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Good morning Gentle Reader,
By the time you have searched out a page like this; you are in pursuit of plants or seed grown for northern conditions.
We only produce simple, old fashioned seed and plants which will grow in a short season and have been grown by two people
with mobility disabilities.
Tedious stuph every gardener should read (but often does not)
You will find no GMO's nor even intentional F1 hybrids. That said, no one lives in utter isolation. In future years I
suspect no seed stock will be utterly free of the result of mad tinkering by our agri-biz giants. Just know we have never
sought out such seed, and will not knowingly support this kind of irresponsible monopolism. We have not,nor will we seek organic
certification. We rarely use any kind of
pesticide (our last use was rotenone 4 years ago) beyond BT for some specific pests. Our sole soil additives are manure,
limestone, rock phosphor, and compost for plants used for food. We do fertilize woody plants for bonsai training with Osmocote
pellets; we have found fewer problems with that than the comparatively sloppy manure cakes that canbe made for bonsai training.
If you want photo spreads and four color seed packets look someplace else. We have diligently worked on making what we
ship arrive safe and viable. Seed packets will contain a bare description of the cultivation needs of the seed contained,
if you are a new gardener, ask us questions. Every seed packet and every cover letter will contain an
eddress, phone number and this web site--in our estimation we'd rather help you from where you are, than send out a copy
of 10,000 Gardening Questions Answered with each order.
Days to maturity. We grow in central New Hampshire. Depending on which map you read we are on the border between zones
4 and 5, or well over into zone 4. The old saw of; "wait the weather will change" applies to us. We will only list
by approximation when we think fruit will ripen. Very cold sites may need to forego (or pick green) what we consider "late"
tomatoes. Providence runs this game not us. If we sell it, we grew it. Period.
Counting seeds is tedious; we try not to resort to it. As a result we use measures for almost all seed. By trial and error
that tends to result in us guaranteeing that seed packets will contain an average number of seeds (Sample Packets are an exception;
we'll get to that later). For tomatoes we promise that there will be more than 25 seeds
per packet. When we have resorted to counting them most times that works out to an average of more like 60+ seeds per
packet. Stuff with tiny seeds like St Johnswort that means there will be more than 100 seeds per packet.
Yes! we swap seeds and plants! By cultivar one for one for the plants--seeds we are seeking. If barter is your preference
ask us.
Yes we accept SASEs. However not by specific cultivar directly, for people who must have a gift of a specific cultivar
of seed we have (due to space limitations) subcontracted that chore, ask-we'll explain how we do that.
Seed Packets are $ 2.00 each without exception. Shipping for seed packets is $ 1.50 for however many packets you buy.
Heirloom OP Tomatoes
Ararat Flamed, an indeterminate tomato-leaf orange-red cherry tomato. Not quite as acidic as Jaune Flammee, nor as orange
colored. (mid-season)
Arumugam's, a semi-determinate tomato-leaf red cherry. If your looking for what gets grown for tomato in India here is
a new release from Michael Ford. It produced well for us in a dismal year. (mid-season)
Black Sea Man, Semi-determinate (god bless proof readers) potato-leaf purple beefsteak. Guessing which tomatoes should
have a determinate or semi-determinate listing gets down right fuzzy in short season sites(like ours) this is one of this
years trial and a taste winner. Mid-season.
Brandywine, indeterminate potato-leaf pink beefsteak. Over the years we have tried several different varieties of this
cultivar; this is the first one that sat up and grew fruits. This is a well known cultivar,which will produce more than just
a couple fruit per vine. Mid-season.
Cherokee Chocolate, indeterminate tomato-leaf 'brown' beefsteak. Do darker tomatoes taste more? We dunno. This cultivar
sure sits up and produces for us. If you are new to brown / black tomatoes check for ripeness often. Midseason.
Cherokee Purple, indeterminate tomato-leaf purple beefsteak. This is another dark tomato which is slightly smaller fruited
and has a smaller vine than its cousin, oh its a shade redder too. Mid-season.
Cherry, (unnamed) indeterminate tomato-leaf red cherry. This has been a standard for us for years. One of our top producers,
and our bench mark for earliness when we were new to this, this was our first early tomato. Early
Cows Tit, indeterminate lanceolate-leaf horn shaped red paste. Anybody who has ever warmed their head on the flank of
a cow will recognize how the teat shaped fruit of this cultivar got its odd name. Keith Mueller introduced this darned tasty
paste tomato, throw away them funky cardboard tasting "pastes" and grow something yummy enough to eat in the field.
Mid-season.
DePinto, Semi-determinate tomato-leaf red paste. Too big for a tomato cage the 2-3 Oz fruit grow best on a five foot tall
trellis. Passes the 'eat in the field' taste requirement(of ours).
Ferris Wheel, indeterminate tomato-leaf pink-red beefsteak. This seed came to us all crossed up with a much smaller red
tomato, we think we have it sorted out back to its original standard as introduced by Salzer Seed Co. in 1898. Say thank you
for its availability to Craig Lehoullier. Not in wide distribution. Mid to Late season.
Gilbertie, indeterminate lanceolate-leaf red horn shaped paste. Had we not run into Cows Tit first, this tomato is the
one we would have been singing an anthem to. Just a few days behind and a bit smaller than CT. When grown side by side with
CT only then can you tell these two apart.
Jaune Flammee, indeterminate tomato-leaf orange cherry-tomato. The occasional green shoulder aside, this is a little tomato
with a big taste. Plant these, step back, and learn to love little orange tomatoes. Early mid-season.
Julia Child, indeterminate potato-leaf pink beefsteak. Lanky long plants make a real pretty beefsteak that I think should
do well on the farm stand. Mid-season.
Long Keeper, indeterminate tomato-leaf 'orange' slicer (6x7). Eaten right off the vine this tomato will upset some growers:
it needs 8-12 weeks storage out of direct sunlight (like under your bed) before its orange rind begins to show, when then
sliced its much redder interior and perfume will come out of this true storage tomato. If you plant to
live off the grid, this tomato is for you. Late season.
Lucky Cross, indeterminate potato-leaf stripped yellow-orange-red beefsteak. This is the sole 'experimental' tomato we're
offering this year. It still throws off a few sterile blooms (that never make fruit).
It is not a fully stabilized cultivar which probably ought to be grown 75 miles south of us. When ripe you will have in
your hand a striking 1 pound plus tomato with yellow shoulders running to a red blush on the blossom end. It looks and tastes
better than text will permit me to tell
you. Late season.
Olena's Ukrainian, indeterminate (rampant) potato-leaf pnk-red beefsteak. This monster of a vine is what seduced me away
from my old stand-bys like Rutgers. It needs to be a bit overgrown under cover and planted out just as early as you dare to
field, in order to get more than just a couple of fruit-sets. The biggest fruit I get run under
three pounds of beefsteak bliss.
A Carolyn Male introduction. Mid-season.
Paul Robeson, semi-determinate tomato-leaf brown slicer (6x7). not quite big enough to attribute as a beefsteak tomato,
more than tasty enough to be considered as the 'best black', hence the name. Another five foot vine that won't readily fit
into a tomato cage. Mid-season.
Porter, indeterminate tomato-leaf pink cherry. Porter sets robins egg shaped hot pink fruit in clusters (up to eleven
per cluster). Of all the 'pinks' we've trialed this one is the is the pinkest of the lot. Mid-season.
Preacher, indeterminate tomato-leaf pink cherry. Bigger fruited than than Porter. Legend has it this tomato was named
after a circuit riding preacher who showed up at supper most often when it was in season. Mid-season
Stupice, indeterminate potato-leaf red cherry. Too big to really be called a cherry tomato. This is the energizer bunny
of tomato plants, it is first to ripen and produces fruit right up till frost. A taste winner even if it does throw off the
occasional fruit with green shoulders.
Early!
Tibet Appel, semi determinate tomato leaf pink slicer (6x6). A Dutch introduction that has fruit a bit too small to be
called a beefsteak-even though it has that desirable oblate shape. IMO worth trial for farm stand production. Mid-season.
Tigerella Cross, indeterminate tomato-leaf striped (yellow-orange-red)beefsteak. Earlier than Lucky Cross with beautiful
looking (and tasting)fruit. This and all of the other striped tomatoes we have tried are heat loving accessions need the warmest
micro-climate you can provide. Expect that there will be better years than others when you grow stripped tomatoes.
White Beauty, indeterminate tomato-leaf pale yellow beefsteak. It does also throw off the occasional very pale pink beefsteak.
This is as close to a white as we have found to date.
Yellow Pear, indeterminate tomato-leaf yellow pear shaped cherry. We have grown this cultivar on and off for 30 years,
If does have a bit of acidic bite and will drop fruit earlier than some other heirlooms, these two deficits aside there is
good reason why it has found a home in
gardens for more than a century.
Culinary and Medicinal Herbs
Genovese Basil, large leafed and pungent. freeze (rather than dry)leaves for pesto makings.
Pennyroyal, low growing and pungent. We stuff dried bundles under the mattress.
Purple Coneflower, a large fibrous rooted plant making good mast for birds and roots well used in tonics.
Valerian, stinky rooted sleep aide and well known anti-spasm herb. A tall umble flower with a pretty scent (the blooms
anyway).
Violet, small low growing English member of the hearts ease family. Common purple blooms.
Other Garden seeds
Asparagus, We collected the original seed from a ditch, it looks to be the orphan children of Mary Washington plants of
who knows how long ago. (School St, Laconia)
Broom Corn, 7+ foot tall red and white seeded cultivars. The stuff brooms got made of and one of our most common barrier
plants for between tomatoes.
Corn Hopi Pink, Sugary OP sweet corn less than six foot tall stalks. Growing 2 ears of pale pink (at first milk) 6-7"
long ears.
Corn Double Standard, this is really two cultivars of nearly identical corn (you can separate white from yellow seeds
and grow nearly perfectly white or yellow corns). I grow it as a bicolor sweet corn.
Cucumber, White wonder-white something or other, this cultivar has a distinctive white rind on an 8" fruit that has
been around since the last half of the 19th century under several different 'white' names. Running vine that takes to a trellis
well.
Blue Hubbard, It takes a deft hand to peel this rock hard rind so don't, drop it on pavement like I do and bake the flesh
till is scoops easily off the armor.
Butternut, much thinner skinned Waltham strain with stout orange flesh making a great winter squash.
Woodies
Crab Apple, we select small fruited rough barked trees for seed collection. The canny botanist will harken back to opening
paragraphs about how we won't knowingly sell F1 hybrids; we don't specifically pollinate the seeds we collect. They are selected
based on one parent's characteristics; making them good candidates for either landscape or bonsai training. No one can tell
if there is a stray malus illinoensis in the family tree, so little green crab apples could be in your future.
Hackberry, the American cousin of an Asian tree used for bonsai. It does occasionally throw off a very tiny leafed accession.
Originally wild collected, Tilton NH.
Quince, (Chaemenomeles) mostly Orange blossoms. we do have several contorted cultivars so expect wide variability of your
saplings.
Live Plants
Yes! we do barter. Contact us and lets see if we can work out a swap. Yes we supply several thousand packets of free seed
each year, contact us for details on how to do that too.
Sales and barter is exclusively done in person at 19 Fairveiw Ave,Henniker NH.
(603)428-7022. Email us for directions at nhadapt@conknet.com
Look for next years seed inventory on this page some time around 1/1/06
Tom Cagle
Bunny McLeod
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