In this episode of the Cultivariable podcast, I talk with Chris Homanics, a plant preservationist, breeder, and farmer in the Willamette Valley. Chris is well known for his work with perennial kales and chestnut preservation and breeding. He also does a lot of work with fruit trees, particularly apples, pears, and persimmons, and is very […]
I recently spotted virus symptoms of a sort that I haven’t seen before on an oca plant. Although oca is frequently infected with several different viruses, they are typically asymptomatic. This plant had some lower leaves with obvious yellowing and mosaic and some leaf tip browning. I ran it through a few ELISA tests for […]
Update: It appears that this book is no longer available from any supplier. Because the book was so briefly available, I wonder if this post still serves much purpose. It attracts a lot of hits, but I’m not sure that they are the kinds of hits that I want. I have recently cleared out many […]
One of the most common types of questions that I get is also the most vexing: What is the USDA zone for <plant>? USDA Zones have a very specific and narrow application, but they get used for all sorts of inappropriate things. The only thing that a USDA zone can really tell you is whether […]
In this episode of the Cultivariable podcast, I talk with potato breeder Doug Strong. Doug specializes in breeding diploid potatoes and has produced a bunch of really interesting varieties that are well known by Andean potato enthusiasts, such as Big Dog, Black Hornet, Yellow Dog, and Strawberry Timepiece. Due to background noise, I had to […]
In this episode of the Cultivariable podcast, I talk with farmer and freelance plant breeder Joseph Lofthouse. Joseph is well known for his landrace plant breeding, a method that he has popularized and applies to an astounding 100 species of food plants. We talk about his breeding philosophy and how he has used it to […]
In this episode of the Cultivariable podcast, I answer listener questions: 00:57 Which tuber crops are best for permaculture? 05:14 Are there any tuber crops that fix nitrogen? 08:35 Might arracacha be a dynamic accumulator? 10:35 Can you explain the process that you use for collecting plants from the wild? 14:35 Why should all gardeners […]
Growing new varieties of potatoes from true potato seeds is a lot of fun, but there is definitely a learning curve. This post covers some of the most common mistakes that I have seen beginners make (and, in many cases, once made myself). 1. Starting too early This is probably the cardinal sin of growing […]
In this episode of the Cultivariable podcast, I answer listener questions: 00:52 – Why don’t you grow sweet potatoes and yams? 05:52 – Can you explain what a tetraploid is? 12:39 – How would you recommend that someone in high school become a plant breeder? 19:05 – What plant breeding books do you recommend? 21:51 […]
In this episode of the Cultivariable podcast, I talk with Tom Wagner of Tater Mater Seeds. Tom is a well known public domain breeder, based in Everett, WA, who has worked with tomatoes, potatoes, and corn for more than sixty years. We discuss potato and tomato breeding, the history of some of his varieties […]