More than I really wanted or needed. The 4 kids all made it home for Christmas, and my wife and I got nice clothes, just what we wanted and like, set of Pyrex cookware, set of quality non stick pots and pans with some really unique lid set ups that you can turn this way or that and use to strain stuff, and on and on.
The one that most relates to gardening and that I am eager to try is the one at the link below. It was an internet order that has not made it here yet, but I think that it will come in handy around the homestead relating to gardening and composting.
Bill P.

Here is a link that might be useful: The Gift.

Anything Digital is ok ;-)

Greg, what do members charge for their seed. I got the catalog, public and all it says for the membership you get more catalogs and list members that have seed too.?????
And you can go to the meeting. That would be out for me as too far off and with a garden could not leave it. Be interesting to go to. I can find more seed to buy way it is than I can afford or plant and take care of. I do not grow anything special. I could not find anymore on internet than in catalog on membership. $35 for a big catalog some how I am not getting why of it.

I got for Xmas gift a Troybuilt cultivator. It is in a box under the tree right now. Tells how to service and and that good stuff in the booklet but says don't start till it is in the garden and then use. No ideas on how to use it or what it will do in garden. Rather I can weed betwen plants with it???? I had planned to plant tomatoes in check and till both ways this year. Weeds were terrible this year. Others same problem. Comes in the irrigation water a lot. With this smaller one I can get in longer than with big one.

CW,

I am new to the SSE so I don't know all the details but my impression is that members can ask other members for seed they listed but in turn they must list the tomato variety in the following years catalog. This means that if you get seed from a member then you are required to make the seeds available (grow the plant not start a seed collection ;-) ) to other members the following year.

If you are interested in trying new(or old), hard to find, tomatoes this is a good way to do it as well as a good way preserve heirloom varieties for posterity.

I have an idea for your weed issue. I bought the black, semi-permiable plastic from Lowe's last year. It makes an easy to apply mulch that elminates weeds at the same time. I highly recommend it.

Greg

I am new to the SSE so I don't know all the details but my impression is that members can ask other members for seed they listed but in turn they must list the tomato variety in the following years catalog. This means that if you get seed from a member then you are required to make the seeds available (grow the plant not start a seed collection ;-) ) to other members the following year.

Not unless the person you request the seed from specifically listed it as an MR (Must Relist).

Greg, what's your seed box look like and what's it made of?

I need to get a bit more organized with my seed collection. Been thinking about switching to the #12 vials Southern Exposure Seed Exchange (and some other suppliers carry).

(Greg, what do members charge for their seed. I got the catalog, public and all it says for the membership you get more catalogs and list members that have seed too.?????
And you can go to the meeting. That would be out for me as too far off and with a garden could not leave it. Be interesting to go to. I can find more seed to buy way it is than I can afford or plant and take care of. I do not grow anything special. I could not find anymore on internet than in catalog on membership. $35 for a big catalog some how I am not getting why of it.)

The why of it is to help preserve heirloom varieties of veggies, grains and fruit trees, etc. for the future.

The public catalog tells you how many listings there are for each category, look at the heading for tomatoes, for instance, and you'll see what I mean.

The price for seeds from the annual Yearbook was just raised last year, for the first time in many years, as a result of a vote taken by all listed members, and there were three options. The one I voted for was not the one voted in.lOL

Prices for seeds and tubers varies depending on seed size and anticipated shipping costs, but for tomato seeds the current price is $2/pack of at least 25 seeds to listed SSE members in the US and Canada and $3/pack for unlisted SSE members ( those who list nothing in the Yearbook).

Nowhere's else will you find over 3000 tomato varieties and most of them quite rare and not found elsewhere.

Before there was a TGS, a Baker Creek, an SESE, a TT, or any other tomato seed source, there was the SSE Yearbook and that was and is the source of varieties to almost all the small specialty companies that most folks deal with for tomato seeds and many of the owners of those companies are SSE members, either listed or unlisted.

The popluarity of heirloom tomatoes today is direftly related to the many seed companies that have been formed that sell them to the public. And without SSe members listing their varieties first in the Yearbook, there wouldn't be those companies. And it's one reason I encourage everyone to at least BUY some of their tomato seeds rather than trading seeds, b'c the money input is what keeps those small companies afloat.

I've been sending the best of my growouts for trial to several places I'm comfortable with for many years, but that's b'c I know the owners and b'c they trust my judgment after growing out as many varieties as I have.

And no, you don't get other catalogs with your membership, what you get are Summer and Fall editions with articles about this and that related to GMO, certain growers, articles highlighting many different aspects of the preservation of heirloom varieties.

Does that help?

Carolyn

Greg, you tried to cover 3/4 acre with plastic and not cost an arm and leg to do it????. I like plastic but I am in area you must water the garden to grow anything, So ditch beside each row for water, I put in a 1000 feet of black plastic last year. Had to lay by hand in early morning with no wind by my self. 100 foot rows. I buried the edges and kept it down. The cows walked over it and some was not much left. Not my cows. It was heck to pull out that fall and had to cut off the tomatoes to drag them off. Can't mulch and run the water. Have to re-do ditches every so often as long as can get ditcher through, (tiller or even Little Monster.) I may stop by Lowes and see what they have. Have to till the ditches or can't re-ditches. I do not explain things very good. This year I had 25 rows of tomatoes 100 foot long each. I am willing to test what ever.

I thought it was you had to list seed to ask others for seed. That is what I am trying to learn. 2006 year book is already made up and be mailed in Feb. There has to be a dead line there some where to get listed in it to be able to participate in it. ????? Oh well

Thanks for your suggest.

Back to Santa: I got books; fantasy by George R. R. Martin and mystery by Flynn. We got our real Christmas present in June with the birth of our first heir to the throne. And, he by the way, got from me (grand-Santa) his first fishing rod and reel. Not a Spiderman or Scooby-doo pole, but a real live Johnson made for Pro-Bass Shop ultra light spin caster. And I have the time to teach him how to use it.

I asked that others fore go my gifts so that I could instead buy an autistic boy in Louisiana a replacement 55 gallon aquarium kit as he lost his in Katrina. My son is nutso about and motivated by fish so I could relate to this family's situation.

Until recently he and his family were living at a fire station supposedly because he could not tolerate the FEMA centers (I can relate). They moved back in and hopefully he will be able to once more feel "at home" and regain a since of order - something very improtant to many autistics.

Hortist,

Thats teaching your son about Spirit of Christmas; very nice.

Paul,

I did the same thing with my girls. The Barbie poles just break in a week and my daughters want to do serious fishing!

CW,

Sounds like you have a serious garden! You can do drip irrigation with black plastic (semi-permiable, the water can get through it). Have you ever considered that as a way to save time? For you it sounds like it would require 1000 feet of the 1/2 polyethlene tubing which would cost you $65 at

www.dripirrigation.com

Also 100 drippers would cost you $18.50. Just a thought,

Greg

How does one become a listed member??? You have to offer some seed? And unlisted you don"t?

I do buy my seed so far. I buy my seed mostly from the local seed house. So saved some seed to use this year and so coming year I will not have to buy the same over and can buy more other kinds to try. Yes, I am limited in money to spend on seed just to try. With our shorter season here than a lot of places I am limited in what I can try with hope of it making it. Just under 5000 feet. I can well under stand why people are trading seed. It adds up fast.

Greg, irrigation water is too dirty and not enough pressure. City water would cost too much to use. It is full of mud and moss and what have you. I am using 6 inch gated pipe. For here it is the cheapest , best I can do. 3/4 acre. Irrigation I own shares and still pay like $243 for water for the summer. April through Oct. Pipe goes from front of place to back and the valve on the bigger pipe line ran $l200. Neigbor watering his acre with pump next to me and it is over on my place at times. Pasture and sprays it. It seems to go through with his pump. This was my second year with a big garden. I can usually do about 12 rows at a time. Depending on water. More or less. I am all for cutting labor and getting it done. With a pump they get water on lawns. This gated pipe is a lot easier than I ever had it for a garden here. 1000 feet of plastic only did 10 rows. Drip is a good idea.

CW,

Drip definitely works well on my small and distributed garden. If I had the space I would certainly have many more plants; 42 at least :-)

Greg

Well flynn, it kinda looks like Santa musta missed a lot of houses and did not finish his appointed rounds. Guess there are a lot of disappointed little boys and girls out there, eh?
":^)
Bill P.

A white Chrigtmas for sure!(LOL)
And a new house and a new place to grow maters I hope.
I wont know for sure till I throw my boots off on the floor.
Worth

My kids got me a digital thermometer---the kind with the probe and wire. We've seen it used a lot on "Good Eats" with Alton Brown and I've commented how I should get one of those. My DH got me a Cuisinart food processor/blender 2 in 1. My blender died awhile ago and my food processor was on its last legs. I'm a little worried about the size of the food processor attachment because it only holds 3 cups. My DH will be dissapointed if I take it back though, so I'll hang on to it and if I need a bigger one, I'll go get one---I guess. My sister got us a portable dvd player---that will be awesome when we travel with the kids. I am just happy all of my family was healthy. I love the look on my kid's faces Christmas morning, and pretending I'm asleep when they get up and see what Santa brought---the excitement in their voices is priceless!

Tyffanie

Bill,

Seems mixed, I guess Santa dosn't do real estate.

Greg

Greg, I will be heading for around a 1000 tomato is all as I do not stake. But I am thinking of staking the cherries and small fruited ones. Looks like SSE using cages down the rows for things. Fine material covering. Ideas. I have some of that fine material and maybe can make cage covers to protect them in spring from CTV. This garden is a full time job. Black cherry and green pineapple did not survive it. I will try the other half of the package this year and see. Testing early tomatoes to see how they do here. I have ideas I want to try for the sugar beet flea hoppers to cut down on CTV. County agent nothing you can do. Hoophouse and such I can not afford. I need post over on the P & S . I was comparing the 3 catalogs last night some. One does need more than one catalog Same name,different size and color. I need to cut my list to buy down> Any of you have that problem?

CW,

Do you sell your crop? Seems like a lot for just a single family.

Greg

Yes, Greg, Iam a small market gardener. I have been selling at the local Farmers' Market. Tomatoes I select I guess would be different from from home gardener maybe. Or just more of it. I try to pick what I think will sell and have a few fun ones too. Try to grow a new different veggie to put on the table at market. Trying to figure out how much to plant of something, can I cut it down and add something else. Or do I need more of this or that. It is more fun. I have added a new pepper to my list as one lady says she can eat that kind and not regular bells. And she took me over to this other market gardener's table to be sure for me to know what they looked like. My main selling crop is tomatoes. This coming year I am planning to sell out of town in and up-scale area. It will mean a drive once a week plus going to the local market. So I am going to have to guess what kind of stuff I need plant. This list of tomatoes I want is too long.

CW,

This is very interesting. What Heirlooms have been good sellers and which have been poor sellers? Are people interested in colors? I found Earl of Edgecombe to look great in a salad.

Greg

I am not into selling heirlooms. Basically they seem to want a good red tomato. So I am trying a few of the others. I am setting 80 days as top limit for a tomatoes. I sell vine ripened tomatoes . That many days does eliminated a bunch. Yellow pears sells and some cherry My colored one were a disaster really because of the horrible weather. So was main crop. First year just red and then red cherry and year pear. This year , my second try I added a few more to test. Money I take it to tight for people to try things. I saw a big difference this year from last. More trying to grow a few tomatoes in their back yards. I will test out these colored tomatoes again. Prices here at market are low. All of us were below store prices. I am limited in starting space and sun/warm space to grow them. I am trying to improve that part.

Ever see a cat go down the row under the black plastic??? They think ditches are to play in when they are younger. My cats `are working cats. If I would have row covers the cats would insist on getting inside them. I wonder if the raccoons would too???? I doubt it.

I do not know what Earl of Edgecombe is so , have not tried. I am waiting on more seed catalogs and to decided finally what tomatoes and tomatoes to public seems here to be round smooth ones.

My wifey got me a turning plow to fit my new garden tractor.
I had been vainly searching for a reasonably priced one.
I got her throws for the couch, loveseat and chair with Thomas Kincade lighthouses on them.
She is an avid collector of anything related to lighthouses.

If those throws are anything like Kincade's pictures they are beautiful.

Some much needed clothes, t-shirts and such, but also 4 cookbooks including a tomato harvest cookbook and a bread cook book. A lot of info to look through. A dvd player and a bunch of stuff, but one thing I really wanted was a chile-grill. It sits on the barbeque and has holes where you set your jalapeno peppers stuffed with cream cheese and wrapped with bacon. Very cool. Not expensive, but that was cool.

My absolute favorite was to spend another year with my family, my mom and dad especially. When health issues knock at the door it sure makes you treasure each holiday,...well EVERY day actually.,,,,, more and more.

Wifey got a new printer for the computer that prints out labels for making your own cd's, as well as pajamas, a dvd-vcr combo unit and a Ralph Lauren polo sweater.

There is more, but I won't bore you with all the details. My BIL gave me a Lowes gift card which I hope to save for potting soil. Can't get enough of that potting soil come spring.

Happy New Year

Not much (which is just fine), because we've been downsizing Christmas over the last few years, trying to focus on the season instead of the gifts. Quite a lot of candy (dark chocolate of various types)...a big book on the Red Sox plus a few other books....best gift for me was quite a lot of time off, plenty of time with my wife and pets, and travelling home to see my parents.

Craig