old southern vegetable seeds

fishfryer

frying fish driveler
I'm interested in old vegetable seeds as grown years ago in the southern states. Beans,peas,corn,tomatoes,etc. A family member just gave me some red colored corn seed,and we talked about pole beans,and running butter beans. If you have any interest in this subject,or you know of a source for seeds,please let me know. I would like to buy some,and swap some in the future.
 

swamppirate

Senior Member
I'm interested in old vegetable seeds as grown years ago in the southern states. Beans,peas,corn,tomatoes,etc. A family member just gave me some red colored corn seed,and we talked about pole beans,and running butter beans. If you have any interest in this subject,or you know of a source for seeds,please let me know. I would like to buy some,and swap some in the future.

If you can get hold of some half runner green beans, none better!
 

fishfryer

frying fish driveler
Thanks Swamppirate, I'll see what I can do.
 

ucfireman

Senior Member
You can google "Heirloom seeds" there are tons of companies that carry old type seeds. I use a company called Baker creek heirloom seed. They have tons of old not often seen varieties of everything. As far as the ones grown by old timers (grand mom etc) They are usually saved and passed along but a lot of times they don't know the variety. They just know its a "pole bean or bush bean".
 

fishfryer

frying fish driveler
Yeah I've been looking at the Baker web page,that Cherokee Trail of Tears bean sounds good,has a good write up also.
 

Dr. Strangelove

Senior Member
If you can get hold of some half runner green beans, none better!

That's we grew in the family vegetable garden when I was a kid. Nothing better, like swamppirate said!
 

fishfryer

frying fish driveler
old Southern vegetables

You old timers,do you remember names of corn,tomatoes,and peas that your families planted? I'm thinking that many varieties had local names,which would have been completely different in other places,yet were the same plants.
 

280bst

Senior Member
Seen ads on here and elsewhere where local farmers market type advertise heirloom seeds most of time it takes place in the town square or such seen it in Jefferson couple of times pretty good gathering. Mother Earth News has devoted a lot of space in the mag. for heirlooms just be careful some seeds that have been around 25 yrs. are considered heirloom think you looking for older variety's then that good luck
 

fishfryer

frying fish driveler
Thanks for your comments 280, I've been gardening for myself over 50 years,and for my parents before that, 10 or 12. I wish I was closer to some of those towns in north Georgia,I'd like to go to some of the town square sales. I am pretty well up on recent stuff(in the last 75 or so years)it's the stuff that is nearly gone that I'd like to get a start of. Some of the seed banks that you see on line are very interesting to me. I'd like to be able to grow and eat vegetables that our southern people ate in the 1800's and before. I've seen references of peanuts that were supposedly brought to this country by slaves from Africa and cultivated before the War Between The States and after. There is a white corn called Sea Island that is reputed to be old and very popular a long time ago. You never know about what you can find out about the past until you ask. Many people have knowledge that will go to the grave with them,some would be willing to share that information if asked. I'm asking. Common things are not recorded as much as the unusual,Modern day people had a hard time rediscovering principles of fire making,because it was everyday life before matches were invented. The same was true of flint knapping,and hide tanning by old methods. My family for generations were southern farmers,I'd like to grow some of the foods that they ate,and eat them myself.
 

cjones

Senior Member
Interested to see how you do with this. I found a jar of black eye pea seed in my grandparents' house when we were cleaning it out to sell a couple of years ago. I doubt it's very old or 'unique' - grandad probably got the seed from the co-op a season or two before - but they reused a lot of their own seed. Going to try my best to keep the line going and divvy out some seed to the rest of the family. Nothing more than sentimental value.
 

Luke0927

Senior Member
If you have a youtube account look up, Old Alabama Gardner and Deep South Homestead.

These would be some good resource to reach out to, I've seen some videos on DSH talking about trading seeds etc...
 

fishfryer

frying fish driveler
Since my last post,I have an order in to Clemson University's heirloom seed site. They have some interesting seeds offered at very reasonable prices. Sand Mountain Seed Bank also has some old handed down varieties with a return to them program. I will post later on how my "old" garden is progressing. Baker has neat stuff listed haven't ordered from them. If I get the seeds planted that I have in mind, that'll be enough for one year.
 

fishfryer

frying fish driveler
Interested to see how you do with this. I found a jar of black eye pea seed in my grandparents' house when we were cleaning it out to sell a couple of years ago. I doubt it's very old or 'unique' - grandad probably got the seed from the co-op a season or two before - but they reused a lot of their own seed. Going to try my best to keep the line going and divvy out some seed to the rest of the family. Nothing more than sentimental value.

If you think those seeds are an old variety,or out of sentiment you want to grow them,I would definitely do that. Put a few seeds in a doubled up paper towel,wet it,keep in a warm place in the house, keep moist wait a week or ten days,you'll soon know if the seeds are good. Hope you grow some good peas.
 

Flash

Actually I Am QAnon
When I got my catalog Willhite had a lot of heirloom seeds listed. Don't know if they have what you're looking for.
willhiteseed.com
 

treemanjohn

Banned
Seed Savers. Org is a great website for heirloom varieties as well.

I am still incredibly suspect of old world seeds. The big problem you have is cross pollen ization with GMO varieties. If your neighbor isn't growing heirloom and they're using Burpee hybrid seeds, you're going to be in a jam when you harvest your seeds. I doubt the majority of these companies do DNA testing to make sure they are true

Another thumbs up for white half-runners
 

fishfryer

frying fish driveler
Seed Savers. Org is a great website for heirloom varieties as well.

I am still incredibly suspect of old world seeds. The big problem you have is cross pollen ization with GMO varieties. If your neighbor isn't growing heirloom and they're using Burpee hybrid seeds, you're going to be in a jam when you harvest your seeds. I doubt the majority of these companies do DNA testing to make sure they are true

Another thumbs up for white half-runners

I understand your point about pollination,some sources recommend separating varieties of beans at least 150 feet. Now that takes up a chunk of land if you want to plant 3 or 4 different beans or other plants. I suppose you could order twice the seed you want to plant of each type, and after a test run you would have 'PURE" seed to plant the next year. To make it too technical would probably take the fun out of it.
 
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