West Coast Seeds

Straight yellow beans hang in clusters on bush plants. Gold Rush is easy to pick with a flavour and texture that hold well for extended harvests. Tender, stringless, 10-15cm pods. Yellow colour develops at maturity. Glorious flavour and crisp texture make Gold Rush bush bean seeds a great choice for pickling and freezing. The medium sized bush plants have great disease resistance.

How To Grow, Timing:  Direct sow mid-to late spring. Try to plant during a warm, dry spell. Soil must be warm—if it is not warm enough, seeds may rot, especially since our seeds are not treated with fungicide. Sow drying beans as early as possible, so they can mature before rainy/cold weather sets in. Optimal soil temperature: 21-2°C. Seeds will sprout in 8-16 days, depending on conditions.

How To Grow, Starting:  Sow bush bean seeds 2-5cm deep, 5-8cm apart, in rows 45-60cmapart. Thin to at least 15cm apart in each row. If the weather is too wet, beans can also be started in pots indoors and set out carefully a few weeks later. For a longer harvest, plant at 3 week intervals.

How To Grow, Growing:  Ideal pH: 6.0-6.5   Well drained, warm soil in full sun is best. Use 1 cup of complete organic fertilizer for every 3m of row. Raised beds help with both drainage and warmth. Too much nitrogen fertilizer is often the cause of poor pod set and delayed maturity. If the plants flower but do not set pods, the cause may be zinc deficiency. Try spraying the plants with kelp-based fertilizer.

How To Grow, Harvest:  Pick beans regularly to keep the plant producing (if pods get fat with seed, the plant will stop flowering). The smaller the bean, the more tender they are.

58 Days.

Approx: 75 Seeds.

Parsley Pea seeds produce tendrils that are unique and delicious. Technically a snap pea, this curious pea is more often grown for its edible tendrils, leaflets, and flowers. Harvest whole plants when they are 15-20cm tall or cut above the first node and get a second flush of growth. Plants will produce snap peas at about 60 days on 1m tall vines if not harvested for greens. Try growing Parsley Peas in a 5-gallon patio container or in flower boxes, and harvest the fresh tendrils as needed. They make a fresh and crunchy addition to salads and sandwiches.

How To Grow, Timing:  Peas prefer cool weather. Plant as early in spring as the soil can be worked. If planting on the west coast after April 1, sow varieties that are listed as being enation resistant if you live in an area where aphids carry the enation virus. Sow again through the summer for a fall crop. The success of a fall crop will depend on the weather. Optimal soil temperature: 10-20°C. Seeds should sprout in 7-14 days.

How To Grow, Starting:  Soaking seeds is not advised for damp soils. Sow seed 2cm deep. After April 15th, sow seed 5cm deep. Space seeds 2-7cm apart in the row. Do not thin. If the seeds fail to sprout, try to dig some up and check for rot or insect damage. The challenge with untreated pea seeds is to give them an early start but to avoid rot.

How To Grow, Growing:  Use well-drained soil amended with finished compost. Add 2 cups of rock phosphate or bonemeal for 3m of row. Plant most varieties along a trellis or fence for support as they climb. Dwarf varieties do not need a trellis, but may benefit from the support of some twigs poked into the soil in the row.

How To Grow, Harvest:  Pick when pods at the desired stage. In theory, all peas can be harvested before the seeds mature, as snow peas, and then as tender snap peas, and finally as shelling peas. Most varieties have an intended maturity for picking. Make multiple sowings or grow several varieties to extend the harvest season.

How To Blanch Peas:  Peas of all kinds freeze particularly well for use in the fall and winter. Prior to freezing, it’s important to briefly submerge peas in boiling water — this kills the natural enzymes that exist in peas that would otherwise reduce the nutrients and cause the peas to break down over time. We recommend using a large pot of water at a rolling boil, and a colander or sieve for dipping. Timing is everything. For snap and snow peas, dip the whole pods into boiling water for exactly two minutes, and then transfer the pods to a bowl of ice water. For shelled peas, ninety seconds is perfect. Use a timer. After ninety seconds, transfer the peas to a bowl of ice water. All peas (and pods) should then be dried thoroughly on kitchen towels before being stored in zip-top or vacuum bags, with as little air as possible in each bag.

C. maxima. Sweet Mama Kabocha squash seeds form single long vines with almost no side shoots. Each plant produces 1.3kg fruits with dark green, hard skins over sweet, nutty, deep orange flesh. This AAS Winner has outstanding storage ability and flavour. Kabocha is sometimes called Japanese pumpkin. These are the squash most often used for tempura – thin slices are coated in batter and deep fried until just soft. It’s a wonderful way to accentuate the natural sweetness of the fruits. Sweet Mama can be started indoors or direct sown. If direct sowing, be sure that the soil is nice and warm in late May or early June. Train the vine along a fence or up a trellis.

How To Grow, Timing:  Direct sow or transplant in late spring once the soil is warm. For transplants, start seeds indoors during the first two weeks of May. Optimal soil temperature: 25-35°C. Seeds should germinate in 7-14 days.

How To Grow, Starting:  Sow seeds 2cm deep. Sow 3 seeds in each spot where you want a plant to grow, and thin to the strongest plant. Space summer squash 45-60cm apart in rows 90-120cm apart. Give winter squash and pumpkins even more room with a minimum of 90-120cm apart in rows 120-180cm apart.

How To Grow, Growing:  Ideal pH: 6.0-6.8.  These big plants need lots of food. Use 1 cup of complete organic fertilizer worked into the soil beneath each plant. All squash grow male flowers first, at later female flowers. The female flowers have tiny fruits at the base of their petals and require pollination by bees mostly. Incomplete pollination often happens at the beginning of the season, and results in misshapen fruits that are withered at the blossom end. Just discard these damaged fruits before they begin to rot. Encourage bees to visit the garden by growing Phacelia, sunflowers, or buckwheat for improved pollination.

How To Grow, Harvest:  Summer Squash: Pick when small, if fruit gets big the plant stops producing. Check the plants regularly.

Winter Squash: Fruit is ripe if your thumbnail doesn’t mark the skin and the stem is dry and brown. Cut the stem about 4cm from the fruit. Squash survive a light frost, but store better if harvested before frost.

Storage: Field-cure for 10 days in the sun, or cure indoors in a warm room for 4 or 5 days. To prevent mould sponge the skins with a solution of 10 parts water to 1 part chlorine bleach. Store at 10-15ºC with low humidity with good air circulation. Try on a shelf in the garage.

90 Days.

Approx: 14 Seeds.

Brassica rapa chinensis. Mild green leaves are supported by thick, sweet, white stalks that are mild and juicy. In summer, plant Taiwan pac choi seeds in short rows and harvest promptly before it bolts. Plant again at the end of summer for fall and early winter harvests. Taiwan pac choi seeds do not need warm soil to germinate, and they will grow (albeit slowly) into winter if given some frost protection. Try growing it under a cloche tunnel or cold frame and harvest until about December. Then start new rows around the end of February. Taiwan pac choi is great raw or cooked in stir-fries and soups.

How To Grow, Timing: Direct sow short rows every three weeks in spring, and again in late summer for fall harvest.  Pac Choi does best in cool soil.  Optimal soil temperature for germination is 20-25 Celsius.

How To Grow, Seeding: Sow 3-4 seeds 5mm-1cm deep in each spot you want a plant to grow. Thin to the strongest plant at a spacing of 15-20cm between plants in rows 30-45cm apart.

How To Grow, Growing: Ideal pH: 6.0-6.8. 1 cup of complete organic fertilizer will provide sufficient nutrition to 3m of row. Choi Sum is harvested just before it flowers, so keep a close watch on each row. Pac Choi can be harvested at any stage, but if you want full-sized plants, watch for signs of bolting. Flower buds will appear at the centre of each plant, and a stem will form quickly as the plant turns from urn-shaped into a tall cone. Harvest as quickly as possible once flower buds are visible. Keep plants well-watered throughout their growth.

Approx. 485 seeds

35-45 days

Purple Top White Globe turnip seeds are from an old heirloom turnip dating back prior to 1880. The roots are smooth and nearly round. Bright purple on top and creamy white in the portion below the soil line. They are mild flavoured and sweet, and can reach 13cm (5″) in diameter but are better for eating when picked at 5-8cm (2-3″). The young leaves of this variety can be cooked for traditional “southern greens.” Both the roots and greens are an excellent source of vitamin C. Remember that turnips belong to the Brassica family, so plant them in your garden with crop rotation in mind. Matures in 55 days.

Timing: Direct sow short rows starting just after the last frost date, through summer, and into the fall. Where winters are mild they can be started right into October. Optimal soil temperature for germination: 18-21°C (66-70°F). Seeds should sprout in 7-14 days.

Starting: Sow 5mm-1cm (¼-½”) deep in rows spaced 60cm (24″) apart, and thin to 15-20cm (6-8″) apart in the row.

Growing: Ideal pH: 6.0-6.8. Humus-rich, deeply cultivated soil is key. Add plenty of well rotted compost or manure to the beds and cultivate to a depth of 20cm (8″). Dig in 1 cup of complete organic fertilizer for every 3m (10′) of row. The real secret to success with turnips is speed. Sow short rows every 2-3 weeks, thin them quickly, keep them watered, harvest, and then sow some more.

Harvest: Gather greens and roots throughout summer as needed. Their immature seed pods are also tasty.

Diseases & Pests: Remember that turnips are members of the Brassica family, so they should not be planted where other Brassicas have been grown in the past 4 years. This simple crop rotation will prevent nearly all diseases from occurring in the first place. Floating row cover will protect plants from cabbage moth and flea beetles.

Approx. 470 seeds

Red Robin tomato seeds produce hardy, compact dwarf plants that deliver high yields of delicious cherry tomatoes. Plants are easy to grow, and best suited for containers whether located indoors or outdoors. While Red Robin tomato plants will deliver the highest yields in outside containers, plants will set fruit in lower light indoor conditions and still deliver moderate yields of sweet cherry tomatoes.

Typically 20-30 cm (8-12″) tall, Red Robin tomato plants make an attractive, ornamental addition to any garden patio, window or balcony. Round scarlet cherry tomatoes 2.5 -4 cm (1-1 1/2″) in diameter set in tight clusters create a striking contrast with dark green potato leaves. Compact determinate (bush). Matures in 55 days.

Growing: Ideal pH: 6.0-6.8. Tomatoes like fertile, well drained soil that is rich in organic matter. Dig in finished compost and manure, and add 1 cup balanced organic fertilizer beneath each transplant. The nutrition from heavy clay soils is excellent for tomatoes, but they are slow to warm, so transplanting should be done later. By the same token, lighter soils warm more quickly, so transplants can go out sooner. Adding glacial rock dust will supply all the calcium they will need. Regular watering is vital, but don’t let the plants sit in water. Tomatoes are tropical plants so they require full sun and lots of heat. Vine varieties will require some kind of support such as a wire to grow up, or a trellis to be tied to as the plant grows. Bush types benefit from the support of a tomato cage in order to prevent sprawling. At the time of final transplant, plants can be buried up to their first pair of true leaves. This will encourage greater root growth, helping with both nutrient uptake and the plants’ ability to stand up to dry conditions. Stop watering around the end of July to encourage the fruit to ripen. If tomato plants are grown under cover, you can encourage pollination and fruit set by tapping the stem from time to time. Tomatoes do not rely on insects for pollination. Vibrating the plant shakes pollen loose within the flowers, which then self-pollinate.

Indeterminate tomatoes continue to grow and produce fruit until they are killed by frost. Remove any suckers (stems growing from the crotch of leaves) to keep the foliage under control, and they will set a later crop of larger fruit. Determinate varieties normally set fruit in a concentrated time period. Their suckers are not normally removed, though some trimming helps with ventilation.

Harvest: Harvest when the fruit is the desired colour. Green tomatoes can be ripened indoors at a cool temperature when they are blemish free. Very dark green tomatoes are unlikely to ripen fully.

Diseases & Pests: Blossom End Rot is an environmental disorder caused by a calcium deficiency. As the name of the disorder indicates it occurs at the blossom end of the fruit. It appears as a brownish dry and firm sunken area. Sometimes a secondary infection can occur at the damaged area, which turns it mushy and wet. Internal blackening can occur without the characteristic end rot. Calcium deficiency can happen when there is uneven watering. When the plants are too dry for a period followed by over watering, this encourages fast growth. The tomato plant can’t take up enough calcium resulting in an unbalanced potassium-to-calcium ratio. Early fruit show the affects sooner than later fruit. Digging in bonemeal, dolomite lime and a balanced organic fertilizer such as Gaia All Purpose Blend 4-4-4 will help prevent this disease as will an even and regular watering schedule.

An airborne fungal disease causes Late Blight. It begins as leaf spots before spreading to stems and fruit. Water soaked areas appear on the leaves. These are greenish black and irregular in shape. Brown cankers develop on the stems and fruit. Blight infected tomatoes can have a fishy smell. Often the fruit manages to almost reach maturity before the cankers take over. Sometimes a bluish grey mould grows on the underside of infected leaves and on the fruit cankers.

Prevention is key as there is no cure for the disease. Keep moisture off the plants. Use drip tape for watering and avoid splashing the leaves. Our cloche system is excellent for keeping rain and moisture off the plants. In a greenhouse or under a cloche, humidity can build up so high that the fungus will destroy plants in 24 hours. You must ventilate well.

Bordo Copper Spray applied regularly in late summer prevents the fungus that causes Late Blight to germinate. If applied with the OMRI listed Superflow Natural Surfactant the copper spray will stay on longer and there will be less need to apply other than after each rainfall or heavy dew.

Companion Planting: Another sensitive plant when it comes to companions, tomatoes benefit from asparagus, basil, beans, borage, carrots, celery, chives, collards, cucumber, garlic, lettuce, marigold, mint, nasturtium, onion, parsley, and peppers. Avoid planting alongside Brassicas and dill. Corn will attract tomato pests, and kohlrabi will stunt tomatoes’ growth. Potatoes may spread blight to tomatoes, so keep them apart. Do no plant tomatoes near walnut trees.

Approx. 15 seeds