Food Gardening
New Millenium Style
In early spring 2008, a severe outbreak of E.coli in the lettuce fields of the Salinas Valley shook the confidence of East Coast shoppers. This was contamination of an organic farm, after all! People were shocked to learn that run-off from adjacent property could affect the quality of lettuce that they thought was safer to eat since it was organic. In the following months, the local food movement continued to gain momentum, as we were bombarded with news from China (melamine poisoning), Costa Rica (salmonella), Mexico (E.coli ) and most recently, Georgia, USA (apparent deliberate salmonella contamination of peanut products). Later in April and May of 2008, more and more customers came in looking for vegetable seeds and seedlings.
Coincidence? Probably a little, but not all, we thought.
Later, we learned that for the first time in many years, vegetable seeds outsold flower seeds nationally. That was an impressive stat. This trend is continuing, as gardeners realize that it is fairly easy to grow some of your own food - economical, too. New varieties of vegetables and herbs are lovely to look at, as well. When next in York, see the gardens at Stonewall Kitchen. Superlative. Last August, in Anchorage, Alaska, we saw parsley and basil used ornamentally in flowerbeds - and to tell the truth, they looked better than many of the traditional bedding plants. Chards, lettuces, fennel (a few years ago, we used bronze fennel in a combination with annuals and spent the summer telling people what it was!) all contribute great texture and good eating to the ornamental veg garden.
But, ornamental values aside, we think vegetable gardening is regaining popularity for two very basic reasons - homegrown food tastes better and the price can’t be matched. For some, issues of sustainability are important. Producing some of the food we eat and producing some for others to share is an important value to a lot of people. This season, we have expanded the vegetable seedlings we will have for sale. Johnny’s Select Seeds offers a wide range of seeds suitable for our cool, short summers.Our farm-grown, strong young seedlings will be ready to plant at the end of May. (the lettuces can be planted 4 weeks earlier). The list of the available varieties follows.
This leaves the question: how do I grow vegetables? In generations past, food gardening was an integrated part of the family life and all learned from the prior generation. Few of us have had that home based learning available to us. Since few schools exist that can teach us food production techniques (in between job and kids), we need resources to help us learn how to accomplish this fine idea.
We have an answer. The Cooperative Extension Service at the University of Maine (http://extensionpubs.umext.maine.edu) is an unheralded treasure that we have among us. (See link on our home page) Their website contains page after page of information - a trove of easy-to-read, easy-to-understand information. Here, you can learn food gardening techniques, guided by people who have developed their expertise here in Maine. They also teach workshops that are detailed and always well presented. For more information about the workshops and to request their spring brochure, call Amy Witt at 207.780.4205.
Some basic questions answered by the Extension Service:
How to choose a site?
How to prepare soil for vegetables?
How to choose varieties?
When do I plant?
When do I harvest?
What about water?
What about fertilizer?
What about disease?
What about bugs?
What about staking?
What about rabbits, raccoons, etc.?
Seedling Varieties for Food Gardens
Available This Spring!
All veg plants $4.99
Garden Pak Special
12 for $50.00
Bell Pepper New Ace
50 days to green. 70 days to red.F1 Hybrid. Extra-early and very productive - especially in the north. Medium sized peppers.
Suggested Variety: UMaine Cooperative Extension.
4.5" fibre pot
Bell Pepper Redskin
60 days. F1 Hybrid. Dwarf form was bred for container growing. Medium fruit turns red quickly and holds on the plant for a long time. Much more productive than other dwarf varieties.
4.5" fibre pot
Broccoli Packman
50 days. F1 Hybrid. An early variety that can be planted in spring and fall. A longtime favorite.
Suggested Variety: UMaine Cooperative Extension.
4.5" fibre pot
Cabbage Storage #4
95 days. F1 Hybrid. This variety is good fresh and may also be stored. Produces small heads in 75 days that continue to grow for a mid-fall harvest. Resistant to cabbage yellows.
Suggested Variety: UMaine Cooperative Extension.
4.5" fibre pot
Cantaloupe Earliqueen
75 days. F1 Hybrid. Early ripening variety that does well in the north. Suggested Variety: UMaine Cooperative Extension.
4.5" fibre pot
Chard Bright Lights
28 days baby. 55 days bunching. All-America Selections winner.
Multi-colored stems of gold, orange, pink, purple, red and white
that have slightly different flavors.
>From Johnny’s Selected Seeds.
Suggested Variety: UMaine Cooperative Extension.
Fibre Box (6 plants)
Cucumber Alibi
45 days. This true miniature is excellent for containers. Fruit is 3-4” long but can be harvested earlier. If picking continues, so will production.
14" Patio Container
Cucumber Genuine
48 days. F1 Hybrid. The earliest slicing cucumber. Smooth, dark green fruit is 8” long and not bitter.
4.5" fibre pot
Eggplant Beatrice
62 days. F1 Hybrid. Italian-style eggplant with rounded purple fruit that matures early.
4.5" fibre pot
Eggplant Calliope
64 days. F1 Hybrid. Indian-style eggplant with small white and purple fruit. High yielding in the north. May be picked as baby. Spineless.
4.5" fibre pot
Eggplant Orient Express
58 days. Asian-style, slender 8-10” glossy black fruit. Very early and
well suited to the north.
4.5" fibre pot
Gourds
95 days. This is a mix of small, early fruit with a variety of shapes and colors. Easy to grow.
4.5" fibre pot
Lettuces: Black Seeded Simpson
28 days baby. 48 days full size. Greenleaf variety that can be grown all season long - even in summer.
Suggested Variety: UMaine Cooperative Extension.
Fibre Box (6 plants)
Buttercrunch
28 days baby. 48 days full size. Highly recommended for its baby leaves. The small compact heads have excellent taste.
Fibre Box (6 plants)
New Red Fire
55 days. This lovely red lettuce is slow to bolt and continues to grow well into the summer. Heavy producer.
Suggested Variety: UMaine Cooperative Extension.
Fibre Box (6 plants)
Pumpkin Racer
85 days. F1 Hybrid. Blocky, heavy mid-sized pumpkin usually weighs 12-16 lbs. Very productive with vigorous, semi-bushy vines.
>From UNH and Johnny’s Select Seeds.
Suggested Variety: UMaine Cooperative Extension.
4.5" fibre pot
Squash: Acorn Jet
85 days. Early and good tasting with semi-bush form. Yields 5-7 fruits per plant with an average weight of 3 lbs.
>From Johnny’s Select Seeds.
4.5" fibre pot
Butternut Waltham
105 days. Johnny’s call this the standard-bearing butternut. The fruit is 9” long and weighs 4-5 lb. All-America Selection.
4.5" fibre pot
Summer Yellow Crookneck
58 days. Features buttery taste and firm texture. The big plants bloom a little later but than yield consistently for many weeks. Best picked small. From Johnny’s Select Seeds.
Suggested Variety: UMaine Cooperative Extension.
4.5" fibre pot
Zuccini Meteor
49 days. F1 Hybrid. Early and high yielding. An improved Gold Rush or Sebring. Spineless.
4.5" fibre pot
Tomatoes
Indeterminate: climbing varieties that should be staked or caged for best performance. Fruit ripens for many weeks - until low light and cold temps stop them.
Determinate: bush varieties that do not need pruning and grow in compact forms. Fruit ripens within a concentrated time.
Big Beef Beefsteak (Beefsteak type)
70 days. Indeterminate. F1 Hybrid. Full-flavored globe shaped fruit
that ripen early. All-America Selection.
Suggested Variety: UMaine Cooperative Extension.
4.5" fibre pot
Celebrity (Bush type)
72 days. Determinate. F1 Hybrid. Medium 7-8 oz fruit has good taste and high yields. Quite vigorous.
Suggested Variety: UMaine Cooperative Extension.
4.5" fibre pot
New Girl
62 days. Indeterminate. F1 Hybrids. Very early production with excellent taste and disease resistance.
Suggested Variety: UMaine Cooperative Extension.
4.5" fibre pot
Pruden’s Purple (Heirloom Brandywine type)
67 days. Indeterminate. Very large (1 lb. +) fruits resist cracking. Purple-pink flesh has great taste.
Suggested Variety: UMaine Cooperative Extension.
4.5" fibre pot
Sun Gold (Cherry type)
57 days. Indeterminate. Very sweet yellow fruit begins early and stays late. Suggested Variety: UMaine Cooperative Extension.
4.5" fibre pot
San Marzano (Paste type)
78 days. Indeterminate. Excellent balance of flavor and early yield make this popular.
4.5" fibre pot
Sweet Million (Cherry type)
57 days. Indeterminate. Very sweet red fruit. One of the most popular. Suggested Variety:UMaine Cooperative Extension.
4.5" fibre pot
Totem (Container type)
75 days. F1 Hybrid. A dwarf tomato bred for containers. Fruit is larger than cherry-types and has great flavor.
4.5" fibre pot
Tumbler Tom (Hanger type)
75 days. This cascading, branching tomato works very well in hanging baskets. The vines will grow up to 24” long. Fruit starts early and continues for a long time. If picking continues, so will production.
12" Hanging Basket
Watermelon Sugar Baby
76 days. 6-8” round fruits weigh 8-10 lbs.
Johnny calls this the standard “icebox” melon. Great flavor.
Fibre Box (6 plants)
NEW for 2009!
THE GREENSBOX
(WHAT'S THAT?)
Our portable GREENSBOX is the perfect space to grow personal produce - perfectly healthy and perfectly fresh - wherever and whenever you want it.
Enjoy fresh baby ORGANIC greens all season long -
Harvest from
Your deck!
Your patio!
Your balcony!
Where ever you have sunny space.
We plant the seeds in soil that's enriched with Coast of Maine Lobster Compost,
you grow the food.
Add water when needed.
Pick up your GREENSBOX here at the Farm,
take it home,
harvest your fresh greens,
add vinaigrette.
When your GREENSBOX has been completely harvested, return it and pick up a new one!
Expect to harvest four to
five times.
Only $19.99 plus GREENSBOX deposit
Johnny's Select Seeds
Available at
Plainview Farm
Food gardening, like rearing children, takes the village to do well. Gardeners are always learning and usually, we learn something new with each plant we grow - each year. The elders for the food gardener village in Maine include two important groups: the great people at Johnny's Select Seed and the Cooperative Extension Service.
We have used their trial garden reports and their experience to guide us in selecting the vegetable varieties that will help your food garden succeed.
Your experience (and taste) is valuable to us, as well. Please tell us of your experience - good and not-so. We'll share it with others.
Fresh Pick Bean - bush
Provider Bean - round pod
Fortex Bean - pole
Red Ace Beet
Packman Broccoli
Super Red Cabbage - red
Tendersweet Cabbage - green
Mokum Carrot - early
Bolero Carrot - late
Bright Lights Chard
Northern Pickling Cucumber - pickling
Genuine Cucumber - slicing
Diva Cucumber - seedless
Orient Express Eggplant - Asian
Beatrice Eggplant - Italian
Hansel Eggplant - mini
Ornamental Gourds Gourds - mini
Mild Mesclun Mix Greens
Honey Orange Honeydew Melon
Lincoln Leek
Blackseeded Simpson Lettuce - greenleaf
Waldmanns Dark Green Lettuce - greenleaf
New Red Fire Lettuce - redleaf
Winter Density Lettuce - romaine
Breen Lettuce - red romaine
Buttercrunch Lettuce - buttercrunch
Ermosa Lettuce - butterhead
Halona Cantaloupe
Evergreen Hardy White Scallion
Snow Sweet Peas - snow
Sugar Sprint Peas - snap
Sugarsnap Peas - snap
Ace Pepper - sweet green bell
Carmen Pepper - sweet red bell
Sunray Pepper - sweet bell yellow
Early Jalapeno Pepper - jalapeno
Racer Pumpkin - medium large
Baby Bear Pumpkin - mini
Cherette Radish
Emu Spinach
BonBon Squash - buttercup
Slick Pik Squash - yellow
Raven Squash - zucchini
Meteor Squash - yellow zucchini
Honey Bear Squash - acorn
Waltham Butternut Squash - butternut
New Girl Tomato - indeterminate
Celebrity Tomato - determinate
Moskvich Tomato - heirloom
Brandywine Tomato - heirloom
San Marzano Tomato - Italian paste
Sun Cherry Tomato - yellow cherry
Sugar Baby Watermelon - small
Plainview Farm: Creating the Seasons of Maine Gardens
(207) 829-5004 or garden@plainviewfarm.com