Siberian Vegetables

From Sonairte

Organic vegetables from Tamar to Siberia...

In spring 2006, one of Sonairte's members came to us to ask whether it would be possible for us to help her buy and send seeds to her mother who has gardened for many years near Ekaterinburg on the eastern slopes of the Ural mountains in Siberia. Although Valentina uses organic growing methods, she would be helped if the seeds she used were organic, rather than the F1 and GM varieties she was growing. From the Tamar seed catalogue and picked out varieties that we thought would suit local tastes and survive in the very short growing season there. They arrived very quickly from Tamar and we sent them on their way to Siberia, hoping they would arrive in time for the late Siberian spring

The seeds were planted directly into the open ground fromn the 4th week of May to the 1st week of June. The vegetables in the photo were picked in the second week of August. The rest were harvested in the 1st week of October (except early varieties). In October the vegetables were twice this size.

As can be seen in the photos the soil in her garden is a deep rich alluvial soil, described as being so rich it feels greasy to the fingers. Valentina makes her own compost and adds composted cow manure when she plants corn (maize) as part of her rotation. This is the only fertiliser she brings in. She uses no artificial pesticides, saying that the cold kills almost all pests - though not Colorado beetle which is a major problem on potatoes in the region. Last frost is in early June and snow is usually on the ground by the third week in October.