Dirt Poor?

Mary's Heirloom Seeds Quick Links This Week's Specials Coconut Coir pellets Great for Seed starting Mary's Organic Plant Food     DIY Combo Kit   Seed Starting SUPPLIES Organic Plant Food Organic Pest Control FENNEL Organic Garlic *LAST CHANCE* WE'RE ALMOST SOLD OUT! PURPLE SAVOY CABBAGE Heirloom BEANS   Heirloom BEETS Heirloom CABBAGE Heirloom CARROTS   Heirloom CORN    Heirloom CUCUMBERS Heirloom EGGPLANT Heirloom GREENS Heirloom ONIONS   Heirloom PEAS   Heirloom PEPPERS  Heirloom RADISH Heirloom SEEDS Heirloom SQUASH & PUMPKIN Heirloom TOMATOES HERB Seeds Organic Wildflowers Seed Pack Combos FRUIT: Berry Seeds Melon Seeds Watermelon Seeds  SPROUTS DIY Tincture Kits     Order Online and we SHIP! All of the seeds listed are open-pollinated, non-gmo & non-hybrid, non-patented,  untreated, heirloom garden seeds. Mary has signed the Safe Seed pledge.    LEMON BASIL    Join Our List COCONUT COIR BRICKS ON SALE! COCONUT COIR PELLETS ON SALE! A FEW OF OUR FAVORITES HUBBARD BLUE SQUASH   PURPLE PLUM RADISH Candy Roaster Melon Squash Glass Gem Corn     WATERMELON RADISH   NEW ARRIVALS LONG SCARLET CINCINNATI RADISH CASERTA ZUCCHINI MICHILHILI CABBAGE ROUND ZUCCHINI SWEET DUMPLING SQUASH September 15, 2017 Dirt Poor?  This isn't new to us but maybe it's new to you. Fruits and veggies require nutrient dense soil.  Without it, they are lacking vital nutrients. This is why we've shared our own articles such as Using Calcium in the Garden Feeding Your Plants-Updated Fall Garden Soil Prep You'll find a few more relevant articles below. We've also added a bunch of NEW   99 Cent Seed Packs in case you'd like to stock up on seeds.    This is especially helpful if your family "preps" include seeds for each season   There's still plenty of time to plant! September Planting Guide for the US  DIRT POOR?  From Scientific American, "A landmark study on the topic by Donald Davis and his team of researchers from the University of Texas (UT) at Austin's Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry was published in December 2004 in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition. They studied U.S. Department of Agriculture nutritional data from both 1950 and 1999 for 43 different vegetables and fruits, finding "reliable declines" in the amount of protein, calcium, phosphorus, iron, riboflavin (vitamin B2) and vitamin C over the past half century. Davis and his colleagues chalk up this declining nutritional content to the preponderance of agricultural practices designed to improve traits (size, growth rate, pest resistance) other than nutrition." The Organic Consumers Association cites several other studies with similar findings: A Kushi Institute analysis of nutrient data from 1975 to 1997 found that average calcium levels in 12 fresh vegetables dropped 27 percent; iron levels 37 percent; vitamin A levels 21 percent, and vitamin C levels 30 percent. A similar study of British nutrient data from 1930 to 1980, published in the British Food Journal,found that in 20 vegetables the average calcium content had declined 19 percent; iron 22 percent; and potassium 14 percent. Yet another study concluded that one would have to eat eight oranges today to derive the same amount of Vitamin A as our grandparents would have gotten from one.      What can be done? The key to healthier produce is healthier soil. Alternating fields between growing seasons to give land time to restore would be one important step. Also, foregoing pesticides and fertilizers in favor of organic growing methods is good for the soil, the produce and its consumers.  ~~~~~~~~~~~   The article above touches on a few important points, first agricultural practices. Mass produced foods are grown for their size and yield, not necessarily nutritional value. This is one of many reasons we work to grow so much of our own food.   Second, Feed the SOIL to feed your plants. There are so many organic options to feed your soil.  We don't need synthetic, chemical fertilizers and pesticides.   Our DIY Organic Liquid fertilizer recipe is easy to make and feeds the soil AND the garden.   Mycorrhizae is a fungi that has a beneficial relationship with a plants roots. When Mycorrhizal fungi comes into contact with a plants roots it begins to colonize, or multiply, on the roots and begins to spread out into the surrounding soil.     We also offer an Organic Pest Control series on our website as well as several   Organic Soil Amendment options   Lastly, Heirloom Seeds are unaltered and open-pollinated.  If you are looking for seed varieties that have withstood the test of time, choose Heirloom Seeds.     SEED SAVING Part 1   From our latest article on Mary's Blog Saving seeds from your garden bounty is like putting money away for a rainy day. Best of all, saving your own seeds is one of many ways to regain control of your family's source of food.   FIRST and most important: Seed Saving from your own harvest is preferred. Store bought produce can be GMO or even hybrid. Even organic store bought can be hybrid.  Hybrid seeds can be sterile and will not produce true offspring from saved seeds.   Open-pollinated, heirloom seeds will grow seeds that can be saved and re-planted year after year.     SECOND: Cross pollination is always a pos sibility if you grow multiple varieties of the same crop. Tomatoes for example.  You can avoid cross-pollination by creating barriers of plants and distance or planting only 1 variety to save seeds from each season.   Regardless of plant type, one rule is universal: The seed must ripen on the plant in order to ensure best rate of germination. This means your peppers must turn red, orange or yellow (whichever color when fully ripe), your eggplants and cucumbers need to turn yellow, your beans and peas must be "rattle dry" in their pods, and your corn must be left on the stalks until the husks turn paper-brown. Pumpkins, watermelons and melons must be vine-ripe; keep them a few weeks longer in a dry place until they are almost rotten.   PICTURED is a very over-ripe Cocozelle Zucchini. You'll see that the skin started to yellow (and harden). Once you have saved seed, clean it and allow it to dry thoroughly. Seed that is not absolutely dry when stored will develop mold, which will kill it.   Dry seed should be put away in airtight containers in a dark, cool place until needed-always date the container. Some seeds will keep for many years Below is our VIDEO about pollination and cross-pollination.      BEGINNER GARDENERS Another request from our inquiry was starter packs for beginners.  We have offer several options and now we've added one more!   From our Seed Pack Combos page COMPANION PLANTING COMBO PACK EACH kit includes one packet of Borage, Marigold, Genovese Basil and Nasturtium as well as your choice of the following Vegetable Tomato, Squash, Pepper or Eggplant -24 Coconut Coir Pellets -Plant Markers We also offer 3 Florida-Specific Combo Packs The Florida packs are seeds only combos.  If you're just getting started, I would also recommend Coconut Coir Pellets and Organic Soil Amendments 2 of our most popular and beneficial combo packs: ORGANIC GARDEN GIFT PACK An excellent starter pack!  Includes 10 varieties of organic, non-GMO seeds (25 seeds per pack), Coconut Coir seed starting pellets,  Plant Markers, organic plant food and detailed growing instructions Organic, Heirloom, Non-GMO Seeds: St. Valery Carrot, Tom Thumb Lettuce, Roma Tomato, Black Beauty Eggplant, Blue Lake Bush Beans, New Jersey Wakefield Cabbage, National Pickling Cucumber, Early Scarlet Globe Radish, Yellow of Parma Onion and Black Beauty Zucchini 8 ounces Organic Plant Food 3-4-4 Options: 24 Coconut Coir Pellets OR 50 Coconut Coir Pellets   A more recent addition to our combo packs includes our homesteader packs. POULTRY GARDEN COMBO PACK We're raising chickens here at Mary's Heirloom Seeds and growing extras for our birds. Supplementing fresh, homegrown veggies and grains for our chickens is not only super healthy but it can also save a bunch on your feed bill! BACK TO BASICS HOMESTEAD PACK HOMESTEADER HERB COMBO PACK HOMESTEADER HERB SUPER COMBO PACK And now we have created on more combo pack.  This one includes PRINTED instructions from some of our more popular articles and tutorials as well as seeds, germination supplies, organic pest control and organic soil amendments BEGINNER STARTER PACK *if you click the link, you will find that this pack is on sale for 1 week* Includes SEEDS from Mary's Garden Pack, Companion seeds, your choice of 50 or 100 coconut coir pellets (for seed starting made simple), Plant Markers, Organic Neem Oil and 2 of our most popular (and easy to use) Organic Nutrients   Beginner Starter Pack    Growing Tips, Tutorials & Videos    DIY Organic Liquid Fertilizer Mix Perennial Veggies & Herbs FALL Garden Planning & Planting  FALL Garden Soil Prep  Using Calcium in the Garden for Healthy Plants FALL Herb Garden   More Growing Tips & Videos GARLIC PLANTING INFO When to Plant Organic Garlic How to Plant Organic Garlic Harvesting & Curing Organic Garlic   MORE Growing Tutorials If you have additional questions please feel free to ask.  Happy Planting, Mary Mary's Heirloom Seeds

Mary's Heirloom Seeds, P. O. Box 3763, Ramona, CA 92065