I just received an email from a reader of TMG, Alice, who lives in Northern Nevada.
She is an energetic gardener in her 70’s whose current garden is only 3 years old. Her first year at this new location she did a raised bed garden until she discovered she was on top of the leech line of the sewer system. Since that was a definite NO — she moved the garden further down the slope. In this — her 3rd year at this location – she reports the “soil in the beds is just amazing.”
In case you’re wondering how it got that way : Alice used non treated grass clippings, leaves, topsoil, shredded brown paper bags, cardboard, egg cartons and her own compost to layer the beds. Then she covered with straw and let them sit until planting time.
She took a cue from my winter sown project this year and utilized it herself to find it just perfect for her situation. In addition, she’s just put in a small greenhouse and is very excited about all the new things she’ll have to learn to be successful with greenhouse gardening.
Readers E-Mail
In planning for her fall garden, Alice sent the following email to Pinetree Garden Seeds on July 13, 2012:
I am very happy with the seeds I purchased this Spring and am in the process of making a list of seed to purchase for Fall planting. My question is, do you have a list of seeds that you carry that are purchased from Monsanto? I do not wish to support this company in any way. Once again, thank you.
They were a bit tardy in answering because — as they explained — her email for some reason ended up in the wrong folder. Nonetheless, the reply came today, July 23rd.
Pinetree Garden Seeds replies:
As part of their reply they quoted their policy regarding Monsanto that they have placed on their website. And by the way — if you’ll recall — as part of my post on Seed Companies — I mentioned that I thought when Pinetree saw the big picture — they would no longer support Monsanto and end that relationship. Well, for whatever reason —-it looks as if I was right.
Below is the part of their reply that I think you will find most interesting. Here’s the link to their policy page in case you wish to read the entire policy paragraph in its entirety.
“—-Pinetree has signed the Safe Seed Pledge in the past but has chosen not to this year because we do not feel it is worded strongly enough and is used more as a tool for marketing than a political statement. More than promise not to “knowingly” sell or buy GM seeds, Pinetree promises not to sell or buy them. Period.
In the interest of full disclosure, Pinetree has purchased seeds from Seminis in the past. We did not purchase their seeds this year, nor do we intend to in the future. Our relationship with Seminis predates the Monsanto acquisition by many years and we had always felt they were a responsible company but have chosen not to support Monsanto in any capacity.”
Final Thoughts
I sure appreciate Alice’s thoughtfulness in letting me know about this.
I plan to drop a note (email – superseeds@superseeds.com ) to Pinetree Garden Seeds and tell them how glad I am they are no longer supporting Monsanto. If not today — then with my next order.
The small home garden quantities of seed they offer coupled with great low prices has made them unique among garden seed companies for many years. The decision they’ve made to discontinue any association with Monsanto will endear them even more to the home gardener who is keeping up with what is going on. I know it’s made a difference with me.
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This list is a list of Seminis/Monsanto varieties that Pinetree still offers until they are sold out. I will avoid purchasing any of these from Pinetree (or anywhere else.) This is the list they sent to Alice.
SEMINIS/MONSANTO seed
44. PACKMAN BROCCOLI
8402 CHEDDAR CAULIFLOWER
133 SWEETER YET CUCUMBER
137 SWEET SUCCESS CUCUMBER
138 EARLY TRIUMPH CUCUMBER
142 SALAD BUSH CUCUMBER
151 DUSKY EGGPLANT
158 LAVENDER TOUCH EGGPLANT
20501 SIMPSON ELITE LETTUCE
215 RED SAILS LETTUCE
22601 AMBROSIA MELON
230 FASTBREAK MELON
239 CAJUN DELIGHT OKRA
257 MR BIG PEA
27101 BIG BERTHA SW PEPPER
274 RED BEAUTY
281 HOLY MOLE PEPPER
293 SPIRIT PUMPKIN
300 ORANGE SMOOTHIE PUMPKIN
340 AMBASSADOR SUM SQUASH
342 GLODBAR SUM SQUASH
34601 SCALLOPINI SUM SQUASH
347 SUNDANCE SUM SQUASH
348 GREYZINI SUM SQUASH
34801 PAPAYA PEAR SUM SQUASH
349 GOLDRUSH SUM SQUASH
350 LOLITA SUM SQUASH
371 EARLY BUTTERNUT WINTER SQUASH
38001 AUTUMN CUP WINTER SQUASH
38202 HI-BETA GOLD WINTER SQUASH
390 BEEFMASTER TOMATO
391 BETTER BOY TOMATO
393 GOLDEN GIRL TOMATO
395 CLUSTER GRANDE TOMATO
400 CELEBRITY TOMATO
407 SUN SUGAR TOMATO
446 SWEET DIANE WATERMELON
W120 STRAIGHT N NARROW BEAN
W130 COOL BREEZE IMP CUCUMBER
W479 THAI NIPPON TAKA HOT PEPPER
Recommended Posts for Additional Reading or Review:
Seed Companies – Selecting Them
Saving Seed – Why You’d Want to
Seed – The advantages – Diane’s Flower Seeds
GMO-GE-Food – What are they? Why They’re Dangerous. How you can Protect Yourself
Heirloom Vegetable Seeds – Flowers – Seeds – Two More Good Sources
Maria Rodale’s Open Letter to Obama
How to Tell if the Origin of Seed is Seminis/Monsanto – Clarification
Monsanto – Don’t Entrust Your Life to Them
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Organic gardening is easy, efficient, effective and —- it’s a lot healthier.
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That’s great. Kudos to Alice for acting on your information. And kudos to Pinetree for their response. Ohhhh, and hurrah for Fall gardening. I just planted H. turnips yesterday.
Good for you Sandra! I’m a little behind you, but not far. 🙂
Good Morning Theresa!
Thank you for sharing all your wisdom with us out here in the fields! I have a tomato question. I have roma tomatoes in one of my beds, they grew like wildfire – better than most of the other varieties I have – up til now. The green ones are perfect, but the red ones are black on the bottom…every single one of them. Is this some type of root rot? How do I treat so I don’t lose the whole crop?
Thanks,
Beth
Hi Beth,
So good to hear from you!
Sounds like your tomatoes have blossom end rot. Fortunately it also sounds like they’ve straightened themselves out —- which often happens — and the newer ones don’t have it.
Blossom end rot is due to the plant not being able to take about enough calcium. Many times there is enough calcium in the soil, but because of the dryness — the plant can’t take it up — which may have been the case back during that dry spell we had.
If the green ones are ok — I wouldn’t be too concerned.
Hope your harvest will be big one!
Theresa
Thanks Theresa,
I’m keeping them under watch…with all this rain lately perhaps they have righted themselves! Your garden is absolutely beautiful – I’m so excited to learn from you!
Beth
Let me know how your other tomatoes do Beth.