I Am A Seed Hoarder

[baymule]

Purple cauliflower is the best! It makes the most gorgeous salads ever!

 

[Lazy Gardener]

Totally. Love that place. I emailed them about Texas Gourdseed corn and they replied that they will have limited amounts available online after the first of the year. Checking every day!! Also going to order purple sweet potato slips from them. Plan on making wire circles, filling with leaves and manure for planting them in to keep the durn gophers out!

Before placing that order: Go to your closest "health food" store, or any where else that they sell quality produce, and see if you can buy some purple sweet potatoes. It's super easy to start your own slips from a sweet potato. Lots of on line "how to's". But, the best way to get lots of slips is to lay the tuber sideways in a pot of flat of soil, and partially cover it with soil. Should have lots of slips that can be removed, and rooted in water before potting up, in no time.

 

[GypsyG]

That is not progress......

But I wanted the pink yarrow, black Spanish raddishes, columbine, and lufa gourds too...

 

[baymule]

Before placing that order: Go to your closest "health food" store, or any where else that they sell quality produce, and see if you can buy some purple sweet potatoes. It's super easy to start your own slips from a sweet potato. Lots of on line "how to's". But, the best way to get lots of slips is to lay the tuber sideways in a pot of flat of soil, and partially cover it with soil. Should have lots of slips that can be removed, and rooted in water before potting up, in no time.

I've done that before with sweet potatoes. I have never seen purple ones in the store. This is an area known for growing sweet potatoes, you'd think somebody would grow purple ones.

 

[Lazy Gardener]

Huh. I would expect you to have them. I know I've seen them occasionally here. Do you have a whole foods or other health food type of store near you? Perhaps put up a post in the gardening section on BYC, or on your state thread to see if any one is growing them? Once you get some, you can propagate your own supply every year by saving back a moderate sized tuber to grow next year's slips. My season is too short and too cold for success with sweets.

 

[Mini Horses]

OK, OK -- you all caused this!!!!!!!

NOW --- I must order the purple & yellow cauli! I am concerned about stroking the keys for other things, too.

I went thru a catalog I got yesterday (Yah/boo) And listed things I surely need . Trying to be good -- I then went thru seed packets & bags & boxes...of more seeds. Crossed off of list the ones I already have -- several Then, realized I had a big box of seed a friend sent me when she sold her little NY farm & moved to FL. BIG BOX. There is perennial rye, hulless oats, barley, winter wheat, veggies, flowers, etc. Already had purchased buckwheat, 4 clover types, vetch, dundale pea, millet, milo, flax...etc. WHAT?? I want to grow more animal feed...so bought seeds.

Yeah, grains, mangel beets, more barley, turnips that top more than bulb, chicory, alfalfa, you name it! Went on line to review all these for planting "bests"....find yet another clover type I know I need out there! Plus some facts about what can/cannot be used for feeding stalks, leaves, etc. from the grains. Nice.

I WILL plant and grow more in the way of animal feed! If I want to retire (well, mostly) I must raise more. With 14 acres, I have a lot of established pasture, good pasture and some nice browse -- trees, bushes, honeysuckle, etc. But, goats want & need beyond the usual grasses, in addition. Many of these grains can be eaten by me and my animals. None require heavy equipment to harvest. I will have more time than money. So I will overseed a few pastures for rotation, will plow a couple smaller ones for grains, pumpkins, sunflower, etc. and hope to supplement some feed costs. You will get some reports. Hey, I may even have to begin a thread this Spring.

Oh -- Sustainable Seeds, Southern Exposure Seed Exchange and Nature's Finest Seed, all good sites. Especially for we "southerners" as some seed specific for heat & normal low moisture (we generally are that). Nature's Finest has mixes for all over the country, various animal types, based on what grows well, nutrition requirements, etc. Even if you don't buy their seed...good information.

WOW -- this became a book!! It's raining, I'm stuck inside!

 

[baymule]

We even have a sweet potato festival, but no purple ones.

https://www.yamboree.com/1720/

@Mini Horses I have read that buckwheat is toxic to livestock. I was looking at it for a cover crop, but if that's the case, I don't even want it on the place. Horses especially.

I went out between rain storms and scattered Dutch White Clover, a short growing, perennial clover. I am going to broadcast giant Bermuda in early spring.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Learn something new every day:

https://csuvth.colostate.edu/poisonous_plants/Plants/Details/44

I had no idea...

 

[Mini Horses]

@Mini Horses I have read that buckwheat is toxic to livestock. I was looking at it for a cover crop, but if that's the case, I don't even want it on the place. Horses especially.

Yep, a hypersensitive to sunlight issue, in quantity. Not the seed, just the stem/leaves.

Also, Flax...seed is great for them, BUT plant growth has prussic acid. A huge "no-no"

Obviously, these two patches must be set up in a totally controlled area. They were never planned for leaf/stem use, only seed. Some sorghums are issues, as is Johnson grasses. Then there are the fescue endophytes, nightshades (tomato family) and so on. We have dangers all around and because many are bitter, if tasted, MOST animals will leave them. Unfortunately, the amounts consumed, animal involved, etc., some are quite deadly.

Clover are a better cover crop, and safer. Plus excellent nutients, horses, goats, sheep & chickens love it.


But flax seed is a hugely helpful dietary item.

Here's info:
Fagopyrin, a dianthroquinone is present in both the green and dried plant; but not the ripe seeds. Once absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract, the fagopyrin in the blood vessels of the non pigmented skin, reacts with ultra violet waves from sunlight. Radiant energy in the form of fluorescence produced by the fagopyrin when exposed to sunlight causes damage to the blood vessels in non pigmented skin. This primary photosensilization can be severe to the point of causing cell death and sloughing of the skin

Animals with white skin are most severely affected. Black skinned animals are not affected except for showing photophobia if the eyes are not pigmented. Initially the non pigmented skin becomes reddened, severely pruritic, swollen and painful. Severe photosensitization results in serum exidation and necrosis of the skin, causing the skin to become dry, parchment-like and eventually sloughing. Affected animals become very agitated when exposed to sunlight often desperately seeking shade under vehicles, buildings, trees etc. to avoid exposure to sunlight light.

The main plant primary photosensitizers are Buckwheat, St. John's wort, bishops weed (Ammi majus), and spring parsely (Cymopterus species)

 

[baymule]

I research things to death before I plant them. I don't want to unleash a runaway toxic plant on my place.