|
Post by PatrickW on Jan 3, 2009 18:47:51 GMT -5
I've just received an email from someone I don't know anything about, not even where they live. It was in connection with my seed network, and he's looking for some seeds. Since I don't know who this person is, please don't go to any trouble over this, but how are you guys with tropical seeds? He wants: fat baby achocha seed or any of the other two types - (I have some fat baby I can send him) pinapple golden berry - (this is a kind of ground cherry) naranjilla (lulo) - ( en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naranjilla ) rocoto - (a hot pepper) casabanana - (a type of cucumber) Guinea Bean - (a bean that's grown in New Guinea) He mentions he will pay postage, etc by sending cash. Does anyone have any ideas or suggestions? If you guys don't have any suggestions, I will make a blog post and 'ask the Internet'.
|
|
sphinxeyes
gardener
Suburbia, small garden in side yard, containers on larger back deck. Hot humid summers.
Posts: 154
|
Post by sphinxeyes on Jan 3, 2009 18:56:59 GMT -5
I don't have any of these, but I did see Casabanana listed in the latest issue of the Baker's Creek seed catalog. You might suggest that source to him.
|
|
|
Post by houseodessey on Jan 3, 2009 19:40:53 GMT -5
I don't have any of these, but I did see Casabanana listed in the latest issue of the Baker's Creek seed catalog. You might suggest that source to him. They also carry the naranjilla, IIRC. At least he could save on postage ordering both from one place. They also carry some ground cherries, in case he can't find that particular variety.
|
|
|
Post by PatrickW on Jan 4, 2009 11:49:56 GMT -5
Okay, thanks you two, good suggestion. I'll point him towards Baker Creek.
If anyone has any other ideas, I'd be glad to hear those too.
|
|
|
Post by barkingdog on Jan 4, 2009 12:37:07 GMT -5
Hi Patrick,
I have some self saved Red Rocoto peppers I can send. I can't vouch for their germination rate but they are welcome to some. Email me if you'd like them!
Jude (barkingdog)
|
|
|
Post by grungy on Jan 4, 2009 21:43:03 GMT -5
Patrick, Is pinapple golden berry - (this is a kind of ground cherry) another name for South African Cape Gooseberry? If so I have some that are the offspring right from South Africa that I can send you. Cheers, Val (grungy)
|
|
|
Post by PatrickW on Jan 5, 2009 11:31:00 GMT -5
Thanks Jude and Val -- I'll mention these to him.
Jude! This is where you know me from. I wondered why you sent the email about the seeds. By the way, your seeds are packaged, but not yet sent. Since there's supposed to be a very hard frost tonight, maybe I'll wait a few days. No point in stressing the seeds out with a lot of temperature changes.
|
|
|
Post by ottawagardener on Jan 5, 2009 12:59:53 GMT -5
I was just puzzling through the classification of perennial and annual ground cherries. From what I understand African Cape Gooseberry, also sometimes listed as golden berry, is Physalis peruviana and is a tender perennial though occasionally the annual P. pruinosa is listed as 'Pineapple' cape gooseberry. Most annual ground cherries are listed as P. pruinosa including the common cultivar 'Aunt Molly's'.
There are other kinds of ground cherry as well with varying colours of ripe fruit, some golden.
Corrections welcome btw.
|
|
|
Post by barkingdog on Jan 5, 2009 14:21:36 GMT -5
Jude! This is where you know me from. I wondered why you sent the email about the seeds. By the way, your seeds are packaged, but not yet sent. Since there's supposed to be a very hard frost tonight, maybe I'll wait a few days. No point in stressing the seeds out with a lot of temperature changes. Yes, I saw you on here and I'm also a lurker on your blog! No rush with the seeds, whenever you get a chance! Have mine arrived with you yet? Not sure how your postal service is? Jude
|
|
|
Post by PatrickW on Jan 6, 2009 6:13:04 GMT -5
OG: To be honest, I never thought about that, but it's interesting. I guess I thought they were all tender perennials but commonly grown as annuals. You said something somewhere about overwintering tomatoes, was this on your blog? This was my understanding of tomatoes too, so I hope to learn something about this from you.
I also thought Cape Gooseberries and Ground Cherries were more or less two names for the same plant, but I guess I was wrong about that too.
Jude: Normally the post office is pretty quick around here, at least for local mail. Sending mail to/from the US is also no problem, usually arriving within a week. For some reason to/from the UK can take a very long time. It must be that bit of water between us. One time I made the mistake of sending something 'surface' instead of airmail, and it took 6 weeks.
No sign of your package yet, but it's too early to start worrying.
To everyone: I sent this guy an email with all of your suggestions and offers but haven't heard back. Honestly the original email was quickly scrawled and I don't think his first language was English. He also sent it via MSN, which for some reason hides his original IP address, so it's not possible to guess his location by just looking at the header of the email. It also looked like the original email may have been chopped in half, so maybe he's having technical problems. It may be he's just disappeared, or he doesn't have regular access to email. If I hear back from him, I'll be in touch again with those of you who offered seeds. Thanks anyway for taking the time to reply.
|
|
|
Post by ottawagardener on Jan 6, 2009 8:27:40 GMT -5
I have to do more research about the Physalis as I am very, very interested in trying some winter hardy perennial varieties as there are several: smooth and clammy ground cherry for example. One day, I'll have it all straight!
As for overwintering tomatoes, I mentioned it on the solanacea forum here but I plan on making a blog post once I start experimenting in ernest.
Hope your seed person responds.
|
|
|
Post by PatrickW on Jan 6, 2009 9:12:12 GMT -5
Jude: It arrived, thanks!
OG: I see your blog comment in my moderation queue, but my hosting provider is having technical problems with their website, which is keeping me from publishing it on the blog! I hope that makes sense. Anyway, I'll publish it as soon as I can.
|
|
|
Post by stevil on Jan 6, 2009 11:59:11 GMT -5
I have to do more research about the Physalis as I am very, very interested in trying some winter hardy perennial varieties as there are several: smooth and clammy ground cherry for example. One day, I'll have it all straight! I've always found Physalis a bit of a mystery too. There are just so many of them and lots of confusing synonyms too. This year I'm overwintering Physalis "Poha" from SSE (P. peruviana, I believe) and P. heterophylla, which should be clammy, but mine doesn't seem to be, although it supposed to be a variable species - anyone know if heterophylla is always clammy? However, neither of them "look" hardy so I've brought them inside. So far so good - hope I can keep them free of aphids until May! The map of its range on the Plants Database (link below) certainly seems to suggest it should be hardy. It apparently overwinters, from what I understand, as a rhizome. plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=PHHE5Stephen
|
|
MikeM
grub
frost-free 365.25 + clayish soil + altitude 210m + latitude 34S + rain 848mm/yr
Posts: 91
|
Post by MikeM on Jan 9, 2009 10:07:39 GMT -5
I have some that are the offspring right from South Africa that I can send you. ...or you could just contact me I seem to have forgotten to list Cape Gooseberry on my seed-list (I'll rectify that soon) since around here I mostly weed the buggers out! Thousands of them in the garden right now... just shout and I'll rush out squeeze a berry! ;D ;D ;D
|
|
|
Post by utopiate on Jan 9, 2009 22:06:15 GMT -5
Hi, I love ground cherries. The Aunt Mollies was very much to my taste. After larger size I grew some Golden berries once. These were the Physalis peruviana I believe but not quite sure where I got them. Anyway, they were larger berries and taller, but I was a bit put off by a sort of resony aspect to the flavor. I was wondering if anyone knows if other varieties of Physalis peruviana, the Poha, and the Cape Gooseberry for example (if these are that) taste any better? New here, still stumbling around a bit getting familiar with the site.
|
|