN SEEDS!
GARDEN SEED RACKS ARE IN STORES NOW!
At Westland Seed in Ronan, we have 3 racks:
FERRY MORSE Certified Organic Seeds
TRIPLE DIVIDE Montana-grown Certified Organic Seeds
HEIRLOOM NATIVE AMERICAN Vegetable and Flower Seeds (28 varieties available).
Above are two antique engravings. The one on the left shows a box of perfectly formed vegetables entered in a Victorian garden show. The other engraving is of a Victorian era greenhouse. In Victorian times gardening was mostly practiced organically; consequently, the varieties of flowers and vegetables they grew (that are still with us) are adapted to organic conditions. They are open-pollinated, therefore are an important sustainable resource; many are well-adapted to our tough local climate; and best of all, they are wonderfully flavorful!
Now is the time to start many tender vegetables and annuals to be set out later into the garden, as weather warms. Have a great spring!
Tags certified organic seeds, flowers, garden planning, organic seeds, planting seeds indoors, purchasing seeds, seeds, starting seeds, vegetables	
February is a winter month for us and usually not much can be done outside besides shoveling snow. But seed catalogs are still arriving and seed racks are in stores and garden centers now, so we can plan the garden. It is a good time to order new bare root plants for spring delivery (such as most perennials, roses, etc.). Later, in the spring, potted plants will be available in local nurseries.
If you have hotbeds (heated frames) you can sow several kinds of seed directly into the soil: arugula, carrots, celery, corn salad, fava beans, cress, mustard and turnip greens, onions, peas, radishes and spinach. Inside, under lights, you can sow eggplant, onions and peppers to be grown on and transplanted out later. It might be better to wait to start tomatoes unless you have a good light system or greenhouse, because the plants will get “leggy” reaching for light inside during our short winter days. Some slow-growing flowers can be started inside now under lights, including: petunias, impatiens, lobelia, pansies, salvias, and perennial herbs and flowers. (Cover pansy seeds well as they need darkness to germinate). Check and ventilate cold frames and keep them covered at night.
Continue forcing flowers in the greenhouse, such as tulips, narcissus, roses and lily of the valley. Strawberries can be forced now in the greenhouse also. Protect alpines, auriculas and other primroses in pots (in a cold greenhouse) from too much rain or frosts as they will begin to bud. Pick off dead leaves, remove the top of the soil off of the pot and replace it with rich compost. After adding compost, clean the outside of the flower pots with warm soapy water. Only a little water may be given to the plants, but give plentiful air. Sow any remaining alpine, wildflower, primula and auricula seeds.
Late in the month, if weather permits, sow hardy annuals outside: cornflowers, alyssum (Lobularia maritima) larkspur, sweet peas, Lychnis, Nigella, Lavatera, poppies, kiss-me-by-the-garden-gate, dill and wildflowers. If the snow is gone you can begin planting and/or pruning fruit trees: peaches, plums, cherries, nectarines, apples, medlars, quinces and pears. Plant and/or prune: gooseberries, currants and raspberries. Manure and other organics can be spread outside over vegetable beds, if this was not already done in December. Prune and manure grapes, leaving space around the stems. Grapes can be grafted late in the month.
In late February you can sow stone fruit seeds for rootstocks and hawthorn seeds for hedges; later transplanting them to their permanent position (after three years).
Late in the month is a good time to begin planting and dividing perennials (if the snow is gone and the ground thawed). Also, if weather permits, propagate roses and other shrubs by suckers, layering and cuttings.
Tags February, flowers, fruit, seed starting, seeds, storage	
HEIRLOOM VEGETABLE VARIETIES FOR WESTERN MONTANA
FOR WESTERN MONTANA AND THE INTER-MOUNTAIN WEST
Below is a list of varieties of tried and true heirloom vegetables that have been around for at least 50 years, and do well in our Western Montana climate. From my own experience, and the experience of other Montana gardeners, the kinds listed below have proven they are well-adapted. Some of these antique seed strains are grown for seed in Montana.
All varieties listed are open-pollinated; meaning insects, birds or winds pollinate them. Seed saved each year will produce vegetables of the same, original variety the next year. None of the kinds listed are hybrids (human-pollinated) or GMO (genetically modified organisms). Since no patents exist on these old strains you can legally save seed and grow the same kind year to year. I want to stress that some kinds of vegetables need to be raised in isolation, so they will not cross-pollinate with other plants of their own species. Maize (corn) is one example: it is recommended that corn be isolated by a mile or more from other varieties of corn to keep the strain pure, and a block of over 200 plants are needed to prevent inbreeding depression. But most other vegetables have less complex requirements. Some vegetables are biennial, meaning they produce seed in their second year; for example cabbage and carrots. These will need special handling. If you plan to save and grow your own seed, it might be a good idea to research the best methods to do so for each type of vegetable. Some vegetables self-pollinate and are easy to save seed from; with these, you can be assured of getting the same variety by separating different kinds of the same species. The following will produce seed of the same strain (and self-pollinate) when separated by only a few feet: beans, lettuce, peas, and tomatoes. Two excellent books on seed-saving are: The Heirloom Gardener by Carolyn Jabs and The Complete Guide to Saving Seeds by Robert Gough and Cheryl Moore-Gough. The second book was written by two professors at Montana State University in Bozeman.
Here are some locally-adapted heirloom vegetables:
Storage Onion ‘Southport White Globe’ (110 days): An American heirloom, pre-Civil War onion originally from Connecticut. This onion is a long-day onion, so seed needs to be started in early spring and planted out so it will begin bulbing in the summer long days. The onion is globe-shaped with purplish-red colored skin and the flesh is white. It has a mild flavor, is a good yielder and stores well. There is a ‘Southport Red’ storage onion also, with the same good qualities.
Bunching Onion ‘Heshiko Evergreen’ (65 days): An heirloom Japanese onion that can be sown in spring, or in fall for a crop the following spring. It never makes bulbs, but grows into little clumps that can be divided into 6 or more plants in the fall. I found this to be a very productive variety, flavorful and tough. Use it as scallions, thinning as the season goes on.
‘Walking Onion’ (Tree Onion): This is a very old European, or possibly Egyptian, perennial onion that forms small clusters of bulblets, or baby onions, on the tips of the leaf stalks. These can be replanted for more onions. The flavor is pungent and sweet. The bulblets can be used for pickling if you have enough extra saved out for propagation. Harvest the little bulblets in summer and replant some for next year.
Leek Giant of Musselburgh’ (105 days): A tough, cold-hardy leek of large size, dating to the 1830s, from Scotland. The stalks are very large, to 3 inches in diameter. The flavor is mild, and the plants are reluctant to bolt. Harvest can continue into November, or longer if cloched. Another good cold-hardy leek is ‘Hannibal’ (95 days): not quite as old as ‘Giant of Musselburgh’, but very early-maturing, with a mild flavor.
Carrot ‘Red-Cored Chatenay’ also called ‘Red Chatenay’ (65 days): This variety was introduced into America from France in 1929, and may be much older. I have grown ‘Chatenay’ carrots since I was a boy; the flavor is sweet, the texture is dense and crunchy. This variety does well in our thin, rocky soil as it has shorter roots and does not split as often as other kinds do.
Carrot ‘Parisienne’ also called ‘Parisian Market’ and ‘Tonda di Parigi’: A very old orange carrot, from the 1880s or before, with small, round globe-shaped roots about the sizer of a ping-pong ball. They are not as sweet as ‘Chatenay’, but are very early and do well in shallow, rocky soils. The flavor is mild and pleasant. ‘Nantes’ carrot, from the 1850s is another sweet, rather short, orange carrot that does well here.
Beet ‘Chioggia Candy Stripe’ (60 days): is a pre-1840s heirloom from Italy. It was in the U.S.A. before 1865. The roots have rings of red and white, like peppermint candy. The flavor is mild and sweet. The greens are excellent also.
Beet ‘Bull’s Blood’ (50-60 days): This beet originated in the 1840s and has dark red foliage that is beautiful in the garden and colorful when used in salads. The roots must be harvested small (2” to 3”) or they will become woody.
Chard ‘Red Ruby’ (55 days): This chard dates to 1857 and is also called ‘Rhubarb Chard’. The stems are a beautiful red, and the leaves have red veins. The seeds should be planted in late spring—early June, to prevent bolting. The beautiful leaves continue all summer into fall.
Spinach ‘Viroflay’ (47 days): A tall plant with dark green, smooth, trowel or arrow-shaped leaves. The flavor is mild, with low acidity. ‘Viroflay’ dates to 1866, and is from France. My plants produced a long time before bolting in very hot (over 100 degrees F.) weather. A good fall crop will mature if you plant a second crop in July-August.
Cucumber ‘Lemon’ (65-70 days): A good, juicy, early type of cucumber from the 1800s with a very mild flavor. The fruit are round; best picked about the size of a small lemon or apple, and the plants are productive. Immature green fruit can be harvested as well. It does very well in cold seasons. ‘Boothby’s Blond’ is another early yellow cucumber with mild flavor, though I found it to be not as productive as ‘Lemon’.
Cucumber ‘Straight Eight’ (62 days): A smooth, straight heirloom cucumber growing to 8” long, mainly used for slicing. The fruit appear early and the plants are vigorous and productive. ‘Straight Eight’ is from the 1930s and won the All-American Selections award in 1935.
Summer Squash ‘Early Summer Crookneck’ (58 days): An ancient, Native American variety with a rich, buttery flavor, a firm texture and pale yellow skin. The best time to pick for fresh use is when the fruit are 4” to 5” long. Squash left on the vine longer, then harvested and stored, will keep through fall into winter. The plants are very productive and healthy. This squash can be steamed, sautéed, baked or grilled.
Summer Squash ‘White Scallop’ (50 days): Another ancient Native American squash that is very productive and healthy. The fruit can be picked when very small, 2” or so and steamed or sautéed with other baby vegetables, or left to mature to about 3” and baked or fried. There is a ‘Yellow Scallop’ summer squash, which is also ancient and only differs in color.
Winter Squash ‘Lakota’ (100 days): A rare, ancient Native American variety grown by the Lakota Sioux along the Missouri and its tributaries. ‘Lakota’ is a unique squash, with beautiful coloring, in red-orange and green stripes. The fine-grained flesh has a sweet nutty flavor. The Lakota used this squash for winter food. It was cleaned, sliced in ½ inch thick pieces and dried in the sun. The dried pieces keep well and were easily rehydrated in soups and stews. This rare, old variety makes a wonderful crop for sustainable gardening and farming.
Pumpkin ‘Long Pie’ (100 days): A very old pumpkin with an elongated shape, ‘Long Pie’ was first recorded in 1832 in Maine, but it may be a much older, Native American variety. Illustrations of a very similar pumpkin brought from America are depicted in Gerard’s Herball of 1596. This pumpkin is bright orange with sweet flesh and makes terrific pies. It also will ripen in storage if picked while still showing some green. This pumpkin is grown for seed right here in the Mission Valley.
Peas ‘Mammoth Melting Sugar’ Snap Pea (65-75 days): A high-yielding heirloom variety with stringless pods 4” to 5” long. If picked often, as long as the weather stays cool, the vines will produce longer than other varieties. The pods are sweet and best picked before peas inside get too large. I use them for fresh-eating, stir fry dishes, salads and for freezing.
Peas ‘Tom Thumb’ (50-55 days): Introduced in 1854, this is a dwarf variety that needs no trellising. It grows 8” to 9” tall. Usually this pea was grown as a shelling pea, but the pods are sweet and tender and can be used as a snow pea if picked young. This pea is very good early and late in the season as it prefers cool weather. The variety was named after the Barnum & Bailey Circus performer Tom Thumb.
Beans ‘Blue Lake Bush’ Snap Bean (53 days): The pods of this variety are 6” long, stringless and tender when cooked. A relatively young heirloom (from 1961) ‘Blue Lake Bush’ has excellent flavor. It is one of the most popular green beans.
Pole/Bush Beans ‘Arikara Yellow’ (80-85 days): This is an ancient Native American variety from the Arikara Nation of the Dakotas. It is a short pole bean or tall bush; kind of in between in height. The beans are tan or creamy yellow and very productive; they can be used as snap beans or shelled and dried. The plants are drought tolerant, a virtue common to many antique American vegetables. This variety was described by Lewis and Clark in 1804 and was grown by Thomas Jefferson at his home in Virginia.
Tomato ‘Stupice’ (55 days): Of all the 18 varieties of tomato I grew last year, ‘Stupice’ was the most productive. It was the second earliest, following ‘Glacier’ another early, but rather acidic tomato. ‘Stupice’ was much sweeter and more flavorful and kept coming on well all season. This variety is an heirloom from the Czech republic, an area with rather short, cool summers just as we have. The fruit are about 3 to 6 oz. on semi-determinate plants with disease-resistant potato-leaf foliage.
Tomato ‘Siletz’ (60-65 days): Nearly old enough to be an heirloom, this tomato is a determinate slicing variety with larger fruit (10-12 oz.) than many early tomatoes. The rich tomato flavor is excellent. ‘Siletz’ was bred in Oregon by Dr. Jim Baggett of OSU for fruit-set in cool weather. It has very few seeds, is very productive, very disease resistant and resists cracking.
Tomato ‘Black Krim’ (70-75 days): A very old variety originally from the Ukraine. The fruit are deep red, to black with a greenish flesh. The flavor is very sweet; the tomatoes are juicy and large. It has been found to be one of the most nutritious tomatoes.
Tomato ‘Cherokee Purple’ (80-85 days): A tall Native American heirloom variety that is a long-season tomato for us. Mine began to mature fruit before frosts and the flavor was great! The fruit are big 13-14 oz. purple, flattened globes with green shoulders when ripe. You will have to stake, or even better, cage this tomato. It would be a good idea to get it in the ground as early as possible and have a tunnel or cloche ready carry it through a longer season, because it is definitely worth extra trouble. You could also grow it in a large pot with a cage and move it inside if we get a cold snap.
Paste Tomato ‘Heinz 2653’ (68 days): Another vegetable grown right here in Montana from seed, so you know it is well-adapted. It is earlier than most paste tomatoes, and conveniently, the fruits all ripen about the same time, which is great if you want to can, make sauce or ketchup. The plants are short and disease-resistant with firm, 3-4 oz. fruit. This variety was developed years ago (1930s) by the Heinz ketchup company.
Eggplant ‘New York Improved’ (75 days): The oldest surviving American Eggplant (before 1865) and an early variety (though not the earliest nowadays considering all the new varieties of eggplant). ‘New York Improved’ has shiny, purple fruit; pear-shaped and medium sized. It is good baked, as in eggplant parmesan, or fried.
Sweet Bell Pepper ‘California Wonder’ (65 days): A popular variety all over the U.S.A., producing large, blocky peppers about 4” square. They mature to deep green or red when ripe. ‘California Wonder’ does well in our cool summers. A good way to get lots of fruit is to plant larger plants, and pick off any flowers that appear before June 21, the summer solstice. The plants will then continue to set blossoms all summer. If allowed to set fruit before the solstice, the plants stop blooming and set the one crop of fruit rather than continuing to produce. This applies to most types of peppers.
Hot Pepper ‘Early Jalapeno’ (65 days): This variety and ‘Cayenne long Slim’ were the first peppers to ripen in my garden each season in the last few years, and both are very productive. Both varieties are from the early 1800s or before. ‘Early Jalapeno’ keeps on producing lots of fruit, also. These peppers are both on the upper scale of heat, for most people, but about 2/3 up the chart to the hottest peppers, like ‘Habanero’.
Head Lettuce ‘Tom Thumb’ (47 days): Dating to the 1850s, and named for the famous circus performer, ‘Tom Thumb’ head lettuce is the oldest American lettuce variety still in cultivation. The heads mature to 6” or 7” and have a firm, crisp texture. You can grow 4 plants in one square foot. One head of this lettuce makes a perfect salad for one person; just like a fine dining experience!
Head Lettuce ‘Buttercrunch’ (50 days): This is a Bibb-type lettuce that forms a loose rosette of leaves. The variety is bolt and heat resistant, giving you a longer season to pick. The flavor is buttery-rich and the texture is pleasantly crunchy. It stays mild in flavor in hot weather longer than other lettuces. ‘Buttercrunch’ is almost an heirloom, originating around 1960.
Broccoli ‘Calabrese’ (60 days): This broccoli originated in Italy, where it has been known for a long time; it arrived in America in the 1880s. The plants are dark green and produce 5” to 6” heads with many side shoots. A great advantage of this variety is that side shoots will grow out after the main head is cut, so harvest continues. This is a very good, insect-resistant variety of broccoli.
Kohlrabi ‘White Vienna’ (50-60 days): Kohlrabi does well in our climate and is a delicious addition to salads. ‘White Vienna’ is very old, originating before 1860 and the flavor is mild and tasty.
Cauliflower ‘Snowball’ also called ‘Erfurter’ and ‘Early Snowball’ (55 days): A variety developed by Peter Henderson, an American market gardener, in the 1850s and ‘60s. The plants yield early, with mild, flavorful 5” to 6” heads; somewhat self-blanching. The plants are rather small compared to other Brassicas.
Cauliflower ‘Purple of Sicily’ (90 days): An heirloom Italian variety from the 1800s or earlier, this cauliflower is very insect resistant. It is quite cold-resistant as well. The heads are bright purple, and cook to bright green—looking like broccoli, but tasting like cauliflower. ‘Purple of Sicily’ is one of my favorite vegetables!
Cabbage ‘Golden Acre’ (65 days): A good variety to plant for an early cabbage crop, ‘Golden Acre’ produces tender, dense, 5” to 7” heads. Excellent used fresh, for cole slaw and stir fry dishes. An old kind, from the 1920s.
Cabbage ‘Late Flat Dutch’ (100 days): Sometimes this variety is listed as ‘Premium Late Flat Dutch’. It has been grown since the 1860s and is becoming more difficult to find in seed catalogs. The heads weigh 10 to 15 pounds and are wonderful for slaw and sauerkraut. This is a very large, late-maturing cabbage that stores well. Good storage is an important quality for self-sufficient and sustainable farming. Many heirloom vegetables produce crops that store well; an important virtue in the days before refrigeration and mass-marketing.
Kale ‘Nero de Toscana’ (‘Dinosaur Kale’, ‘Black Magic’) (50 days): Kale is quite nutritious and cold-hardy. It is a very old variety, dating to the early 1800s. The leaves are very dark green and loaded with nutrients. The plants are insect-resistant, and are good fresh in salads, or added to stews, and soups. Smaller, younger leaves are best for fresh use and the larger ones for cooking.
Sweet Corn ‘Golden Bantam’ (78-80 days): An 8-row, golden yellow sweet corn from 1902, with ears that grow to about 6” long. It was introduced by Burpee Co. and was one of the first yellow types to be commonly grown by American farmers, who grew mostly white sweet corn before 1900. ‘Golden Bantam’ is still listed in the Burpee catalog, among numerous modern hybrids, which we cannot save seed from. Since this variety is early-maturing and adapted to cooler conditions, it does well in Western Montana, often performing better than most hybrids! An important factor is to pick ears young, in the milk stage for sweet corn, then a bit later for parched corn, and later for dry storage flour corn.
Popcorn ‘Tom Thumb’ (85 days): Another dwarf, early vegetable variety from the 1850s. The plants are about 3 Ft. tall and produce 3” to 4” ears. The variety is well-adapted to cool summers, and this one is grown for seed right here in the Mission Valley.
Tags broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, cold climate vegetables, eggplant, garden planning, heirloom vegetables, native plants, onions, popcorn, propagation, short season vegetables, squash, storage, sweet corn, Swiss chard, tomatoes, tunnels	
I have three pictures above depicting flowers of heirloom bulbs. The double daffodil is ‘Van Sion’ dated 1620. The hyacinth is ‘General Kohler’ a rare double hyacinth from 1878. The tulip is an old Cottage-type tulip with variegated petals. This type of tulip was much loved in the Dutch golden age in the 1600s. Many tulips, hyacinths and daffodils still exist from hundreds of years ago, but are quite rare now. It is important to keep growing and propagate them so they will not be lost forever! I am going to list methods of culture and planting for spring-flowering bulbs in this article.
The best time to plant spring-flowering bulbs is when soil temperatures drop below 60 degrees. In Montana this may occur as early as in August, but because of our frequent fluctuations in temperatures, October or early November is the best time. Many spring bulbs establish root systems in the fall while the soil is not yet frozen. If necessary, bulbs can be planted right up until the ground freezes, but will bloom better if you get them in earlier.
Bulbs prefer a well-drained location in the garden. Tulips, hyacinths, and grape hyacinths need full sun. Daffodils, snowdrops and glacier lilies (trout lilies) like part shade, though daffodils will grow in full sun in Montana and other cool areas of the Northwest. Daffodils are deer and rodent proof, but most others, especially tulips, need to be in a place protected from deer and voles. Dig your soil about 10 or 12 inches deep. Sandy loam is the best soil for bulbs, but you can improve your soil. Add gypsum to break down clay; peat moss or compost will also help. Bone meal is excellent food for bulbs. It adds phosphorous, which promotes larger and more numerous blooms. Mix bone meal well with the soil in the bottom of the bed for best results. Soil pH should be about neutral for these bulbs, but hyacinths and tulips will tolerate more alkaline soils. Plant tulips and daffodils at 5 bulbs per square foot, hyacinths and glacier lilies at 3 to 4 per square foot, and grape hyacinths at 8 to 10 per square foot. After planting, backfill the soil but do not pack it down over the bulbs. Water the bed well. A winter mulch of evergreen branches will help protect your bulbs over winter. Straw is not a good mulch for bulbous plants because as it rots down it attracts disease carrying organisms like botrytis and mold.
The general recommended planting depth for bulbs is three times the height of the bulb deep; pointed end up. Tulips, hyacinths and daffodils should be planted about 6 to 8 inches deep, grape hyacinths and glacier lilies about 4 inches deep.
Leave foliage on your bulbs and let it die down naturally. This feeds the bulbs and helps them to flower well next year. Most bulbs, especially tulips, like dry soil conditions after foliage dies down. In some climates, or if summer bedding is planned for that location, people dig and store their tulip bulbs and replant them in fall. Here in Montana, you can leave the bulbs in the ground if you give no additional summer water. Do not water them until October. To give the roots a boost before winter, spread bone meal over your bulb beds before you water. Glacier lilies and a few other bulbs like to grow in moist soil, but can tolerate dry soil conditions for a short period during late summer.
Tags bone meal, bulbs, compost, grape hyacinths, hyacinths, Iris reticulata, peat moss, preparing bulb beds, snowdrops, tulips	
SOIL PH FOR GROWING VEGETABLES
Soil pH is a measure of acidity or alkalinity. This measurement can range from a very low pH of 1.0 to an extremely high pH of 14.0. 7.0 is considered neutral and several vegetables will thrive in soil with a neutral pH. Some vegetables do prefer a more acidic soil while others prefer a more alkaline soil. Fortunately most will grow and produce well in a pH range of 5.5 to 7.5. Areas with high rainfall, such as coastal Washington, tend to have acidic soils high in organic matter, while areas with lower rainfall, such as most of the mountain valleys in Montana, tend to have alkaline soils low in organic matter. Here in the valleys of the Flathead region, where most of us garden, soils tend to be somewhat to highly alkaline.
Before you amend your existing soil to plant vegetables it is a good idea to test the pH. An easy way is to purchase a test kit. Most of them are easy to use and give fairly accurate readings. Your county extension agent can do a soil test also. Once you have determined your soil pH and which crops you intend to grow, you can amend your garden soil. Adding lime will increase pH and make acidic soils more alkaline; adding sulfur will lower pH and make soils more acidic. Organic matter usually helps reduce alkalinity. Aged manure, pine needles, compost and coir dust are a few amendments that will help do this while they improve soil structure and encourage beneficial soil micro-organisms. If your garden is divided into separate beds or raised beds, it is easier to adjust the soil in each bed for what you plan to grow. I rotate my vegetable crops in a four-year rotation plan, so I try to keep a basic soil pH around 6.0 to 6.5. This way I can grow almost every vegetable, but I slightly adjust pH each year before growing a particular plant. For example, I add sulfur before growing potatoes. Conversely, I add a small amount of lime before planting any of the Brassica family (Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, etc.). Having soil pH correct for each crop will reduce pest and disease problems as well as increase yields.
Here is a listing of pH tolerance ranges for specific vegetables. (The optimum pH for each is usually the median between the two extremes.) I have listed vegetables preferring more acidic soils first and those preferring more alkaline soils last:
Potatoes, 4.5-6.0; sweet potatoes, 5.6-6.5; horseradish and rhubarb, 5.5-6.8; butternut squash, carrots, corn, eggplant, lettuce, peanuts, peppers, pumpkins and watermelon, 5.5-7.0; cucumbers, garlic, winter squash, and tomatoes, 5.5-7.5; celery, 5.9-6.9; soybeans and strawberries, 6.0-6.8; onions, radishes, shallots and spinach, 6.0-7.0; beets, any of the Brassica family, peas, summer squash, Swiss chard, and zucchini, 6.0-7.5; okra, 6.0-8.0.
Tags acidity, alkalinity, composted manure, cottage gardening, cucumbers, garden planning, heirloom plants, heirloom vegetables, organic soils, soil amendments, soil pH, soils	